Systems and methods for single radio voice call continuity in a multi-line, multi-device service environment in a communications network
View Patent ↗Communication systems and methods suitable for use in a Multiple Line Multiple Device service environment, involving a native line and a second shared line, are disclosed. Logic at one or more nodes and application servers is configured to ensure that network handover data, or other information, is only updated for the native line registration but not the shared line. Then when a call is placed or received on the shared line, the call is anchored to the native line based on that network handover data. If, during that call, a request is received to handover the call from a first network having a first communication protocol to a second network having a second communication protocol, the handover occurs based on the anchored native line. In one example embodiment the first network is a Packet Switched network and the second network is a Circuit Switched network.
1. A method comprising:
using a device associated with a client, presenting to a user a plurality of lines available for multi-line multi-device service;
receiving from the client, at a network contact point, information corresponding to a selection of the plurality of lines available for multi-line multi-device service and an indication of a native line associated with the client;
sending, from the network contact point, a REGISTER request with a header that includes the information corresponding to the selected lines and that includes the indication of the native line associated with the client;
receiving, at a Proxy Service Node (PSN), the REGISTER request;
receiving, at a first Service Centralization and Continuity Application Server (SCC AS), the header that includes the information corresponding to the selected lines and that includes the indication of the native line associated with the client, wherein the header is transmitted from the PSN; and
determining, by the first SCC AS, to update network handover data at one or more nodes and updating the network handover data for the native line only.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the header is a P-Multi-Line Association header, wherein the REGISTER request is an SIP REGISTER request;
wherein receiving the P-Multi-Line Association header at the first SCC AS further comprises:
receiving, from the PSN at an IP Multimedia Core Network Subsystem (MS) core, a first REGISTER request to register a line 1 comprising a first P-Multi-line Association header, and sending, from the IMS core to the first SCC AS associated with the line 1 , the first REGISTER request;
the method further comprising receiving, from the PSN at the IMS core, a second REGISTER request to register a line 2 comprising a second P-Multi-line Association header, and sending, from the IMS core to a second SCC AS associated with the line 2 , the second REGISTER request;
wherein the network handover data further comprises a Session Transfer Number (STN-SR) and Single Radio Voice Call Continuity (SRVCC) information, and wherein updating the network handover data comprises updating the STN-SR in a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) in response to the P-Multi-Line Association header for the native line only, and sending SRVCC information to an Access Transfer Control Function (ATCF) only for the native line; and
further comprising determining, by the second SSC AS, to update network handover data at one or more nodes and updating the network handover data for the native line only.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
sending, from the first SCC AS to an Interrogating-CSCF (Call Session Control Function) at the IMS core, a first REGISTER message;
sending, from the second SCC AS to the Interrogating-CSCF at the IMS core, a second REGISTER message; and
aggregating, at the PSN, the first REGISTER message and second REGISTER message and sending a single SIP MESSAGE carrying Single Radio Voice Call Continuity (SRVCC) information to the ATCF, including a P-Associated-URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) header indicating a plurality of authorized lines, wherein the network contact point comprises a Proxy-CSCF.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the PSN, a plurality of response messages, wherein each response message corresponds to a REGISTER message;
aggregating, by the PSN, the plurality of response messages; and
sending a single register response message from the PSN to an Access Transfer Control Function (ATCF).
5. A system comprising:
a user interface, associated with a user device and a client, for presenting to a user two or more lines available for service, in a multi-line multi-device service environment, for allowing a user to select two or more lines from the two or more lines available for service, and for sending a REGISTER request for the selected lines, wherein one of the two or more lines is a native line for the user device and another line of the two or more lines is a shared line; and
an application server for receiving the REGISTER request and for updating network handover data in connection with registration of the native line and for suppressing the updating of network handover data in connection with registration of the shared line.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the REGISTER request includes selected line identifying information, and native line identifying information, the system further comprising:
a network contact point for receiving the REGISTER request from the user device and for sending the REGISTER request with a header including the selected line identifying information and the native line identifying information; and
a proxy service node for receiving the REGISTER request from the network contact point.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the application server comprises a Service Centralization and Continuity Application Server (SCC AS), wherein the header is a P-Multi-Line Association header including the selected line identifying information and the native line identifying information, wherein the updating network handover data in connection with the registration of the native line comprises the SCC AS updating a Session Transfer Number (STN-SR) in a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) in response to the P-Multi-Line Association header.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the application server comprises the SCC AS for suppressing updates by the SCC AS to the Session Transfer Number (STN-SR) in the Home Subscriber Server (HSS) when the P-Multi-Line Association header indicates a non-native line is being registered.
9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the network contact point is a Proxy-CSCF (Call Session Control Function) for receiving from the client ( 1 ) the selected line identifying information and ( 2 ) the native line identifying information, and for sending, from the Proxy-CSCF, a SIP REGISTER request with a P-Multi-Line Association header including the selected line identifying information and the native line identifying information;
wherein the Proxy Service Node receiving the REGISTER request further comprises receiving the SIP REGISTER request with the P-Multi-Line Association header including the selected line identifying information and the native line identifying information; and
wherein the application server comprises a Service Centralization and Continuity Application Server (SCC AS) for receiving the P-Multi-Line Association header including the selected line identifying information and the native line identifying information, and for determining whether to update, by the SCC AS, a Session Transfer Number (STN-SR) in a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) in response to the P-Multi-Line Association header, and updating the STN-SR only in connection with the native line.
10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the SCC AS further comprises:
an SCC AS 1 for sending, to an Interrogating-CSCF (Call Session Control Function), a first REGISTER message;
an SCC AS 2 for sending, to the Interrogating-CSCF, a second REGISTER message;
wherein the PSN is configured to receive the first and second REGISTER messages from the Interrogating-CSCF; and
wherein the PSN aggregates the plurality of REGISTER messages and sends a register response message to the Proxy-CSCF including a P-Associated-URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) header indicating a plurality of authorized lines.
11. The system of claim 6 , further comprising an Access Transfer Control Function (ATCF), and wherein the proxy server node only sends one SIP MESSAGE carrying Single Radio Voice Call Continuity (SRVCC) information to the ATCF corresponding to the native line.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the ATCF stores the SRVCC information.
13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the proxy service node waits for a register response in connection with each line and then sends a response with consolidated line information to the network contact point.
14. A method comprising:
registering, for a user device in a Multiple Line Multiple Device service environment, a native line and a shared line, wherein the user device sends a REGISTER request to register the native line and the shared line;
wherein the registering includes updating, at an application server based on the REGISTER request, network handover data in connection with the registration of the native line but not updating network handover data in connection with the registration of the shared line;
anchoring a call, that is placed or received on the shared line, to the native line based on the network handover data;
receiving a request to handover the call from a first network having a first communication protocol to a second network having a second communication protocol; and
handing over the call, in response to the receiving the request to handover the call, based on the anchored native line.
15. The communication method of claim 14 , wherein the first network is a Packet Switched network and the second network is a Circuit Switched network.
16. The communication method of claim 14 , wherein the first network is a first Packet Switched network and the second network is a second Packet Switched network, and wherein the first communication protocol is LTE and the second communication protocol is WiFi.
17. The communication method of claim 14 , wherein the application server is an Service Centralization and Continuity Application Server (SCC AS) configured to update the network handover data, wherein the network handover data further comprises Single Radio Voice Call Continuity (SRVCC) information and Session Transfer Number (STN-SR), and wherein updating handover data further comprises causing the STN-SR to be stored at a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) node and causing SRVCC information to be stored at an Access Transfer Control Function (ATCF) node.
18. The communication method of claim 14 , wherein the user device includes a client, and further comprising presenting, using the client on the user device, to a user one or more available lines for service; and using the user device, selecting one or more lines associated with the device.
19. The communication method of claim 14 , further comprising:
receiving, at a proxy service node, a REGISTER request including information associated with a plurality of lines; and
sending, from the proxy service node, a plurality of REGISTER requests, wherein each REGISTER request corresponds to a line.
20. The method of claim 14 , wherein receiving the request to handover the call further comprises:
receiving an invite at an evolved Mobile Switching Center (eMSC) to switch the shared line between a Packet Switched network operation and a Circuit Switched network operation; and
switching between the Packet Switched network operation and the Circuit Switched network operation based on Single Radio Voice Call Continuity (SRVCC) information stored in an Access Transfer Control Function (ATCF).