Announcement Sound Continuity During LTE to 3G SRVCC Transition

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing mobile communication systems experience disruption of announcement sounds during transitions from LTE to 3G via SRVCC, leading to user discomfort due to sudden silence during voice calls.

Innovation Solution

A mobile station and communication method that includes a voice communication control unit for continuing voice service and an announcement control unit to output announcement sounds after transitioning from LTE to 3G, ensuring continuous sound playback even during SRVCC transitions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If SRVCC transition is executed from LTE to 3G during alerting phase, then voice communication continuity is improved, but announcement sound continuity deteriorates (sound disruption occurs)

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevoice communication continuityVSAvoidannouncement sound continuity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The mobile station stores the announcement sound data received during LTE alerting phase before transitioning to 3G. This preliminary storage action ensures that when the radio access system transitions, the announcement sound can be continuously played from the stored data without interruption, resolving the contradiction between voice continuity and sound continuity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements continuous playback of the announcement sound by utilizing stored sound data during the SRVCC transition process. The announcement control unit continues to output the stored announcement sound even after transitioning to 3G network, maintaining the useful action of sound output throughout the transition without disruption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

2Productivity

If transition from LTE to 3G is made during alerting phase, then network resource utilization is improved, but user experience deteriorates (user discomfort due to sound disruption)

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork resource utilizationVSAvoiduser discomfort
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The mobile station preliminarily stores the announcement sound data during the LTE alerting phase before initiating the SRVCC transition to 3G. This advance preparation ensures that when the transition occurs, the announcement sound can be continuously played from the stored data, preventing user discomfort while allowing efficient network resource utilization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The stored announcement sound data acts as an intermediary buffer during the SRVCC transition process. Instead of the announcement sound being disrupted by the network transition, the stored data serves as a mediator that bridges the gap between LTE and 3G phases, maintaining continuous sound output and improving user experience.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP2894936B1User equipment and mobile communication method
Publication Date: 2017.05.03 NTT DOCOMO INC
  • EP2894936B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2894936B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2894936B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A mobile station and a mobile communication method are provided, which are capable of continuing output of an announcement sound even if a transition is made from LTE to 3G by SRVCC when the announcement sound is being received from a network side in response to a call request to a call-terminating terminal. A UE 100A executes continuation processing (SRVCC) of a 3G voice communication service if the mobile station makes a transition of a connection destination from LTE to 3G. Further, the UE 100A receives the announcement sound via LTE or 3G, and outputs the announcement sound after requesting alerting of the other party and before starting the alerting of the other party. The UE 100A outputs the announcement sound even after making a transition to 3G if the continuation processing of the voice communication service is executed during a period when the announcement sound is being outputted.