Call forwarding methods and apparatus for mobile communication devices which operate in WWANS and WLANS
View Patent ↗Methods and apparatus for use by a mobile communication device in facilitating voice calls through a wireless local area network (WLAN) and a wireless wide area network (WWAN) are disclosed. When switching communication operations from a WLAN coverage region of the WLAN to a WWAN coverage region of the WWAN, the mobile device causes a message for forwarding voice calls to a WWAN identification number of the mobile device to be transmitted through the WLAN. The mobile device subsequently causes a message for cancelling the forwarding of voice calls to a WLAN identification number of the mobile device to be transmitted through the WWAN. When switching communication operations from the WWAN coverage region of the WWAN to the WLAN coverage region of the WLAN, the mobile device causes a message for forwarding voice calls to the WLAN identification number of the mobile device to be transmitted through the WWAN. The mobile device subsequently causes a message for cancelling the forwarding of voice calls to the WWAN telephone number of the mobile device to be transmitted through the WLAN. Other additional and alternative techniques are described for reliable reachability.
1. A method for use by a mobile communication device in facilitating voice calls through a selected one of a wireless local area network (WLAN) or a wireless wide area network (WWAN), the mobile communication device having a WWAN identification number for receiving voice calls in the WWAN and a WLAN identification number for receiving voice calls in the WLAN, the method comprising the acts of:
performing communication operations in the WLAN;
for switching the communication operations of the mobile communication device from the WLAN to the WWAN:
identifying whether an abrupt WLAN coverage loss occurs such that the mobile communication device fails to communicate via the WLAN a message for forwarding voice calls to the WWAN identification number;
if the mobile communication device does not undergo said abrupt WLAN coverage loss, then communicating via the WLAN a message for forwarding voice calls to the WWAN identification number, so that voice calls made to the WLAN identification number are forwarded to the WWAN identification number of the mobile communication device operating in the WWAN; and
otherwise, if the abrupt WLAN coverage loss is identified such that the mobile communication device fails to communicate via the WLAN a message for forwarding voice calls to the WWAN identification number, then communicating via the WWAN the message for forwarding voice calls to the WWAN identification number so that voice calls made to the WLAN identification number are forwarded to the WWAN identification number of the mobile communication device operating in the WWAN.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
for switching communication operations from the WWAN to the WLAN:
communicating via the WWAN a message for forwarding voice calls to the WLAN identification number so that voice calls made to the WWAN identification number are forwarded to the WLAN identification number of the mobile communication device operating in the WLAN.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the WLAN comprises an IEEE 802.11-based wireless network and the WWAN comprises a cellular telecommunications network.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the WLAN identification number comprises a session initiation protocol (SIP) identity.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the act of communicating the message for call forwarding comprises communicating the message to a location server.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile communication device has a data communication capability in the WWAN, and the act of communicating via the WWAN the message for forwarding voice calls utilizes the data communication capability in WWAN.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the act of communicating the message for call forwarding comprises communicating the message to a location server in the WLAN.
8. A mobile communication device, comprising:
a first wireless transceiver portion which is configured for communications with a wireless wide area network (WWAN) through which voice calls to a WWAN identification number of the mobile communication device are received;
a second wireless transceiver portion which is configured for communications with a wireless local area network (WLAN) through which voice calls to a WLAN identification number of the mobile communication device are received;
one or more processors coupled to the first and the second wireless transceiver portions;
the one or more processors being configured to perform communication operations in the WLAN;
the one or more processors being configured to, for switching the communication operations from the WLAN to the WWAN:
identify whether an abrupt WLAN coverage loss occurs such that the mobile communication device fails to communicate via the WLAN a message for forwarding voice calls to the WWAN identification number;
if the mobile communication device does not undergo said abrupt WLAN coverage loss, then communicate via the WLAN a message for forwarding the voice calls to the WWAN identification number, so that voice calls made to the WLAN identification number are forwarded to the WWAN identification number of the mobile communication device operating in the WWAN; and
otherwise, if the abrupt WLAN coverage loss is identified such that the one or more processors fail to communicate via the WLAN a message for forwarding voice calls to the WWAN identification number, then communicate via the WWAN a message for forwarding the voice calls to the WWAN identification number so that voice calls made to the WLAN identification number are forwarded to the WWAN identification number of the mobile communication device operating in the WWAN.
9. The mobile communication device of claim 8 , further comprising:
the one or more processors being further configured to, for switching communication operations from the WWAN to the WLAN:
communicate via the WWAN a message for forwarding voice calls to the WLAN identification number so that voice calls made to the WWAN identification number are forwarded to the WLAN identification number of the mobile communication device operating in the WLAN.
10. The mobile communication device of claim 8 , wherein the WLAN comprises an IEEE 802.11-based wireless network and the WWAN comprises a cellular telecommunications network.
11. The mobile communication device of claim 8 , wherein the WLAN identification number comprises a session initiation protocol (SIP) identity.
12. The mobile communication device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
communicate via the WWAN a message for cancelling the forwarding of voice calls to the WLAN identification number.
13. The mobile communication device of claim 8 , wherein the first wireless transceiver portion is further configured to operate with use of a data communication capability in the WWAN, and the one or more processors are further configured to communicate via the WWAN the message for forwarding voice calls with use of the data communication capability.
14. The mobile communication device of claim 9 , wherein the communicating of the message for call forwarding comprises communicating the message to a location server.
15. A computer program product, comprising:
a non-transitory computer readable medium;
computer instructions stored in the non-transitory computer readable medium;
the computer instructions being executable by one or more processors for facilitating voice calls through a selected one of wireless local area network (WLAN) or a wireless wide area network (WWAN), for a mobile communication device having a WWAN identification number for receiving voice calls in the WWAN and a WLAN identification number for receiving voice calls in the WLAN, by:
performing communication operations in the WLAN;
for switching the communication operations from the WLAN to the WWAN:
identifying whether an abrupt WLAN coverage loss occurs such that the mobile communication device fails to communicate via the WLAN a message for forwarding voice calls to the WWAN identification number;
if the mobile communication device does not undergo said abrupt WLAN coverage loss, then communicating via the WLAN a message for forwarding voice calls to the WWAN identification number, so that voice calls made to the WLAN identification number are forwarded to the WWAN identification number of the mobile communication device operating in the WWAN;
otherwise, if the abrupt WLAN coverage loss is identified such that the mobile communication device fails to communicate via the WLAN the message for forwarding voice calls to the WWAN identification number, then:
communicating via the WWAN a message for forwarding voice calls to the WWAN identification number, so that voice calls made to the WLAN identification number are forwarded to the WWAN identification number of the mobile communication device operating in the WWAN; and
communicating via the WWAN a message for cancelling the forwarding of voice calls to the WLAN identification number.
16. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the computer instructions are further executable for:
for switching communication operations from the WWAN to the WLAN:
communicating via the WWAN a message for forwarding voice calls to the WLAN identification number so that voice calls made to the WWAN identification number are forwarded to the WLAN identification number of the mobile communication device operating in the WLAN.
17. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the WLAN comprises an IEEE 802.11-based wireless network and the WWAN comprises a cellular telecommunications network.
18. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the WLAN identification number comprises a session initiation protocol (SIP) identity, and wherein the communicating of the message for call forwarding comprises communicating the message to a location server in the WLAN.
19. A method for use by a mobile communication device in facilitating voice calls through a selected one of a wireless local area network (WLAN) or a cellular network, the mobile communication device having a cellular telephone number for receiving voice calls in the cellular network and a session initiation protocol (SIP) identity for receiving voice calls in the WLAN, the method comprising the acts of:
performing communication operations in the WLAN;
for switching communication operations of the mobile communication device from the WLAN to the cellular network:
identifying whether an abrupt WLAN coverage loss occurs such that the mobile communication device fails to communicate via the WLAN a message for forwarding voice calls to the cellular telephone number;
if the mobile communication device does not undergo said abrupt WLAN coverage loss, then communicating via the WLAN a message for forwarding voice calls to the cellular telephone number, so that voice calls made to the SIP identity are forwarded to the cellular telephone number of the mobile communication device operating in the cellular network; and
otherwise, if the abrupt WLAN coverage loss is identified such that the mobile communication device fails to communicate via the WLAN a message for forwarding voice calls to the cellular telephone number, then communicating via the cellular network the message for forwarding voice calls to the cellular telephone number so that voice calls made to the SIP identity are forwarded to the cellular telephone number of the mobile communication device operating in the cellular network.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the mobile communication device has a data communication capability in the cellular network, and the act of communicating via the cellular network the message for forwarding voice calls utilizes the data communication capability in cellular network to communicate the message to a location server in the WLAN.