MULTIPLE ACCESS SERVICE CONVERGENCE

• US 20090052385A1
• Filed: 03/08/2006
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Genband US LLC (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Sylvain, Dany, Christie, Samuel H. IV
• Granted Patent: US 7,920,551 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1095 Inter-network session transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/123 where the packet-switched network is an Internet Protocol Multimedia System-type network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1235 where one of the core networks is a wireless network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels

Abstract

A mobile terminal is anchored in a control subsystem, which will function as the mobile terminal'"'"'s home service subsystem. Call signaling for an incoming call is routed to the control subsystem, which will provide call processing. The call processing may include determining how to route the call to the mobile terminal. Call signaling may be provided to the mobile terminal via the packet subsystem while the bearer path for the incoming call may be established to the mobile terminal though either the circuit-switched subsystem or the packet subsystem. When the mobile terminal is capable of supporting local wireless communications, the bearer paths for incoming calls may be provided via a local wireless subsystem. The subsystem chosen for the bearer path may be based on whether there is sufficient bandwidth to support the bearer path over an available packet-based connection.

Claims

1. A method of providing call processing for a mobile terminal in a control subsystem in which the mobile terminal is anchored comprising:

receiving in the control subsystem call signaling for a call intended for the mobile terminal, the control subsystem being a home services subsystem for the mobile terminal;

providing to the mobile terminal call signaling for the call via a packet subsystem; and

effecting establishment of a bearer path to the mobile terminal for the call via a circuit-switched subsystem.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the packet subsystem and the circuit-switched subsystem are associated with a given cellular access network, which is providing cellular access for the mobile terminal.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining how to route the call upon receiving the call signaling for the call.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein determining how to route the call is based on available bandwidth of at least one packet-based access connection of the mobile terminal.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein when there is insufficient bandwidth to support the bearer path for the call via the at least one packet-based access connection, the bearer path is established via the circuit-switched subsystem.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein when there is sufficient bandwidth to support the bearer path for the call via the at least one packet-based access connection, further comprising establishing the bearer path via the at least one packet-based access connection.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the at least one packet-based access connection is the packet subsystem

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the at least one packet-based access connection is provided by local wireless access via a wireless access point.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising providing the call signaling to the mobile terminal over the local wireless access.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the local wireless access is distinct from the packet subsystem.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the call signaling for the call via the packet subsystem is transported using Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD).

12. The method of claim 1 wherein effecting establishment of the bearer path further comprises:

obtaining a routing number for the mobile terminal from the circuit-switched subsystem; and

providing call signaling to the circuit-switched subsystem using the routing number to establish the bearer path for the call.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein effecting establishment of the bearer path further comprises routing the call signaling to the circuit-switched subsystem to establish the bearer path for the call, such that the circuit-switched subsystem will determine the routing number for the mobile terminal.

14. A node for providing call processing for a mobile terminal in a control subsystem in which the mobile terminal is anchored comprising:

a communication interface; and

a control system associated with the communication interface and adapted to;

receive in the control subsystem call signaling for a call intended for the mobile terminal, the control subsystem being the home services subsystem for the mobile terminal;

provide to the mobile terminal call signaling for the call via a packet subsystem; and

effect establishment of a bearer path to the mobile terminal for the call via a circuit-switched subsystem.

15. The node of claim 14 wherein the packet subsystem and the circuit-switched subsystem are associated with a given cellular access network, which is providing cellular access for the mobile terminal.

16. The node of claim 14 wherein the control system is further adapted to determine how to route the call upon receiving the call signaling for the call.

17. The node of claim 16 wherein determining how to route the call is based on available bandwidth of at least one packet-based access connection of the mobile terminal.

18. The node of claim 17 wherein when there is insufficient bandwidth to support the bearer path for the call via the at least one packet-based access connection, the bearer path is established via the circuit-switched subsystem.

19. The node of claim 17 wherein when there is sufficient bandwidth to support the bearer path for the call via the at least one packet-based access connection, the control system is further adapted to establish the bearer path via the at least one packet-based access connection.

20. The node of claim 19 wherein the at least one packet-based access connection is the packet subsystem

21. The node of claim 19 wherein the at least one packet-based access connection is provided by local wireless access via a wireless access point.

22. The node of claim 21 wherein the control system is further adapted to provide the call signaling to the mobile terminal over the local wireless access.

23. The node of claim 21 wherein the local wireless access is distinct from the packet subsystem.

24. The node of claim 14 wherein the call signaling for the call via the packet subsystem is transported using Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD).

25. The node of claim 14 wherein to effect establishment of the bearer path the control system is further adapted to:

obtain a routing number for the mobile terminal from the circuit-switched subsystem; and

provide call signaling to the circuit-switched subsystem using the routing number to establish the bearer path for the call.

26. The node of claim 14 wherein to effect establishment of the bearer path the control system is further adapted to route the call signaling to the circuit-switched subsystem to establish the bearer path for the call, such that the circuit-switched subsystem will determine the routing number for the mobile terminal.