Mobile phone/docking station call continuity

• US 9,008,039 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2011
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Javaregowda, Gowtham, Eichen, Elliot G., Goodman, Lee N., Chang, Sujin Catherine
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Moutaouakil, Mounir
• Application Number:
  US13/116,123
• Publication Number:
  US 20120155445A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,419 Days
• Field of Search: 370/221, 370/331, 455/442, 455/426.2, 455/461
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/59 using proxies for addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1285 Details of finding and selecting a gateway for a particular call
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0022 for transferring data sessions between adjacent core network technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00226 wherein the core network technologies comprise IP multimedia system [IMS], e.g. single radio voice call continuity [SRVCC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A mobile device establishes a first network connection via a first communication interface when the mobile device is in a first docking status with a docking station. The mobile device sends Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) traffic associated with a VoIP call via the first network connection, and activates a second network connection via a second communication interface when the mobile device is in the first docking status, where the second network connection is different than the first network connection. The mobile device re-directs the VoIP traffic via the previously activated second network connection based on a change in docking status of the mobile device with the docking station to a second docking status.

Claims

1. A mobile device, comprising:

a first communication interface configured to communicate via a first connection over a first network;

a second communication interface configured to communicate via a second connection over a second network;

a third communication interface configured to communicate via a third connection over a third network; and

a processing unit configured to;

determine a docking status associated with docking or undocking of the mobile device from a docking station,

assign different priority levels to the first, second and third networks based on the docking status of the mobile device,

cause registration messages for the first, second and third networks to be sent to a network proxy, wherein each of the registration messages indicate one of the different priority levels assigned to a respective one of the first, second and third networks,

cause, if the determined docking status comprises a first docking status, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) traffic associated with a VoIP call to be transmitted and received via one of the first, second or third communication interfaces that corresponds to one of the first, second or third networks assigned a highest priority level of the assigned priority levels,

select one of the first, second or third networks that has a second highest priority level of the assigned priority levels based on a change in the docking status of the mobile device to a second docking status, and

cause the VoIP traffic associated with the VoIP call to be transmitted and received via the selected one of the first, second or third networks that has the second highest priority level of the assigned priority levels and the corresponding first, second or third communication interface.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the first docking status comprises the mobile device docked with the docking station and the second docking status comprises the mobile device undocked from the docking station.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the second and third connections comprise different wireless connections and wherein the first connection comprises a wired connection.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the first docking status comprises the mobile device undocked from the docking station and the second docking status comprises the mobile device docked with the docking station.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the first network comprises a wired local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN), the second network comprises a wireless cellular network, and the third network comprises a wireless LAN or WAN.

6. A method, comprising:

identifying, at a mobile device, multiple networks available to the mobile device for connection, wherein the mobile device is dockable with a docking station;

assigning different priority levels to the identified multiple available networks based on a docking status of the mobile device with the docking station;

sending multiple registration messages to a network proxy for the identified multiple available networks, wherein each of the multiple registration messages indicate one of the different priority levels assigned to a respective one of the multiple available networks;

sending a first set-up message to the network proxy to set-up a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call between the mobile device and a VoIP server;

sending, from the mobile device, the VoIP call via a network of the multiple available networks that is assigned a highest priority level of the assigned priority levels;

determining if access has been lost to the network assigned the highest priority level of the assigned priority levels;

sending a second set-up message, via a second network having a second highest priority level of the assigned different priority levels, to the network proxy to set-up the VoIP call between the mobile device and the VoIP server; and

sending the VoIP call via the second network assigned the second highest priority level of the assigned priority levels.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining if the access has been lost to the network that is assigned the highest priority level of the assigned priority levels comprises:

determining that access has been lost to the network that is assigned the highest priority level if the mobile device is undocked from the docking station.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein determining if the access has been lost to the network that is assigned the highest priority level of assigned priority levels comprises:

determining that access has not been lost to the network that is assigned the highest priority network if the mobile device is docked with the docking station.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

identifying, subsequent to a determination that the access has been lost to the network that is assigned the highest priority level of the assigned priority levels, multiple networks that are currently available to the mobile device; and

re-assigning different priority levels to the identified multiple, currently available networks based on the docking status of the mobile device with the docking station.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein sending the first set-up message to the network proxy comprises:

sending the first set-up message to the network proxy via the network of the multiple available networks that is assigned the highest priority level of the assigned priority levels.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the registration messages comprise Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Register messages.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the first set-up message comprises a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) invite message.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein the docking status comprises the mobile device docked with the docking station.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein the docking status comprises the mobile device undocked from the docking station.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions executable by at least one processor, the computer-readable medium comprising:

one or more instructions for identifying multiple networks available to a mobile device for connection, wherein the mobile device is dockable with a docking station;

one or more instructions for assigning different priority levels to the identified multiple available networks based on a docking status of the mobile device with the docking station;

one or more instructions for causing multiple registration messages for the identified multiple available networks to be sent to a network proxy, wherein each of the multiple registration messages indicate one of the different priority levels assigned to a respective one of the multiple available networks;

one or more instructions for causing a first set-up message to be sent to the network proxy to set-up a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call between the mobile device and a VoIP server;

one or more instructions for causing the VoIP call to be sent via a network of the multiple available networks that is assigned a highest priority level of the assigned priority levels;

one or more instructions for determining if access has been lost to the network that is assigned the highest priority level of the assigned priority levels;

one or more instructions for causing a second set-up message to be sent, via a second network assigned a second highest priority level of the assigned different priority levels, to the network proxy to set-up the VoIP call between the mobile device and the VoIP server; and

one or more instructions for causing the VoIP call to be sent via the second network assigned the second highest priority level of the assigned priority levels.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more instructions for determining if the access has been lost to the network assigned to the highest priority level of the assigned priority levels comprise:

one or more instructions for determining that access has been lost to the network assigned to highest priority level if the mobile device is undocked from the docking station.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more instructions for determining if the access has been lost to the network assigned to the highest priority level of the assigned priority levels comprises:

one or more instructions for determining that access has not been lost to the network assigned to highest priority level if the mobile device is docked with the docking station.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising:

one or more instructions for identifying, subsequent to a determination that the access has been lost to the network assigned the highest priority level of the assigned priority levels, multiple networks that are available to the mobile device; and

one or more instructions for updating priority levels assigned to the identified multiple available networks based on the docking station of the mobile device with the docking station.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more instructions for sending the set-up message to the network proxy comprises:

one or more instructions for cause the first set-up message to be sent to the network proxy via the network of the multiple available networks that is assigned the highest priority level of the assigned priority levels.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the registration messages comprise Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Register messages.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first set-up message comprises a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) invite message.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the docking status comprises the mobile device docked with the docking station.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the docking status comprises the mobile device undocked from the docking station.