System and method for providing voice service in a multimedia mobile network

• US 9,137,709 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2011
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Diachina, John, Sllberg, Hans Krister Mikael, Palm, Lars Hkan
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Brenda H
• Application Number:
  US13/287,506
• Publication Number:
  US 20120046037A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,413 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/349, 370/389, 370353-357, 370/331
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0022 for transferring data sessions between adjacent core network technologies

Abstract

User Equipment (UE) receiving non-voice packet switched services in an Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System Terrestial Radio Access Network (eUTRAN) cell undergoes handover to a circuit switched GSM/Edge Radio Access Network (GERAN)/UTRAN cell in response to a voice service page. An eNodeB of the active eUTRAN cell uses a measurement report history for the UE to select an available circuit switched cell for handover. The voice service is established in the circuit switched domain of a GERAN/UTRAN cell to ensure service continuity regardless of UE mobility that would otherwise not be possible if the voice service was established in the eUTRAN cell. A Gs-like interface between a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) of the CS Core Network and the Mobility Management Entity (MME) of the Evolved Packet Core provides an interface for page requests and location update procedures to be performed.

Claims

1. A mobility management entity configured to:

receive a voice service page in respect of a user equipment;

forward the voice service page requiring a voice call establishment of the user equipment in a circuit switched cell;

receive a service request from the user equipment in response to the forwarded voice service page; and

request a handover procedure of the user equipment to the circuit switched cell.

2. The mobility management entity according to claim 1, wherein the handover procedure request results in a handover command to the user equipment.

3. The mobility management entity according to claim 2 wherein said handover command indicates said circuit switched cell.

4. The mobility management entity according to claim 2 wherein said handover command comprises an indication of a circuit switched voice service requirement.

5. The mobility management entity according to claim 4 wherein said indication comprises said voice service page.

6. The mobility management entity according to claim 1 further configured to trigger a location area of a circuit switched core network.

7. The mobility management entity according to claim 6 further configured to trigger the location area toward a Mobile Switching Center using a Long Term Evolution tracking area to the location area mapping.

8. The mobility management entity according to claim 7 further configured to support a Gs-like interface to the Mobile Switching Center.

9. The mobility management entity according to claim 8 further configured to perform a circuit switched location update procedure through said Gs-like interface.

10. A method for providing voice service in a network comprising an Evolved Packet Core, the method comprising:

receiving a voice service page in the Evolved Packet Core in respect of a user equipment;

accessing a measurement report history for the user equipment;

determining a circuit switched cell from the measurement report history; and

initiating a handover procedure of the user equipment to the circuit switched cell,

upon the user equipment and a base station supporting the circuit switched cell both supporting a dual transfer mode, maintaining a packet switched resource with the base station when the user equipment is moved to the circuit switched cell; and

upon either the user equipment or the base station not supporting a dual transfer mode, dropping a packet switched resource when the user equipment is moved to the circuit switched cell.

11. The method according to claim 10 further comprising providing a handover command to the user equipment.

12. The method according to claim 10 further comprising mapping a tracking area of said Evolved Packet Core to a Location Area of a Circuit Switched Core.

13. A method for providing voice service to User Equipment (UE) operating in a packet switched domain of an Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System Terrestial Radio Access Network (eUTRAN) cell, the method comprising:

receiving a voice service page in an Evolved Packet Core;

accessing a measurement report history, based on the voice service page, for the UE to determine one or more available circuit switched cells;

selecting one of said one or more available circuit switched cells;

initiating a handover procedure of the UE from the eUTRAN cell to the selected one of said one or more available circuit switched cells, said handover procedure establishing voice service between a circuit switched domain of the circuit switched cell and said UE;

upon the UE and a base station supporting the selected circuit switched cell both supporting a dual transfer mode, maintaining a packet switched resource with the base station when the user equipment is moved to the circuit switched cell; and

upon either the user equipment or the base station not supporting a dual transfer mode, dropping a packet switched resource when the user equipment is moved to the circuit switched cell.

14. The method according to claim 13 further comprising the UE sending a page response through the selected circuit switched cell at the completion of said handover procedure.

15. The method according to claim 13 further comprising sending a handover command from the eUTRAN cell to the UE.

16. The method according to claim 15 wherein said handover command indicates said selected circuit switched cell.

17. The method according to claim 15 wherein said handover command comprises an indication of a circuit switched voice service requirement.

18. The method according to claim 17 wherein said indication comprises said voice service page.

19. The method according to claim 17 further comprising the UE sending a page response through the selected circuit switched cell at the completion of said handover procedure.

20. The method according to claim 13 further comprising ceasing one or more packet switched services.

21. The method according to claim 13 further comprising mapping a tracking area of said Evolved Packet Core to a Location Area of a Circuit Switched Core.

22. The method according to claim 13 wherein said voice service page is received from a mobile switching center.

23. The method according to claim 22 wherein said voice service page is received by a Mobility Management Entity of said Evolved Packet Core through a Gs-like interface with said mobile switching center.

24. The method according to claim 23 further comprising performing a circuit switched Location Update procedure for said UE through said Gs-like interface.

25. The method of claim 13, wherein further upon either the user equipment or the base station not supporting a dual transfer mode, initiating a packet switched handover to the base station before establishing voice service in the circuit switched cell.

26. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining if Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem service is supported.

27. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

upon the voice service page indicating an indirect MT voice service request, triggering paging of the UE using generic paging procedures wherein the page sent to the UE does not indicate that an Inter-Radio Access Technology (RAT) packet switched handover should be performed; and

upon the voice service page indicating a direct MT voice service request, triggering paging of the UE wherein the page sent to the UE indicates that an Inter-RAT packet switched handover should be performed.

28. An Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System Terrestial Radio Access Network (eUTRAN) network comprising:

at least one eUTRAN cell comprising at least one eNodeB;

wherein the at least one eNodeB is configured to receive a page for voice service for a User Equipment (UE) serviced by the eNodeB and to access a measurement report history for said User Equipment (UE) to handover said UE to a circuit switched cell;

upon the user equipment and a base station supporting the circuit switched cell both supporting a dual transfer mode, a packet switched resource is maintained with the base station when the user equipment is moved to the circuit switched cell; and

upon either the user equipment or the base station not supporting a dual transfer mode, a packet switched resource is dropped when the user equipment is moved to the circuit switched cell.

29. The network according to claim 28 wherein said at least one eNodeB is configured to use said measurement report history to select an available circuit switched cell for said handover.

30. The network according to claim 28 wherein said at least one eNodeB is configured to transmit a handover command to said UE.

31. The network according to claim 30 wherein said handover command indicates a selected available circuit switched cell.

32. The network according to claim 28 further comprising:

at least one Evolved Packet Core (EPC) comprising a Mobility Management Entity; and

a Gs-like interface between said Mobility Management Entity and a mobile switching center of a circuit switched core network;

wherein the eUTRAN network is configured to handover said UE to a circuit switched cell in response to identifying the presence of the Gs-like interface.

33. The network according to claim 28 wherein said page for voice service is received by said Mobility Management Entity from said mobile switching center through said Gs-like interface.

34. The network according to claim 33 wherein the EPC is configured to perform a circuit switched Location Update procedure through said Gs-like interface.