Methods and apparatus for voice domain operation

• US 9,113,403 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2014
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Faccin, Stefano, Chin, Chen Ho, Burbidge, Richard Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, MARCUS
• Application Number:
  US14/266,796
• Publication Number:
  US 20140233463A1
• Time in Patent Office: 475 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for voice domain operation are described herein. One example method includes determining that an Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) network is not preferred for voice service based on receiving a response message to a NAS message via the E-UTRA network, wherein the response message to the Non-Access Stratum (NAS) message comprises an indication that no voice service is available, storing an identification of a first public land mobile network (PLMN), wherein the first PLMN is associated with the E-UTRA network that is not preferred for voice service, and avoiding selection of a second PLMN'"'"'s E-UTRA network when an identification of the second PLMN matches the identification of the first PLMN.

Claims

1. A method for a user equipment (UE), comprising:

determining, at the UE, that a first Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) network is not preferred for voice service based on receiving a response message to a NAS message via the first E-UTRA network, wherein the response message to the Non-Access Stratum (NAS) message comprises an indication that no voice service is available;

storing, at the UE, an identification of a first public land mobile network (PLMN) in a list of non-preferred PLMNs, wherein the first PLMN is associated with the first E-UTRA network that is not preferred for voice service, and the list of non-preferred PLMNs includes identifications for PLMNs where no voice services are available; and

avoiding, at the UE, selecting of a second E-UTRA network in response to an identification of the second E-UTRA network matching an identification in the list of non-preferred PLMNs.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification of the first PLMN is a PLMN identifier (ID).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification of the first PLMN is a mobile country code (MCC)+mobile network code(MNC) derived from a tracking area identity (TAI).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored identification of the first PLMN causes the E-UTRA network associated with the first PLMN to be less preferable to E-UTRA networks associated with other PLMNs.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising deleting the identification of the first PLMN when a timer expires.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication that no voice service is available comprises an indication of at least one of:

no Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) voice service is available;

or

no circuit-switched fallback (CSFB) voice service is available.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication that no voice service is available comprises a reject cause.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication that no voice service is available comprises cause # 18.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication that no voice service is available comprises an “

IMS voice over PS session supported indication”

set to indicate that voice is not supported.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the storing is performed in response to the determining.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the storing comprises storing the identification in a list of PLMNs that have been identified as not preferred for voice service.

12. A user equipment configured to:

determine that a first Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) network is not preferred for voice service based on receiving a response message to a NAS message via the first E-UTRA network, wherein the response message to the Non-Access Stratum (NAS) message comprises an indication that no voice service is available;

store an identification of a first public land mobile network (PLMN) in a list of non-preferred PLMNs, wherein the first PLMN is associated with the first E-UTRA network that is not preferred for voice service, and the list of non-preferred PLMNs includes identifications for PLMNs where no voice services are available; and

avoid selection of a second E-UTRA network in response to an identification of the second E-UTRA network matching an identification in the list of non-preferred PLMNs.

13. The user equipment of claim 12, wherein the identification of the first PLMN is a PLMN identifier (ID).

14. The user equipment of claim 12, wherein the identification of the first PLMN is a mobile country code (MCC)+mobile network code(MNC) derived from a tracking area identity (TAI).

15. The user equipment of claim 12, wherein the stored identification of the first PLMN causes the E-UTRA network associated with the first PLMN to be less preferable to E-UTRA networks associated with other PLMNs.

16. The user equipment of claim 12, further configured to delete the identification of the first PLMN when a timer expires.

17. The user equipment of claim 12, wherein the indication that no voice service is available comprises an indication of at least one of:

no Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) voice service is available;

or

no circuit-switched fallback (CSFB) voice service is available.

18. The user equipment of claim 12, wherein the indication that no voice service is available comprises a reject cause.

19. The user equipment of claim 12, wherein the indication that no voice service is available comprises cause #18.

20. The user equipment of claim 12, wherein the indication that no voice service is available comprises an “

IMS voice over PS session supported indication”

set to indicate that voice is not supported.