Patent ID: 7720021

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving into a radio access network (RAN) a request to set up a call to a first mobile station; responsive to the request, the RAN paging the first mobile station and encountering a call setup failure; and responsive to the call setup failure, the RAN setting up the call to the first mobile station via a second mobile station, wherein the RAN setting up the call to the first mobile station via the second mobile station comprises (i) the RAN establishing a first wireless link between the RAN and the second mobile station, (ii) the RAN sending to the second mobile station a bridge-indicator that directs the second mobile station to enter a wireless-bridge mode in which the second mobile station broadcasts a service set indicator (SSID) that the first mobile station is arranged to begin scanning for in response to the first mobile station detecting lack of sufficient wireless coverage from the RAN, and (iii) the RAN engaging in setup signaling with the first mobile station via a path comprising the first wireless link between the RAN and the second mobile station and a second wireless link that is established between the second mobile station and the first mobile station after the first mobile station detects the SSID broadcast by the second mobile station and associates with the second mobile station.