Patent Publication Number: US-2018054770-A1

Title: Call termination to a non-3gpp access domain

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Wireless communication networks have increased in popularity with the advent of wireless devices, such as smartphones, mobile devices, etc. Such wireless communication networks provide both data and voice communications. These two types of communications have been separate, but with the arrival of voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technologies, voice communication has merged with data communication. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the accompanying drawings, like numerals refer to like components or blocks. The following detailed description references the drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an example telecommunications system including a wireless device in accordance with the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is a diagram of example communications between various network components for terminating a phone call to a wireless device in accordance with the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 3  is a flowchart of an example method to query activity of a wireless device based on an initiation of a call termination to the wireless device in accordance with the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram of an example computing device with a processing resource to execute instructions in a machine-readable storage medium for terminating a phone call to a wireless device in accordance with the present disclosure; and 
         FIG. 5  is a block diagram of an example computing device with a processing resource to execute instructions in a machine-readable storage medium for identifying a current domain of a wireless device based on time information and in response, terminating a phone to the wireless device in accordance with the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Existing mobile communication network technologies may not currently support seamless integration with wide local area networks (WLANs). For example, when a user of a smartphone is called using the respective phone number, the access domain to which the smartphone is currently connected (i.e, attached) is determined so the phone call can terminate (i.e., connect to) the user&#39;s smartphone. The terminology “access domain” refers to the protocol and/or infrastructure by which a user&#39;s device communicates. The access domain may include a type of third generation partnership (3GPP) access domains such as 4G-type domain supported by a network device known as a mobile management entity (MME) or a 2G/3G-type domain that may be supported by a network device a general packet radio service (GPRS) support node (SGSN). When the user moves within one of these access domains, the smartphone registers with the respective network device (e.g., MME, SGSN) to attach to the corresponding 3GPP access domain (e.g., 4G, 3G, 2G). 
     The advent of wireless local-area network (WLAN) technologies such as Wi-Fi, voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), voice-over WLAN (VoWLAN), has produced a cost, quality, and efficiency advantage over the above-mentioned 3GPP access domains. As such, the WLAN technologies have become the preferred method for voice communications. 
     In the VoLAN technology, a user&#39;s device attaches to a non-3GPP access domain by registering with an authentication, authorization, and account (AAA) server. Such AAA registration occurs outside of the auspices of MME and SGSN attachment. This means that a terminating phone call to the user&#39;s device attached to a non-3GPP access domain is difficult to accomplish. Accordingly, seamless integration between mobile communication networks using a 4G or 2G/3G protocol and WLANs connected to the network may be difficult to achieve in practice. 
     Accordingly, the present disclosure provides a mechanism to termination a phone call to the user&#39;s device attached to the non-3GPP access domain. Terminating phone calls to device(s) attached to non-3GPP access domains seamlessly integrates both mobile communication networks and WLAN technologies. Integrating these technologies, optimizes a number of phone call terminations to achieve a high level of voice quality while also providing a lower cost. 
     The present disclosure identifies a current domain for a wireless device and in response to the non-3GPP domain as the current domain, the phone call may terminate to the wireless device in the non-3GPP domain. In this example, the non-3GPP domain is the preferred domain due to cost, voice quality, and efficiency. Thus, identifying the preferred domain allows the selection of that preferred domain for the phone call termination to the wireless device. 
     The following detailed description refers to the accompanied figures. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the figures and the following description to refer to the same or similar parts. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the figures are for the purpose of illustration and description only. While several examples are described throughout, modification, adaptions, and other implementations are possible. Accordingly, the following detailed description is not meant to limit the disclosed examples, rather it is meant to provide proper scope of the disclosed examples and may be defined by the appended claims. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an example telecommunication system including wireless communication networks and WLAN infrastructure  114  in which wireless device  106  may receive phone calls. Wireless device  106  may receive phone calls when attached to a 3GPP access domain, such as a 4G-type domain or 2G/3G-type domain or non-3GPP access domain, such as a WLAN-type domain. The telecommunication system includes SGSN  104 , MME,  110 , home subscriber server (HSS)  112 , AAA server  118 , and enhanced packet data gateway (ePDG)  116 . The system further includes 2G/3G wireless communication infrastructure  102 , 4G LTE infrastructure  108 , and WLAN infrastructure  114 . The system includes wireless device(s)  106  and a service centralization and continuity application server (SCC-AS)  120 . The communication depicted in  FIG. 1  among the SGSN  104 , HSS  112 , MME  110 , ePDG  116 , AAA server  118 , infrastructures  102 ,  108 , and  114 , and SCC-AS  120  specifically signals communication for maintaining and determining registration of wireless device(s)  106  with the SGSN  104 , MME  110 , and ePDG  116  as managed by HSS  112 . 
     Wireless device(s)  106  may attach to these infrastructures  102 ,  108 , and  114  via SGSN  104 , MME  110 , and ePDG  116  to receive communication services including voice communication. As such, these components  104 ,  110 , and  116  signal to terminate the phone call (i.e., receive the phone call). The wireless device(s)  106  may have attached to multiple infrastructures  102 ,  108 , and  114 ; however the WLAN infrastructure may be the preferred infrastructure  114  for attachment due to cost, voice quality, and efficiency. Accordingly, if the wireless device(s)  106  is attached to one of the 3GPP access domains (e.g., 2G/3G infrastructure  102  and/or LTE infrastructure  108 ) and the WLAN infrastructure  114 , the WLAN infrastructure  114  would be the preferred infrastructure in which to terminate the phone call to wireless device(s)  106 . HSS  112  communicates with SCC-AS  120 , and AAA server  118  to terminate the phone call within the WLAN infrastructure  114 . 
     HSS  112  communicates over wired communication lines with SGSN  104 , MME  110 , AAA server  118 , and SCC-AS  120 . SGSN  104  communicates over a wired communication line with 2G/3G infrastructure  102  that supports a 2G/3G-type 3GPP access domain. MME  110  communicates over a wired communication line with LTE infrastructure  108  that supports a 4G-type 3GPP access domain. AAA server  118  communicates to ePDG  116  which also communicates over a wired communication line with WLAN infrastructure  114  that supports a WLAN-type non-3GPP access domain, such as VoWLAN in the case of voice communication, such as phone calls. Wireless device(s)  106  communicate wirelessly with infrastructures  102 ,  108 , and  114 . 
     HSS  112  is a type of server which maintains registrations of wireless device(s)  106  with SGSN  104 , MME  110 , and AAA server  118 . SGSN  104  is a type of network component or cellular communication device that is compatible with the 2G/3G protocol, while MME  110  is a type of network or cellular communication network device that is compatible with the 4G infrastructure illustrated by LTE infrastructure  108 . AAA server  118  is a server which performs authentication, authorization, and accounting functionality of wireless device(s)  106  for WLAN communication, including VoWLAN communication. In this regard, the AAA server  118  authenticates a user&#39;s device (e.g, wireless device  106 ) to verify and identify the user&#39;s device to communicate over WLAN, such as participating in VoWLAN voice communication, and performs accounting to the usage of the WLAN infrastructure  114 . ePDG  116  is a gateway which communicates with access points in a WLAN infrastructure  114  and establishes a secure tunnel to encrypt data in the form of packets between wireless device(s)  106  and itself. ePDG  116  communicates with AAA server  118  to provide time information such as the last time packets were communicated. SCC-AS  120  is an application server which communicates with HSS  112  and generates the request to determine which domain(s) wireless network  106  is attached, so that the SCC-AS  120  can appropriately route an incoming call (i.e., terminate the call) to the appropriate wireless device  106 . This request may be referred to as a terminating access domain selection (T-ADS) related request. In response to receiving the request, HSS  112  signals to AAA server  118  to query ePDG  116  for activity of the wireless device  106  within WLAN infrastructure  114  to determine if wireless device  106  is currently within WLAN infrastructure  114  to handle packet switching communication. This implementation may be discussed in later figures. 
     LTE infrastructure  108  includes radio towers, base stations and other components (not illustrated) within which wireless device(s)  106  directly communicate using the LTE protocol, such as VoLTE for voice communication. 2G/3G infrastructure  102  includes radio towers, base stations, and other components (not illustrated) within which wireless device(s)  106  directly communicate using the 2G/3G protocol, including voice communication in a circuit-switched manner. WLAN infrastructure  114  includes access points, routers, and other components (not illustrated) which wireless device(s)  106  directly communicate using an IP protocol, such as VoWLAN, VoWiFi, etc. LTE infrastructure  108  and 2G/3G infrastructure  102  represent various 3GPP access domains while WLAN infrastructure  114  represents a non-3GPP access domain. As such, the term non-3GPP domain may refer to a packet-switching network and as such used interchangeably throughout this document with the term WiFi, WLAN, or IP. 
     Wireless device(s)  106  represent the user devices and/or equipment within the telecommunications system in  FIG. 1 . Wireless device(s)  106  may include an electronic device and as such implementations of wireless device(s)  106  may include, by way of example, a wireless mobile device, smartphone, tablet, etc. 
     HSS  112  maintains various registrations between the 3GPP access domains and the non-3GPP access domain. For example, HSS  112  maintains 2G/3G registration of the wireless device  106  with SGSN  104 , LTE registration of wireless device  106  with MME  110 , and WLAN registration of wireless device  106  with AAA server  118  or ePDG  116 . Registration of wireless device  106  with SGSN  104 , MME  110 , AAA server  118 , and ePDG  116  means that wireless device  106  has moved into a physical location serviced by the respective components  104 ,  110 ,  116 , and  118 . As such, wireless device  106  may register with at least one of the network components to receive communication services in that area. As explained earlier, wireless device  106  may concurrently register in more than one wireless communication area (e.g., 2G/3G, LTE, and WLAN); however, the preferred domain if the wireless device  106  is currently registered, would be WLAN due to the aforementioned reasons. 
     In response to an initiation of the phone call (i.e., voice communication) to wireless device  106 , SCC-AS  120  determines the current registrations of wireless device  106  to terminate the phone call to the wireless device  106 . To determine the current registrations of wireless device  106 , HSS  112  queries SGSN  104  for attachment of wireless device  106  within the 2G/3G infrastructure  102 , MME  110  for attachment of wireless device  106  within LTE infrastructure  108 , and AAA  118  for attachment of wireless device  106  within WLAN infrastructure  114 . Attachment of the wireless device  106  within the WLAN infrastructure  114  means wireless device  106  is attached to the non-3GPP domain and is able to receive voice communication over VoWLAN. In this implementation, HSS  112  queries respective network component  104 ,  110 , and  118  for the most recent activity of wireless device  106  within each respective domain. In response, the queried network components  104 ,  110 , and  118  transmit time information over the wireless device  106  activity within each respective domain. The HSS  112  analyses the time information to identify the most current domain(s) for wireless device  106 . If the time information from the non-3GPP domain is newer than the time information from the 3GPP domain, it means the phone call will be terminated in the non-3GPP domain over the 3GPP domain. In response to the determination the wireless device  106  has attached to only one of the 3GPP domains, then termination of the phone call will be in the 3GPP domain. The communications between networking components  104 ,  110 ,  112 ,  116 ,  118 , and  120  for terminating the phone call to the wireless device  106  within the non-3GPP or 3GPP domain is illustrated in the next figure. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates an example communication diagram between network components  104 ,  110 ,  112 ,  116 ,  118 , and  120  as illustrated in  FIG. 1  for termination of a phone call to a wireless device in a 3GPP domain or non-3GPP domain. In this implementation, the non-3GPP domain is preferred to one of the 3GPP domains. 
     SCC-AS  120  transmits a terminating access domain (T-ADS) query to HSS  112  based on an initiation of a phone call termination. HSS  112  transmits a request for time information to MME  110 , SGSN  104 , and AAA server  118  to identify which domains the wireless device is attached. In implementations, HSS  112  communicates to each of these components  110 ,  104 , and  118  using various protocols including, by way of example, diameter protocol, RADIUS protocol, S6a protocol, SWx protocol, SWm protocol, MAP protocol, extensible authentication protocol, etc. 
     Based on receiving the request for time information from HSS  112 , AAA server  118  in turn proceed to query ePDG  116  for time information over the wireless device within the non-3GPP domain. The ePDG  116  receives the request from AAA server  118  for the activity of the wireless device within the non-3GPP domain and may proceed to communicate with access points within the WLAN to identify the activity of the wireless device. The activity may include the time when IP packets were communicated with the WLAN. As such, the ePDG  116  obtains a time stamp of when the IP packets were transmitted within the WLAN by the wireless device and transmits the time stamp as a response to AAA server  118 . In this example, the time stamp serves as the time information over the activity of the wireless device in each domain. In addition to the time stamp, ePDG  116  may also transmit a radio access technology (RAT) type. The RAT type represents the radio technology used by the wireless device and may be useful in determining what services and/or content can be sent to the wireless device. The RAT type may include, by way of example, UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), GSM EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN), Wireless LAN (WLAN), Generic Access Network (GAN), High Speed Packet Access (HSPA). 
     HSS  112  receives time information over the activity of the wireless device in the non-3GPP domain by the AAA server  118 . In another implementation, HSS  112  receives additional time information over the activity of the wireless device in the 3GPP domains from MME  110  and SGSN  104 . HSS  112  uses the time information to identify which current domains the wireless device has had the most recent activity. In a further implementation, the non-3GPP domain corresponding to ePDG  116  may be the preferred domain. For example, in response to both the 3GPP domain and the non-3GPP domain as the current domains, the HSS  112  may select based on the time info, the preferred non-3GPP domain as the domain in which to terminate the phone call to the wireless device. Upon determining the current domain in which to terminate the phone call to the wireless device, HSS  112  provides the domain within the T-ADS response to SCC-AS  120 . Upon receiving the domain within the T-ADS response, SCC-AS  120  proceeds to terminate the phone call within the specified domain to the wireless device. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a method to terminate a phone call in a non-3GPP access domain. Examples of the non-3GPP access domain including WLAN protocol and/or infrastructure. An AAA server in contact with the WLAN infrastructure may reach out to an ePDG for activity of a specific wireless device within the WLAN. In response, the AAA server receives information corresponding to the activity of the wireless device in the WLAN. Based on the received information, a home subscriber server determines if a current domain of the wireless device is the WLAN. In response to the WLAN being the current domain, the phone call is terminated to the wireless device in the WLAN. In discussing  FIG. 3 , references may be made to the components in  FIG. 1  to provide contextual examples. In one implementation, AAA server  118  as in  FIGS. 1-2  executes operations  302 - 314  to terminate a call in the non-3GPP access domain. Although  FIG. 3  is described as implemented by AAA server  118 , it may be executable on other suitable hardware components. For example,  FIG. 3  may be implemented in the form of executable instructions on a machine-readable storage medium  404  and  504  as in  FIGS. 4-5 . 
     At operation  302 , in response to the initiation of the call termination to the wireless device, the AAA server requests information over the activity of the wireless device in the WLAN. In one implementation, a service centralization and continuity application server (SCC-AS) transmits a terminating access domain (T-ADS) query to a home subscriber server (HSS). The T-ADS query signals an initiation of the termination of the phone call. In response, the HSS signals to the AAA server the initiation of the termination of the phone call to the wireless device. The AAA server aids in identifying the current domain the wireless device by querying the ePDG over the activity of the wireless device as at operation  306 . The ePDG tracks the activity of the wireless device(s) when communicating with a device within the WLAN. The ePDG may store information about the activity of the wireless device(s) within the WLAN to transmit to the AAA server. In another implementation, the HSS may also transmit requests to the SGSN and MME regarding the activity of the wireless device in the 3GPP domain. In a further implementation, if there is no initiation of the terminating phone call, the AAA server does not proceed to communicate with the ePDG over the activity of the wireless device as at operation  304 . 
     At operation  304 , in response to the non-initiation of the terminating phone call, the AAA server does not proceed to transmit the request to the ePDG. In this implementation, the AAA server monitors for the initiation of the phone call to the wireless device via the T-ADS query from the SCC-AS. In response to the detection of the non-initiation, the AAA server may continually monitor for the initiation of the terminating phone call to the wireless device. 
     At operation  306 , in response to the initiation of phone call termination to the wireless device, the AAA server transmits the request to the ePDG. As explained earlier, the ePDG stores information related to its communication with the wireless device in the WLAN to track the activity of the wireless device. The request includes data relating to the last time IP packets were being communicated within the WLAN. As such, the ePDG may return time information (e.g, time stamp) of the activity of the wireless device as at operation  308 . In one implementation, the AAA server may communicate to the ePDG using a diameter-based SWm interface to request the activity of the wireless device. In this implementation, the SWm interfaced may be used for the WLAN wireless device authentication and may further support tunnel authentication and authorization data. In other implementations, the AAA server may use SWa, STa, SWd, or other type of interface to interact with the wireless device. 
     At operation  308  in response to the request to the ePDG, the AAA server receives information regarding the activity of the wireless device within the WLAN domain. The information may include a time stamp of when IP packets were last communicated in the WLAN from the wireless device. The information may also include a radio access technology (RAT) type. The time stamp and RAT type may be transmitted to the HSS to determine the current domain of the wireless device. 
     At operation  310 , based on receiving time information regarding the activity of the wireless device in the 3GPP domain and the non-3GPP access domain, the HSS may determine if the non-3GPP access domain is the current domain. In response to the determination that the non-3GPP access domain is the current domain, the HSS may communicate with the SCC-AS for the termination of the phone call to the wireless device in the non-3GPP domain as at operation  314 . In another implementation, in response that the non-3GPP domain is not the current domain, this means that the 3GPP domain is the current domain for the wireless device. As such, the HSS communicates with the SCC-AS to terminate the phone call to the wireless device in the 3GPP access domain as at operation  312 . In a further implementation, if the HSS determines that the current domain of the wireless device is both the 3GPP and the non-3GPP domain, the time information is used to determine the domain to terminate the phone call. 
     At operation  312 , in response to the determination that the non-3GPP domain is not the current domain, the HSS may communicate with the SCC-AS to terminate the phone call to the wireless device in the 3GPP access domain. Based on the determination that the non-3GPP domain is not the current domain, this may indicate that the 3GPP access domain is the current domain for attachment of the wireless device. 
     At operation  314 , based on the determination that the non-3GPP access domain is the current domain of the wireless device, the phone call is terminated to the wireless device in the non-3GPP access domain. 
       FIG. 4  is a block diagram of computing device  400  with processing resource  402  to execute instructions  406 - 410  within a machine-readable storage medium  404 . Although the computing device  400  includes processing resource  402  and machine-readable storage medium  404 , it may also include other components that would be suitable to one skilled in the art. For example, the computing device  400  may include a controller, memory storage, or other suitable type of component. The computing device  400  is an electronic device with the processing resource  402  capable of executing instructions  406 - 410  and as such embodiments of the computing device  400  include a networking device, server, switch, router, mobile device, desktop computer, or other type of electronic device capable of executing instructions  406 - 410 . The instructions  406 - 410  may be implemented as methods, functions, operations, and other processes implemented as machine-readable instructions stored on the storage medium  404 , which may be non-transitory, such as hardware storage devices (e.g., random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), erasable programmable ROM, electrically erasable ROM, hard drives, and flash memory). 
     The processing resource  402  may fetch, decode, and execute instructions  406 - 410  to determine a current domain of a wireless device and in response to the determination that a non-3GPP domain (e.g., WLAN) is the current domain, terminate (i.e., connect) a call to the wireless device in the non-3GPP domain. Specifically, the processing resource  402  executes instructions  406 - 410  to: in response to an initiation of terminating call, query an enhanced packet data gateway (ePDG) for activity corresponding to the wireless device within the non-3GPP access domain; in response to the query for activity, the computing device  400  receives time information form the ePDG corresponding to the activity of the wireless device within the non-3GPP domain; based on the time information from the ePDG, the call is terminated to the wireless device within that non-3GPP domain. 
     The machine-readable storage medium  404  includes instructions  406 - 410  for the processing resource  402  to fetch, decode, and execute. In another embodiment, the machine-readable storage medium  404  may be an electronic, magnetic, optical, memory, storage, flash-drive, or other physical device that contains or stores executable instructions. Thus, the machine-readable storage medium  404  may include, for example, Random Access Memory (RAM), an Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), a storage drive, a memory cache, network storage, a Compact Disc Read Only Memory (CDROM) and the like. As such, the machine-readable storage medium  404  may include an application and/or firmware which can be utilized independently and/or in conjunction with the processing resource  402  to fetch, decode, and/or execute instructions of the machine-readable storage medium  404 . The application and/or firmware may be stored on the machine-readable storage medium  404  and/or stored on another location of the computing device  400 . 
       FIG. 5  is a block diagram of computing device  500  with a processing resource  502  to execute instructions  506 - 520  within a machine-readable storage medium  004 . Specifically, the computing device  500  with the processing resource  502  to query about activity of a wireless device in a non-3GPP domain and in response receive time information regarding the activity of the wireless device. The time information indicates a current domain of the wireless device. Based on the time information, a phone call is terminated to the wireless device in either the 3GPP domain or the non-3GPP domain. Although the computing device  500  includes processing resource  502  and machine-readable storage medium  504 , it may also include other components that would be suitable to one skilled in the art. For example, the computing device  500  may include a controller, memory storage, or other suitable type of component. The computing device  500  is an electronic device with the processing resource  502  capable of executing instructions  506 - 520  and as such embodiments of the computing device  500  include a networking device, server, switch, router, mobile device, desktop computer, laptop, or other type of electronic device capable of executing instructions  506 - 520 . The instructions  506 - 520  may be implemented as methods, functions, operations, and other processes implemented as machine-readable instructions stored on the storage medium  504 , which may be non-transitory, such as hardware storage devices (e.g., random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), erasable programmable ROM, electrically erasable ROM, hard drives, and flash memory). 
     The processing resource  502  may fetch, decode, and execute instructions  506 - 520  to terminate a call to a wireless device in a non-3GPP access domain, such as WLAN in response to the current domain of the wireless device being WLAN. Specifically, the processing resource  502  executes instructions  506 - 520  to: based on initiation of a call termination to a wireless device, query an ePDG for activity of the wireless device in the non-3GPP access domain, such as the WLAN; while querying the ePDG for activity of the wireless device, query a 3GPP access domain (e.g., 2G, 3G, 4G, etc.) for activity of the wireless device; receive time information regarding the wireless device activity from the ePDG and component(s) corresponding to the 3GPP access domain; based on this time information, determine which domain is the current domain of the wireless device; in response to the one of the 3GPP access domains as the current domain, terminate the phone call within the respective 3GPP domain; and in response to the non-3GPP access domain as the current domain, terminate the phone call within the WLAN representing the non-3GPP access domain. 
     The machine-readable storage medium  504  includes instructions  506 - 520  for the processing resource  502  to fetch, decode, and execute. In another embodiment, the machine-readable storage medium  504  may be an electronic, magnetic, optical, memory, storage, flash-drive, or other physical device that contains or stores executable instructions. Thus, the machine-readable storage medium  504  may include, for example, Random Access Memory (RAM), an Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), a storage drive, a memory cache, network storage, a Compact Disc Read Only Memory (CDROM) and the like. As such, the machine-readable storage medium  504  may include an application and/or firmware which can be utilized independently and/or in conjunction with the processing resource  502  to fetch, decode, and/or execute instructions of the machine-readable storage medium  504 . The application and/or firmware may be stored on the machine-readable storage medium  504  and/or stored on another location of the computing device  500 . 
     Although certain embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it will be greatly appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a wide variety of alternate and/or equivalent embodiments or implementations calculated to achieve the same purposes may be substituted for the embodiments shown and described without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Those with skill in the art will readily appreciate that embodiments may be implemented in a variety of ways. This application is intended to cover adaptions or variations of the embodiments discussed herein. Therefore, it is manifestly intended that embodiments be limited only by the claims and equivalents thereof.