System and method of group calling in mobile communications

• US 20030017836A1
• Filed: 04/30/2001
• Published: 01/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ribbon Communications Operating Company, Inc. (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Winphoria Networks, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Iyer, Prakash R., Aravamudan, Murali, Ramakrishnan, Kajamalai G., Naqvi, Shamim A., Sundar, Rangamani, Vishwanathan, Kumar K.
• Granted Patent: US 6,996,414 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/517
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/566 Grouping or aggregating service requests, e.g. for unified processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data

Abstract

Information is retrieved from a list of members of a group call group. Based on the retrieved information, a group call is established between first and second mobile stations (MS). The first MS is served by a first base station controller (BSC) and the second MS is served by a second BSC. Voice data for the group call is transmitted in a multicast session. Based on a history of group calls between two points in a mobile communications network, a determination is made as to whether to establish a multicast session between the two points, e.g., in anticipation of a future group call.

Claims

1. A method for use in establishing a group call, comprising:

retrieving information from a list of members of a group call group; and

based on the retrieved information, establishing a group call between first and second mobile stations (MS), wherein the first MS is served by a first base station controller (BSC) and the second MS is served by a second BSC.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first MS is served by a first mobile switching center (MSC) and the second MS is served by a second MSC.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein both the first MS and the second MS are served by a first mobile switching center (MSC).

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing voice data for the group call to be transmitted in a multicast session.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

directing voice data for the group call between first and second proxy switches, wherein the first MS is served by the first proxy switch.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first proxy switch receives data directly from the first BSC.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the first proxy switch receives data from the first BSC via a first mobile switching center (MSC).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the group call is half duplex.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing speaking control to be transferred between members in the group call.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting textual data to at least one of the MSs.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining which members in the list are not participating in the group call.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending an indication that a member that lacks speaking control in the group call has requested speaking control in the group call.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to establishment of the group call, establishing a multicast session based on a prediction concerning the establishment of the group call.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first radio signaling standard includes a time-division multiple access technology, and the second radio signaling standard includes a code-division multiple access technology.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

based on a history of group calls between two points in a mobile communications network, predicting a future demand for group calls between the two points.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

based on a history of group calls between two points in a mobile communications network, determining a topology of multicast sessions to use in a future group call in the mobile communications network.

14. A method for use in establishing a group call, comprising:

retrieving information from a list of members of a group call group; and

based on the retrieved information, establishing a group call between first and second mobile stations (MS), wherein the first MS is served by a first radio signaling standard and the second MS is served by a second radio signaling standard.

16. A method for use in establishing a group call, comprising:

based on a history of group calls between two points in a mobile communications network, determining whether to establish a multicast session between the two points.

19. A method for use in group calling, comprising:

receiving, via a first base station controller (BSC), an indication that a first mobile station (MS) has produced a calling signal that corresponds to a group call;

determining that a second MS belongs to the same group call group as the first MS;

contacting the second MS; and

establishing a multicast session carrying voice data between the first MS and the second MS.

20. A system for use in group calling, comprising:

first group calling logic receiving, via a first base station controller (BSC), an indication that a first mobile station (MS) has produced a calling signal that corresponds to a group call;

second group calling logic determining that a second MS belongs to the same group call group as the first MS;

third group calling logic contacting the second MS; and

fourth group calling logic establishing a multicast session carrying voice data between the first MS and the second MS.