Talk burst allocation in a PTT communicaitn network

• US 20060030344A1
• Filed: 07/27/2005
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lim, Guk-Chan
• Granted Patent: US 7,738,893 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/512
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/56 based on priority criteria
• 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

Abstract

A server servicing a plurality of mobile communication systems for half-duplex communication is provided. The server comprises a transceiver to send and receive communication signals; a processor in operational relationship with the transceiver for processing executable code stored in a storage medium accessible by the processor, the executable code configured to cause the processor to detect a time duration in which a user continuously activates a half-duplex function.

Claims

1. A talk burst allocation method in a push-to-talk (PTT) communication system, the method comprising:

assigning a priority ranking to a PTT terminal among a plurality of PTT terminals in a PTT communication system; and

allocating a talk burst to the PTT terminal with the highest priority ranking.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the allocating step is performed by a PTT server servicing the plurality of PTT terminals.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a priority ranking for a first PTT terminal among the plurality of PTT terminals based on length of time a PTT request actuator on the PTT terminal is pressed.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining step is performed by a PTT server servicing the plurality of PTT terminals.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining step is performed by the first PTT terminal.

6. A talk burst allocation method in a push-to-talk (PTT) communication system supporting a plurality of PTT terminals, the method comprising:

determining whether a talk burst can be allocated to a first PTT terminal having a first priority, in response to receiving a talk burst request message from the first PTT terminal; and

changing priority of the first PTT terminal to a second priority, when request for a talk burst is denied.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second priority has a higher ranking than the first priority.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

changing priority of the first PTT terminal according to a state defined by length of user interaction with a PTT actuator of the first PTT terminal.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the PTT terminal re-transmits the talk burst request message to the PTT server, after passage of a threshold time period.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

allocating the talk burst to the PTT terminal in accordance with the first priority.

11. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

changing priority of the first PTT terminal according to a state defined by length of time a user has pressed a PTT key on the first PTT terminal.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining priority of the first PTT terminal by monitoring when the PTT key is released.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the first PTT terminal transmits a talk burst request delete message to the PTT server, when the PTT key is released.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

changing priority of the first PTT terminal to a default value, in response to receiving a talk burst request delete message from the first PTT terminal.

15. A talk burst allocation method in a push-to-talk (PTT) communication system, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a talk burst from a plurality of PTT terminals, each terminal having a corresponding priority level; and

allocating the talk burst to a first PTT terminal having a first priority level, when the talk bust is unallocated.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first priority level is the highest priority level among all corresponding priority levels.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising updating the corresponding priority levels of all other PTT terminals to which talk bust is not allocated.

18. A talk burst allocation method in a push-to-talk (PTT) communication system, the method comprising:

being assigned a priority ranking among a plurality of PTT terminals in a PTT communication system; and

obtaining a talk burst from a PTT server, when the assigned priority ranking is the highest ranking among the plurality of PTT terminals.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein:

a priority ranking is assigned to a first PTT terminal among the plurality of PTT terminals based on a time when a talk burst request was submitted by the first PTT terminal.

20. A method of servicing a plurality of users in a voice/data communication system, the method comprising:

detecting a time duration when a user continuously activates a half-duplex function of a communication terminal in the voice/data communication system;

assigning a priority to said user according to the detected time duration; and

granting a transmission privilege to said user according to the assigned priority.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the half-duplex function is a push-to-talk function.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the assigned priority has a direct relationship with the detected time duration.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the transmission privilege provides the user with a right to talk to other users in the voice/data communication system.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the transmission privilege is granted upon receiving at least one transmission request sent to a server in the voice/data communication system, during the detected time duration.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the transmission request comprises at least one of a right to talk request, a floor request, and a talk burst request.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein transmission request is retransmitted to the server in a periodic manner.

27. A server servicing a plurality of mobile communication systems for half-duplex communication, the server comprising:

a transceiver to send and receive communication signals;

a processor in operational relationship with the transceiver for processing executable code stored in a storage medium, the executable code configured to cause the processor to detect a time duration in which a user continuously activates a half-duplex function, assign a priority to said user according to the detected time duration, and grant a transmission privilege to said user according to the assigned priority.

28. The server of claim 27, wherein the half-duplex function is a push-to-talk function.

29. The server of claim 27, wherein the assigned priority has a direct relationship with the detected time duration.

30. The server of claim 27, wherein the transmission privilege provides the user with a right to talk.

31. A mobile terminal in a push-to-talk (PTT) communication network, the mobile terminal comprising:

a memory;

a processor;

a transceiver for communicating with a plurality of mobile terminals in the PTT communication network; and

a half-duplex unit in operational relationship with the processor, wherein;

the processor executes code modules stored in the memory to activate the half-duplex function unit, in response to a user requesting to obtain a right to talk from a server in the PTT communication network.

32. The mobile terminal of claim 31, wherein the server assigns a priority to the mobile communication terminal.

33. The mobile terminal of claim 32, wherein the mobile terminal obtains the right to talk from the server, if the priority assigned to the mobile terminal is higher than a plurality assigned to another mobile terminals in the PTT communication network.

34. The mobile terminal of claim 32, wherein the mobile terminal obtains the right to talk from the server, if the priority assigned to the mobile terminal is the highest among the plurality of mobile terminals in the PTT communication network.

35. The mobile terminal of claim 32, wherein the priority is assigned to the mobile terminal based on a time when a right to talk was requested by the user.

36. The mobile terminal of claim 32, wherein the priority is assigned to the mobile terminal based on a time duration in which a user presses a key on the mobile terminal to request a right to talk.