Packet-Switched Voice Call Management During Silence Intervals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless communication systems face issues with call drops during poor network conditions, particularly when silence descriptor (SID) packets are suppressed to conserve power, leading to unexpected call terminations due to the absence of received packets.
Innovation Solution
Implementing methods in user equipment (UE) and base stations to manage packet-switched voice communications by initiating control packets during silence intervals, recognizing patterns in silence packets, and maintaining calls until a predetermined time interval expires, thereby distinguishing between SID suppression and poor network conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If SID packets are suppressed to reduce power consumption, then power consumption is reduced, but call reliability deteriorates due to unexpected call drops
Solution Approach 1:
The base station transmits periodic control packets (such as RTCP packets or specific RTP packets) during silence intervals when SID packets are suppressed. These periodic transmissions keep the UE's packet reception timer active, preventing call drops while allowing SID suppression to reduce power consumption. The periodic control packets serve as heartbeat signals that maintain call state without requiring full SID packet transmission.
2Reliability
If SID packets are transmitted periodically to maintain call reliability, then call reliability is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts only the essential function of SID packets (maintaining call state and preventing timer expiration) and implements it through simplified control packets. Instead of transmitting full SID packets with comfort noise information, the base station sends minimal control packets that merely indicate presence and maintain the packet reception timer, thereby achieving reliability with reduced power consumption.
3Productivity
If the UE drops calls after timeout to handle poor network conditions, then network efficiency is improved, but false call drops occur during SID suppression
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces control packets as intermediary signals between the base station and UE during silence intervals. These control packets serve as mediators that distinguish between genuine network failures and intentional SID suppression. When control packets are received, the UE understands that the absence of SID packets is intentional and does not trigger call drop, thereby preventing false call drops while maintaining network efficiency.
4Reliability
If control packets are transmitted during silence intervals to prevent false call drops, then call accuracy is improved, but signaling overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control packets serve multiple functions simultaneously: they maintain the packet reception timer to prevent call drops, convey network presence information, and can carry additional call control information. By making these packets multi-functional, the invention reduces the need for separate signaling messages, thereby improving call accuracy without proportionally increasing signaling overhead.
Data Source
AI summary
In some embodiments, a UE is configured to, in response to detecting an absence of received packets associated with a voice call over a first time interval of a pre-determined length, initiate transmission of a first control packet to a base station. In some embodiments, the UE is further configured, based on a response to the first control packet, not to drop the packet-switched voice call at least until expiration of a second time interval of a pre-determined length after transmission of the first control packet. In some embodiments, the absence of received packets is an absence of both voice and silence packets. In some embodiments, based on absence of a response to the first control packet, the UE is configured to drop the packet-switched call.