Push-to-talk features in wireless communications devices and methods

• US 20040266468A1
• Filed: 06/30/2003
• Published: 12/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Li, Ling, Kraisornsuthasinee, Thaveesak, Zuckerman, William L., Brown, Marshall L., Vohra, Archana, Lee, Jennifer M., Brenner, David S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,090,396 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/518
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

A wireless communications terminal that communicates in a communications infrastructure including opening a push-to-talk (PTT) contact list application (220) on the terminal when the terminal is in a dormant state, for example, by pressing a PTT input at least once, and transitioning the terminal from the dormant state to an active state when the PTT contact list application is opened. Other PTT features include indicating whether PTT contacts in the contact list are available for a PTT call, and indicating which PTT call participant is talking, among other PTT features.

Claims

1. A method in a wireless communications device that communicates in a communications infrastructure, the method comprising:

opening a push-to-talk contact list application on the wireless communications device when the wireless communications device is in a dormant state;

transitioning the wireless communications device from the dormant state to an active state when the push-to-talk contact list application is opened.

2. The method of claim 1, obtaining push-to-talk contact data for the push-to-talk contact list application after entering the active state.

3. The method of claim 1,

transitioning the wireless communications device from the dormant state to an active state before initiating a push-to-talk session by selecting a contact on the contact list.

4. The method of claim 1,

initiating a push-to-talk session by selecting a contact on the contact list after transitioning the wireless communications device to the active state.

5. The method of claim 1,

the push-to-talk contact list application including a list of push-to-talk contacts,

indicating whether push-to-talk contacts listed in the push-to-talk contact list application are available.

6. A method in a wireless communications device that communicates in a communications infrastructure, the method comprising:

opening a push-to-talk contact list application including at least one contact on the wireless communications device;

indicating on the wireless communications device whether the at last one contact is available for a push-to-talk session.

7. The method of claim 6,

the push-to-talk contact list application including a plurality of individual contacts;

indicating on the wireless communications device which of the plurality of contacts are available for a push-to-talk session.

8. The method of claim 6,

the push-to-talk contact list application including at least one push-to-talk contact group comprising a plurality of at least two individual contacts;

indicating on the wireless communications device talk whether the at least one push-to-talk contact group is available for a push-to-talk session.

9. The method of claim 6,

indicating whether the at least one push-to-talk contact is available for a push-to-talk session by indicating whether the at least one push-to-talk contact is registered to a network.

10. The method of claim 6,

opening the push-to-talk contact list application upon entering a single input at the wireless communications device.

11. The method of claim 6,

the wireless communications device is a clam-shell device having an inner display and an outer display,

displaying whether the at last one contact is available for a push-to-talk session on the outer display of the wireless communications device.

12. A method in a wireless communications device that communicates in a communications infrastructure, the method comprising:

powering-up the wireless communications device;

opening a push-to-talk contact list application on the wireless communications device upon entering a single input at the wireless communications device.

13. The method of claim 12,

the push-to-talk contact list application separate from a phone list application on the wireless communications device,

opening the push-to-talk contact list application separate from the phone list application.

14. The method of claim 12,

the wireless communications device is a clam-shell device having an inner display and an outer display,

displaying at least one push-to-talk contact of the push-to-talk contact list application on the outer display of the wireless communications device.

15. A method in a wireless communications device that communicates in a communications infrastructure, the method comprising:

providing a phone list having at least one communications number for a corresponding contact;

providing a push-to-talk contact list separate from phone list application,

the push-to-talk contact list application having at least one push-to-talk number for the same contact on the phone list,

the push-to-talk number the same as the communications number.

16. The method of claim 15,

the wireless communications device is a clam-shell device having an inner display and an outer display,

providing a phone list on the outer display of the wireless communications device;

providing a push-to-talk contact list on the outer display of the wireless communications device.

17. A method in a wireless communications device that communicates in a communications infrastructure, the method comprising:

opening a push-to-talk client on the wireless communications device;

indicating on the wireless communications device which push-to-talk contact has control of a push-to-talk call.

18. The method of claim 17,

indicating when the push-to-talk contact having control of the push-to-talk call releases control of the push-to-talk call.

19. The method of claim 17,

indicating on the wireless communications device which push-to-talk contact has control of a push-to-talk group call.

20. The method of claim 17,

indicating on the wireless communications device push-to-talk call participants.

21. The method of claim 17,

the wireless communications device is a clam-shell device having an inner display and an outer display,

indicating which push-to-talk contact has control of the push-to-talk call on the outer display of the wireless communications device.

22. A method in a wireless communications device that communicates in a communications infrastructure, the method comprising:

opening a push-to-talk client on the wireless communications device;

indicating on the wireless communications device push-to-talk call participants.

23. The method of claim 22,

the wireless communications device is a clam-shell device having an inner display and an outer display,

indicating the push-to-talk call participants on the outer display of the wireless communications device.

24. A method in a wireless communications device that communicates in a communications infrastructure, the method comprising:

opening a push-to-talk contact list application on the wireless communications device,

the push-to-talk contact list application including a plurality of at least two push-to-talk contacts;

positioning a cursor on a push-to-talk contact, of the push-to-talk contact list application, last invoked in a most recent push-to-talk session.

25. The method of claim 24,

the wireless communications device is a clam-shell device having an inner display and an outer display,

displaying the push-to-talk contact last invoked in the most recent push-to-talk session on the outer display.