Abstract:
A method for selectively blocking Voiceover4G services within a wireless communications network is provided. A request for access to Voiceover4G services is received from a device connected to a wireless communications network. A location of the device is determined from information contained within the request. A determination is made of whether Voiceover4G services are provided at the location by the wireless communications network at the location of the device indicated within the request. The device is configured to communicate over the wireless network using Voiceover4G services responsive to a determination that the Voiceover4G services are provided at the location of the device or is configured to communicate over the wireless network using circuit switched services responsive to a determination that the Voiceover4G services are not provided at the location of the device.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/677,409, filed Nov. 15, 2012, entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING VOICEOVER4G CALL BLOCKING (Atty. Dkt. No. MPCS-31241), the specification of which is incorporated herein in its entirety. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to Voice over 4G service offerings, and more particularly, to the selective blocking of Voice over 4G services based upon a location or identity of a device attempting to establish a connection to Voice over 4G services. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    A Voice over 4G call, such as Voice over LTE (VoLTE), is based upon the IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) network and has specific profiles for control and media planes of voice service on 4G. This approach results in the voice service being delivered as data flows within a 4G data carrier. This means that there is no dependency on the legacy circuit switched voice network in order to maintain a call. Many mobile communication devices have the ability to provide voice call services using both 4G communication services and circuit switch communication services such as CDMA, GSM, or UMTS-based call connection services. The availability of 4G network support for voice call connections is not ubiquitous, and 4G voice services may or may not be available in particular areas. Additionally, the possibility exists for Voiceover4G services and circuit switched-based services to both be available within a particular area, but for various reasons the use of Voiceover4G services for supporting a call would not provide an optimal customer experience. Thus, there is a need to have the ability to block the provision of Voiceover4G call services from certain locations from certain devices as well as the ability to test Voiceover4G services within particular markets where the call services may not have yet been launched. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    The present invention as disclosed and described herein, comprises a method for selectively blocking Voiceover4G services within a wireless communications network. A request for access to Voiceover4G services is received from a device connected to a wireless communications network. A location of the device is determined from information contained within the request. A determination is made of whether Voiceover4G services are provided at the location by the wireless communications network at the location of the device indicated within the request. The device is configured to communicate over the wireless network using Voiceover4G services responsive to a determination that the Voiceover4G services are provided at the location of the device and is configured to communicate over the wireless network using circuit switched services responsive to a determination that the Voiceover4G services are not provided at the location of the device. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    For a more complete understanding, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying Drawings in which: 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  illustrates a manner of establishing call registration for a Voiceover4G call within a system providing Voiceover4G call services; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  illustrates a request for Voiceover4G call services in a system denying a Voiceover4G call registration; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  provides an illustration of the mapping table used for selective Voiceover4G call blocking; 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  illustrates the manner in which location information from a SIP header may be used for selectively establishing either a Voiceover4G call or 3G circuit switched call; 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  illustrates a process for location-based selective Voiceover4G call connection; 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is a flow diagram describing the process of location-based selective Voiceover4G call connections; 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  illustrates a manner for selective Voiceover4G call establishment based upon a device attempting to establish the Voiceover4G call; 
           [0013]      FIG. 8  is a flow diagram illustrating the process for selective establishment of a Voiceover4G call based upon the device attempting to establish the call; 
           [0014]      FIG. 9  illustrates the establishment of a Voiceover4G call within a network providing Voiceover4G services; 
           [0015]      FIG. 10  illustrates a device attempting to establish a Voiceover4G call within a network that does not provide Voiceover4G call connection services; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 11  is a flow diagram describing the manner for establishing a Voiceover4G call that considers whether a present location of the user equipment connects with a network providing Voiceover4G call connection services. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0017]    Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numbers are used herein to designate like elements throughout, the various views and embodiments of a system and method for providing selective Voiceover4G call blocking are illustrated and described, and other possible embodiments are described. The figures are not necessarily drawn to scale, and in some instances the drawings have been exaggerated and/or simplified in places for illustrative purposes only. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate the many possible applications and variations based on the following examples of possible embodiments. 
         [0018]    Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to  FIG. 1 , there is illustrated the manner in which a user equipment  102  may attempt to establish a Voiceover4G call connection with a destination number through an IMS server  104 . The Voiceover4G call connection may comprise for example a Voice over LTE (VoLTE) call or any other type of 4G voice call service. The user equipment  102  transmits a registration request  106  to the IMS server  104  requesting the establishment of the ability to make a Voiceover4G call from the user equipment  102  to a destination number over the 4G network. The connection from the user equipment  102  to the IMS server  104  is not necessarily direct, but may occur through a number of various nodes of a wireless network. Associated with the IMS server  104  is a mapping table  108  that provides a mapping of the locations from which a user equipment  102  may be making a call to an indication of the allowance or non-allowance of Voiceover4G call services. Thus, based upon the location of the user equipment  102 , the mapping table  108  enables a determination of whether the ability to have Voiceover4G call services should be allowed at a particular location. If the mapping table  108  indicates that Voiceover4G call services are allowed, an indication  110  is provided within the multimedia services network to enable the establishment of Voiceover4G calls by the user equipment  102 . The user equipment  102  is notified at  112  of the ability to access Voiceover4G call functionalities when the need arises. 
         [0019]    Referring now also to  FIG. 2 , there is illustrated a second situation wherein the user equipment  102  generates a Voiceover4G registration request  106  to the IMS server  104 . However, in this case, the mapping table  108  associated with the IMS server  104  indicates that Voiceover4G services are not available to the location presently serving the user equipment  102 . In this case, the IMS server  104  generates an indication to establish a 3G circuit switched call  202 , such as a CDMA call, rather than the ability to establish Voiceover4G calls. The user equipment  102  is provided a notification  204  to establish voice calls using CDMA or other type of circuit switched services since Voiceover4G call services are not presently available. 
         [0020]    Referring now to  FIG. 3 , there is more particularly illustrated the structure of the mapping table  108 . While the configuration of  FIG. 3  illustrates the mapping table  108  including a location column  302  and a Voiceover4G availability indication column  304 , it will be appreciated that various other types of configuration may be possible as long as information relating to the availability or non-availability of Voiceover4G services at particular locations or from particular units may be provided. The location column  302  provides a variety of locations that have particular Voiceover4G service indications associated there with. Each location entry  308  has associated there with a Voiceover4G indication  310  indicating whether Voiceover4G services are available or not available at the particular location. Thus, for example in the illustration of  FIG. 3 , the first location  308  entry within the table indicates that Voiceover4G services are available, the second and third entries indicate that Voiceover4G services are not available, and the fourth entry indicates that Voiceover4G services are available with the associated locations. As mentioned previously, in addition to information about particular locations and the availability or non-availability of Voiceover4G services, other types of information such as particular user equipment that may or may not have Voiceover4G services associated therewith or large coverage areas or markets rather than specific cell site locations may have Voiceover4G service/non-service indications associated therewith. 
         [0021]    Referring now to  FIG. 4 , there is illustrated the manner in which user equipment may determine an ability to complete Voiceover4G calls from a particular location. When the user equipment attempts an initial registration within the network, it transmits a SIP header  402  to the IMS server that is associated with the user equipment. In some embodiments the SIP header  402  may comprise a PANI header. Within the IMS server, the location  404  of the user equipment is extracted from the SIP header  402 . This location information  404  is provided to a mapping table  406  that is associated with the IMS server in order to make a comparison of the location to the table entries and find the associated indication of whether Voiceover4G services are available or unavailable from the present location of the user equipment. Based upon the results of the comparison within the mapping table  406 , the user equipment may be registered as being able to carry out Voiceover4G calls at  408 , or alternatively, if Voiceover4G services are not available to the device, registering the device to connect via 3G circuit switched services  410  such as CDMA services. 
         [0022]    Referring now to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , there is illustrated a first example of selective Voiceover4G call services blocking based upon a particular location of the user equipment attempting to register to receive Voiceover4G call services.  FIG. 5  illustrates a situation wherein a first device at a location  502  is attempting to register for Voiceover4G call services at an IMS server  504 , and a second device at location  506  is also attempting to register to receive Voiceover4G call services with the IMS server  504 . In the first case, the device at location  502  transmits a registration request message, including a SIP header as a request  508  from the location  502  to the server  504 . Within the IMS server  504 , the location information is extracted from the SIP header and a determination is made that Voiceover4G call services are available at location  502  based on data within an associated mapping table. A Voiceover4G call service response  510  is transmitted back from the IMS server  504  to the location  502  to provide an indication that Voiceover4G call services are now available. 
         [0023]    Similarly, the second mobile device at location  506  transmits a Voiceover4G call service request  512 , including a SIP header, to the IMS server  504  to request registration for Voiceover4G call services. In this case, the location information extracted from the SIP header will provide an indication that Voiceover4G call services are not available at location  506  when compared to the location entry in the mapping table. The Voiceover4G denial and an indication of circuit switch services response  514  is transmitted back to the location  506  from the IMS server  504  to indicate to the mobile device that voice calls must be made using circuit switch services rather than Voiceover4G call services. 
         [0024]    This process is more fully illustrated in the flow diagram of  FIG. 6 . A device initiates Voiceover4G call registration at step  602  in an attempt to register the device to transmit and receive voice calls using Voiceover4G services. As part of the registration process, the device will transmit a SIP header at step  604  from the user equipment to the IMS server in an attempt to register to access Voiceover4G call functionalities. These transmissions occur over the associated wireless network and nodes. Using the information within the SIP header, location information is extracted at step  606  from the SIP header in order to provide an indication of where the user equipment attempting to register with the system is presently located. This location is found at step  608  within the mapping table associated with the IMS server  504  in order to determine whether Voiceover4G call service functionalities are available from the location at which the user equipment is presently located. Inquiry step  610  determines whether Voiceover4G is enabled at the present location as indicated within the mapping table and either initiates Voiceover4G call services at step  612 , or if Voiceover4G call services are denied, initiate 3G circuit switched call services at step  614  or some other type of circuit switch voice call connection functionality as provided by the wireless system. 
         [0025]    Referring now to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , there is illustrated a device-based selective Voiceover4G call blocking process wherein only particular devices are granted access to Voiceover4G call services within a particular network or at a particular location. This type of access control is useful in situations where Voiceover4G services must be tested within a particular market where the Voiceover4G services have not yet been officially launched. Individual devices would need to act as test devices in order to confirm functionality of the services within the market. Thus, for example, a first user equipment  702  would not be granted Voiceover4G service access within a particular market. When the device  702  transmitted a Voiceover4G request  710  within this market to the IMS server  704 , the mapping table would look up the device based upon its calling number and/or SIP header content to determine the identity of the device and that the device was not able to access Voiceover4G services within the market. A message  712  indicating no Voiceover4G services and indication for connection to a circuit switch system would be transmitted back to the first user equipment  702  from the IMS server  704 . 
         [0026]    However, a second user equipment  706  would be provided access for testing Voiceover4G services within the same new market. When the user equipment  706  transmits a Voiceover4G service request  714  to the IMS server  704 , the server uses the mapping table associated with the IMS server  704  to determine that the user equipment  706  is allowed to access Voiceover4G services within the present network based upon the calling number and/or SIP header content. A grant of Voiceover4G service message  716  is transmitted back to the user equipment  706  from the IMS server  704  enabling the device  706  to access Voiceover4G services within the network. 
         [0027]    Referring now to  FIG. 8 , there is illustrated a flow diagram more particularly illustrating the process of  FIG. 7 . When a particular user equipment initiates, at step  802 , Voiceover4G registration with the IMS server  704 , the device transmits at step  804  a SIP header from the user equipment to the IMS server  704 . The calling mobile number and other SIP header information content is extracted from the SIP header to determine call-based selective blocking as described previously with respect to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , and alternatively may be used to determine the particular device that is making the call. The particular device is located within the mapping table at step  808  to determine if the device is able to receive Voiceover4G services within the present network that it is located. Inquiry step  810  determines whether Voiceover4G is allowed for the device, and if so, the Voiceover4G call service functionalities are established for the device at step  814 . If Voiceover4G call service functionalities are not allowed for the device, the device is set up to receive 3G circuit switched calls such as a CDMA call at step  816 . 
         [0028]    Referring now to  FIGS. 9-11 , there is illustrated the manner for selectively blocking Voiceover4G call services based upon the particular market that a Voiceover4G device is located within. In this case, the user equipment  902  illustrated in  FIG. 9  and  FIG. 10  each comprise the same device but the device is trying to connect with different markets. In  FIG. 9 , the user equipment  902  is attempting to access Voiceover4G call services within a first market and within  FIG. 10  is attempting to access Voiceover4G call services within a second, different market. In the case of  FIG. 9 , the user equipment  902  transmits a Voiceover4G call services request  906  to the IMS server  904  within the first market. When accessing the mapping table information, the server determines that Voiceover4G call services are available for the user equipment within this market, and the IMS server transmits back a Voiceover4G grant message  908  indicating that the user equipment  902  has been registered to receive Voiceover4G call functionalities within the present network. 
         [0029]    With respect to  FIG. 10 , the user equipment  902  is located within the second market associated with IMS server  1006 . The user equipment  902  transmits a Voiceover4G services request  1002  to the IMS server  1006 . The IMS server  1006  accesses the mapping table associated therewith and determines that Voiceover4G call services are not available within the present network for the user equipment  902 . The user equipment  902  is notified via a message  1004  from the IMS server  1006  indicating that Voiceover4G call services are not available and voice call connections via CDMA or other types of 3G circuit switch services are necessary. 
         [0030]      FIG. 11  is a flow diagram illustrating the process for connecting devices which may be granted Voiceover4G call service functionalities within one market network but not in others. The user equipment initiates the process by requesting Voiceover4G registration at step  1102  and transmitting a SIP header at step  1104  to an associated IMS server. Inquiry step  1106  determines if the present network provides Voiceover4G call services. If not, control passes to step  1108  and the user equipment is provided 3G circuit switched call functionalities for providing voice call services. If inquiry step  1106  determines that Voiceover4G call services are available within the network, the location information for the user equipment  902  is extracted from the SIP header at step  1110 . Inquiry step  1112  determines if Voiceover4G is enabled at the particular location within the network that the user equipment is located, and if so, enables the establishment of Voiceover4G call service functionalities at step  1114 . If inquiry step  1112  determines that Voiceover4G services are not available at that location, the user equipment is configured for CDMA or other type of 3G circuit switched call functionalities at step  1108 . 
         [0031]    Thus, using the above-described functionalities and processes, a service provider can provide more efficient control of devices attempting to access either Voiceover4G voice call services or 3G circuit switched call services. Voiceover4G call service functionality coverage is not ubiquitous like CDMA or other type of 3G circuit switched call functionality processes. The above-described process provides service providers with the ability to block Voiceover4G call functionalities from certain locations that would not well serve a customer. Additionally, it provides a service provider with the ability to test the Voiceover4G services in various markets where the services have not yet been officially launched. 
         [0032]    It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure that this system and method for providing selective Voiceover4G call blocking provides an improved manner of providing selective Voiceover4G call functionalities. It should be understood that the drawings and detailed description herein are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive manner, and are not intended to be limiting to the particular forms and examples disclosed. On the contrary, included are any further modifications, changes, rearrangements, substitutions, alternatives, design choices, and embodiments apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope hereof, as defined by the following claims. Thus, it is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace all such further modifications, changes, rearrangements, substitutions, alternatives, design choices, and embodiments.