/Patent Tracker
AppleGranted patentNetworks & wirelessInterest 4/10

Apple patents phone trick to keep calls working when data fails

This patent describes a method for smartphones to handle voice calls when the 5G data connection is unstable or missing. It outlines specific scenarios where the phone should automatically switch back to the older 4G network to ensure the call completes, rather than failing. The system also checks if the phone is in a pocket or locked to decide whether to prioritize the voice call over data usage.

Why it mattersThis improves call reliability for users who might experience dropped calls or poor audio quality when their phone struggles to connect to both voice and data services simultaneously.

In the filing’s own words

Optimizations for simultaneous voice and data experiences in cellular networks include methods of handling voice call fallback, e.g.: (1) on VoNR when an IMS PDU session is established but an Internet PDU session is not yet established; (2) on VoNR when IMS and Internet PDU sessions are established in different network slices; (3) on VoNR when an IMS PDU session is established but a rejection is received for an Internet PDU session; (4) on an LTE network after an EPSFB procedure when an IMS bearer is not present; (5) on an LTE network after an EPSFB procedure when an IMS bearer is present but an Internet bearer is not; (6) on VoNR when a network does not support simultaneous voice and data; (7) when a VoNR-capable UE is camped to SA on a VPLMN; and (8) when a non-VoNR-capable UE is camped to SA on a network that supports VoNR.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. A terminal comprising: a receiver; a proximity sensor; a display screen; and a processor configured to: initiate or receive a voice call over a New Radio (NR) network using a Voice over New Radio (VoNR) protocol; and in response to: (1) an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session being successfully established; (2) an Internet PDU session not being successfully established before expiry of a first timer; and (3) a PDU session request rejection not being received for an Internet Data Network Name (DNN) after expiry of the first timer: fall back to complete the voice call over a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network using a Voice over LTE (VoLTE) protocol, unless at least one of the following conditions is met: (a) the proximity sensor is activated and the display screen is inactive; (b) the display screen is locked; (c) the display screen is unlocked and the terminal is not utilizing any applications that require packet-switched (PS) data; or (d) the voice call is from or to a designated favorite contact of a user of the terminal.

Facts

Company
Apple (Apple Inc.)
Official title
Methods to optimize simultaneous voice and data experience in cellular networks
Patent number
US12744824B2
Application number
18391218
Filed
Dec 20, 2023
Granted
Sep 22, 2026
Inventors
3
Claims
20

Classified under

H04L 65/1016 Electricity & electronicsH04L 65/1069 Electricity & electronicsH04L 65/1073 Electricity & electronicsH04W 84/042 Electricity & electronics
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

More from Apple in Networks & wireless

Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.