IP Library Granted Patent US 11,134,408
Granted Patent B2
US 11,134,408 · App. 16/448,146 · Granted Sep 28, 2021

Establishing a voice call

Inventor: Hamid Mahmood (Kanata, CA)
Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
H04W28/0247H04L45/22H04M3/02H04M3/42246H04W48/18H04W76/10H04M2207/18H04W36/0022H04W88/06
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,134,408
App. No.
16/448,146
Granted
Sep 28, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A user equipment (UE), which is able to use a plurality of different wireless access technologies, receives a request to establish a voice call. The UE determines whether voice over a first wireless access technology of the different wireless access technologies is supported, and responsive to determining that voice over the first wireless access technology is not supported, the UE attempts to establish the voice call over a second wireless access technology of the different wireless access technologies.

Claims (43)

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a user equipment (UE) that is able to use a plurality of different wireless access technologies, a request to establish an outgoing voice call, wherein the request to establish the outgoing voice call is responsive to a user dialing a number;

storing a device configuration parameter in a storage medium of the UE, the device configuration parameter configured by a mobile communications network;

setting a value of the device configuration parameter stored in the storage medium to one of a first value and a second value as configured by the mobile communications network, wherein the device configuration parameter when set to the first value indicates that voice over a packet-switched domain is supported by a first wireless access technology, and the device configuration parameter when set to the second value indicates that voice over the packet-switched domain is not supported by the first wireless access technology;

accessing, by the UE, the device configuration parameter stored in the storage medium of the UE;

determining, by the UE based on the device configuration parameter stored in the storage medium of the UE, whether voice over the packet-switched domain is supported by the first wireless access technology; and

responsive to determining that voice over the packet-switched domain is not supported by the first wireless access technology, attempting to establish, by the UE, the outgoing voice call over a second wireless access technology of the different wireless access technologies,

wherein the determining and the attempting to establish are performed in response to the UE being out of wireless coverage of a home network of the UE.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second wireless access technology performs a voice call in a circuit-switched domain.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first wireless access technology is a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) wireless access technology.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the request to establish the outgoing voice call comprises receiving a request to establish an outgoing emergency voice call.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

responsive to determining that voice over the packet-switched domain is supported by the first wireless access technology, attempting to establish, by the UE, the outgoing voice call over the first wireless access technology.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the device configuration parameter is stored in a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) of the UE.

7. A user equipment (UE) comprising:

a storage medium to store a device configuration parameter that is configurable by a mobile communications network;

at least one wireless interface to communicate with the mobile communications network according to one or more of a plurality of different wireless access technologies; and

at least one processor configured to:

receive a request to establish an outgoing voice call, wherein the request to establish the outgoing voice call is responsive to a user dialing a number,

set a value of the device configuration parameter stored in the storage medium to one of a first value and a second value as configured by the mobile communications network, wherein the device configuration parameter when set to the first value indicates that voice over a packet-switched domain is supported by a first wireless access technology, and the device configuration parameter when set to the second value indicates that voice over the packet-switched domain is not supported by the first wireless access technology,

access the device configuration parameter stored in the storage medium of the UE,

determine, based on the device configuration parameter stored in the storage medium of the UE, whether voice over the packet-switched domain is supported by the first wireless access technology, and

responsive to determining that voice over the packet-switched domain is not supported by the first wireless access technology, attempt to establish the outgoing voice call over a second wireless access technology of the different wireless access technologies,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to perform the determining and the attempting to establish in response to the UE being out of wireless coverage of a home network of the UE.

8. The UE of claim 7 , wherein the determining of whether voice over the packet-switched domain is supported by the first wireless access technology comprises determining whether voice over Long-Term Evolution (LTE) is supported.

9. The UE of claim 7 , wherein the attempting of the establishing of the outgoing voice call over the second wireless access technology comprises attempting the establishing of the outgoing voice call in a circuit-switched domain.

10. The UE of claim 7 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to further:

responsive to determining that voice over the packet-switched domain is supported by the first wireless access technology, attempt to establish the outgoing voice call over the first wireless access technology.

11. The UE of claim 10 , wherein the outgoing voice call over the first wireless access technology comprises a voice call in the packet-switched domain.

12. The UE of claim 7 , wherein the request to establish the outgoing voice call comprises a request to establish an outgoing emergency voice call.

13. An article comprising at least one non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing instructions that upon execution cause a user equipment (UE) to:

receive a request to establish an outgoing voice call at the UE that is able to use a plurality of different wireless access technologies, wherein the request to establish the outgoing voice call is responsive to a user dialing a number;

store a device configuration parameter in a storage medium of the UE, the device configuration parameter configured by a mobile communications network;

set a value of the device configuration parameter stored in the storage medium to one of a first value and a second value as configured by the mobile communications network, wherein the device configuration parameter when set to the first value indicates that voice over a packet-switched domain is supported by a first wireless access technology, and the device configuration parameter when set to the second value indicates that voice over the packet-switched domain is not supported by the first wireless access technology;

access the device configuration parameter stored in the storage medium of the UE;

determine, based on the device configuration parameter stored in the storage medium of the UE, whether voice over the packet-switched domain is supported by the first wireless access technology; and

responsive to determining that voice over the packet-switched domain is not supported by the first wireless access technology, attempt to establish the outgoing voice call over a second wireless access technology of the different wireless access technologies,

wherein the instructions are to perform the determining and the attempting to establish in response to the UE being out of wireless coverage of a home network of the UE.

14. The article of claim 13 , wherein the request to establish the outgoing voice call is a request to establish an outgoing emergency voice call responsive to a user dialing an emergency number.

15. The article of claim 13 , wherein the outgoing voice call over the second wireless access technology is in a circuit-switched domain.

16. The article of claim 13 , wherein the instructions upon execution cause the UE to:

responsive to determining that voice over the packet-switched domain is supported by the first wireless access technology, attempt to establish the outgoing voice call over the first wireless access technology.

17. The article of claim 16 , wherein the outgoing voice call over the first wireless access technology is in the packet-switched domain.

Assignments (7)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ADDED PATENT NUMBER TO REMOVE PATENT NO. 8,873,407 AT PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 64066 FRAME 1. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT EFFECTIVE DATE MARCH 20, 2023. Recorded Feb 2, 2026
From: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
To: MALIKIE INNOVATIONS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 074921/0001 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE COVER SHEET AT PAGE 50 TO REMOVE 12817157 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 063471 FRAME 0474. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Sep 5, 2023
From: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
To: OT PATENT ESCROW, LLC
Reel/Frame 064806/0669 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT 12817157 APPLICATION NUMBER PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 064015 FRAME: 0001. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Sep 5, 2023
From: OT PATENT ESCROW, LLC
To: MALIKIE INNOVATIONS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 064807/0001 →
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Jun 19, 2023
From: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
To: MALIKIE INNOVATIONS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 064066/0001 →
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Jun 16, 2023
From: OT PATENT ESCROW, LLC
To: MALIKIE INNOVATIONS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 064015/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 27, 2023
From: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
To: OT PATENT ESCROW, LLC
Reel/Frame 063471/0474 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 21, 2019
From: MAHMOOD, HAMID
To: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
Reel/Frame 049548/0385 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 15874424 · Jan 18, 2018
Continuation 14874938 · Oct 5, 2015
Related Publication 20190313274A1 · Oct 10, 2019