IP Library Granted Patent US 10,080,163
Granted Patent B2
US 10,080,163 · App. 14/552,871 · Granted Sep 18, 2018

Telecommunication network pre-establishment service interruption response

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,080,163
App. No.
14/552,871
Granted
Sep 18, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

Telecommunication network components configured to manage a handover of a communication session of user equipment from a packet-switched access network to a circuit-switched access network are described herein. The components may receive a handover request from user equipment, allocate circuit-switched access network resources, and request a session transfer. When the session transfer is invalid, e.g., during a pre-establishment phase of a communication session, the components may reject the transfer within a selected time and provide an invalid-handover message. Components may, in response to an invalid handover request, transmit a rejection of the session transfer and a fallback-trigger message.

Claims (57)

1. A telecommunication network, comprising:

a mobility management entity (MME) communicatively connected with a first access network of a first type, the MME configured to:

receive a first handover request for handover of a first communication session of first user equipment during a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) early dialog state of the first communication session;

provide a second handover request in response to the first handover request;

receive a third handover request for handover of a second communication session of second user equipment during a SIP early dialog state of the second communication session; and

provide a fourth handover request different from the second handover request in response to the third handover request;

a mobile switching center server (MSS) communicatively connected with a second access network of a second, different type, the MSS configured to:

receive the second handover request;

allocate first resources in the second access network for the first communication session in response to the second handover request;

initiate a first session transfer, the first session transfer associated with the first communication session;

receive the fourth handover request;

allocate second resources in the second access network for the second communication session in response to the fourth handover request; and

initiate a second session transfer, the second session transfer associated with the second communication session; and

a media-control server configured to, in response to the first session transfer:

determine that the first session transfer is invalid by determining:

that the first session transfer is a session transfer during the SIP early dialog state; and

that a session transfer during the SIP early dialog state is not supported; and

in response to the determination that the first session transfer is invalid, reject the first session transfer;

wherein the MSS is further configured to:

in response to a rejection of the first session transfer within a selected time following the initiation of the first session transfer, reject the second handover request; and

in response to expiration of a selected time following the initiation of the second session transfer, transmit a positive response to the fourth handover request; and

wherein the MME is further configured to:

reject the first handover request responsive to the rejection of the second handover request; and

cause a handover of the second communication session responsive to receiving the positive response to the fourth handover request.

2. The telecommunication network of claim 1 , wherein the media-control server is an Access Transfer Control Function server (ATCF) configured to reject the session transfer by providing a SIP 488 response to the MSS.

3. The telecommunication network of claim 1 , wherein the MSS further includes a timer configured to measure a response time substantially between the initiation of the session transfer and the rejection of the session transfer, and the MSS is configured to determine whether the response time is less than the selected time.

4. The telecommunication network of claim 1 , wherein the media control server is further configured to transmit a fallback-trigger message to the user equipment in response to the determining that the session transfer is invalid, wherein the user equipment is originating user equipment of the communication session.

5. The telecommunication network of claim 1 , further including an application server (AS), wherein the media control server is further configured to transmit a fallback-trigger message to the AS in response to the determining that the session transfer is invalid, wherein the user equipment is terminating user equipment of the communication session.

6. The telecommunication network of claim 1 , wherein the first type is a packet-switched type and the second type is a circuit-switched type.

7. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving, during a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) early dialog state of a first communication session of user equipment, a first handover request for a first handover of the first communication session from a first access network of a first type to a second access network of a second, different type;

in response to the first handover request, initiating during the early dialog state of the first communication session, a first session transfer;

awaiting, during the early dialog state of the first communication session, a rejection of the first session transfer within a first selected time, by:

measuring, using a timer, a response time substantially between the initiation of the first session transfer and the rejection of the first session transfer; and

determining that the measured response time is less than the first selected time;

rejecting, during the early dialog state of the first communication session, the first handover in response to the rejection of the first session transfer received within the first selected time;

receiving, during a SIP early dialog state of a second communication session of user equipment, a second handover request for a second handover of the second communication session from the first access network to the second access network;

in response to the second handover request, during the early dialog state of the second communication session, initiating a second session transfer;

determining, during the early dialog state of the second communication session, that a second selected time has passed without rejection of the second session transfer since the initiation of the second session transfer; and

in response, during the early dialog state of the second communication session, transmitting a positive response to the second handover request, the positive response indicating the second handover can be completed.

8. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 7 , the operations for permitting the second handover request to be processed comprising transmitting a positive response to a telecommunication network device associated with the first access network.

9. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 7 , wherein the rejection of the first session transfer includes a SIP 488 response.

10. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 7 , wherein the first type is a packet-switched type and the second type is a circuit-switched type.

11. A method comprising, by one or more processors:

receiving, during a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) early dialog state of a first communication session of user equipment, a first handover request for a first handover of the first communication session from a first access network of a first type to a second access network of a second, different type;

in response to the first handover request, initiating during the early dialog state of the first communication session, a first session transfer;

awaiting, during the early dialog state of the first communication session, a rejection of the first session transfer within a first selected time, by:

measuring, using a timer, a response time substantially between the initiation of the first session transfer and the rejection of the first session transfer; and

determining that the measured response time is less than the first selected time;

rejecting, during the early dialog state of the first communication session, the first handover in response to the rejection of the first session transfer received within the first selected time;

receiving, during a SIP early dialog state of a second communication session of user equipment, a second handover request for a second handover of the second communication session from the first access network to the second access network;

in response to the second handover request, during the early dialog state of the second communication session, initiating a second session transfer;

determining, during the early dialog state of the second communication session, that a second selected time has passed without rejection of the second session transfer since the initiation of the second session transfer; and

in response, during the early dialog state of the second communication session, transmitting a positive response to the second handover request, the positive response indicating the second handover can be completed.

12. The method of claim 11 , the permitting the second handover request to be processed comprising transmitting a positive response to a telecommunication network device associated with the first access network.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the rejection of the first session transfer includes a SIP 488 response.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first type is a packet-switched type and the second type is a circuit-switched type.

Assignments (7)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 23, 2022
From: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS
To: IBSV LLC; LAYER3 TV, LLC; PUSHSPRING, LLC; T-MOBILE CENTRAL LLC; T-MOBILE USA, INC.; ASSURANCE WIRELESS USA, L.P.; BOOST WORLDWIDE, LLC; CLEARWIRE COMMUNICATIONS LLC; CLEARWIRE IP HOLDINGS LLC; SPRINTCOM LLC; SPRINT COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY L.P.; SPRINT INTERNATIONAL INCORPORATED; SPRINT SPECTRUM LLC
Reel/Frame 062595/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 2, 2020
From: T-MOBILE USA, INC.; ISBV LLC; T-MOBILE CENTRAL LLC; LAYER3 TV, INC.; PUSHSPRING, INC.; BOOST WORLDWIDE, LLC; CLEARWIRE COMMUNICATIONS LLC; CLEARWIRE IP HOLDINGS LLC; CLEARWIRE LEGACY LLC; SPRINT COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY L.P.; SPRINT INTERNATIONAL INCORPORATED; SPRINT SPECTRUM L.P.; ASSURANCE WIRELESS USA, L.P.
To: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS
Reel/Frame 053182/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 1, 2020
From: DEUTSCHE TELEKOM AG
To: T-MOBILE USA, INC.; IBSV LLC
Reel/Frame 052969/0381 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 1, 2020
From: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH
To: T-MOBILE USA, INC.; IBSV LLC; METROPCS COMMUNICATIONS, INC.; METROPCS WIRELESS, INC.; T-MOBILE SUBSIDIARY IV CORPORATION; LAYER3 TV, INC.; PUSHSPRING, INC.
Reel/Frame 052969/0314 →
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 30, 2016
From: T-MOBILE USA, INC.
To: DEUTSCHE TELEKOM AG
Reel/Frame 041225/0910 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 17, 2015
From: T-MOBILE USA, INC.; METROPCS COMMUNICATIONS, INC.; T-MOBILE SUBSIDIARY IV CORPORATION
To: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 037125/0885 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 25, 2014
From: MUFTI, SHUJAUR
To: T-MOBILE USA, INC.
Reel/Frame 034260/0847 →