Methods, systems, and computer readable media for performing single radio voice call continuity (SRVCC) handovers

• US 9,173,136 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2013
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Keysight Technologies Singapore (Holdings) Pte. Limited. (Keysight Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ixia (Keysight Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Macalet, Catalina, Nicolae, Anda Maria, Slavoiu, Andrei
• Primary Examiner(s): Mui, Gary
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHILLIPS, MICHAEL K
• Application Number:
  US13/894,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20140334441A1
• Time in Patent Office: 896 Days
• Field of Search: 370/241, 370/331
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/06 Testing, supervising or monitoring using simulated traffic
• 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]

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer readable media for performing single radio voice call continuity (SRVCC) handover are disclosed. According to one method, the method occurs at a testing platform. The method includes receiving, via a communications channel for exchanging messages between a first session initiation protocol (SIP) peer and a second SIP peer, a first message for triggering a bearer deletion procedure associated with a call between the first SIP peer and the second SIP peer. The method also includes in response to receiving the first message or a related message, triggering the bearer deletion procedure prior to changing an access technology.

Claims

1. A method for performing a single radio voice call continuity SRVCC) handover, the method comprising:

at a testing platform;

receiving, via a communications channel for ex hanging messages between a first session initiation protocol (SIP) peer and a second SIP peer, a first message for triggering a bearer deletion procedure associated with a call between the first SIP peer and the second SIP peer; and

in response to receiving the first message or a related message, triggering the bearer deletion procedure prior to changing an access technology,

wherein a serving gateway is emulated by the testing platform, wherein the first message is sent from the first SIP peer to the second SIP peer, wherein a delete bearer request message is sent from the second SIP peer to the serving gateway in response to receiving the first message, and wherein the serving gateway triggers the bearer deletion procedure in response to receiving the delete bearer request message, and

wherein the first and second SIP peers use the communication channel to synchronize when the first and second SIP peers stop packet transmission and reception along a bearer path for the call in order to perform changing of the access technology without losing packets.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising:

prior to deleting the bearer path, stopping transmission of real-time transport protocol (RTP) packets associated with the call at the first SIP peer and at the second SIP peer.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein changing the access technology includes performing an inter-radio access technology (I-RAT) handover or establishing the call between the first SIP peer and the second SIP peer using a different network node than used prior to changing the access technology.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the different network node includes a node, a mobile switch center (MSC), a serving general packet radio service (GPRS) support node (SGSN), an emulated node, an emulated MSC, or an emulated SGSN.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the communications channel is associated with a communications interface, a loopback interface, an internal interface, a CPRI interface, a radio interface, a wired interface, a wireless interface, or a fiber interface.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the communications channel is different from the bearer path between the first SIP peer and the second SIP peer and is different from a call signaling path between the first SIP peer and the second SIP peer.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first SIP peer is associated with a first port module in the testing platform and wherein the second SIP peer is associated with a second port module in the testing platform.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein a mobility management entity (MME) is emulated by the testing platform, wherein the first message is sent from the first SIP peer to the second SIP peer, and wherein the first message is sent in response to the MME notifying the first SIP peer that an associated emulated user device is outside an 3GPP coverage area.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein a mobility management entity (MME) and a serving general packet radio service (GPRS) support node (SGSN) are emulated by the testing platform, wherein the first message is sent from the first SIP peer to the second SIP peer, and wherein the first message is received by the second SIP peer prior to receiving, by the second SIP Peer and from the SGSN or the MME, a message indicating a handover event condition.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the serving gateway includes a signaling gateway (SGW), a call session control function (CSCF), or a proxy CSCF.

11. A system for performing a single radio voice call continuity (SRVCC) handover, the system comprising:

a testing platform comprising;

a communications interface associated with a communications channel for exchanging messages between a first session initiation protocol (SIP) peer and a second SIP peer, the communications interface configured to receive a first message for triggering a bearer deletion procedure associated with a call between the first SIP peer and the second SIP peer; and

a serving gateway emulated using at least one processor, wherein the serving gateway is configured to, in response to receiving the first message or a related message, trigger the bearer deletion procedure prior to changing an access technology,

wherein the first message is sent from the first SIP peer to the second SIP peer, wherein a delete bearer request message is sent from the second SIP peer to the serving gateway in response to receiving the first message, and wherein the serving gateway initiates the bearer deletion procedure in response to receiving the delete bearer request message, and

wherein the first and second SIP peers use the communication channel to synchronize when the first and second SIP peers stop packet transmission and reception along a bearer path for the call in order to perform changing of the access technology without losing packets.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the testing platform is configured to stop transmission of real-time transport protocol (RTP) packets associated with the call at the first SIP peer.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein changing the access technology includes performing an inter-radio access technology (I-RAT) handover or establishing the call between the first SIP peer and the second SIP peer using a different network node than used prior to changing the access technology.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the different network node includes a node, a mobile switch center (MSC), a serving general packet radio service (GPRS) support node (SGSN), an emulated node, an emulated MSC, or an emulated SGSN.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the communications channel is associated with a communications interface, a loopback interface, an internal interface, a CPRI interface, a radio interface, a wired interface, a wireless interface, or a fiber interface.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein the communications channel is different from the bearer path between the first SIP peer and the second SIP peer and is different from a call signaling path between the first SIP peer and the second SIP peer.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein the first SIP peer is associated with a first port module in the testing platform and wherein the second SIP peer is associated with a second port module in the testing platform.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein a mobility management entity (MME) is emulated by the testing platform, wherein the first message is sent from the first SIP peer to the second SIP peer, and wherein the first message is sent in response to the MME notifying the first SIP peer that an associated emulated user device is outside an 3GPP coverage area.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein a mobility management entity (MME) and a serving general packet radio service (GPRS) support node (SGSN) are emulated by the testing platform, wherein the first message is sent from the first SIP peer to the second SIP peer, and wherein the first message is received by the second SIP peer prior to receiving, by the second SIP Peer and from the SGSN or the MME, a message indicating a handover event condition.

20. The system of claim 11 wherein the serving gateway includes a signaling gateway (SGW), a call session control function (CSCF), or a proxy CSCF.

21. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions that when executed by a processor of a computer control the computer to perform steps comprising:

at a testing platform;

receiving, via a communications channel for exchanging messages between a first SIP peer and a second session initiation protocol (SIP) peer, a first message for triggering a bearer deletion procedure associated with a call between the first SIP peer and the second SIP peer; and

in response to receiving the first message or a related message, triggering the bearer deletion procedure prior to changing an access technology,

wherein a serving gateway is emulated by the testing platform, wherein the first message is sent from the first SIP peer to the second SIP peer, wherein a delete bearer request message is sent from the second SIP peer to the serving gateway in response to receiving the first message, and wherein the serving gateway triggers the bearer deletion procedure in response to receiving the delete bearer request message, and

wherein the first and second SIP peers use the communication channel to synchronize when the first and second SIP peers stop packet transmission and reception along a bearer path for the call in order to perform changing of the access technology without losing packets.