COMMUNICATIONS FACILITATION METHOD AND APPARATUS

摘要

A core network element (10) in a communication system can serve to store (22) information regarding a present communication location of a given communication unit (16) that seeks to facilitate a wireless communication using one kind of wireless communication resource (such as a dedicated voice channel) via another kind of wireless communication resource (such as a shared data channel). Upon receiving (21) an indication from a communication unit regarding a target communication unit, the core network element can also make a determination (23) regarding the likely availability of that target communication unit. A corresponding message that corresponds to this likelihood of availability can then be returned (25) to the communication unit (using, preferably, the previously stored communication location information to essentially target the use of system resources to effect delivery of this message). The communication unit, in turn, can use this preliminary indication to facilitate its own subsequent actions.