IP Library Granted Patent US 12696069
Granted Patent B2
US 12696069 · App. 18/593,520 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

Indirect single radio voice call continuity

Inventors: Juan Zhang (Beijing, CN); Xipeng Zhu (San Diego, CA); Haris Zisimopoulos (London, GB); Xiangkai Guan (Beijing, CN)
Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
H04W8/08H04W36/00226H04W36/1446
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12696069
App. No.
18/593,520
Granted
Jul 28, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described. An access and mobility management function (AMF) associated with a first radio access network (RAN) may identify a user equipment (UE) connected to a source base station of the first RAN. The AMF may receive a handover message including a voice call continuity handover trigger message indicating a handover of the UE to a target base station associated with a second RAN. In some examples, the AMF may transmit a bypass handover message to a second network device based a on the received handover message. In some cases, the bypass handover message may include the voice call continuity handover trigger message. In some examples, the second network device is a mobility management entity (MME) associated with an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN).

Claims (56)

1 . A first network device for wireless communication, comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memories individually or collectively coupled with the one or more processors, the one or more processors configured to:

receive, by the first network device, a bypass handover message comprising an indication to initiate a voice call continuity procedure to handover a user equipment (UE) connected to a second radio access network (RAN) to a target network device associated with a third RAN;

initiate the voice call continuity procedure to handover the UE connected to the second RAN to the target network device associated with the third RAN based at least in part on the bypass handover message, wherein the voice call continuity procedure is based at least in part on a backhaul connection of the first network device with the target network device;

receive an indication of completion of the voice call continuity procedure from a second network device associated with the third RAN, wherein the indication of completion of the voice call continuity procedure comprises a handover response message; and

transmit the handover response message to a third network device associated with the second RAN.

2 . The first network device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively further configured to:

differentiate between voice bearer traffic and non-voice bearer traffic associated with the UE based at least in part on a Quality of Service Class Identifier (QCI); and

initiate the voice call continuity procedure to handover the voice bearer traffic to the target network device associated with the third RAN.

3 . The first network device of claim 1 , wherein the second RAN is a Next Generation (NG) RAN, and the third RAN is a GSM/EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN) or a Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN).

4 . The first network device of claim 3 , wherein the first network device is associated with an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN).

5 . The first network device of claim 4 , wherein the first network device is a mobility management entity (MME) associated with the E-UTRAN, the second network device is a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) server associated with the GERAN or an MSC associated with the UTRAN, and the third network device is an access and mobility management function (AMF) associated with the NG RAN.

6 . The first network device of claim 1 , wherein the bypass handover message comprises at least one of: an identification associated with the target network device, a source to target transparent Radio Resource Control (RRC) container, an indication for the first network device to initiate the voice call continuity procedure to handover the UE, or a context associated with the UE.

7 . The first network device of claim 1 , wherein the third network device associated with the second RAN does not have a backhaul connection link with the third RAN.

8 . The first network device of claim 7 , wherein the first network device has the backhaul connection link with the third RAN.

9 . The first network device of claim 1 , wherein the voice call continuity procedure comprises a Single Radio Voice Call Continuity (SRVCC) procedure.

10 . A method for wireless communication, comprising:

receiving, by a first network device, a bypass handover message comprising an indication to initiate a voice call continuity procedure to handover a user equipment (UE) connected to a second radio access network (RAN) to a target network device associated with a third RAN;

initiating the voice call continuity procedure to handover the UE connected to the second RAN to the target network device associated with the third RAN based at least in part on the bypass handover message, wherein the voice call continuity procedure is based at least in part on a backhaul connection of the first network device with the target network device;

receiving an indication of completion of the voice call continuity procedure from a second network device associated with the third RAN, wherein the indication of completion of the voice call continuity procedure comprises a handover response message; and

transmitting the handover response message to a third network device associated with the second RAN.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein initiating the voice call continuity procedure further comprises:

differentiating between voice bearer traffic and non-voice bearer traffic associated with the UE based at least in part on a Quality of Service Class Identifier (QCI); and

initiating the voice call continuity procedure to handover the voice bearer traffic to the target network device associated with the third RAN.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the second RAN is a Next Generation (NG) RAN, and the third RAN is a GSM/EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN) or a Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN).

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the first network device is associated with an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN).

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the first network device is a mobility management entity (MME) associated with the E-UTRAN, the second network device is a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) server associated with the GERAN or an MSC associated with the UTRAN, and the third network device is an access and mobility management function (AMF) associated with the NG RAN.

15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the bypass handover message comprises at least one of: an identification associated with the target network device, a source to target transparent Radio Resource Control (RRC) container, an indication for the first network device to initiate the voice call continuity procedure to handover the UE, or a context associated with the UE.

16 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the third network device associated with the second RAN does not have a backhaul connection link with the third RAN.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the first network device has the backhaul connection link with the third RAN.

18 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the voice call continuity procedure comprises a Single Radio Voice Call Continuity (SRVCC) procedure.

19 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication, the code comprising instructions executable by one or more processors to:

receive, by a first network device, a bypass handover message comprising an indication to initiate a voice call continuity procedure to handover a user equipment (UE) connected to a second radio access network (RAN) to a target network device associated with a third RAN;

initiate the voice call continuity procedure to handover the UE connected to the second RAN to the target network device associated with the third RAN based at least in part on the bypass handover message, wherein the voice call continuity procedure is based at least in part on a backhaul connection of the first network device with the target network device;

receive an indication of completion of the voice call continuity procedure from a second network device associated with the third RAN, wherein the indication of completion of the voice call continuity procedure comprises a handover response message; and

transmit the handover response message to a third network device associated with the second RAN.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to:

differentiate between voice bearer traffic and non-voice bearer traffic associated with the UE based at least in part on a Quality of Service Class Identifier (QCI); and

initiate the voice call continuity procedure to handover the voice bearer traffic to the target network device associated with the third RAN.

21 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the second RAN is a Next Generation (NG) RAN, and the third RAN is a GSM/EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN) or a Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN).

22 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the first network device is associated with an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN).

23 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22 , wherein the first network device is a mobility management entity (MME) associated with the E-UTRAN, the second network device is a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) server associated with the GERAN or an MSC associated with the UTRAN, and the third network device is an access and mobility management function (AMF) associated with the NG RAN.

24 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the bypass handover message comprises at least one of: an identification associated with the target network device, a source to target transparent Radio Resource Control (RRC) container, an indication for the first network device to initiate the voice call continuity procedure to handover the UE, or a context associated with the UE.

25 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the third network device associated with the second RAN does not have a backhaul connection link with the third RAN.

26 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25 , wherein the first network device has the backhaul connection link with the third RAN.

27 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the voice call continuity procedure comprises a Single Radio Voice Call Continuity (SRVCC) procedure.

28 . A first network device for wireless communication, comprising:

means for receiving, by the first network device, a bypass handover message comprising an indication to initiate a voice call continuity procedure to handover a user equipment (UE) connected to a second radio access network (RAN) to a target network device associated with a third RAN;

means for initiating the voice call continuity procedure to handover the UE connected to the second RAN to the target network device associated with the third RAN based at least in part on the bypass handover message, wherein the voice call continuity procedure is based at least in part on a backhaul connection of the first network device with the target network device;

means for receiving an indication of completion of the voice call continuity procedure from a second network device associated with the third RAN, wherein the indication of completion of the voice call continuity procedure comprises a handover response message; and

means for transmitting the handover response message to a third network device associated with the second RAN.

29 . The first network device of claim 28 , wherein the means for initiating the voice call continuity procedure further comprise:

means for differentiating between voice bearer traffic and non-voice bearer traffic associated with the UE based at least in part on a Quality of Service Class Identifier (QCI); and

means for initiating the voice call continuity procedure to handover the voice bearer traffic to the target network device associated with the third RAN.

30 . The first network device of claim 28 , wherein the second RAN is a Next Generation (NG) RAN, and the third RAN is a GSM/EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN) or a Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN).