Quality of service configuration for wireless communication

1. A method implemented by an access terminal, the method comprising:

establishing a Internet protocol (IP) flow with a network, wherein the establishing includes assigning a reservation label to the first IP flow;

reconfiguring, by negotiation with the network prior to establishing a voice call session, a network resource first instance that achieves a quality of service (QoS) meeting a QoS profile for the IP flow, and is available for subsequent reservation by sending the network a request to turn ON the reservation label;

sending an invite message to the terminal, to initiate the voice call session;

prior to receiving a response from the terminal to the invite message,

sending to the network the request to turn ON the reservation label, and

receiving from the network a reservation accept indicating network acceptance of the request to turn ON the reservation label;

receiving, via the network, the terminal's response to the invite message, wherein the terminal's response identifies a media format supported by the terminal;

determining whether the media format identified by the terminal's response is compatible with the QoS profile, and

if the media format identified by the terminal's response is determined compatible with the QoS profile, leaving the QoS profile unchanged,

if the media format identified by the terminal's response is determined not compatible with the QoS profile, then

negotiating, with the network, changes in parameters of the QoS profile for compatibility with the media format identified by the terminal's response, and

modifying the network resource instance corresponding to the ON reservation label, if required to meet the changes in parameters of the QoS profile; and

establishing the voice call session initiated by the invite message, in association with the ON reservation label.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reservation label is a first reservation label, the network resource is a first network resource, the QoS is a first QoS, the QoS profile is a first QoS profile, and the IP flow is a first IP flow, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining, during the voice call session, that a change of the voice call session to a second QoS profile is required, the second QoS profile having a second QoS profile identifier, and, in response, attempting to establish a second IP flow with the network, on a corresponding second reservation label, on a network resource second instance that provides a QoS corresponding to the second QoS profile,

if said attempting is successful,

sending to the network a request to turn OFF the first reservation label and the first IP flow,

turning ON the second reservation label, and

continuing the voice call session on the second reservation label according to the second QoS profile, and

if said attempting is not successful, continuing the voice call session using the ON first reservation label.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising retaining the second reservation label and corresponding second QoS profile identifier at the end of the voice call session, if the attempt to establish the second IP flow is successful, for selective activation of the second reservation label for use in a subsequent voice call session.

4. An apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory and programmed with instructions to:

establish an Internet protocol (IP) flow with a network, and assign a reservation label to the IP flow;

preconfigure by negotiation with the network, prior to establishing a voice call session, a network resource instance that achieves a given quality of service (QoS) meeting a given QoS profile for the IP flow, and is available for subsequent reservation by sending the network a request to turn ON the reservation label,

send an invite message to a terminal, to initiate the voice call session;

prior to receiving a response from the terminal to the invite message,

send to the network the request to turn ON the reservation label, and

receive from the network a reservation accept indicating network acceptance of the request to turn ON the reservation label;

receive, via the network, the terminal's response to the invite message, wherein the terminal's response identifies a media format as being supported by the terminal;

determine whether the media format identified by the terminal's response is compatible with the QoS profile, and

if the media format identified by the terminal's response is determined compatible with the QoS profile, leave the QoS profile unchanged,

if the media format identified by the terminal's response is determined not compatible with the QoS profile, then

negotiate, with the network, changes in parameters of the QoS profile for compatibility with the media format identified by the terminal's response, and

modify the network resource instance corresponding to the ON reservation label, if required to meet the changes in parameters of the QoS profile; and

establish the voice call session initiated by the invite message in association with the ON reservation label,

wherein the memory coupled to the at least one processor is operative to store the QoS profile.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the reservation label is a first reservation label, the network resource is a first network resource, the QoS is a first QoS, the QoS profile is a first QoS profile, and the IP flow is a first IP flow, and wherein the at least one processor is further programmed with instructions to

determine, during the voice call session, that a change of the voice call session to a second QoS profile is required, the second QoS profile having a second QoS profile identifier, and, in response, to attempt to establish a second IP flow with the network, on a corresponding second reservation label, on a network resource second instance that provides a QoS corresponding to the second QoS profile,

if said attempt is successful, to send to the network a request to turn OFF the first reservation label and the first IP flow, and to turn ON the second reservation label to continue the voice call session on the second reservation label according to the second QoS profile, and

if said attempt is not successful, to continue the voice call session using the ON first reservation label.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the at least one processor is further programmed with instructions to retain the second reservation label and corresponding second QoS profile identifier at the end of the voice call session, if the attempt to establish the second IP flow is successful, for selective activation of the second reservation label for use in a subsequent for voice call session.

7. An apparatus comprising:

means for establishing a Internet protocol (IP) flow with a network, wherein the means for establishing is configured to assign a reservation label to the IP flow;

means for preconfiguring, by negotiation with the network prior to establishing a voice call session, a network resource instance that achieves a quality of service (QoS) meeting a QoS profile for the IP flow, and is available for subsequent reservation by sending the network a request to turn ON the reservation label;

means for sending an invite message to the terminal, to initiate the voice call session;

means for sending to the network, prior to receiving the terminal's response to the invite message, the request to turn ON the reservation label, and for receiving, prior to receiving the terminal's response to the invite message, the network's reservation accept indicating network acceptance of the request to turn ON the reservation label;

means for receiving, via the network, the terminal's response to the invite message, wherein the terminal's response identifies a media format supported by the terminal,

means for determining whether the media format identified by the response is compatible with the QoS profile, and

if the media format identified by the terminal's response is determined compatible with the QoS profile, leave the QoS profile unchanged, and

if the media format identified by the terminal's response is determined not compatible with the QoS profile, then

for negotiating, with the network, changes in parameters of the QoS profile for compatibility with the media format identified by the terminal's response, and

for modifying the network resource instance corresponding to the ON reservation label, if required to meet the changes in parameters of the QoS profile; and

establishing the voice call session initiated by the invite message, in association with the ON reservation label.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the reservation label is a first reservation label, the network resource is a first network resource, the QoS is a first QoS, the QoS profile is a first QoS profile, and the IP flow is a first IP flow, and wherein the apparatus further comprises

means for determining, during the voice call session, that a change of the voice call session to a second QoS profile is required, the second QoS profile having a second QoS profile identifier, and, in response, for attempting to establish a second IP flow with the network, on a corresponding second reservation label, on a network resource second instance that provides a QoS corresponding to the second QoS profile,

means for sending to the network a request to turn OFF the first reservation label and the first IP flow, and for turning ON the second reservation label to continue the voice call session on the second reservation label according to the second QoS profile, if said attempt is successful, and

means for continuing the voice call session using the ON first reservation label if said attempt is not successful.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising means for retaining the second reservation label and corresponding second QoS profile identifier at the end of the voice call session, if the attempt to establish the second IP flow is successful, for selective activation of the second reservation label for use in a subsequent voice call session.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions stored thereon executable by one or more processors to:

establish an Internet protocol (IP) flow with a network, and assign a reservation label to the IP flow;

preconfigure by negotiation with the network, prior to establishing a voice call session, a network resource instance that achieves a given quality of service (QoS) meeting a given QoS profile for the IP flow, and is available for subsequent reservation by sending the network a request to turn ON the reservation label;

send an invite message to a terminal, to initiate the voice call session;

prior to receiving the terminal's response to the invite message,

send to the network the request to turn ON the reservation label, and

receive, from the network, the network's reservation accept indicating network acceptance of the request to turn ON the reservation label;

receive from the terminal a response to the invite message, wherein the terminal's response identifies a media format as being supported by the terminal,

determine whether the media format identified by the terminal's response is compatible with the QoS profile,

if the media format identified by the terminal's response is determined compatible with the QoS profile, leave the QoS profile unchanged,

if the media format identified by the terminal's response is determined not compatible with the QoS profile, then

negotiate, with the network, changes in parameters of the QoS profile for compatibility with the media format identified by the terminal's response, and

modify the network resource instance corresponding to the ON reservation label if required to meet the changes in parameters of the QoS profile, and

establish the voice call session initiated by the invite message in association with the ON reservation label.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the reservation label is a first reservation label, the network resource is a first network resource, the QoS is a first QoS, the QoS profile is a first QoS profile, and the IP flow is a first IP flow, and wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium further includes instructions stored thereon, executable by one or more processors, to

determine, during the voice call session, that a change of the voice call session to a second QoS profile is required, the second QoS profile having a second QoS profile identifier, and, in response, to attempt to establish a second IP flow with the network, on a corresponding second reservation label, on a network resource second instance that provides a QoS corresponding to the second QoS profile,

if said attempt is successful, to send to the network a request to turn OFF the first reservation label and the first IP flow, and to turn ON the second reservation label to continue the voice call session on the second reservation label according to the second QoS profile, and

if said attempt is not successful, to continue the voice call session using the ON first reservation label.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , further including instructions stored thereon, executable by one or more processors, to retain the second reservation label and corresponding second QoS profile identifier at the end of the voice call session, if the attempt to establish the second IP flow is successful, for selective activation of the second reservation label for use in a subsequent voice call session.