Mobile phone users typically select mobile telephone and data plans offered by a wireless service provider (WSP) based on service, price, and number of minutes offered during a given time period, for example monthly minutes. WSPs may provide wireless guaranteed service (GS) for carrying voice traffic and packet switched (PS) networks for carrying other types of traffic. Alternatively voice sessions may also be established by over the top (OTT) service providers utilizing wireless PS networks, for example, internet service providers (e.g., Google®), that may no business relationship with the WSP. Quality of service (QoS) is the ability to provide different priority to different applications, users, or data flows to guarantee a certain level of performance within a network. In GS networks, bandwidth is dedicated or reserved, thereby ensuring adequate QoS for given voice calls. This is different from mobile PS networks, in which all different kinds of media traffic may be mixed together in a store-and-forward, best effort manner. In GS networks, some level of QoS control is available to the WSP providing the wireless service; however an OTT service provider typically does not have access to the QoS mechanism and therefore must deal with the “best effort” quality available with the mobile PS network. Thus, mobile PS environments may not be able to assure and/or sustain desired levels of QoS during voice or other media sessions. Service for mobile PS networks may be spotty or vary over time, and QoS may also depend on the location/movement of the user of the mobile device. Carrying voice over mobile PS networks (i.e., voice over IP or VoIP) can, however, result in reduced cost compared to GS networks. Complementing the public mobile PS network provided by WSP, Wi-Fi access connected to broadband access can also be leveraged to provide a fixed PS network. Being able to shift some calls to a fixed PS network can help reduce calling cost for a user as well as providing better coverage in some areas and better QoS given the higher bandwidth generally available with Wi-Fi access.
For various reasons, a user who is engaged in a call using a mobile device may benefit from being able to easily transfer the delivery mode of the call during the call from a GS to a PS network, or vice versa. Such benefits may include cost savings and a reduction in minutes deducted from their voice plan when the call is transferred between GS and PS networks. WSPs may also benefit from users automatically switching between GS and fixed PS networks, as they can allocate more resources to handle call or data volume when traffic flow becomes diverted away from overly congested public networks. Conversely, it may benefit a user to switch from a PS network to a GS network when QoS is spotty or degrading on the PS network.
Currently, smartphones may be able to install various applications for sending and/or receiving calls over a wireless, PS network, however, such applications are not reliable. For example, a call may not be received or the call may be lost because of poor QoS, lost connection, etc.
Accordingly, in light of these difficulties, a need exists for improved methods, systems, and computer readable media for facilitating the automatic transfer of mobile calls between wireless PS and GS networks based on QoS measurements.
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USPTO Backgrounds