Wireless communication system providing seamless switching between full-duplex and half-duplex modes

• US 20060025165A1
• Filed: 07/31/2004
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nextel Communications (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Nextel Communications (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Choksi, Ojas T., Szuszczewicz, Karalyn M., Tillet, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 7,415,282 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/517
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections

Abstract

A wireless communication system is disclosed comprising a call controller to establish a communication session in a first communication mode between two or more users; receive a request from at least one of the users to switch the first communication mode of the communication session to a second communication mode; and switch the first communication mode of the communication session to the second communication mode. The first and second communication mode may respectively comprise half-duplex and full-duplex modes, or vice-versa. Other disclosed embodiments relate to a call controller for to setup multiple communication mode sessions in a wireless communication system, and a subscriber unit able to request and accept a switch to a different communication mode in an ongoing communication session.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing a communication session in a first communication mode between two or more users;

receiving a request from at least one of the users to switch the first communication mode of the communication session to a second communication mode; and

switching the first communication mode of the communication session to the second communication mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication mode comprises a half-duplex communication mode.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second communication mode comprises a full-duplex communication mode.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication mode comprises a full-duplex communication mode.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second communication mode comprises a half-duplex communication mode.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether at least one of the users are eligible for the switching of the first communication mode to the second communication mode in response to receiving the request.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining whether at least one of the users are eligible for the switching of the first communication mode to the second communication mode comprises accessing a local memory.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein determining whether at least one of the users are eligible for the switching of the first communication mode to the second communication mode comprises:

sending a message to a database requesting information as to whether the users are eligible for the switching of the first communication mode to the second communication mode; and

receiving a response to the message including the information as to whether the users are eligible for the switching of the first communication mode to the second communication mode.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

forwarding the request to at least one of the users; and

receiving an acceptance to the request from the at least one of the users.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing a network environment to handle the communication session in the second communication mode.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein changing the network environment to handle the communication session in the second communication mode comprises changing at least one of the following parameters of the communication session:

bandwidth;

call feature;

directivity;

an echo cancellation;

voice mixer;

jitter buffer; and

RF resources.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying at least one of the users of the commencement of the communication session in the second communication mode.

13. A wireless communication system comprising a call controller to:

establish a communication session in a first communication mode between two or more users;

receive a request from at least one of the users to switch the first communication mode of the communication session to a second communication mode; and

switch the first communication mode of the communication session to the second communication mode.

14. The wireless communication system of claim 13, wherein the first communication mode comprises a half-duplex communication mode.

15. The wireless communication system of claim 14, wherein the second communication mode comprises a full-duplex communication mode.

16. The wireless communication system of claim 13, wherein the first communication mode comprises a full-duplex communication mode.

17. The wireless communication system of claim 16, wherein the second communication mode comprises a half-duplex communication mode.

18. The wireless communication system of claim 13, further comprising:

a carrier network coupled to the call controller; and

one or more base stations coupled to the carrier network, wherein the call controller is adapted to receive the request by way of one or more of the base station and the carrier network.

19. The wireless communication system of claim 13, wherein the call controller is adapted to receive the request by way of an external network.

20. The wireless communication system of claim 13, wherein the call controller is adapted to determine whether at least one of the users are eligible for the switching of the first communication mode to the second communication mode.

21. The wireless communication system of claim 20, wherein the call controller comprises a local memory containing information as to whether at least one of the users are eligible for the switching of the first communication mode to the second communication mode.

22. The wireless communication system of claim 20, further comprising:

a carrier network coupled to the call controller; and

a database coupled to the carrier network, wherein the call controller is adapted to determine whether at least one of the users are eligible for the switching of the first communication mode to the second communication mode by;

transmitting a query to the database by way of the carrier network requesting information as to whether at least one of the users are eligible for the switching of the first communication mode to the second communication mode; and

receiving a response to the query from the database by way of the carrier network.

23. The wireless communication system of claim 13, wherein the call controller is adapted to:

forward the request to at least one of the users; and

receive an acceptance to the request from at least one of the users.

24. The wireless communication system of claim 13, wherein the call controller is adapted to change a network environment to handle the communication session in the second communication mode.

25. The wireless communication system of claim 13, further comprising:

a media server;

a base station controller;

wherein the call controller is adapted to change the network environment to handle the communication session in the second communication mode by communication with the media server and/or the base station controller to change at least one of the following parameters of the communication session;

a bandwidth;

call feature;

directivity;

echo cancellation;

voice mixer;

jitter buffer; and

RF resources.

26. The wireless communication system of claim 13, wherein the call controller is adapted to notify at least one of the users of the commencement of the communication session in the second communication mode.

27. A call controller comprising:

a network interface; and

a processor to;

establish a communication session in a first communication mode between two or more users;

receive a request from at least one of the users by way of the network interface to switch the first communication mode of the communication session to a second communication mode; and

switch the first communication mode of the communication session to the second communication mode.

28. The call controller of claim 27, wherein the first communication mode comprises a half-duplex communication mode.

29. The call controller of claim 28, wherein the second communication mode comprises a full-duplex communication mode.

30. The call controller of claim 27, wherein the first communication mode comprises a full-duplex communication mode.

31. The call controller of claim 30, wherein the second communication mode comprises a half-duplex communication mode.

32. A computer readable medium comprising one or more software modules to control a processor to:

establish a communication session in a first communication mode between two or more users;

receive a request from at least one of the users to switch the first communication mode of the communication session to a second communication mode; and

switch the first communication mode of the communication session to the second communication mode.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 32, wherein the first communication mode comprises a half-duplex communication mode.

34. The computer readable medium of claim 33, wherein the second communication mode comprises a full-duplex communication mode.

35. The computer readable medium of claim 32, wherein the first communication mode comprises a full-duplex communication mode.

36. The computer readable medium of claim 33, wherein the second communication mode comprises a half-duplex communication mode.

37. A method implemented by a call controller, comprising:

receiving a first request for a first communication session between a first set of users, wherein the first request specifies a first communication mode for the first communication session;

establishing the first communication session in the first communication mode between the first set of users;

receiving a second request for a second communication session between a second set of users, wherein the second request specifies a second communication mode for the second communication session; and

establishing the second communication session in the second communication mode between the second set of users, wherein the first communication mode is different than the second communication mode.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the first communication mode comprises a half-duplex communication mode.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the second communication mode comprises a full-duplex communication mode.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein the first communication mode comprises a full-duplex communication mode.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the second communication mode comprises a half-duplex communication mode.

42. A call controller, comprising:

a network interface; and

a processor to;

receive a first request by way of the network interface for a first communication session between a first set of users, wherein the first request specifies a first communication mode for the first communication session;

establish the first communication session in the first communication mode between the first set of users;

receive a second request by way of the network interface for a second communication session between a second set of users, wherein the second request specifies a second communication mode for the second communication session; and

establish the second communication session in the second communication mode between the second set of users, wherein the first communication mode is different than the second communication mode.

43. The call controller of claim 42, wherein the first communication mode comprises a half-duplex communication mode.

44. The call controller of claim 43, wherein the second communication mode comprises a full-duplex communication mode.

45. The call controller of claim 42, wherein the first communication mode comprises a full-duplex communication mode.

46. The call controller of claim 45, wherein the second communication mode comprises a half-duplex communication mode.

47. A computer readable medium comprising one or more software modules to control a processor to:

receive a first request for a first communication session between a first set of users, wherein the first request specifies a first communication mode for the first communication session;

establish the first communication session in the first communication mode between the first set of users;

receive a second request for a second communication session between a second set of users, wherein the second request specifies a second communication mode for the second communication session; and

establish the second communication session in the second communication mode between the second set of users, wherein the first communication mode is different than the second communication mode.

48. The computer readable medium of claim 47, wherein the first communication mode comprises a half-duplex communication mode.

49. The computer readable medium of claim 48, wherein the second communication mode comprises a full-duplex communication mode.

50. The computer readable medium of claim 47, wherein the first communication mode comprises a full-duplex communication mode.

51. The computer readable medium of claim 50, wherein the second communication mode comprises a half-duplex communication mode.