IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,641,413
Granted Patent B2
US 12,641,413 · App. 18/326,970 · Granted May 26, 2026

Location based routing that bypasses circuit-based networks

Inventors: Jason Cataquis (Bellevue, WA); Dennis Romero (Mine HIll, NJ)
Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc.
H04W8/183H04W4/023H04W4/029H04W8/26
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,641,413
App. No.
18/326,970
Granted
May 26, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods, devices, and system related to wireless communications are disclosed. In one example aspect, a method for wireless communications includes receiving, by a network node in a communication network, a packet associated with a call that has been initiated for a user device, and determining, by the network node, location information carried in a header of the packet. The method also includes determining, by the network node using a mapping between location information and Major Trading Area (MTA) values, an MTA value corresponding to the location information carried in the header, and routing, by the network node based on the MTA value, the packet using a routing path that bypasses a circuit-switched based network.

Claims (36)

1 . A method for wireless communications, comprising:

receiving, by a network node in a communication network, a packet associated with a long-distance call from a wireless user device;

wherein the communication network includes an Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) layer;

determining, by the network node, location information carried in a header of the packet;

identifying, using a Major Trading Area (MTA) value that is mapped to the location information, an outgoing route that bypasses a circuit-switched based network; and

routing, by the network node using the outgoing route, the packet to a peer network node that includes an IMS layer,

wherein the outgoing route to the peer network node is identified by a route index.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the header of the packet comprises at least a Cellular-Network-Info (CNI) header or a P-Access-Network-Info (PANI) header.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the PANI header is given a higher priority than the CNI header for the determining of the location information in response to both the CNI header and the PANI header being present in the header of the packet.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the MTA value is mapped to at least one byte of a Tacking Area Code (TAC) value in the location information.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the MTA value is mapped to a highest byte of the TAC value in the location information.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the MTA value is mapped to an entirety of the TAC value in the location information.

7 . The method of claim 4 , wherein different ranges of TAC values correspond to different cell types.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the MTA value is mapped to at least one of a Mobile Country Code (MCC) value or a Mobile Network Code (MNC) value.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a range of MTA values is assigned to domestic calls, and wherein international calls associated with different countries are assigned MTA values outside of the range.

10 . A device for wireless communication, comprising a processor that is configured to:

receive, in a communication network, a packet associated with a long-distance call from a user device;

determine location information carried in a header of the packet;

identify, using a Major Trading Area (MTA) value that is mapped to the location information, an outgoing route that bypasses a circuit-switched based network,

wherein a range of MTA values is assigned to domestic calls, and

wherein international calls associated with different countries are assigned MTA values outside of the range; and

route, using the outgoing route, the packet to a peer network node that includes an IMS layer.

11 . The device of claim 10 , wherein the header of the packet comprises at least a Cellular-Network-Info (CNI) header or a P-Access-Network-Info (PANI) header.

12 . The device of claim 11 , wherein the PANI header is given a higher priority than the CNI header to determine the location information in response to both the CNI header and the PANI header being present in the header of the packet.

13 . The device of claim 10 , wherein the MTA value is mapped to at least one byte of a Tacking Area Code (TAC) value in the location information.

14 . The device of claim 13 , wherein the MTA value is mapped to a highest byte of the TAC value in the location information.

15 . The device of claim 13 , wherein the MTA value is mapped to an entirety of the TAC value in the location information.

16 . The device of claim 13 , wherein different ranges of TAC values correspond to different cell types.

17 . The device of claim 10 , wherein the MTA value is mapped to at least one of a Mobile Country Code (MCC) value or a Mobile Network Code (MNC) value.

18 . A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions recorded thereon that, when executed by at least one processor of a system of a wireless telecommunications network, cause the system to:

receive, in a communication network, a packet associated with a long-distance call from a wireless user device;

wherein the communication network includes an Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) layer;

determine location information carried in a header of the packet;

identify, using a Major Trading Area (MTA) value that is mapped to the location information, an outgoing route that bypasses a circuit-switched based network; and

route, using the outgoing route, the packet to a peer network node that includes an IMS layer,

wherein the outgoing route to the peer network node is identified by a route index.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 1, 2023
From: CATAQUIS, JASON; ROMERO, DENNIS
To: T-MOBILE USA, INC.
Reel/Frame 063828/0327 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 17349620 · Jun 16, 2021
Related Publication 20230308859A1 · Sep 28, 2023
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