Installation of a voice client for roaming devices in a wireless network

• US 9,456,290 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2013
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.), Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.), Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Aksu, Arda, Lau, Priscilla, Rados, Steven R., Kotecha, Lalit R., Chang, Patricia R., Draznin, Sagiv, Chiang, David, Macias, John F., Shamsunder, Sanyogita
• Primary Examiner(s): Oveissi, David
• Application Number:
  US13/907,840
• Publication Number:
  US 20140185521A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks

Abstract

Voice over LTE (VoLTE) services may be provided to a roaming mobile device, even when the home network of the mobile device does not provide VoLTE service. In one implementation, one or more devices in a network may determine based on a mobile device attaching to a network as a roaming device for the network, a home network of the mobile device. The devices may further determine whether the home network, associated with the mobile device, provides VoLTE services; transmit, based on the determination that the home network does not provide VoLTE services, a VoLTE client application to the mobile device, the VoLTE client application providing functionality, for the mobile device, relating to usage of VoLTE services in the network. The devices may further communicate with the mobile device and the VoLTE client application, to provide one or more VoLTE services to the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by one or more devices associated with a network and based on a mobile device attaching to the network as a roaming device for the network, a home network of the mobile device, the network and the home network being associated with different telecommunication providers that have established a roaming agreement with one another, and the mobile device operating as the roaming device when the mobile device is in a geographic area that is not covered by the home network of the mobile device;

determining, by the one or more devices, whether the home network, associated with the mobile device, provides Voice over Long Term Evolution (VoLTE) services;

creating, by the one or more devices, a temporary profile for the mobile device in the network;

transmitting, by the one or more devices, based on the determination that the home network does not provide VoLTE services and based on the temporary profile, a VoLTE client application to the mobile device, the VoLTE client application enabling, for the mobile device, usage of VoLTE services in the network;

communicating, by the one or more devices, with the mobile device and the VoLTE client application, to provide one or more VoLTE services to the mobile device; and

deleting the temporary profile, associated with the mobile device, after the mobile device leaves the network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the provided one or more VoLTE services include voice calls.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the provided one or more VoLTE services include at least two of voice calls, instant messaging, chat, live video sharing, and file transfer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the network includes a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving profile data, associated with the mobile device, from the home network; and

using the profile data to create the temporary profile and to provide the one or more VoLTE services to the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a message, to the mobile device and in response to the determination that the home network does not provide VoLTE services and in response to the attachment of the mobile device to the network, informing a user of the mobile device that an application is available to enhance services of the network;

receiving, in response to the message, an indication of whether the user consents to installation of the VoLTE client application; and

installing the VoLTE client application when the user consents to install the VoLTE client application.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the message includes a short message service (SMS) text message.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing uninstallation of the VoLTE client application after the mobile device leaves the network.

9. A device comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor to execute instructions in the memory to;

determine, based on a mobile device attaching to a network as a roaming device for the network, a home network of the mobile device, the network and the home network being associated with different telecommunication providers that have established a roaming agreement with one another, and the mobile device operating as the roaming device when the mobile device is in a geographic area that is not covered by the home network of the mobile device;

determine whether the home network, associated with the mobile device, provides Voice over Long Term Evolution (VoLTE) services;

create a temporary profile for the mobile device in the network;

transmit, based on the determination that the home network does not provide VoLTE services and based on the temporary profile, a VoLTE client application to the mobile device, the VoLTE client application enabling, for the mobile device, usage of VoLTE services in the network;

communicate with the mobile device and the VoLTE client application, to provide one or more VoLTE services to the mobile device; and

delete the temporary profile, associated with the mobile device, after the mobile device leaves the network.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the provided one or more VoLTE services include voice calls.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the network includes a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is to additionally execute instructions in the memory to:

receive profile data, associated with the mobile device, from the home network; and

use the profile data to provide the one or more VoLTE services to the mobile device.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is to additionally execute instructions in the memory to:

transmit a message, to the mobile device and in response to the determination that the home network does not provide VoLTE services and in response to the attachment of the mobile device to the network, informing a user of the mobile device that an application is available to enhance services of the network;

receive, in response to the message, an indication of whether the user consents to installation of the VoLTE client application; and

install the VoLTE client application when the user consents to install the VoLTE client application.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein the message includes a short message service (SMS) text message.

15. The device of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is to additionally execute instructions in the memory to:

cause uninstallation of the VoLTE client application after the mobile device leaves the network.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising:

a plurality of computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

determine, based on a mobile device attaching to a network as a roaming device for the network, a home network of the mobile device, the network and the home network being associated with different telecommunication providers that have established a roaming agreement with one another, and the mobile device operating as the roaming device when the mobile device is in a geographic area that is not covered by the home network of the mobile device;

determine whether the home network, associated with the mobile device, provides Voice over Long Term Evolution (VoLTE) services;

create a temporary profile for the mobile device in the network;

transmit, based on the determination that the home network does not provide VoLTE services and based on the temporary profile, a VoLTE client application to the mobile device, the VoLTE client application enabling, for the mobile device, usage of VoLTE services in the network;

communicate with the mobile device and the VoLTE client application, to provide one or more VoLTE services to the mobile device and

delete the temporary profile, associated with the mobile device, after the mobile device leaves the network.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the provided one or more VoLTE services include at least two of voice calls, instant messaging, chat, live video sharing, and file transfer.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the plurality of computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors, additionally cause the one or more processors to:

receive profile data, associated with the mobile device, from the home network; and

use the profile data to create the temporary profile and to provide the one or more VoLTE services to the mobile device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the plurality of computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors, additionally cause the one or more processors to:

cause uninstallation of the VoLTE client application after the mobile device leaves the network.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the plurality of computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors, additionally cause the one or more processors to:

transmit a message, to the mobile device and in response to the determination that the home network does not provide VoLTE services and in response to the attachment of the mobile device to the network, informing a user of the mobile device that an application is available to enhance services of the network;

receive, in response to the message, an indication of whether the user consents to installation of the VoLTE client application; and

install the VoLTE client application when the user consents to install the VoLTE client application.