Call forwarding enhancements in device-to-device environment

Abstract

The invention relates to call forwarding enhancement in a device-to-device environment. An apparatus configured to: enable a call forwarding function for a voice call based on a user input; processing, based on the user input, an identification of a communication device to which the voice call is to be transferred; generating a transfer request for transmission to the communication device via the short range connection; and processing a transfer response indicating whether the communication device has accepted the transfer request based on signaling received from the communication device via the short range connection.

Description

Background Art

[0001] A first wireless communication device capable of performing a voice call may also be capable of transferring the call to a second wireless communication device. However, the second wireless communication device has no way of knowing that a call from the first wireless communication device is being transferred. Summary of the Invention

[0002] Some exemplary embodiments relate to an apparatus having a processing circuit configured to: enable a call transfer function for a voice call based on a user input; process an identifier of a communication device to which the voice call is to be transferred based on the user input; generate a transfer request to be transmitted to the communication device via a short-range connection; and process a transfer response indicating whether the communication device has accepted the transfer request based on signaling received from the communication device via the short-range connection.

[0003] Other exemplary embodiments relate to an apparatus having a processing circuit configured to: process a transfer request indicating that a voice call destined for the communication device is to be transferred based on signaling received from the communication device via a short-range connection; configure a user interface (UI) to display the transfer request; process a response indicating whether the user has accepted the transfer request based on a user input; and generate a transfer response indicating whether the transfer request has been accepted to be transmitted to the communication device via the short-range connection.

[0004] Still other exemplary embodiments relate to an apparatus of a communication device configured to operate in a dual subscriber identity module (SIM) dual standby (DSDS) mode, the apparatus having a processing circuit configured to: connect a voice call using a first connection associated with a first SIM; suspend a second connection associated with a second SIM; and configure the voice call to be transferred from the second SIM to the first SIM while the voice call remains connected using the first connection. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0005] Figure 1 An exemplary call transfer arrangement according to various exemplary embodiments is shown.

[0006] Figure 2 An exemplary wireless communication device according to various exemplary embodiments is shown.

[0007] Figure 3 An exemplary call flow of call transfer between communication devices according to various exemplary embodiments is shown.

[0008] Figure 4Illustrates an exemplary message format that can be exchanged during a call forwarding process between communication devices according to various exemplary embodiments.

[0009] Figure 5 Illustrates an exemplary method for call forwarding according to various exemplary embodiments.

[0010] Figure 6 Illustrates an exemplary call flow for call forwarding between communication devices having a short-range communication connection according to various exemplary embodiments.

[0011] Figure 7 Illustrates an exemplary call flow for call forwarding between different subscriber identity modules (SIMs) of the same device according to various exemplary embodiments.

[0012] Figure 8 Illustrates an exemplary network arrangement according to various exemplary embodiments. Detailed Description

[0013] The exemplary embodiments can be further understood with reference to the following description and the associated drawings, where like elements have the same reference numerals. The exemplary embodiments relate to improved call forwarding behavior for wireless communication devices.

[0014] The exemplary embodiments are described with respect to communication devices. As will be described in more detail below, a communication device can include any electronic component that can establish a connection to one or more networks and is configured with hardware, software, and / or firmware to perform voice calls using the one or more networks. In the following examples, the communication device will be described as a wireless communication device, e.g., a communication device capable of establishing a connection to a wireless network. However, it is not required that the communication device be a wireless communication device. For example, one of the communication devices in the exemplary call forwarding arrangement described can be a desktop computer hosting a voice call application that accesses the network via a wired connection (e.g., an Ethernet connection). Thus, the use of a wireless communication device in the following description is for example only.

[0015] Figure 1 Illustrates an exemplary call forwarding arrangement 100 according to various exemplary embodiments. The exemplary call forwarding arrangement 100 includes a first wireless communication device 110 and a second wireless communication device 120. Examples of these wireless communication devices 110 and wireless communication device 120 will be described in more detail below. For the purposes of the exemplary call forwarding arrangement 100, it can be considered that both the wireless communication device 110 and the wireless communication device 120 are capable of performing voice calls.

[0016] In Figure 1In the example, a user of the wireless communication device 110 uses the transfer function of the voice application program executed by the wireless communication device 110 to transfer a call to the wireless communication device 120. As will be described in more detail below, this transfer operation may include various intermediate components within the network for performing a voice call. However, as described above, when the call is transferred to the wireless communication device 120, neither the wireless communication device 120 nor the user of the wireless communication device 120 is aware of the transfer.

[0017] Exemplary embodiments provide a way to notify the device to which a call is being transferred (e.g., the wireless communication device 120) that a call is being transferred. Additionally, exemplary embodiments also allow the device to which a call is being transferred to accept, reject, or conditionally accept a call transfer from another device (e.g., the wireless communication device 110). These exemplary embodiments will be described in more detail below.

[0018] Figure 2 An exemplary wireless communication device 200 is shown in accordance with various exemplary embodiments. Figure 2 The wireless communication device 200 of may represent the wireless communication device 110 or the wireless communication device 120 described with respect to Figure 1 the call transfer arrangement 100. The wireless communication device 200 may be any type of electronic component configured to perform a voice call via a network. Non-limiting examples include mobile phones, smart phones, tablet computers, desktop computers, wearable devices, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phones, embedded devices, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and the like.

[0019] The wireless communication device 200 may include a processor 205, a memory arrangement 210, a display device 215, an input / output (I / O) device 220, a transceiver 225, and other components 230. The other components 230 may include, for example, an audio input device, an audio output device, a data acquisition device, a port for electrically connecting the parent device 110 to other electronic devices, a sensor for detecting the condition of the parent device 110, and the like.

[0020] The processor 205 may be configured to execute a plurality of engines for the parent device 110. For example, the engines may include a call transfer engine 235 that is used to perform operations related to call transfer between the wireless communication device 200 and another communication device. These operations may include operations performed by the communication device transferring the voice call and operations performed by the communication device to which the voice call is being transferred. Examples of these operations will be described in more detail below.

[0021] The above-mentioned engine, as an application program (e.g., a program) executed by the processor 205, is only exemplary. The functions associated with the engine can also be represented as separate integrated components of the wireless communication device 200, or can be modular components coupled to the wireless communication device 200, e.g., integrated circuits with or without firmware. For example, an integrated circuit may include an input circuit for receiving signals and a processing circuit for processing signals and other information. The engine can also be embodied as an application program or a stand-alone application. Additionally, in some parent devices, the functions described for the processor 205 are split between two or more processors such as a baseband processor and an application processor. Exemplary embodiments can be implemented according to any of these or other configurations of the parent device.

[0022] The memory arrangement 210 can be a hardware component configured to store data related to operations performed by the wireless communication device 200. The display device 215 can be a hardware component configured to display data to a user (e.g., display a user interface (UI), text messages, etc.). The I / O device 220 can be a hardware component that enables a user to type in inputs (e.g., call forwarding instructions, call forwarding accept / reject, etc.). The display device 215 and the I / O device 220 can be separate components or can be integrated together (such as a touch screen).

[0023] The transceiver 225 can be a hardware component configured to establish connections with one or more networks. For example, the wireless communication device 200 can perform voice calls over a cellular network (e.g., a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network, a New Radio (NR) network, a 5G Advanced network, a 6G network, etc.) or a Wi-Fi network (e.g., an IEEE 802.11xx protocol network). The transceiver 225 can be configured with a network interface card that allows a wired connection (e.g., an Ethernet connection) to one or more networks, or can communicate wirelessly with the one or more networks. Thus, the transceiver 225 can operate at various different frequencies or channels (e.g., a set of contiguous frequencies) to communicate with the network. The transceiver 225 includes circuits configured to transmit and / or receive signals (e.g., control signals, data signals). Such signals can be encoded with information for implementing any of the methods described herein. The processor 205 can be operably coupled to the transceiver 225 and is configured to receive signals from the transceiver 225 and / or transmit signals to the transceiver 225. The processor 205 can be configured to encode and / or decode signals (e.g., signaling from a base station of a network) for implementing any of the methods described herein.

[0024] Figure 3Illustrates an exemplary call flow 300 for call forwarding between communication devices 110 and 120 according to various exemplary embodiments. The call flow 300 also includes an enabling server 130. Exemplary operations that may be performed by the enabling server 130 will be described below.

[0025] In 310, a user of the wireless communication device 110 may enable call forwarding. For example, a voice call application executed by the wireless communication device 110 may include a user interface (UI) that allows the user to select to enable the call forwarding feature of the voice call application.

[0026] In 320, the user will identify the communication device (e.g., wireless communication device 120) to which the voice call will be forwarded. For example, the above UI may allow the user to type in the phone number of the wireless communication device 120.

[0027] In 330, the wireless communication device 110 may send a transfer request to the wireless communication device 120. The transfer request 330 may include various information. In one example, the transfer request 330 at least includes information indicating that the wireless communication device 110 is requesting to transfer a voice call to the wireless communication device 120 (e.g., the user of the wireless communication device 110 wishes to transfer a call to the user of the wireless communication device 120). Examples of other types of information that may be included in the transfer request 330 are described in more detail below with reference to Figure 4 Examples of other types of information that may be included in the transfer request 330.

[0028] The transfer request 330 may be facilitated by the enabling server 130. For example, the wireless communication device 110 and the wireless communication device 120 may be associated with the same equipment manufacturer that implements a messaging service for the wireless communication device 110 and the wireless communication device 120 via the enabling server 130. The messaging service may implement end-to-end encryption for messages sent via the messaging service, for example. Thus, the enabling server 130 may be used to deliver the transfer request 330 to the wireless communication device 120. In another example, the transfer request 330 may be sent via a text message (e.g., Short Message Service (SMS)) or Multimedia Message Service (MMS), and the enabling server 130 may be a server that facilitates SMS or MMS messages between the wireless communication device 110 and the wireless communication device 120.

[0029] In any case, the wireless communication device 120 may receive the transfer request 330 and display the transfer request 330 to the user of the wireless communication device 120. For example, the UI of the wireless communication device 120 may display a message or text message indicating that the wireless communication device 110 is requesting to transfer a voice call to the wireless communication device 120.

[0030] A user of the wireless communication device 120 may accept, reject, or conditionally accept the transfer request 330. Conditional acceptance will be described in more detail below. At 340, the wireless communication device 120 will send a transfer response (e.g., acceptance, rejection, or conditional acceptance) to the wireless communication device 110. The transfer response 340 may be sent in the same manner as the transfer request 330 (e.g., messaging service, text message, etc.).

[0031] At 350, the wireless communication device 110 will acknowledge the transfer response 340 to indicate that the user of the wireless communication device 110 has received the transfer response 340. If the transfer response 340 is negative, the call flow 300 may end at this point since the user of the wireless communication device 120 has not accepted the call transfer request.

[0032] If the transfer response 340 is affirmative, then at 360, the wireless communication device 110 will contact the network (e.g., the cellular network over which the wireless communication device 110 makes / receives voice calls) to indicate that the voice call is to be transferred to the wireless communication device 120. Operation 360 may be the standard operation for the wireless communication device 110 to transfer the call to the wireless communication device 120.

[0033] If the transfer response 340 is a conditional acceptance, then at 360, the wireless communication device 110 will contact the network to indicate that the voice call is to be transferred to the wireless communication device 120, but there may be further information typed in by the user before operation 360. Examples of such further information will be described in more detail below.

[0034] Figure 8 An exemplary network arrangement 800 is shown in accordance with various exemplary embodiments. The exemplary network arrangement 800 includes the wireless communication device 110 and the wireless communication device 120 described above. An actual network arrangement may include any number of wireless communication devices used by any number of users. Thus, the example with two wireless communication devices 110 and 120 is provided for illustrative purposes only.

[0035] Wireless communication device 110 and wireless communication device 120 can be configured to communicate with one or more networks. In an example of network configuration 800, the network with which wireless communication device 110 and wireless communication device 120 can communicate wirelessly is 5G NR radio access network (RAN) 820. However, wireless communication device 110 and wireless communication device 120 can also communicate with other types of networks (e.g., sixth generation (6G) RAN, 5G cloud RAN, next generation RAN (NG-RAN), traditional cellular network, wireless local area network (WLAN), etc.), and wireless communication device 110 and wireless communication device 120 can also communicate with the network through a wired connection. Thus, wireless communication device 110 and wireless communication device 120 can have a 5G Nr chipset for communicating with NR RAN 820, and optionally any other suitable type of chipset for communicating with other types of networks.

[0036] 5G NR RAN 820 can be part of a cellular network that can be deployed by a network operator (e.g., Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, etc.). 5G NR RAN 820 can include cells and base stations that are configured to send and receive traffic from wireless communication devices equipped with appropriate cellular chipsets. In this example, 5G NR RAN 120 includes gNB 820A. However, the reference to gNB is provided for illustrative purposes only, and exemplary embodiments can be utilized with any suitable type of access node (e.g., Node B, eNodeB, HeNB, eNB, gNB, gNodeB, macro cell, micro cell, small cell, femto cell, etc.).

[0037] Any associated procedures can be executed to connect the wireless communication device 110 and the wireless communication device 120 to the 5G NR RAN 180. For example, as described above, the 5G NR RAN 820 can be associated with a specific network operator where the wireless communication device 110 and the wireless communication device 120 and / or their users have protocol and credential information (e.g., stored on a SIM card). When the presence of the 5G NR-RAN 820 is detected, the wireless communication device 110 and the wireless communication device 120 can transmit corresponding credential information to associate with the 5G NR-RAN 820. More specifically, the wireless communication device 110 and the wireless communication device 120 can be associated with a specific cell (e.g., gNB 820A). The wireless communication device 110 and the wireless communication device 120 associated with the same gNB 820A are only examples. For example, the wireless communication device 110 and the wireless communication device 120 can be associated with different base stations of the 5G NR RAN 820.

[0038] The network arrangement 800 further includes a cellular core network 830, the Internet 840, an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) 850, and a network service backbone 860. The cellular core network 830 can refer to an interconnected collection of components that manage the operation and traffic of a cellular network. The cellular core network 830 also manages the traffic flowing between the cellular network and the Internet 840. The IMS 850 can generally be described as an architecture for delivering multimedia services to the wireless communication device 110 and the wireless communication device 120 using IP protocols. The IMS 850 can communicate with the cellular core network 830 and the Internet 840 to provide multimedia services to the wireless communication device 110 and the wireless communication device 120. The network service backbone 860 communicates directly or indirectly with the Internet 840 and the cellular core network 830. The network service backbone 860 can generally be described as a collection of components that implement a set of services that can be used to extend the functions for the wireless communication device 110 and the wireless communication device 120 to communicate with various networks (e.g., servers, network storage arrangements, etc.). In one example, the enabling server 130 is a component of the network service backbone 860. However, this is only an example, and the enabling server 130 can reside anywhere within the network arrangement 800.

[0039] Figure 4 An exemplary message format 400 that can be exchanged during a call forwarding process between communication devices according to various exemplary embodiments is shown. The message format 400 can be used for the transfer request 330 and / or the transfer response 340 and can be delivered via, for example, a messaging service, a text message, etc., as described above.

[0040] The exemplary message format 400 may include a header 410 and a body 420. The header 410 may include a first field 414 that provides an identification of the source device (e.g., wireless communication device 110) that is requesting call forwarding. The identification may be, for example, the telephone number of the source device. However, other ways of identifying the source device may also be used. The header 410 may also include a second field 418 that provides an identification of the destination device (e.g., wireless communication device 120) to which the voice call is to be forwarded. Again, the identification may be, for example, the telephone number of the destination device or any other way of identifying the destination device.

[0041] The body 420 may include an 8-bit field that may be used to convey information about the call forwarding operation. For example, if the message format 400 is used for transfer request 330, the body 420 may be set to a bitmap 421. To provide an example, the wireless communication device 110 may format the transfer request 330 that includes an identification of the wireless communication device 110 as the source device, an identification of the wireless communication device 120 as the destination device, and a body having the bitmap 421. When the wireless communication device 120 receives the transfer request 330 in this format, the wireless communication device 120 will understand from the bitmap 421 in the body 420 that the wireless communication device 110 wishes to forward a voice call to the wireless communication device 120.

[0042] The wireless communication device 120 may also use the message format 400 for transfer response 340. The source field 414 and the destination field 418 may be the same as described above. If the transfer response 340 is affirmative, a bitmap 422 may be included as the body 420 of the transfer response 340. If the transfer response 340 is negative, a bitmap 423 may be included as the body 420 of the transfer response 340.

[0043] In this example of the 8-bit body 420, there are five (5) unused bitmaps remaining. These bitmaps may be used for other purposes, including those related to conditional acceptance. The use of the 8-bit body 420 is only an example, as bodies larger or smaller than 8 bits may also be used. Additionally, bitmaps 421 through 423 are only examples, as other bitmaps may be used to signal the information described for these bitmaps.

[0044] As described above, the transfer request 330 may include information that the wireless communication device 110 wishes to forward a voice call to the wireless communication device 120. Other information may also be included in the transfer request 330. For example, additional options related to call forwarding may also be presented to the user of the wireless communication device 110, for example, via the UI of the wireless communication device 110. These additional options may allow the user to select parameters related to call forwarding, such as duration, start time, end time, etc.

[0045] In some exemplary embodiments, the additional information may be signaled via one or more of the bitmaps in the remaining bitmap of the exemplary 8-bit body 420 of the message format 400. For example, the first bitmap in the remaining bitmap of the exemplary 8-bit body 420 may correspond to a call forwarding request with a duration of 1 hour, the second bitmap in the remaining bitmap may correspond to a call forwarding request with a duration of 2 hours, the third bitmap in the remaining bitmap may correspond to a request to start call forwarding at the beginning of the next hour, and so on.

[0046] In other exemplary embodiments, the bitmap of the exemplary 8-bit body 420 may be used to signal that a further message regarding the call forwarding request will be sent by the wireless communication device 110. For example, one of the bitmaps may correspond to an indication of the call forwarding request and a further message indicating the duration of the call forwarding request. This further message including the duration information may be sent at a later time, such as after the transfer request 330 but before the transfer response 340. When the wireless communication device 120 receives this information in the transfer request 330, the wireless communication device 120 will understand to wait for a subsequent message before sending the transfer response 340.

[0047] In addition, as described above, when the wireless communication device 120 sends the transfer response 340, this may include a conditional acceptance. The conditional acceptance may include an indication from the wireless communication device 120 of the period of the accepted call forwarding, which is different from the period of the call forwarding proposed by the request from the wireless communication device 110. The conditional acceptance may be a period with a different start time, a different end time, or both. The conditional acceptance may be a period shorter than the proposed period, or a period longer than the proposed period. To provide an example, the wireless communication device 110 may have requested a call forwarding duration of 2 hours. The wireless communication device 120 may indicate in the transfer response 340 that the call forwarding is conditionally accepted but only for a duration of 1 hour. In another example, the wireless communication device 110 may have requested a call forwarding start time of 1:00 p.m. and an end time of 3:00 p.m. The wireless communication device 120 may indicate in the transfer response 340 that the call forwarding is conditionally accepted with a start time of 2:00 p.m. and an end time of 4:00 p.m.

[0048] Similarly, the conditional acceptance can be signaled by one or more bitmaps in the remaining bitmap of the body 420 of message format 400, or can be signaled using another message format. For example, the first bitmap in the remaining bitmap of the exemplary 8-bit body 420 can correspond to a conditional acceptance but with a different duration, the second bitmap in the remaining bitmap can correspond to a conditional acceptance but with a different start time, the third bitmap in the remaining bitmap can correspond to a conditional acceptance but with a different end time, the fourth bitmap in the remaining bitmap can correspond to a conditional acceptance but with a different start time and end time, and so on.

[0049] In some exemplary embodiments, details of the conditional acceptance can be included in the transfer response 340 (e.g., the accepted duration, the accepted start time, the accepted end time, etc.). In other exemplary embodiments, the bitmap of the exemplary 8-bit body 420 can be used to signal that a further message (e.g., details of the conditional acceptance) regarding the conditional acceptance will be sent by the wireless communication device 120.

[0050] In some embodiments, the conditional acceptance can provide the user of the wireless communication device 110 with sufficient information to proceed with the conditions set for the acceptance of the wireless communication device 120. For example, after receiving the conditional acceptance, the wireless communication device 110 can send an acknowledgement 350 and send a call transfer request to the network 360.

[0051] In other embodiments, the conditional acceptance can trigger further negotiation between the wireless communication device 110 and the wireless communication device 120. For example, when the wireless communication device 110 receives the conditional acceptance in the transfer response 340, this can trigger the wireless communication device 110 to send an additional message to the wireless communication device 120 to determine details regarding the conditional acceptance and / or to determine whether the user of the wireless communication device 120 will accept different conditions. These exchanges can be similar to the exchanges described above (e.g., transfer request 340, transfer response 350, etc.).

[0052] Figure 5 An exemplary method 500 for call transfer according to various exemplary embodiments is shown. Method 500 is described from the perspective of a source device (e.g., wireless communication device 110).

[0053] In 505, the user (or voice call application) of the source device enables call transfer. In 510, the source device determines whether the user has identified the destination of the call transfer. In Figure 5In the example, the user may not have typed the destination phone number, and method 500 ends. However, if call forwarding remains enabled, this can be a continuous determination until call forwarding is disabled or the user types the destination phone number.

[0054] Once the source device has received the destination phone number, at 515, the source device sends a transfer request (e.g., transfer request 330) to the destination device. At 520, the source device receives a transfer response (e.g., transfer response 340) from the destination device.

[0055] If the response is negative, method 500 ends and call forwarding is not implemented. If the response is positive, the method continues to 535, where the source proceeds with the call forwarding operation by contacting the network and indicating that the voice call of the source device can be transferred to the destination device.

[0056] If the response is a conditional acceptance, the method may continue to 535, where the source proceeds with the call forwarding operation by contacting the network and indicating that the voice call of the source device can be transferred to the destination device. This is not shown in Figure 5 Instead, Figure 5 shows that upon receiving a conditional acceptance, the source device continues to negotiate with the destination device at 530 to determine the details of the conditional acceptance. Once these details are acceptable to both the source device and the destination device, the source device can receive a positive response to the transfer request, and the method can continue to 535, where the source proceeds with the call forwarding operation by contacting the network.

[0057] Examples of providing conditional acceptance and negotiation are provided. At 515, the source device may send a transfer request that includes the requested duration and start time (e.g., starting at 1:00 p.m. and lasting for 2:00 hours). The destination device may send a conditional acceptance with the negotiated time (e.g., starting at 1:00 p.m. and lasting for 1:00 hour). The source device may accept the conditional acceptance and proceed with the call forwarding negotiated by the destination device by sending a confirmation, or the source device may find an alternative. For example, the user of the source device (via the voice call application) may decide to send a transfer request to a different destination device. In another example, the user of the source device (via the voice call application) may decide to send an updated transfer request with different duration and / or start time (e.g., lasting for 1:30 hours at 1:00 p.m., lasting for 2:00 hours at 3:00 p.m., etc.).

[0058] In the above example, it is considered that the source device and the destination device communicate regarding call forwarding via a messaging service, for example, the source device and the destination device are far from each other. In the following exemplary embodiments, it can be considered that the source device and the destination device are in close proximity to each other and can communicate via a short-range connection. The short-range connection can be, for example, a cellular side-link connection, a Bluetooth connection, a Zigbee connection, a Wi-Fi direct connection, etc. As will be described in the following examples, the short-range connection can alleviate the need for an intermediate enabling server (e.g., the enabling server 130 described with reference to Figure 3 The enabling server 130). Devices in close proximity to each other may not require an enabling server because these devices can communicate directly with each other via a short-range connection.

[0059] Figure 6 An exemplary call flow 600 for call forwarding between a communication device 110 and a communication device 120 having a short-range communication connection according to various exemplary embodiments is shown. The call flow 600 is similar to the call flow 300, except that, as described above, the enabling server 130 is not required to facilitate the sending of messages between the wireless communication device 110 and the wireless communication device 120.

[0060] In some examples of the call flow 600, the wireless communication device 110 and the wireless communication device 120 may already have an active short-range communication link before the start of the operation of the call flow 600. In other examples of the call flow 600, the operation of the call flow 600 can trigger the wireless communication device 110 and the wireless communication device 120 to establish an active short-range communication link.

[0061] In 610, the user of the wireless communication device 110 can enable call forwarding. In 620, the user identifies the communication device (e.g., the wireless communication device 120) to which the voice call will be forwarded.

[0062] In an example where there is no active short-range communication link between the wireless communication device 110 and the wireless communication device 120, the user input into the wireless communication device 110 can cause the wireless communication device 110 to establish a short-range communication link to the wireless communication device 120.

[0063] In 630, the wireless communication device 110 can send a transfer request to the wireless communication device 120 via the short-range communication link. The transfer request 630 can be similar to the transfer request 330 described above.

[0064] The wireless communication device 120 can receive the transfer request 630 and display the transfer request 630 to the user of the wireless communication device, indicating that the wireless communication device 110 is requesting to forward a voice call to the wireless communication device 120.

[0065] A user of the wireless communication device 120 can accept, reject, or conditionally accept the transfer request 630. At 640, the wireless communication device 120 will send a transfer response (e.g., accept, reject, or conditional acceptance) to the wireless communication device 110 via a short-range communication link. The transfer response 640 can be similar to the transfer response 340 described above.

[0066] At 650, the wireless communication device 110 will confirm the transfer response 640 via the short-range communication link to indicate that the user of the wireless communication device 110 has received the transfer response 640. If the transfer response 640 is negative, the call flow 600 can end at this point because the user of the wireless communication device 120 has not accepted the call transfer request.

[0067] If the transfer response 640 is affirmative, at 660, the wireless communication device 110 can contact the network (e.g., the cellular network on which the wireless communication device 110 makes / receives voice calls) to indicate that the voice call will be transferred to the wireless communication device 120. The operation 660 can be the standard operation for the wireless communication device 110 to transfer the call to the wireless communication device 120.

[0068] If the transfer response 640 is a conditional acceptance, the operation can be similar to the operation described above for conditional acceptance.

[0069] In all of the above examples, there is a scenario where the wireless communication device 110 has transferred a voice call to the wireless communication device 120. In the current scenario where the call is transferred, there is no mechanism for the user of the device to which the call is transferred (e.g., the wireless communication device 120) to know whether the received voice call was originally destined for the wireless communication device 120 or was a transferred call (e.g., the voice call was originally destined for the wireless communication device 110).

[0070] Exemplary embodiments provide a way for a user of the wireless communication device 120 to understand whether a received call is a transferred call. For example, when the wireless communication device 120 receives a voice call, the wireless communication device 120 can examine data associated with the voice call. The data can include information included in a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message associated with the voice call. The data can indicate that the voice call is a transferred call. For example, the identity of the wireless communication device 110 is included in a field of the SIP message. When the wireless communication device 120 determines that the voice call is a transferred call, the UI of the wireless communication device 120 can indicate that the call is a transferred call and the communication device from which the call was transferred (e.g., the wireless communication device 110). In this way, the user of the wireless communication device 120 is aware that the voice call was not initially destined for the wireless communication device 120 and can act appropriately in response to this information, such as handing the wireless communication device 120 to the user of the wireless communication device 110 so that they can answer the voice call.

[0071] In the above example, it was considered that the source device and the destination device are different physical devices. In the following exemplary embodiments, it can be considered that the source device and the destination device are different subscriber identity modules (SIMs) in the same device. Thus, these examples consider a scenario of a wireless communication device that includes two SIMs that are both active (e.g., the communication device can operate in a dual SIM dual standby (DSDS) mode).

[0072] Under normal circumstances, in a DSDS scenario, when a voice call is received on a connection associated with one of the SIMs, the other SIM is suspended. For example, the connection associated with the other SIM is out of service (OOS). In this scenario, a user of the communication device cannot receive calls on the connection associated with the other SIM. This can result in a negative user experience because the other SIM may receive important calls that the user cannot accept because the other SIM is OOS (e.g., from a child's school, from a hospital, etc.). The following exemplary embodiments address this problem and allow calls to be transferred from the suspended SIM to the currently active SIM.

[0073] Figure 7Illustrates an exemplary call flow 700 for call forwarding between different subscriber identity modules (SIMs) of the same device according to various exemplary embodiments. The call flow 700 is shown as occurring between SIM1 710 and SIM2 720. As described above, SIM1 710 and SIM2 720 are SIMs of the same communication device operating in the DSDS mode. Thus, before the call flow 700 begins, both SIM1 710 and SIM2 720 can have active communication links with their respective networks.

[0074] In 730, a user of the communication device makes or receives a voice call using the connection associated with SIM2 720. In 740, an indication that there is an active voice call using SIM2 720 is provided to SIM1 710. When the voice call is active on SIM2 720, SIM1 710 can forward the voice call to SIM2 720. In some examples, this can occur automatically once one of the SIMs is participating in an active voice call. In other examples, the communication device can display, via the UI, an option for the user of the communication device to forward a voice call from a SIM not participating in the active voice call. In the call flow 700, it is assumed that the call is being transferred from SIM1 710 to SIM2 720.

[0075] In 750, SIM1 710 is suspended because SIM2 720 is in an active voice call. However, because call forwarding has been established, the user can receive voice calls destined for SIM1 710 on the connection associated with SIM2 720 during the time the voice call is active on SIM2 720.

[0076] In 760, the active voice call on SIM2 720 is terminated. In 770, SIM2 720 notifies SIM1 710 that the voice call has been terminated, thereby allowing SIM1 710 to be reactivated in 780. In 790, the call forwarding from SIM1 710 to SIM2 720 is interrupted because the communication device can again receive voice calls on the connection associated with either SIM1 710 or SIM2 720.

[0077] Embodiment

[0078] In a first embodiment, a method includes: enabling a call forwarding function for a voice call based on a user input; processing an identifier of a communication device to which the voice call is to be forwarded based on the user input; generating a transfer request to be transmitted to the communication device via a short-range connection; and processing a transfer response indicating whether the communication device has accepted the transfer request based on signaling received from the communication device via the short-range connection.

[0079] In a second embodiment, the method according to the first embodiment, wherein the short-range connection includes a cellular side-link connection, a Bluetooth connection, a Zigbee connection, or a Wi-Fi direct connection.

[0080] In a third embodiment, the method according to the first embodiment, the method further includes: generating an acknowledgement corresponding to the transfer response to be transmitted to the communication device via the short-range connection.

[0081] In a fourth embodiment, the method according to the first embodiment, the method further includes: determining that the transfer response indicates that the communication device has accepted the transfer request; and in response to determining that a second communication device has accepted the transfer request, generating a request to transfer the call to the communication device to be transmitted to a network.

[0082] In a fifth embodiment, the method according to the first embodiment, the method further includes: determining that the transfer response indicates that the communication device has not accepted the transfer request; and in response to determining that the communication device has not accepted the transfer request, disabling the call forwarding function.

[0083] In a sixth embodiment, the method according to the first embodiment, the method further includes: determining that the transfer response indicates that the communication device has conditionally accepted the transfer request.

[0084] In a seventh embodiment, the method according to the sixth embodiment, the method further includes: in response to determining that the communication device has conditionally accepted the transfer request, generating a request to transfer the call to the communication device to be transmitted to a network.

[0085] In an eighth embodiment, the method according to the sixth embodiment, the method further includes: generating a further transfer request including information related to the conditionally accepted transfer request to be transmitted to the communication device.

[0086] In a ninth embodiment, the method according to the first embodiment, wherein the identifier includes a telephone number of the communication device.

[0087] In a tenth embodiment, a method according to the first embodiment, wherein the transfer request includes (i) a header identifying the communication device and (ii) a body including a bitmap indicating the transfer request to transfer the voice call to the communication device.

[0088] In an eleventh embodiment, a method according to the first embodiment, wherein the transfer response includes (i) a header identifying the communication device and (ii) a body including a bitmap indicating that the communication device has accepted the transfer request, has not accepted the transfer request, or has conditionally accepted the transfer request.

[0089] In a twelfth embodiment, a method according to the first embodiment, wherein the transfer request includes information related to the transfer of the voice call.

[0090] In a thirteenth embodiment, a method according to the twelfth embodiment, wherein the information includes the duration of the call transfer, the start time of the call transfer, or the end time of the call transfer.

[0091] In a fourteenth embodiment, a processor configured to execute any one of the methods according to the first to thirteenth embodiments.

[0092] In a fifteenth embodiment, a wireless communication device configured to execute any one of the methods according to the first to thirteenth embodiments.

[0093] In a sixteenth embodiment, a method includes: processing a transfer request indicating that a voice call destined for a communication device is to be transferred based on signaling received from the communication device via a short-range connection; configuring a user interface (UI) to display the transfer request; processing a response indicating whether the user has accepted the transfer request based on a user input; and generating a transfer response indicating whether the transfer request has been accepted for transmission to the communication device via the short-range connection.

[0094] In a seventeenth embodiment, a method according to the sixteenth embodiment, wherein the short-range connection includes a cellular sidelink connection, a Bluetooth connection, a Zigbee connection, or a Wi-Fi direct connection.

[0095] In an eighteenth embodiment, a method according to the sixteenth embodiment, the method further includes: processing an acknowledgement corresponding to the transfer response based on the signaling received from the communication device.

[0096] In the nineteenth embodiment, according to the method of the sixteenth embodiment, wherein the transfer request includes (i) a header identifying the communication device and (ii) a body including a bitmap indicating that the communication device is requesting to transfer the voice call to a first communication device.

[0097] In the twentieth embodiment, according to the method of the sixteenth embodiment, wherein the transfer response includes (i) a header identifying the communication device and (ii) a body including a bitmap indicating that the transfer request has been accepted, not yet accepted, or conditionally accepted.

[0098] In the twenty - first embodiment, according to the method of the twentieth embodiment, the method further includes: processing a further transfer request including information related to the conditionally accepted transfer request, based on the signaling received from the communication device.

[0099] In the twenty - second embodiment, according to the method of the sixteenth embodiment, wherein the transfer request includes information related to the transfer of the voice call.

[0100] In the twenty - third embodiment, according to the method of the twenty - second embodiment, wherein the information includes the duration of the call transfer, the start time of the call transfer, or the end time of the call transfer.

[0101] In the twenty - fourth embodiment, a processor configured to execute any one of the methods according to the sixteenth embodiment to the twenty - third embodiment.

[0102] In the twenty - fifth embodiment, a wireless communication device configured to execute any one of the methods according to the sixteenth embodiment to the twenty - third embodiment.

[0103] In the twenty - sixth embodiment, a method performed by a device of a communication device configured to operate in a dual - subscriber identity module (SIM) dual - standby (DSDS) mode, the method includes: connecting a voice call using a first connection associated with a first SIM; pausing a second connection associated with a second SIM; and configuring the voice call to be transferred from the second SIM to the first SIM while the voice call remains connected using the first connection.

[0104] In the twenty - seventh embodiment, according to the method of the twenty - sixth embodiment, the method further includes: configuring a user interface (UI) of the communication device to display an option for a user to select a voice call to be transferred from the second SIM to the first SIM while the voice call remains connected using the first connection.

[0105] In the twenty-eighth embodiment, according to the method described in the twenty-sixth embodiment, the method further includes: determining that the voice call has been disconnected; in response to the voice call being disconnected, disabling the voice call transferred from the second SIM to the first SIM; and in response to the voice call being disconnected, reactivating the second connection associated with the second SIM.

[0106] In the twenty-ninth embodiment, a processor is configured to execute any one of the methods described in the twenty-sixth embodiment to the twenty-eighth embodiment.

[0107] In the thirtieth embodiment, a wireless communication device is configured to execute any one of the methods described in the twenty-sixth embodiment to the twenty-eighth embodiment.

[0108] Those skilled in the art will understand that the above-described exemplary embodiments can be implemented with any suitable software configuration or hardware configuration or a combination thereof. An exemplary hardware platform for implementing the exemplary embodiments may include, for example, an Intel x86-based platform with a compatible operating system, Windows OS, Mac platform, and MAC OS, and mobile devices with operating systems such as iOS, Android, etc. The exemplary embodiments of the above methods can be embodied as a program containing lines of code stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, which can be executed on a processor or microprocessor when compiled.

[0109] Although this patent application describes various combinations of various embodiments each having different features, those skilled in the art will understand that any feature of one embodiment can be combined with the features of other embodiments in any manner not negated by the disclosure or with features that are not functionally or logically inconsistent with the operation or the functions of the devices of the embodiments disclosed in the present invention.

[0110] It is well known that the use of personally identifiable information should follow privacy policies and practices that are recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or government requirements for maintaining user privacy. Specifically, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of inadvertent or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of the authorized use should be clearly explained to the user.

[0111] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to the present disclosure without departing from the essence or scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is intended to cover modifications and variations of the present disclosure, provided that these modifications and variations are within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising a processing circuit, wherein the processing circuit is configured to: Based on user input, enabling a call forwarding feature for the voice call; processing, based on user input, an identification of a communication device to which the voice call is to be transferred; generating a transfer request for transmission to the communication device via the short-range connection; as well as Based on signaling received from the communication device via the short range connection, a transfer response is processed indicating whether the communication device has accepted the transfer request.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the short-range connection comprises a cellular sidelink connection, a Bluetooth connection, a Zigbee connection, or a Wi-Fi direct connection.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: An acknowledgement corresponding to the transfer response is generated for transmission to the communication device via the short range connection.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: determining that the transfer response indicates that the communication device has accepted the transfer request; and In response to determining that the second communication device has accepted the transfer request, a request to transfer the call to the communication device is generated for transmission to a network.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: determining that the transfer response indicates that the communication device has not accepted the transfer request; and In response to determining that the communication device has not accepted the transfer request, the call forwarding function is disabled.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: Determining the transfer response indicates that the communications device has conditionally accepted the transfer request.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: In response to determining that the communication device has conditionally accepted the transfer request, a request to transfer the call to the communication device is generated for transmission to a network.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: A further transfer request including information related to the conditionally accepted transfer request is generated for transmission to the communication device.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the identification comprises a telephone number of the communication device.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transfer request comprises (i) a header identifying the communication device and (ii) a body comprising a bitmap indicating the transfer request to transfer a voice call to the communication device.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the transfer response comprises (i) a header identifying the communication device and (ii) a body comprising a bitmap indicating whether the communication device accepted the transfer request, did not accept the transfer request, or conditionally accepted the transfer request.

12. An apparatus, comprising a processing circuit, wherein the processing circuit is configured to: processing, based on signaling received from a communication device via the short-range connection, a transfer request indicating that a voice call destined for the communication device is to be transferred; configuring a user interface (UI) to display the transfer request; processing, based on user input, a response indicating whether the user has accepted the transfer request; as well as A transfer response indicating whether the transfer request has been accepted is generated for transmission to the communication device via the short range connection.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the short-range connection comprises a cellular sidelink connection, a Bluetooth connection, a Zigbee connection, or a Wi-Fi direct connection.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: An acknowledgement corresponding to the transfer response is processed based on signaling received from the communication device.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the transfer request comprises (i) a header identifying the communication device and (ii) a body comprising a bitmap indicating that the communication device is requesting that a voice call be transferred to the first communication device.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the transfer response comprises (i) a header identifying the communication device and (ii) a body comprising a bitmap indicating that the transfer request has been accepted, has not been accepted, or has been conditionally accepted.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: Based on signaling received from the communication device, a further transfer request is processed including information related to the conditionally accepted transfer request.

18. An apparatus of a communication device, the communication device being configured to operate in a dual subscriber identity module (SIM) dual standby (DSDS) mode, the apparatus comprising a processing circuit, the processing circuit being configured to: connecting the voice call using a first connection associated with the first SIM; suspending a second connection associated with the second SIM; as well as A voice call is configured to be transferred from the second SIM to the first SIM while the voice call remains connected using the first connection.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: A user interface (UI) of the communication device is configured to display an option for a user to select a voice call to be transferred from the second SIM to the first SIM while the voice call remains connected using the first connection.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: Determining that the voice call has been disconnected; In response to the voice call being disconnected, disabling voice calls transferred from the second SIM to the first SIM; and In response to the voice call being disconnected, the second connection associated with the second SIM is reactivated.

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