Establishing a voice call

• US 9,877,224 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2015
• Issued: 01/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Mahmood, Hamid
• Primary Examiner(s): Sarwar, Babar
• Application Number:
  US14/874,938
• Publication Number:
  US 20170099614A1
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• Field of Search: 4554042, 4554121-4142, 455418-4221, 455436, 455444, 455440, 455434, 4554561, 4554562, 455 411- 412, 4555521, 370328-332, 370338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42246 where the subscriber uses a multi-mode terminal which moves and accesses different networks with at least one network having a wireline access including cordless PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0247 based on conditions of the access network or the infrastructure network central resource management H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0022 for transferring data sessions between adjacent core network technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00224 between packet switched [PS] and circuit switched [CS] network technologies, e.g. circuit switched fallback [CSFB]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A user equipment (UE), which is able to use a plurality of different wireless access technologies, receives a request to establish a voice call. In response to the request, the UE determines whether voice over a first wireless access technology of the different wireless access technologies is supported, and responsive to determining that voice over the first wireless access technology is not supported, the UE attempts to establish the voice call over a second wireless access technology of the different wireless access technologies.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a user equipment (UE) that is able to use a plurality of different wireless access technologies, a request to establish a voice call; and

in response to the request to establish the voice call;

accessing, by the UE, a device configuration parameter stored in the UE,

determining, by the UE based on the device configuration parameter accessed in response to the request to establish the voice call, whether voice over a packet-switched domain is supported by a first wireless access technology of the different wireless access technologies, wherein the UE determines that voice over the packet-switched domain is supported by the first wireless access technology responsive to detecting that the device configuration parameter is set to a first value, and the UE determines that voice over the packet-switched domain is not supported by the first wireless access technology responsive to detecting that the device configuration parameter is set to a second, different value, the device configuration parameter being part of a collection of configuration parameters stored in the UE that relate to a configuration of the UE, and

responsive to determining that voice over the packet-switched domain is not supported by the first wireless access technology, attempting to establish, by the UE, the voice call over a second wireless access technology of the different wireless access technologies.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second wireless access technology performs a voice call in a circuit-switched domain.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless access technology is a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) wireless access technology.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the request to establish the voice call comprises receiving a request to establish an emergency voice call responsive to a user selection at the UE.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to the request initiated by a user at the UE:

responsive to determining that voice over the packet-switched domain is supported by the first wireless access technology, attempting to establish, by the UE, the voice call over the first wireless access technology.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the device configuration parameter is stored in a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) of the UE.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the device configuration parameter is dynamically configured by a mobile communications network, the method further comprising changing a value of the device configuration parameter between the first and second values responsive to a message received from the mobile communications network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining and the attempting to establish are performed in response to the UE being out of wireless coverage of a home network of the UE.

9. A user equipment (UE) comprising:

at least one wireless interface to communicate with a mobile communications network according to one or more of a plurality of different wireless access technologies; and

at least one processor configured to;

receive a request to establish an outgoing voice call from the UE; and

in response to the request to establish the outgoing voice call from the UE;

access a device configuration parameter stored in the UE,

determine, based on the device configuration parameter accessed in response to the request to establish the outgoing voice call, whether voice over a first wireless access technology of the different wireless access technologies is supported, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine that voice over the first wireless access technology is supported responsive to detecting that the device configuration parameter is set to a first value, and determine that voice over the first wireless access technology is not supported responsive to detecting that the device configuration parameter is set to a second, different value, the device configuration parameter being part of a collection of configuration parameters stored in the UE that relate to a configuration of the UE, and

responsive to determining that voice over the first wireless access technology is not supported, initiate establishing the outgoing voice call over a second wireless access technology of the different wireless access technologies.

10. The UE of claim 9, wherein the determining of whether voice over the first wireless access technology is supported comprises determining whether voice over Long-Term Evolution (LTE) is supported.

11. The UE of claim 9, wherein the initiating the establishing of the outgoing voice call over the second wireless access technology comprises initiating the establishing of the outgoing voice call in a circuit-switched domain.

12. The UE of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is configured to further, in response to the request:

responsive to determining that voice over the first wireless access technology is supported, initiate establishing the outgoing voice call over the first wireless access technology.

13. The UE of claim 12, wherein the initiating the establishing of the outgoing voice call over the first wireless access technology comprises initiating the establishing of the outgoing voice call in the packet-switched domain.

14. The UE of claim 9, further comprising a storage medium to store the device configuration parameter.

15. The UE of claim 9, further comprising a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) to store the device configuration parameter.

16. An article comprising at least one non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing instructions that upon execution cause a user equipment (UE) to:

receive a request to establish an outgoing voice call, wherein the UE is able to use a first wireless access technology and a second wireless access technology; and

in response to the request to establish the outgoing voice call;

access a device configuration parameter stored in the UE,

determine, based on the device configuration parameter accessed in response to the request to establish the outgoing voice call, whether voice over a packet-switched domain is supported by the first wireless access technology, wherein the UE determines that voice over the packet-switched domain is supported by the first wireless access technology responsive to detecting that the device configuration parameter is set to a first value, and the UE determines that voice over the packet-switched domain is not supported by the first wireless access technology responsive to detecting that the device configuration parameter is set to a second, different value, the device configuration parameter being part of a collection of configuration parameters stored in the UE that relate to a configuration of the UE,

responsive to determining that voice over the packet-switched domain is not supported by the first wireless access technology, initiate establishing the outgoing voice call over the second wireless access technology, and

responsive to determining that voice over the packet-switched domain is supported by the first wireless access technology, initiate establishing the outgoing voice call over the first wireless access technology.

17. The article of claim 16, wherein the request to establish the outgoing voice call is a request to establish an emergency voice call responsive to a user dialing an emergency number.

18. The article of claim 16, wherein the outgoing voice call over the second wireless access technology is in the circuit-switched domain, and wherein the outgoing voice call over the first wireless access technology is in the packet-switched domain.