US 7,398,088 B2Granted

Handover method and apparatus

AssigneeMotorola, Inc.

InventorsAnatoly S. Belkin, Alex P. Hirsbrunner, Jheroen P. Dorenbosch

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Abstract

A method (FIG. 11) and corresponding wireless communication unit (102, FIG. 5) and mobility manager (116, FIG. 6) for facilitating a handover from one communication network (106) to another communication network (108) of an ongoing communication (120, 122) between a wireless communication unit (102) and a peer communication unit (114, 714). The method including obtaining call information (1103) corresponding to the ongoing communication where the ongoing communication uses the first communication network; and ascertaining a handover number (1105) for use by the wireless communication unit to originate a handover call (1107) via the second network (108), the handover number terminating within the first communication network for use in facilitating the handover of the ongoing communication to the second communication network.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A mobility manager for facilitating handover of ongoing communication of a first call between a wireless communication unit and a peer communication unit from a first communication network to a second communication network, the mobility manager comprising:

a interface function to interface to the first communication network;
and
a controller coupled to and controlling the interface function to:
obtain call information corresponding to the ongoing communication of the first call;
ascertain a handover number for the wireless communication unit, the handover number terminating on the mobility manager associating with the first communication network, for use in facilitating the handover of the ongoing communication by initiating a handover call made by the wireless communication unit on the second communication network to the handover number while the first call is ongoing;
receive the handover call from a network switching function for the first communication network, and
facilitate connecting the peer communication unit to the handover call and sending a connect indication for the handover call to the wireless communication unit, and
wherein the connecting the peer communication unit to the handover call further comprises one of a) transferring the ongoing communication of the peer communication unit to the handover call, b) conferencing the ongoing communication of the peer communication unit, the ongoing communication of the wireless communication unit, and the handover call together, and c) rerouting the ongoing communication with the peer communication unit to coincide with the routing of the handover call at the network switching function.

5 more elements

A method for facilitating handover of ongoing communication of a first call between a wireless communication unit and a peer communication unit wherein the handover being from a first communication network to a second communication network, the method comprising:

obtaining call information corresponding to the first call using the first communication network;
ascertaining a handover number for the wireless communication unit, the handover number terminating within the first communication network for use in facilitating the handover of the ongoing communication by initiating a handover call made by the wireless communication unit on the second communication network to the handover number while the first call is ongoing;
receiving, at a network switching function for the first communication network, a handover call originating from the wireless communication unit using the second communication network that is directed to the handover number;
facilitating, at a network entity, connecting the peer communication unit to the handover call and sending a connect indication for the handover call to the wireless communication unit, and
wherein the connecting the peer communication unit to the handover call further comprises at least one of a) transferring the ongoing communication of the peer communication unit to the handover call, b) conferencing the ongoing communication of the peer communication unit, the ongoing communication of the wireless unit, and the handover call together, and c) rerouting the ongoing communication with the peer communication unit to coincide with the routing of the handover call at the network switching function.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.