Optimized push-to-talk call setup

• US 20050124367A1
• Filed: 12/08/2003
• Published: 06/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Wireless Corporation (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Sadagopan, Vijaykrishna, Hassan, Tariq A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,260,414 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/518
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4061 Push-to services, e.g. push-to-talk or push-to-video
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

A requesting handset in a wireless communication network sends a call message requesting a push-to-talk connection with a target handset. In response, a push-to-talk server sends a connection status message to the requesting handset. The connection status message is sent to the requesting handset in a control channel such as the forward common control channel. The requesting handset indicates to the caller that the connection has been made with the target handset, turns on the audio channel, and buffers any audio received from the caller until the traffic channel has been established. Once the traffic channel is established, any buffered audio is sent over the traffic channel and the push-to-talk call ensues.

Claims

1. A method for initializing a push-to-talk call over a wireless communication network, comprising:

receiving a push-to-talk initialization request;

sending a call message to a uniquely identified recipient, wherein the call message is sent in a first control channel over a wireless communication network;

receiving a connection status message in response to the call message, wherein the connection status message is received in a second control channel over a wireless communication network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication network is a code division multiple access network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first control channel is a reverse enhanced access channel.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second control channel is a forward common control channel.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

opening the audio channel on the initiating wireless communication device

activating the microphone on the initiating wireless communication device;

receiving audio via the microphone; and

storing the received audio in a buffer.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving a channel assignment message corresponding to the push-to-talk request, the channel assignment message identifying a traffic channel; and

sending the stored audio over the traffic channel.

7. A system for initializing a push-to-talk call over a wireless communication network, comprising:

a requesting handset configured for over the air communication in a wireless communication network;

a base station configured to communicate over the air with the requesting handset, wherein the requesting handset sends a push-to-talk call request to the base station in a first control channel and receives a responsive connection status message from the base station in a second control channel.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the wireless communication network is a code division multiple access network.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first control channel is a reverse enhanced access channel.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the second control channel is a forward common control channel.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the requesting handset further comprises:

an audio channel; and

a data storage area, wherein the requesting handset activates the audio channel upon receiving the responsive connection status message and buffers audio received via the audio channel in the data storage area until a traffic channel is established.