Managing group voice communication in telecommunications system

• US 20050260988A1
• Filed: 07/06/2004
• Published: 11/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callahan Cellular LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Kauppinen, Risto
• Granted Patent: US 7,200,396 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/435.300
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data

Abstract

The present solution relates to a telecommunications system where information is maintained of communication groups available to a user terminal (UE). A communication server (PoC server) of the system is able to receive a request message (3-1) sent by the user terminal (UE), the request message (3-1) comprising an indication of the communication group the user wishes to speak to. If the request can be accepted, the communication server (PoC server) transmits a floor granted message (3-2) to the user terminal (UE). According to the present solution the communication group requested by the user is set (3-3) as the priority communication group for said user at least for a predetermined time period.

Claims

1. A method for managing group voice communication in a telecommunications system comprising

a telecommunications network;

a user terminal connected to the telecommunications network; and

a communication server capable of providing the user terminal with access to group voice communication via the telecommunications network;

the method comprising

maintaining information of at least two communication groups available to the user terminal;

receiving, in the communication server, a request message indicating a request from the user terminal to speak to a first communication group;

transmitting, from the communication server to the user terminal, a grant message indicating an acceptance of said request; and

as a response to said transmitting, setting the first communication group as a priority communication group of a highest priority for said user terminal.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, if at least two simultaneous voice streams are received from members of different communication groups, transmitting to the user terminal only a voice stream coming from a communication group of the highest priority for said user terminal.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said setting of the priority communication group is temporary.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said setting of the priority communication group expires after a predetermined time period.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said setting of the priority communication group expires after a predetermined time period, if no response to said priority communication group is received from the user terminal during said predetermined time period.

6. The method according to claim 3, further comprising

maintaining information of a default priority communication group for the user terminal;

and

setting, as a response to an expiry of a temporary priority group, the default priority communication group as the priority communication group of the highest priority for the user terminal.

7. The method according to claim 1, comprising setting a communication group, which the respective user terminal has last spoken to, as the priority communication group of the highest priority for the user terminal.

8. A telecommunications system for providing group voice communication comprising

a telecommunications network;

a user terminal connected to the telecommunications network; and

a communication server capable of providing the user terminal with access to group voice communication via the telecommunications network;

the system being configured to maintain information of at least two communication groups available to the user terminal; and

the communication server being configured to

receive a request message from the user terminal, said request message indicating a desire of the respective user terminal to speak to a first communication group;

transmit a grant message to the user terminal, if said request message is acceptable; and

based on the transmitted grant message, set the first communication group as a priority communication group of a highest priority for said user terminal.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the communication server is configured, if at least two simultaneous voice streams are received from members of different communication groups, to transmit to the user terminal only a voice stream coming from a communication group of the highest priority for said user terminal.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein said priority communication group setting is temporary.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the communication server is configured to terminate said priority communication group setting after a predetermined time period.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the communication server is configured to terminate said priority group setting after the predetermined time period, if no response to said priority group is transmitted from the user terminal during said predetermined time period.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein the communication server is configured to

maintain information of a default priority communication group for the user terminal;

and

set, as a response to a termination of the temporary priority, the default priority communication group as the priority communication group of the highest priority for the user terminal.

14. The system according to claim 8, wherein the communication server comprises a Push-to-talk over Cellular (PoC) server.

15. A communication server for providing a user with access to group voice communication in a telecommunications system comprising a user terminal, wherein the communication server is configured to

receive a request message from a user terminal indicating a desire of the respective user terminal to speak to a first communication group;

transmit a grant message to the user terminal, if said request message is acceptable; and

as a response to said transmitting, set the first communication group as a priority communication group of a highest priority for said user terminal.

16. The communication server according to claim 15, wherein it is configured, if at least two simultaneous voice streams are received from members of different communication groups, to transmit to the user terminal only a voice stream coming from a communication group of the highest priority for said user terminal.

17. The communication server according to claim 16, wherein it is configured to terminate said priority communication group setting after a predetermined time period.

18. The communication server according to claim 16, wherein it is configured to terminate said priority communication group setting after a predetermined time period, if no response to said priority communication group is received from the user terminal during said predetermined time period.

19. The communication server according to claim 17, wherein it is configured to

maintain information of a default priority communication group for the user terminal;

and

set, as a response to a termination of a priority, the default priority communication group as the priority communication group of the highest priority for the user terminal.

20. A communication server for providing a user with access to group voice communication in a telecommunications system comprising a user terminal, the communication server comprising

means for receiving a request message from a user terminal indicating a desire of the respective user terminal to speak to a first communication group;

means for transmitting a grant message to the user terminal, if said request is acceptable; and

means for setting, as a response to said transmitting, the first communication group as a priority communication group of a highest priority for said user terminal.

21. The communication server according to claim 20, comprising means for transmitting, if at least two simultaneous voice streams are received from members of different communication groups, to the user terminal only a voice stream coming from a communication group of the highest priority for said user terminal.

22. The communication server according to claim 20, comprising means for terminating said priority communication group setting after a predetermined time period.

23. The communication server according to claim 22, comprising means for terminating said priority communication group setting after the predetermined time period, if no response to said priority communication group is received from the user terminal during said predetermined time period.

24. The communication server according to claim 22, comprising means for

maintaining information of a default priority communication group for the user terminal;

and

setting, as a response to a termination of a priority, the default priority communication group as the priority communication group of the highest priority for the user terminal.

25. A method for managing group voice communication in a telecommunications system comprising

a telecommunications network;

a user terminal connected to the network; and

a communication server capable of providing the user terminal access to group voice communication via the network;

the method comprising

maintaining information of at least two communication groups available to the user terminal;

receiving, in the communication server, a message indicating a request from the user terminal to speak to a first communication group; and

based on the received request message, setting the first communication group as a priority communication group of a highest priority for said user terminal.

26. The method according to claim 25, comprising, if at least two simultaneous voice streams are received from members of different communication groups, transmitting to the user terminal only a voice stream coming from a communication group of the highest priority for said user terminal.

27. The method according to claim 25, wherein said setting of the priority communication group is temporary.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein said setting of the priority communication group expires after a predetermined time period.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein said setting of the priority communication group expires after the predetermined time period, if no response to said group is received from the user terminal during said time period.

30. The method according to claim 27, comprising

maintaining information of a default priority communication group for the user terminal;

and

setting, as a response to an expiry of the temporary priority group, the default priority communication group as the priority communication group of the highest priority for the user terminal.

31. The method according to claim 25, comprising setting a communication group, which the respective user terminal has last spoken to, as the priority communication group of the highest priority for the user terminal.

32. A telecommunications system for providing group voice communication comprising

a telecommunications network;

a user terminal connected to the network; and

a communication server capable of providing the user terminal access to group voice communication via the network;

wherein

the system is configured to maintain information of at least two communication groups available to the user terminal; and

the communication server is configured to, as a response to receiving a request message from the user terminal indicating a desire of the respective user terminal to speak to a first communication group, set the first communication group as a priority communication group of a highest priority for said user terminal.

33. The system according to claim 32, wherein the communication server is configured, if at least two simultaneous voice streams are received from members of different communication groups, to transmit to the user terminal only a voice stream coming from a communication group of the highest priority for said user terminal.

34. The system according to claim 32, wherein

said priority communication group setting is temporary;

and

the communication server is configured to terminate said priority communication group setting after a predetermined time period.

35. The system according to claim 34, wherein

said priority communication group setting is temporary;

and

the communication server is configured to terminate said priority communication group setting after the predetermined time period, if no response to said priority communication group is transmitted from the user terminal during said predetermined time period.

36. The system according to claim 34, wherein the communication server is configured to

maintain information of a default priority communication group for the user terminal;

and

set, as a response to a termination of the temporary priority, the default priority communication group as the priority communication group of the highest priority for the user terminal.

37. The system according to claim 32, wherein the communication server comprises a Push-to-talk over Cellular (PoC) server.

38. A communication server for providing a user with access to group voice communication in a telecommunications system comprising a user terminal, wherein the communication server is configured to

receive a request message from a user terminal indicating a desire of the respective user terminal to speak to a first communication group;

and

as a response to said receiving, set the first communication group as a priority communication group of a highest priority for said user terminal.

39. The communication server according to claim 38, wherein it is configured, if at least two simultaneous voice streams are received from members of different communication groups, to transmit to the user terminal only a voice stream coming from a communication group of the highest priority for said user terminal.

40. The communication server according to claim 38, wherein it is arranged to terminate said priority communication group setting after a predetermined time period.

41. The communication server according to claim 40, wherein it is configured to terminate said priority communication group setting after a predetermined time period, if no response to said priority communication group is received from the user terminal during said predetermined time period.

42. The communication server according to claim 40, wherein it is configured to

maintain information of a default priority communication group for the user terminal;

and

set, as a response to a termination of a priority, the default priority communication group as the priority communication group of the highest priority for the user terminal.

43. A communication server for providing a user with access to group voice communication in a telecommunications system comprising a user terminal, the communication server comprising

means for receiving a request message from a user terminal indicating a desire of the respective user terminal to speak to a first communication group;

and

means for setting, as a response to said receiving, the first communication group as a priority communication group of a highest priority for said user terminal.

44. The communication server according to claim 43, comprising means for transmitting, if at least two simultaneous voice streams are received from members of different communication groups, to the user terminal only a voice stream coming from a communication group of the highest priority for said user terminal.

45. The communication server according to claim 43, comprising means for terminating said priority communication group setting after a predetermined time period.

46. The communication server according to claim 45, comprising means for terminating said priority communication group setting after the predetermined time period, if no response to said priority communication group is received from the user terminal during said predetermined time period.

47. The communication server according to claim 45, comprising means for

maintaining information of a default priority communication group for the user terminal;

and

setting, as a response to a termination of a priority, the default priority communication group as the priority communication group of the highest priority for the user terminal.