Wireless communication system utilizing a persistence value for group communication requests to reduce latency

• US 20050288047A1
• Filed: 06/16/2005
• Published: 12/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Razdan, Ashu, Ananthanarayanan, Arulmozhi Kasi, Rosen, Eric C., Gill, Harleen K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,664,517 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/518
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services

Abstract

A system and method for minimizing latency for direct group communications, such as push-to-talk (PIT) calls, among a group of wireless telecommunication devices on a wireless telecommunication network. The wireless telecommunication device selectively requests and then receives an open dedicated broadcast channel for an outgoing communication, which can include a direct group communication stream to a communication server that receives and creates a group communication to all wireless telecommunication devices of the designated group. The wireless telecommunication devices selectively receives a broadcast channel based upon a predetermined probability, and assigns a greater probability of receiving an open broadcast channel for requests to transmit direct group communication streams than for requests open a broadcast channel that are not for a direct group communication.

Claims

1. A system for minimizing latency for direct group communications among a group of wireless telecommunication devices on a wireless network, comprising:

a plurality of wireless telecommunication devices wherein each wireless telecommunication device is able to direct a single group communication stream to a designated group of the plurality of wireless telecommunication devices, each wireless telecommunication device selectively requesting and then receiving an open dedicated broadcast channel for an outgoing communication from the wireless telecommunication device, to include a direct communication stream from that wireless telecommunication device; and

a communication server that receives the single communication stream from a communicating wireless device and creates a group communication to all wireless telecommunication devices of the designated group,

wherein a set of one or more of the plurality wireless telecommunication devices selectively receives a broadcast channel based upon a predetermined probability, and one or more of the set of wireless telecommunications devices assigns a greater probability of receiving an open broadcast channel for requests to transmit direct group communication streams than for requests to open a broadcast channel that are not for a direct group communication.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the group communication stream is voice data packets.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the group communication stream includes application data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one or more of the set of wireless telecommunications devices automatically opens a broadcast channel for requests to transmit direct group communication streams.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the set of wireless telecommunications devices assigns a probability of receiving an open broadcast channel for requests to transmit direct group communication streams to be greater than 50%.

6. A wireless telecommunication device that is able to direct a single group communication stream to a designated group of a plurality of wireless telecommunication devices on wireless telecommunication network, the wireless telecommunication device selectively opening dedicated broadcast channels to the wireless telecommunication network for an outgoing communication from the wireless telecommunication device, to include any direct communication stream from that wireless telecommunication device, and wherein the wireless telecommunication device further selectively opens dedicated broadcast channels based upon a predetermined probability, and assigns a greater probability of opening a broadcast channel for transmitting a direct group communication stream than for opening a broadcast channel not for a direct group communication stream.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the group communication stream is voice data packets.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the group communication stream includes application data.

9. The device of claim 6, wherein the wireless telecommunications device automatically opens a broadcast channel to transmit direct group communication streams.

10. The device of claim 6, wherein the wireless telecommunications devices assigns a probability of receiving an open broadcast channel to transmit direct group communication streams to greater than 50%.

11. A wireless telecommunication device, comprising:

a means for directing a single group communication stream to a designated group of a plurality of wireless telecommunication devices on wireless telecommunication network;

a means for selectively opening dedicated broadcast channels to the wireless telecommunication network for an outgoing communication from the wireless telecommunication device, to include any direct communication stream from that wireless telecommunication device; and

a means for selectively opening the dedicated broadcast channel based upon a predetermined probability;

the means assigning a greater probability of opening a broadcast channel for transmitting a direct group communication stream than for opening a broadcast channel not for a direct group communication stream.

12. A method for minimizing latency for direct group communications from a first wireless telecommunication device to a predetermined group of wireless telecommunication devices on a wireless network, comprising the steps of:

requesting, at a wireless telecommunication device that is able to direct a single group communication stream to a designated group of a plurality of wireless telecommunication devices on wireless telecommunication network, the opening of a dedicated broadcast channel to the wireless telecommunication network for an outgoing communication from the wireless telecommunication device;

assigning a first probability of opening a direct communication stream;

assigning a second probability for opening a direct communication stream for a direct group communication stream, the second probability greater than the first probability;

if the request for a dedicated broadcast channel is not for a direct group communication stream, selectively opening a dedicated broadcast channel based upon the first probability; and

if the request for a dedicated broadcast channel is for a direct group communication stream, selectively opening dedicated broadcast channel based upon the second probability.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of setting a first default duration for the maximum delay between the request for opening a dedicated communication channel and the opening of the dedicated communication channel.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of setting a second default duration for the maximum delay between the request for opening a dedicated communication channel for a direct group communication stream and the opening of the dedicated communication channel, the second default duration shorter than the first default duration.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of assigning a second probability is assigning the wireless telecommunications device to automatically open a broadcast channel to transmit direct group communication streams.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the step of assigning a first probably is assigning a probability of 50%; and

the step of assigning a second probability is assigning a probability greater than 50%.

17. A method for minimizing latency for direct group communications from a first wireless telecommunication device to a predetermined group of wireless telecommunication devices on a wireless network, comprising:

a step for requesting, at a wireless telecommunication device that is able to direct a single group communication stream to a designated group of a plurality of wireless telecommunication devices on wireless telecommunication network, the opening of a dedicated broadcast channel to the wireless telecommunication network for an outgoing communication from the wireless telecommunication device;

a step for assigning a first probability of opening a direct communication stream;

a step for assigning a second probability for opening a direct communication stream for a direct group communication stream, the second probability greater than the first probability;

a step for, if the request for a dedicated broadcast channel is not for a direct group communication stream, selectively opening a dedicated broadcast channel based upon the first probability; and

a step for, if the request for a dedicated broadcast channel is for a direct group communication stream, selectively opening dedicated broadcast channel based upon the second probability.

18. A computer program that, when executed on the computer platform of a wireless telecommunication device, minimizes latency for direct group communications from that wireless telecommunication device to a predetermined group of wireless telecommunication devices on a wireless network, the program causing the wireless device to perform the steps of:

requesting the opening of a dedicated broadcast channel to the wireless telecommunication network for an outgoing communication from the wireless telecommunication device;

assigning a first probability of opening a direct communication stream;

assigning a second probability for opening a direct communication stream for a direct group communication stream, the second probability greater than the first probability;

if the request for a dedicated broadcast channel is not for a direct group communication stream, selectively opening a dedicated broadcast channel based upon the first probability; and

if the request for a dedicated broadcast channel is for a direct group communication stream, selectively opening dedicated broadcast channel based upon the second probability.

19. The computer program of claim 18, further causing the wireless telecommunication device to perform the step of setting a first default duration for the maximum delay between the request for opening a dedicated communication channel and the opening of the dedicated communication channel.

20. The computer program of claim 19, further causing the wireless device to perform the step of setting a second default duration for the maximum delay between the request for opening a dedicated communication channel for a direct group communication stream and the opening of the dedicated communication channel, the second default duration shorter than the first default duration.

21. The computer program of claim 18, wherein the program causes the step of assigning a second probability to be assigning the wireless telecommunications device to automatically open a broadcast channel to transmit direct group communication streams.

22. The computer program of claim 18, wherein the program further causes:

the step of assigning a first probably to be assigning a probability of 50%; and

the step of assigning a second probability to be assigning a probability greater than 50%.