Dispatch service architecture framework

• US 20050239485A1
• Filed: 05/23/2003
• Published: 10/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kodiak Networks (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kodiak Networks (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kundu, Gorachund, Ayyasamy, Ravi, Patel, Krishnakant
• Granted Patent: US 7,787,896 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/519
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/08 Trunked mobile radio systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

Group voice services are provided in a wireless network, such as a cellular telephone network (104, 108, 116), by a dispatch gateway (102) that interfaces to the wireless network to provide the group voice services therein, wherein both the dispatch gateway and mobiles (120) that use the group voice services communicate with each other using cell setup and in-band signaling within the wireless network.

Claims

1. A dispatch service apparatus for providing group voice services in a wireless network, comprising:

a wireless network for making calls between mobiles, wherein the calls are initiated by call setup and in-band signaling within the wireless network and voice frames for the calls are switched between the mobiles across bearer paths in the wireless network; and

a dispatch gateway that interfaces to the wireless network to provide group voice services therein, wherein both the dispatch gateway and the mobiles that use the group voice services communicate with each other using the call setup and in-band signaling within the wireless network, and the dispatch gateway switches the voice frames for the group voice services from an originating mobile to all terminating mobiles across the bearer paths in the wireless network.

2. The dispatch service apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dispatch gateway provides instant two-way half-duplex voice messaging within a group of users of the wireless network.

3. The dispatch service apparatus of claim 1, wherein the group voice services comprises a Push To Talk (PTT) service.

4. The dispatch service apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dispatch gateway interfaces with a group and subscriber database for retrieving group and subscriber related information, and for validating members'"'"' authenticity.

5. The dispatch service apparatus of claim 4, wherein the group related information is stored in the group database keyed against a unique group id.

6. The dispatch service apparatus of claim 4, wherein the group related information comprises a set of subscribed members and their privileges.

7. The dispatch service apparatus of claim 4, wherein subscriber related information is stored in the subscriber database keyed against a mobile identifier or member id.

8. The dispatch service apparatus of claim 4, wherein the group and subscriber database is distributed across multiple dispatch gateways to support nationwide group voice services.

9. The dispatch service apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dispatch gateway handles registration requests and updates group members with presence information for fellow group members.

10. The dispatch service apparatus of claim 1, wherein a registration and presence application enables group members to track a presence of fellow members in the wireless network.

11. The dispatch service apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless network sets up a call between a mobile and the dispatch gateway, and the dispatch gateway interacts with the mobile across the network through DTMF signaling on the call.

12. The dispatch service apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dispatch gateway performs call setup for selected members within a group.

13. The dispatch service apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dispatch gateway performs call setup on terminating legs in parallel with a call setup for an originating leg.

14. The dispatch service apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dispatch gateway performs intelligent voice buffering for an originating leg of a group call.

15. The dispatch service apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dispatch gateway exchanges a set of defined in-band DTMF tones with a mobile within the wireless network as call control events to regulate a group call.

16. The dispatch service apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dispatch gateway controls a floor of a group call by allowing only one member to speak at any time during a group call.

17. The dispatch service apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dispatch gateway provides voice frame duplication for a group call.

18. The dispatch service apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dispatch gateway performs dynamic multicasting of voice frames for a group call involving multiple dispatch gateways.

19. The dispatch service apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dispatch gateway performs vocoder conversion on one or more legs of a group call.

20. The dispatch service apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dispatch gateway is independent of the wireless network'"'"'s radio access technology.

21. The dispatch service apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dispatch gateway communicates with other dispatch gateways.

22. The dispatch service apparatus of claim 21, wherein the dispatch gateways support group voice services across network, regional and national boundaries.

23. The dispatch service apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mobile includes a dispatch application.

24. The dispatch service apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mobile can administer dispatch services provided by the dispatch gateway.

25. The dispatch service apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mobile can roam across a plurality of wireless networks and still participate in the group voice services.

26. The dispatch service apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dispatch gateway performs optimal routing to terminate group voice calls for subscribers roaming outside of their home networks.