HK1235969A1 - Aborting an extended service request procedure - Google Patents

Abstract

Briefly, in accordance with one or more embodiments, a method to implement an extended service request procedure for a circuit-switched fallback, comprises communicating with a packet-switched network, and initiating an extended service request procedure for a circuit switched fallback to handle a voice call. If the voice call is terminated prior to completion of the extended service request procedure, the extended service request procedure may be aborted, and the user may remain in communication with the packet-switched network. Otherwise, the user completes the connection to the circuit-switched network and communicates with a circuit-switched network to handle the voice call.

Description

Suspending extended service request procedure

Background

Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks can provide higher data speeds to mobile users worldwide. In addition, voice over LTE (VoLTE) allows voice calls to be handled as data via the LTE network. However, deploying VoLTE features in a network may be deficient such that the LTE network is available to users to receive data services, but operators may still need to provide voice calls/services over legacy networks. In this case, a user connected to the LTE network may need to fall back to a conventional second generation (2G) or third generation (3G) network using global system for mobile communications (GSM) or Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Radio Access Technology (RAT) in order to handle a voice call via a Circuit Switched Fall Back (CSFB) procedure. During the CSFB procedure, the user starts an extended service request through the network to switch from the LTE network to the legacy 2G/3G network. If the user drops the call during the ongoing extended service request, the network will unnecessarily still fall back to the legacy 2G/3G network and then reselect back to the LTE network. As a result, users may spend a significant amount of unnecessary time completing CSFB procedures even when a voice call has been terminated and thereafter experience lower data transfer speeds in third and second generation networks operating in UTMS or GSM, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) or enhanced GPRS (egprs) RAT technologies, resulting in very poor user experience for users paying to use LTE high speed data rates.

Drawings

The claimed subject matter is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. However, the subject matter may be understood by reference to the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a network capable of implementing an extended service request feature in accordance with one or more embodiments;

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of a method for implementing an extended service request feature by a user equipment in accordance with one or more embodiments;

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of interactions between a user device and a network to implement an extended service request in accordance with one or more embodiments;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an information processor system capable of implementing extended service requests in accordance with one or more embodiments; and is

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the information handling system shown in FIG. 4 in accordance with one or more embodiments.

It will be appreciated that for simplicity and/or clarity of illustration, elements illustrated in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding and/or analogous elements.

Detailed Description

In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of claimed subject matter. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that claimed subject matter may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, and/or circuits have not been described in detail.

In the following description and/or claims, the terms coupled and/or connected, along with their derivatives, may be used. Connected may, in particular embodiments, be used to indicate that two or more elements are in direct physical and/or electrical contact with each other. Coupled may mean that two or more elements are in direct physical and/or electrical contact. However, being coupled may also mean that two or more elements may not be in direct contact with each other, but yet still co-operate and/or interact with each other. For example, "coupled" may refer to two or more elements not being in contact, but being indirectly joined together via another element or intervening elements. Finally, the terms "on", "overlying" and "over" may be used in the following description and claims. "on," "overlying," and "over" may be used to indicate that two or more elements are in direct physical contact with each other. However, "over" may also mean that two or more elements may not be in direct contact with each other. For example, "over" may refer to one element being higher than another element but not touching each other and there may be another element or elements between the two elements. Furthermore, the term "and/or" may refer to "and," it may refer to "or," it may refer to "exclusive or," it may refer to "one," it may refer to "some, but not all," it may refer to "neither. In the following description and/or claims, the terms "comprise" and "include," along with their derivatives, may be used and are intended as synonyms for each other.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a block diagram capable of implementing the extended service request feature in accordance with one or more embodiments will be discussed. As shown in fig. 1, the network 100 may include a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network 110 and a legacy network 112, and the legacy network 112 may include a third generation (3G) network and/or a second generation (2G) network. In one or more embodiments, one or more of network 100 and network 112 may be in accordance with third generation partnership project (3GPP) standards, and the scope of the claimed subject matter is not limited in this respect. In some embodiments, network 100 and one or more of networks 112 may be in accordance with various other standards, such as Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standards, and/or other variants of the 3GPP transformation (e.g., LTE-advanced (LTE-a) standards, etc.), and the scope of the claimed subject matter is not limited in this respect.

In one or more embodiments, LTE network 110 may include a packet-switched network and may include an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (EUTRAN)116 and a Mobile Management Entity (MME)118 coupled to EUTRAN116, EUTRAN116 including one or more components of the LTE radio access network. EUTRAN116 may include various components of an LTE radio access network, including but not limited to an enhanced node b (enb), to provide a wireless link between User Equipment (UE)114 and LTE network 110. A Mobility Management Entity (MME)118 may act as a control node for the LTE network 110 and provide functions such as paging and bearer activation and deactivation for the UE114, among many other functions. The MME 118 may also further provide control plane functionality for mobility of the UE114 between the LTE network 114 and the legacy network 112. LTE network 110 may include various other functions and/or nodes not shown, such as a serving gateway, a Packet Data Network (PDN) gateway, and many other functions and/or nodes, and the scope of the claimed subject matter is not limited in this respect. When connected to the LTE network 110, various Internet Protocol (IP) services 120 may be provided to the UE114 via the LTE network 120.

In one or more embodiments, the legacy network 112 may include at least a portion of a circuit-switched network and may include a Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) and/or a global system for mobile communications (GSM)/enhanced data rates for GSM evolution (EDGE) radio access network (GERAN) 122. The UTRAN or GERAN122 includes UTRAN when the legacy network 112 provides 3G service, and the UTRAN or GERAN122 includes GERAN when the legacy network 112 provides 2G service. The UTRAN or GERAN122 includes a radio network access network and corresponding components to provide a radio link between the UE114 and the legacy network 112, and may include various elements and nodes, such as node bs and Radio Network Controllers (RNCs) and various other elements that are not shown. The legacy network 112 may include a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN)124 to provide voice services to the UE114 and a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) server 126 to provide voice services to the UE114, such as connecting the UE114 to a voice call as a circuit-switched call via a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) 128.

In one or more embodiments, as described in further detail below, the UE114 may be coupled with the LTE network 110 and may initiate or receive a telephone call. In this case, the LTE network 110 and/or the UE may not support voice over LTE (VoLTE) service, in which case the UE114 should be coupled to the PSTN 128 to place or receive a telephone call. A Circuit Switched Fallback (CSFB) procedure may be implemented/supported by the network 100 such that the UE114 may switch from using the LTE network 110 to using the legacy network 112 to communicate via the PSTN 128 during a telephone call using voice services. As part of the CSFB procedure, an extended service request for CFSB may be made by UE 114. In accordance with one or more embodiments, if the call is terminated or otherwise ended before the extended service request procedure is completed, the extended service request procedure may be aborted by the UE114 such that dropping back to the legacy network 112 is not completed and the UE114 remains connected with the LTE network 110. An example method of completing or aborting a fall-back procedure is shown and described below with respect to fig. 2.

Referring now to fig. 2, a flow diagram of a method for implementing an extended service request feature by a user equipment in accordance with one or more embodiments will be discussed. It should be noted that although fig. 2 illustrates one embodiment of method 200, method 200 may include more or fewer block diagrams than illustrated, and may include block diagrams in various orders, and the scope of the claimed subject matter is not limited in this respect. At block 210, UE114 communicates via LTE network 110 using EUTRAN 116. The UE114 may receive or initiate a voice call, which may be a circuit switched call, at block 212. If a Circuit Switched Fallback (CSFB) procedure requires servicing a voice call, the UE114 may initiate an extended service request for implementing the CSFB procedure at block 214 and start an extended service request timer T3417Ext at block 216. A determination is made by the UE114 at block 218 whether to terminate the voice call. For example, the user of the UE114 may terminate the call before completing the extended service request procedure. In this case, the UE114 is aware that the voice call has been terminated or terminated, so that the CSFB procedure can be aborted before the UE114 completes the fall back to the legacy network 112. At block 220, UE114 ignores the indication of the system (radio access technology (RAT)) change originating from the Network (NW), and UE114 may maintain a connection with EUTRAN116 to continue communicating via LTE network 110. Thus, the UE114 locally suspends the extended service request procedure and remains coupled to the EUTRAN116 of the LTE network 110, and stops the extended service request timer T3417 Ext. Further, the UE114 may not attempt to retry the extended service request.

In the event that the UE114 does not suspend the voice call, the method 200 may continue to complete the RAT change, in which case the UE114 keeps running the extended service request timer T3417 Ext. Once the indication of the NW-originated system (radio access technology (RAT)) change is successful, the UE114 communicates through the PSTN 128 via the UTRAN or GERAN122 at block 222, handling the voice call as a circuit-switched call. At the end of the voice call, the UE114 may reselect the LTE network 110 at block 224. By terminating or ending the call before the procedure is completed in the event of an abort of the extended service request procedure, the UE114 can avoid the time involved in reselecting from the legacy network 112 to the LTE network 110 and thereafter not experience the lower data transfer speeds in third and second generation networks operating in UTMS or GSM/(E) GPRS RAT technologies resulting in a very poor user experience for the user to pay for the use of LTE high speed data rates, as will be shown in fig. 3 and described below with respect to fig. 3.

Referring now to fig. 3, a flow diagram of an interaction between a user device and a network to implement an extended service request in accordance with one or more embodiments will be discussed. As shown in fig. 3, UE114 communicates with network 100 to implement extended service request method 300, e.g., as discussed above with respect to fig. 2 and 3. At step 312, UE114 registers with EUTRAN116, UE114 and network 110 have Circuit Switched Fall Back (CSFB) capability, and the user may trigger a Mobile Originated (MO) call. At step 314, an extended service request procedure may be transmitted from UE114 to network 110. Then at 316, the UE114 starts running an extended service request timer T3417 Ext. At step 318, the network 100 utilizes the redirection information: a cell Change Command (CCO) or Packet Switched (PS) Handover (HO) or redirection transmits a radio resource controller (RCC) connection release. At step 320, the UE114 falls back to the UTRAN or GERAN 122. After the call is completed, UE114 reselects EUTRAN116 at step 322. It should be noted that by implementing the method 200 of fig. 2, the UE114 is able to abort the method 300 of fig. 3 at any point during the time frame 324. In the event that UE114 is able to abort method 300 during time frame 324, UE114 need not spend time with respect to dropping back to UTRAN or GERAN122 at step 320 and with respect to reselecting EUTRAN116 at step 322. Thus, the UE114 may avoid the time frame 326 during which the UE114 unnecessarily lacks LTE service and does not suffer from lower data transmission speeds in third and second generation networks operating in UTMS or GSM/(E) GPRS RAT technologies resulting in a very poor user experience for users paying for LTE high speed data rates.

Referring now to FIG. 4, a block diagram of an information handling system capable of implementing extended service requests in accordance with one or more embodiments will be discussed. The information handling system 400 of fig. 4 may tangibly include any one or more of the elements described herein, including, for example, UE114, EUTRAN116, MME 118, UTRAN or GERAN122, SGSN 124, or MSC server 126, as well as larger or fewer components depending on the hardware specifications of the particular device. Although information handling system 400 represents one example of several types of computing platforms, information handling system 400 may include more or fewer elements and/or a different arrangement of elements than shown in FIG. 4, and the scope of the claimed subject matter is not limited in these respects.

In one or more embodiments, information handling system 400 may include an application processor 410 and a baseband processor 412. Application processor 410 may be used as a general purpose processor that runs the various subsystems and applications of information handling system 400. The application processor 410 may comprise a single core or, alternatively, may comprise multiple processing cores, where one or more of the cores may comprise a digital signal processor or Digital Signal Processing (DSP) core. Further, the application processor 410 may include a co-processor or graphics processor arranged on the same chip, or alternatively, the graphics processor coupled to the application processor 410 may include a separate, discrete graphics chip. Application processor 410 may include on-board memory (e.g., buffer memory) and may also be coupled to an external storage device, such as Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (SDRAM)414, for storing and/or running applications during operation, and NAND flash memory 416 for storing applications and/or data even when information handling system 400 is powered down. In one or more embodiments, instructions for operating or configuring information handling system 400 and/or any of its components or subsystems to operate in the manner described herein may be stored on an article of manufacture that includes a non-transitory storage medium. In one or more embodiments, a storage medium may comprise any of the storage devices described and illustrated herein, although the scope of claimed subject matter is not limited in this respect. Baseband processor 412 may control the broadband radio functions of information handling system 400. Baseband processor 412 may store code for controlling such broadband radio functions in NOR flash 418. The baseband processor 412 controls a Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) transceiver 420 for modulating and/or demodulating broadband network signals for transmission, e.g., via a 3GPP LTE or LTE advanced network, etc.

In general, the WWAN transceiver 420 may operate according to any one or more of the radio communication technologies and/or standards including, but not limited to: global system for mobile communications (GSM) radio communication technology, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) radio communication technology, enhanced data rates for GSM evolution (EDGE) radio communication technology, and/or third generation partnership project (3GPP) radio communication technologies, such as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), free multimedia access (FOMA), 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE), 3GPP long term evolution advanced (LTE advanced), code division multiple access 2000(CDMA 2000), Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD), Mobitex, third generation (3G), Circuit Switched Data (CSD), High Speed Circuit Switched Data (HSCSD), universal mobile telecommunications system (third generation) (UMTS (3G)), wideband code division multiple access (universal mobile telecommunications system) (W-cdms (UMTS)), High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) ((HSDPA)), High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA), high speed packet access plus (HSPA +), universal mobile telecommunications system-time division duplex (UMTS-TDD), time division-code division multiple access (TD-CDMA), time division-synchronous code division multiple access (TD-SCDMA), third generation partnership project release 8 (Pre-fourth generation) (3GPP rel.8(Pre-4G)), UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA), evolved UMTS terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA), long term evolution advanced (fourth generation) (LTE advanced (4G)), cdmaOne (2G), code division multiple access 2000 (third generation) (CDMA (3G)), evolution data optimized or evolution data only (EV-DO), advanced mobile telephone system (first generation) (AMPS (1G)), full access communication system/extended full access communication system (TACS/ETACS); acs), Digital AMPS (second generation) (D-AMPS (2G)), push-to-talk (PTT), Mobile Telephone System (MTS), enhanced mobile telephone system (IMTS), Advanced Mobile Telephone System (AMTS), OLT (offlisting landmark Telefoni, public land mobile phone, norway), MTD (mobilelefenisystem D or of mobile telephone system D)Swedish acronym), public automatic land mobile (Autotel/PALM), ARP (autoadopipuling, "car radio telephone" in finland, NMT (nordic mobile telephone), high capacity version of NTT (japanese telegraph telephone) (Hicap), Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD), Mobitex, DataTAC, Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (iDEN) Personal Digital Cell (PDC), Circuit Switched Data (CSD), Personal Handyphone System (PHS), broadband integrated digital enhanced network (WiDEN), iBurst, Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) (also known as 3GPP generic access network or GAN standard), Zigbee, and wan standard,And/or a general purpose telemetry transceiver, and generally any type of RF circuitry or RFI sensing circuitry. It should be noted that such standards may evolve over time and/or new standards may be published, and the scope of the claimed subject matter is not limited in this respect.

The WWAN transceiver 420 is coupled to one or more power amplifiers 742, the one or more power amplifiers 742 being respectively coupled to one or more antennas 424 for transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals via a WWAN broadband network. The baseband processor 412 may also control a wireless link coupled to one or more suitable antennas 428 and may be capable of transmitting data via Wi-Fi including IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n standards,And/or a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) transceiver 426 for Amplitude Modulation (AM) or Frequency Modulation (FM) radio standard communications. It should be noted that these are merely example implementations of application processor 410 and baseband processor 412, and the scope of the claimed subject matter is not limited in these respects. For example, any one or more of SDRAM 414, NAND flash 416, and/or NOR flash 418 may comprise other types of memory technologies such as magnetic memory, chalcogenide memory, phase change memory, or ovonic memory, and the scope of the claimed subject matter is not limited in this respect.

In one or more embodiments, the application processor 410 can drive the display 430 to display various information or data, and can also receive touch input from a user via the touch screen 432, for example, by a finger or a pen. The ambient light sensor 434 may be used to detect the amount of ambient light in which the information handling system 400 is operating to, for example, control the brightness or contrast value of the display 430 as a function of the intensity of the ambient light detected by the ambient light sensor 434. One or more cameras 436 may be used to capture images that are processed by the application processor 410 and/or at least temporarily stored in the NAND flash 416. Further, the application processor may be coupled to a gyroscope 438, an accelerometer 440, a magnetometer 442, an audio coder/decoder (CODEC)444, and/or a Global Positioning System (GPS) controller 446 coupled to an appropriate GPS antenna 448 for detecting various environmental attributes of the information handling system 400, including position, motion, and/or orientation. Alternatively, the controller 446 may include a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) controller. The audio CODEC 444 can be coupled to one or more audio ports 450 to provide microphone input and speaker output, either via internal devices or via external devices coupled to the information handling system through the audio port 450 (e.g., via headphone and microphone jacks). Additionally, the application processor 410 may be coupled to one or more input/output (I/O) transceivers 452 to couple to one or more I/O ports 454, such as Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports, high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) ports, serial ports, and the like. Further, one or more of I/O transceivers 452 may be coupled to one or more memory slots 456 for optional removable memory, such as a Secure Digital (SD) card or a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card, although the scope of the claimed subject matter is not limited in these respects.

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the information handling system shown in FIG. 4 in accordance with one or more embodiments. Fig. 5 illustrates an example embodiment of the information processing system 400 of fig. 4 tangibly embodied as a cellular telephone, smartphone, tablet-type device, or the like. The information handling system 400 may include a housing 510 with a display 430, which display 430 may include a touch screen 432 for receiving tactile input controls and commands via a user's finger 516 and/or via a pen 518 to control one or more application processors 410. Housing 510 may house one or more components of information handling system 400, such as one or more of application processor(s) 410, SDRAM 414, NAND flash 416, NOR flash 418, baseband processor 412, and/or WWAN transceiver 420. The information handling system 400 may also optionally include a physical actuator area 520 that may include a keyboard or buttons for controlling the information handling system via one or more buttons or switches. The information handling system 400 may also include a memory port or slot 456 for receiving non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory), such as in the form of a Secure Digital (SD) card or a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card. Optionally, the information handling system 400 may also include one or more speakers and/or microphones 524 and a connection port 454 for connecting the information handling system 400 to another electronic device, dock, display, battery charger, and the like. Additionally, the information handling system 400 may include a headphone or speaker jack 528 and one or more cameras 436 on one or more sides of the housing 510. It should be noted that information handling system 400 of fig. 5 may include more or fewer elements than shown in various arrangements, and the scope of the claimed subject matter is not limited in this respect.

In one or more example embodiments, a User Equipment (UE) includes a radio, a processor coupled to the radio, and a memory coupled to the processor, wherein instructions in the memory are capable of configuring the processor to communicate with a packet-switched network, initiate an extended service request procedure for circuit-switched fallback to process a voice call, and ignore an indication of a Radio Access Technology (RAT) change originating from the network if the voice call is terminated before completion of the extended service request procedure. The processor may be configured to maintain communication with the packet-switched network without completing a fallback to the circuit-switched network if the voice call is terminated before completing the extended service request procedure. The processor may be configured to reselect the packet-switched network after the voice call is completed. The packet-switched network may comprise a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, and the packet-switched network may comprise a second generation (2G) network or a third generation (3G) network. The circuit-switched network may include an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (EUTRAN) and a Mobile Management Entity (MME) to couple to Internet Protocol (IP) services. The circuit-switched network may include a Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) and/or a global system for mobile communications (GSM)/enhanced data rates for GSM evolution (EDGE) radio access network (GERAN), a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN), and a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) server, thereby coupling to a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to process voice calls. The processor may be configured to process a voice call as a voice over LTE (VoLTE) call via the packet-switched network and initiate an extended service request procedure when the packet-switched network no longer supports VoLTE calls.

In one or more example embodiments, a method of implementing an extended service request procedure for circuit switched fallback, comprising: communicates with the packet-switched network and initiates an extended service request procedure for circuit-switched fallback to handle the voice call. If the voice call is terminated before the extended service request procedure is completed, the method further includes aborting the extended service request procedure and maintaining communication with the packet-switched network, otherwise communicating with the circuit-switched network to process the voice call. Aborting the extended service request procedure may include ignoring, by the access stratum, an indication of a system (radio access technology (RAT)) change originating from the network. The method may also include reselecting the packet-switched network after the voice call is completed. The packet-switched network may comprise a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network and the circuit-switched network may comprise a second generation (2G) network or a third generation (3G) network. The packet-switched network may include an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (EUTRAN) and a Mobile Management Entity (MME), thereby coupled to Internet Protocol (IP) services. The circuit-switched network may include a Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) and/or a global system for mobile communications (GSM)/enhanced data rates for GSM evolution (EDGE) radio access network (GERAN), a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN), and a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) server, thereby coupling to a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to process voice calls. The voice call may be handled as a voice over LTE (VoLTE) call via the packet-switched network, and the extended service request procedure may be initiated when the packet-switched network no longer supports VoLTE calls.

In one or more example embodiments, an article of manufacture includes a non-transitory medium having stored thereon instructions that, if executed, result in: communicate with a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, and initiate a circuit switched fallback procedure to handle a voice call. The instructions also cause the circuit switched fallback procedure to be aborted and remain in communication with the LTE network if the voice call is terminated before the circuit switched fallback procedure is completed, otherwise communicating with the circuit switched network to process the voice call. Aborting the extended service request procedure may include ignoring an indication of a Radio Access Technology (RAT) change originating from the network. The instructions, if executed, further cause reselection of the LTE network after completion of the voice call. The circuit-switched network may comprise a second generation (2G) network or a third generation (3G) network. The LTE network may include an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (EUTRAN) and a Mobile Management Entity (MME), thereby coupling to Internet Protocol (IP) services. The circuit-switched network may include a Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) and/or a global system for mobile communications (GSM)/enhanced data rates for GSM evolution (EDGE) radio access network (GERAN), a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN), and a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) server, thereby coupling to a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to process voice calls.

Although claimed subject matter has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it should be recognized that elements thereof may be altered by persons skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and/or scope of claimed subject matter. It is believed that the subject matter pertaining to simultaneous scheduling request transmission in dual connectivity and many of its attendant utilities will be understood by the forgoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and/or arrangement of the components thereof without departing from the spirit and/or scope of the claimed subject matter and without sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form herein before described being merely an explanatory embodiment thereof, and/or further without providing substantial change thereto. It is the intention of the claims to encompass and/or include such changes.

Claims (22)

1. A User Equipment (UE), comprising:

a radio device;

a processor coupled to the radio device and a memory coupled to the processor, wherein instructions in the memory are capable of configuring the processor to:

communicating with a packet switched network;

initiating an extended service request procedure for circuit switched fallback to handle the voice call; and

ignoring an indication of a network-originated Radio Access Technology (RAT) change if the voice call is terminated prior to completing the extended service request procedure.

2. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: maintaining communication with the packet-switched network without completing a fallback to the circuit-switched network if the voice call is terminated before completing the extended service request procedure.

3. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to reselect the packet-switched network after the voice call is completed.

4. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the packet-switched network comprises a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network and the circuit-switched network comprises a second generation (2G) network or a third generation (3G) network.

5. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the packet-switched network comprises an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (EUTRAN) and a Mobile Management Entity (MME), thereby coupled to an Internet Protocol (IP) service.

6. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the circuit-switched network comprises a Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) and/or a global system for mobile communications (GSM)/enhanced data rates for GSM evolution (EDGE) radio access network (GERAN), a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN), and a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) server, thereby coupled to a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to handle the voice call.

7. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to process the voice call as a voice over LTE (VoLTE) call via the packet-switched network and initiate the extended service request procedure when the VoLTE call is no longer supported by the packet-switched network.

8. A method of implementing an extended service request procedure for circuit switched fallback, comprising:

communicating with a packet switched network;

initiating a circuit switched fallback extended service request procedure to process the voice call;

if the voice call is terminated before completion of the extended service request procedure, aborting the extended service request procedure and maintaining communication with the packet-switched network; and

otherwise communicating with a circuit-switched network to process the voice call.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the aborting the extended service request procedure comprises: an indication of a system (radio access technology (RAT)) change originating from the network is ignored by the access stratum.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising reselecting the packet-switched network after the voice call is completed.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the packet-switched network comprises a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network and the circuit-switched network comprises a second generation (2G) network or a third generation (3G) network.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the packet-switched network comprises an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (EUTRAN) and a Mobile Management Entity (MME), thereby coupled to an Internet Protocol (IP) service.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the circuit-switched network comprises a Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) and/or a global system for mobile communications (GSM)/enhanced data rates for GSM evolution (EDGE) radio access network (GERAN), a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN), and a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) server, thereby coupled to a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to handle the voice call.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the voice call is handled via the packet-switched network as a voice over LTE (VoLTE) call, and the extended service request procedure is initiated when the packet-switched network no longer supports the VoLTE call.

15. An article comprising a non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, if executed, result in:

communicate with a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network;

initiating a circuit switched fallback procedure to handle the voice call;

if the voice call is terminated before completion of the circuit switched fallback procedure, aborting the circuit switched fallback procedure and maintaining communication with the LTE network; and

otherwise communicating with a circuit-switched network to process the voice call.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the aborting the extended service request procedure comprises: an indication of a Radio Access Technology (RAT) change originating from the network is ignored.

17. The article of claim 15, wherein the instructions, if executed, further result in reselecting the LTE network after completing the voice call.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the circuit-switched network comprises a second generation (2G) network or a third generation (3G) network. .

19. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the LTE network comprises an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (EUTRAN) and a Mobile Management Entity (MME), thereby coupled to Internet Protocol (IP) services.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the circuit-switched network comprises a Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) and/or a global system for mobile communications (GSM)/enhanced data rates for GSM evolution (EDGE) radio access network (GERAN), a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN), and a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) server to couple to a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to handle the voice call.

21. An apparatus comprising means for performing a method as claimed in any one of claims 8-14.

22. A machine readable storage device comprising machine readable instructions which, when executed, implement a method or apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim.