Method for dynamic group call

• US 20050192041A1
• Filed: 02/27/2004
• Published: 09/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Albal, Nandakishore A., Shaughnessy, Mark L., Schaefer, Bradley R., Leal-Isla, Gustavo A., Oxley, Derek A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,711,382 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/519
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5054 Meet-me conference, i.e. participants dial-in
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/565 relating to time schedule aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data

Abstract

A method for providing dynamic group call among a group of users both wireless (10-30) and wireline (40) places the selectability of the call in the hands of an originating user (10). An originating user (10) may make a fixed number of entries (80). The originating user (10) can create a dynamic group call, add a group call list for later execution, add a member to the group call list, or create a dynamic group call list and immediately execute a group call (92). The method for dynamic group call also provides for selecting a time to live for each group call entry (81) in database (60). This parameter time to live is directly selectable by the originating user (167) or the server. In addition, any member to a previous or existing group call may rejoin or reestablish the dynamic group call (220).

Claims

1. A method for dynamic group call from a first user to a group of second users via a network including a server, the method for dynamic group call comprising the steps of:

dynamically selecting by the first user without the network a member for inclusion in the group of second users;

determining whether a number of selected second users is within a predetermined limit; and

if the number of selected second users is within the predetermined limit, adding by the first user a second user to a list of second users.

2. The method for dynamic group call as claimed in claim 1, wherein there is further included a step of determining by the first user that the member is to be added to the group of second users.

3. The method for dynamic group call as claimed in claim 1, wherein if the number of selected second users is not within the predetermined limit, there is further included a step of providing a message to the first user indicating a fault.

4. The method for dynamic group call as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of adding by the first user includes a step of transmitting the by the first user the second user to the network.

5. The method for dynamic group call as claimed in claim 4, wherein there is further included a step of storing the member in a database corresponding to the dynamic group call.

6. The method for dynamic group call as claimed in claim 1, wherein there is further included a step of creating the network a group identity.

7. A method for dynamic group call from a first user to a group of second users via a network including a server, the method for dynamic group call comprising the steps of:

dynamically selecting by the first user without the network or the server the group of second users;

determining whether a number of selected second users is within a predetermined limit; and

if the number of selected second users is within the predetermined limit, adding by the first user the second user to a list of second users.

8. The method for dynamic group call as claimed in claim 7, wherein there is further included a step of determining by the first user that the dynamic group call is adding the group of second users.

9. The method for dynamic group call as claimed in claim 7, wherein if the selected number of second users is not within the predetermined limit, there is further included a step of providing a message to the first user indicating a fault.

10. The method for dynamic group call as claimed in claim 7, wherein the step of adding by the first user includes a step of transmitting the by the first user the selected second user to the network.

11. The method for dynamic group call as claimed in claim 10, wherein there is further included a step of storing the group of second users in a database.

12. The method for dynamic group call as claimed in claim 7, wherein there is further included a step of creating the network a group identity.

13. The method for dynamic group call as claimed in claim 7, wherein there is further included a step of determining whether a number of users exceeds a predetermined limit.

14. A method for dynamic group call from a first user to a group of second users via a network including a server, the method for dynamic group call comprising the steps of:

dynamically sending a list complete message by the first user to the network;

validating by the network a dynamic group call list associated with the list complete message; and

if the dynamic group call list is validated, storing a dynamic group call identity by the first user.

15. The method for dynamic group call as claimed in claim 14, wherein the step of dynamically sending a list complete message includes the step of sending a list by the first user to the network of the group of second users.

16. The method for dynamic group call as claimed in claim 15, wherein there is further included the steps of:

determining by the network that the dynamic group call list is sent by the first user; and

if the dynamic group call list is sent by the first user, storing the dynamic group call list in a database.

17. The method for dynamic group call as claimed in claim 15, wherein there is further included the steps of:

determining by the network the dynamic group call list is sent by the first user;

the step of validating by the network including the steps of;

validating the dynamic group call list for the first user and for each of the second users; and

if the dynamic group call list is invalid, providing a message by the network to the first user that a failure has occurred.

18. The method for dynamic group call as claimed in claim 17, wherein there is further included steps of:

determining by the network whether dynamic group call slots are available in a database;

if there are slots available, creating a unique group ID for the dynamic group call list; and

if dynamic group call slots are not available, selecting by the network previously used dynamic group call slot for the dynamic group call list.

19. The method for dynamic group call as claimed in claim 18, wherein the step of selecting by the network the previously used dynamic group call slot includes the step of selecting a least used dynamic group call slot.

20. The method for dynamic group call as claimed in claim 18, wherein the step of selecting by the network the previously used dynamic group call slot includes the step of selecting a first used dynamic group call slot.

21. The method for dynamic group call as claimed in claim 18, wherein there is further included the steps of:

determining by the network whether the first user has requested an immediate dynamic group call; and

if the first user has requested an immediate dynamic group call, initiating the group call to each of the group of second users.

22. The method for dynamic group call as claimed in claim 21, wherein if the first user has not requested an immediate group dynamic call, the network sends a group identification to the first user.

23. The method for dynamic group call as claimed in claim 15, wherein there is further included the steps of:

determining whether the first user sent a dynamic group call list complete message; and

if the first user has sent a dynamic group call list complete message, performing the steps of claims 15-19.

24. The method for dynamic group call as claimed in claim 15, wherein there is further included the steps of:

determining by the network whether the first user has sent a member of the group of second users; and

if the member is valid, adding the member to the dynamic group call list.

25. The method for dynamic group call as claimed in claim 24, wherein if the member is invalid, there is further included a step of providing an indication of failure to the first user.

26. A method for dynamic group call from a first user to a group of second users via a network including a server, the method for dynamic group call comprising the steps of:

dynamically sending by the first user a dynamic group call list of the group of second users to the server through the network;

sending by the first user an indicator to the server through the network to start the dynamic group call immediately; and

starting the dynamic group call immediately by the network.

27. The method for dynamic group call as claimed in claim 26, wherein the step of dynamically sending by the first user includes a step of dynamically sending by the first user a dynamic group call list complete message to the network.

28. The method for dynamic group call as claimed in claim 26, wherein there is further included a step of validating by the network the dynamic group call list.

29. The method for dynamic group call as claimed in claim 27, wherein for a dynamic group call list or a dynamic group call list complete message from the first user there is further included a step of selecting a unique dynamic group call identification.

30. The method for dynamic group call as claimed in claim 29, wherein there is further included a step of selecting by the network a time to live parameter corresponding to the dynamic group call list.

31. The method for dynamic group call as claimed in claim 30, wherein the step of selecting by the network the time to live parameter includes a step of receiving the time to live parameter from the first user.

32. The method for dynamic group call as claimed in claim 30, wherein the step of selecting the time to live parameter includes a step of selecting by the network the time to live parameter based on network parameters.

33. A method for dynamic group call from a first user to a group of second users via a network including a server, the method for dynamic group call comprising the steps of:

dynamically sending by the first user a dynamic group call list of the group of second users to the server through the network;

sending by the first user an indicator to the server through the network to start the dynamic group call immediately; and

launching the dynamic group call to the group of second users and to the first user.

34. The method for dynamic group call as claimed in claim 33, wherein there is further included the steps of:

determining whether each of the group of second users and the first user are valid; and

if each of the group of second users and the first user are invalid, there is further included a step of providing an indication to the first user.

35. The method for dynamic group call as claimed in claim 34, wherein there is further included the steps of:

determining whether the dynamic group call is presently active; and

if the dynamic group call is presently active, rejoining the first user or the second users to the presently active call.

36. The method for dynamic group call as claimed in claim 35, wherein there is further included a step of expanding the dynamic group call list, including a step of expanding a subgroup of the group of second users.

37. The method for dynamic group call as claimed in claim 36, wherein there is further included the steps of:

after the step of launching, waiting a predetermined time for a response from at least one of the group of second users and the first user; and

if the response is not received within the predetermined time, indicating a failure to the first user.

38. The method for dynamic group call as claimed in claim 37, wherein if the response is received within the predetermined time, there is further included the steps of:

confirming the dynamic group call to the first user; and

interconnecting each of the group of second users and the first user for sustaining a dynamic group call.

39. The method for dynamic group call as claimed in claim 38, wherein there is further included the steps of:

sending by the network a dynamic group call identity to each of the group of second users and to the first user; and

sending an identity of the first user to the second users.

40. The method for dynamic group call as claimed in claim 39, wherein there is further included a step of sending a time to live parameter to each of the group of second users and to the first user.

41. The method for dynamic group call as claimed in claim 39, wherein there is further included a step of selecting by at least one user of the group of second users and the first user the dynamic group call for which the at least one user has the dynamic group call identity.

42. The method for dynamic group call as claimed in claim 41, wherein there is further included a step of transmitting by the at least one user the dynamic group call identity to the network.

43. The method for dynamic group call as claimed in claim 42, wherein there is further included the steps of:

receiving by the network the dynamic group call identity;

if the dynamic group call corresponding to the dynamic group call identity is inactive, re-establishing the dynamic call to each of the group of second users and to the first user; and

if the dynamic group call corresponding to the dynamic group call identity is in progress, rejoining by the network the at least one user to the dynamic group call.