Method and device for holding calls between networks

Abstract

A method and a device for holding calls between networks are disclosed herein. The method includes: receiving a call hold request sent by a UE in a CS network, where the call hold request carries an indication that the UE in the CS network will continue sending media streams; and instructing a peer device to keep receiving the media streams from the UE in the CS network and stop sending the media streams. In the technical solution under the present invention, the UE in the CS network partially releases the radio resources after initiating the call hold operation, and therefore, the UE in the CS network can play local media files to the peer device after the call is held, thus saving network resources and improving the user experience.

1 . A method for holding calls between networks, comprising:
 receiving a call hold request sent by an IMS Centralized Service (ICS) User Equipment (UE), ICS UE, in a Circuit Switched (CS) network, wherein the call hold request carries an indication that media streams will continue to be sent to peer User Equipment (UE), peer UE, and   sending, to the peer UE, the hold request indicating the peer UE shall stop sending the media streams, and continue receiving the media streams from the ICS UE in the CS network according to the hold request.   
     
     
         2 . The method for holding calls between networks according to  claim 1 , wherein the receiving of the call hold request sent by the ICS UE in the CS network comprises:
 receiving the call hold request sent by the ICS UE in the CS network through a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) signaling; or   receiving the call hold request sent by the ICS UE in the CS network through an Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) signaling.   
     
     
         3 . The method for holding calls between networks according to  claim 1 , wherein after the ICS UE in the CS network sends the call hold request, the method further comprises: sustaining a CS network channel, wherein sustaining a CS network channel comprises:
 receiving, by the ICS UE in the CS network, the media streams and stopping decoding the media streams; and   sending the media streams.   
     
     
         4 . The method for holding calls between networks according to  claim 3 , wherein the sending of the media streams by the ICS UE in the CS network comprises:
 encoding, by the ICS UE in the CS network, media and sending the media streams.   
     
     
         5 . The method for holding calls between networks according to  claim 4 , wherein:
 the media streams sent by the ICS UE in the CS network comprise local media files.   
     
     
         6 . The method for holding calls between networks according to  claim 1 , wherein after sending, to the peer UE, the hold request indicating the peer UE shall stop sending the media streams, and continue receiving the media streams from the ICS UE in the CS network according to the hold request, the method further comprises:
 receiving a call retrieval request sent by the ICS UE in the CS network; and   instructing the peer UE to resume receiving and sending the media streams.   
     
     
         7 . The method for holding calls between networks according to  claim 6 , wherein the receiving of the call retrieval request sent by the ICS UE in the CS network comprises:
 receiving the call retrieval request sent by the ICS UE in the CS network through a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) signaling; or   receiving the call retrieval request sent by the ICS UE in the CS network through an Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) signaling.   
     
     
         8 . The method for holding calls between networks according to  claim 6 , wherein:
 the ICS UE in the CS network resumes decoding the received media streams after sending the call retrieval request.   
     
     
         9 . A User Equipment (UE), comprising:
 a sending module, configured to send a call hold request or call retrieval request to an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network server, wherein the call hold request carries an indication that media streams will continue to be sent to peer User Equipment (UE), peer UE.   
     
     
         10 . The UE of  claim 9 , wherein the sending module comprises at least one of the following sub-modules:
 a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) sending sub-module, configured to send the call hold request or call retrieval request to the IMS network server through a SIP signaling; and   an Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) sending sub-module, configured to send the call hold request or call retrieval request to the IMS network server through a USSD signaling.   
     
     
         11 . The UE of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a sustaining module, configured to sustain a Circuit Switched (CS) network channel after the sending module sends the call hold request.   
     
     
         12 . The UE of  claim 10 , wherein the sustaining module further comprises:
 a receiving sub-module, configured to receive media streams; and   a first sending sub-module, configured to send the media streams.   
     
     
         13 . The UE of  claim 10 , wherein the sustaining module further comprises:
 a second sending sub-module, configured to collect media signals in real time for media coding and send the media streams.   
     
     
         14 . The UE of  claim 13 , wherein media sources of the media streams comprise local media files. 
     
     
         15 . An IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network device, comprising:
 a receiving module, configured to: receive a call hold request or call retrieval request sent by a User Equipment (UE) in a Circuit Switched (CS) network, wherein the call hold request carries an indication that the UE in the CS network will continue sending media streams; and   a sending module, configured to send a signaling indicative of holding or retrieving a call to a peer device according to the call hold request or call retrieval request received by the receiving module.   
     
     
         16 . The IMS network device of  claim 14 , wherein the receiving module comprises at least one of the following sub-modules:
 a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) receiving sub-module, configured to receive the call hold request or call retrieval request from the UE in the CS network through a SIP signaling; and   an Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) receiving sub-module, configured to receive the call hold request or call retrieval request from the UE in the CS network through a USSD signaling.