Group communication service method, mobile terminal using the same, and group communication service system thereof

• US 20060063548A1
• Filed: 09/07/2005
• Published: 03/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Sung Chul
• Granted Patent: US 7,945,272 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/518
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4061 Push-to services, e.g. push-to-talk or push-to-video
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data

Abstract

A method of group communication service, mobile terminal using the same, and a group communication service system thereof enables selective communications with one or more group communication counterparts with respect to a specific area. The method performs a group communication service with respect to a plurality of pushto service subscribers using mobile terminal location information and includes steps of acquiring location information of each of the pushto service subscribers, the location information indicating a current location of at least one of the pushto service subscribers with respect to a specific area; and generating group member list information corresponding to the pushto service subscribers and including a member list in which the current location of the at least one of the pushto service subscribers is classified with respect to the specific area. The mobile terminal includes a transceiver for receiving location information of a plurality of pushto service subscribers, the location information indicating a current location of at least one of the pushto service subscribers with respect to a specific area, and for performing a specific group communication function with respect to each of the pushto service subscribers; and a controller for generating and outputting, based on the received location information, group member list information corresponding to the pushto service subscribers and including a member list in which the current location of the at least one of the pushto service subscribers is classified with respect to the specific area. The group communication service system employs a location based service function and includes a location information provider for determining locations of each of a plurality of mobile terminals and for registering a plurality of pushto service subscribers; and a terminal for performing a specific group communication function according to a user selection command, by continuously exchanging status information with a network and by being provided with location information of the pushto service subscribers.

Claims

1. A method of performing a group communication service with respect to a plurality of pushto service subscribers using mobile terminal location information, the method comprising:

acquiring location information of each of the plurality of pushto service subscribers, the location information indicating a current location of at least one of the plurality of pushto service subscribers with respect to a specific area; and

generating group member list information corresponding to the plurality of pushto service subscribers and including a member list in which the current location of the at least one of the plurality of pushto service subscribers is classified with respect to the specific area.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating a group communication request for performing a specific group communication function with respect to at least one member of the member list; and

performing the specific group communication function in response to the group communication function request.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the specific group communication function is executed according to whether the current location of the at least one of the plurality of pushto service subscribers is inside the specific area.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the member list comprises the plurality of pushto service subscribers that are determined by the mobile terminal location information to be inside the specific area.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the member list comprises the plurality of pushto service subscribers that are determined by the mobile terminal location information to be outside the specific area.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal location information is provided for each pushto service subscriber through a presence service providing at least one of a location-based service and a global positioning service.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each pushto service subscriber operates a mobile terminal provided with mobile terminal location information and wherein the group communication request is initiated by one of the pushto service subscribers.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the one of the pushto service subscribers is one of an inviter terminal and a master terminal.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the master terminal has authority to establish group communication.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the specific area is defined by a predetermined distance from the master terminal.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the specific area is defined by a predetermined distance from the inviter terminal.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the specific area is defined by a predetermined distance from a known location.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the predetermined distance is determined by one of a user, the mobile terminal, and a mobile communications system of the mobile terminal.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the known location is determined by one of a user, the mobile terminal, and a mobile communications system of the mobile terminal.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the group member list information is periodically updated by refreshing the mobile terminal location information.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the member list is sorted according to a relation to a user.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the group communication service provides at least one of a voice, a text, and an image data transmission service.

18. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a transceiver for receiving location information of a plurality of pushto service subscribers, the location information indicating a current location of at least one of the plurality of pushto service subscribers with respect to a specific area, and for performing a specific group communication function with respect to each of the plurality of pushto service subscribers; and

a controller for generating and outputting, based on the received location information, group member list information corresponding to the plurality of pushto service subscribers and including a member list in which the current location of the at least one of the plurality of pushto service subscribers is classified with respect to the specific area.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 18, further comprising:

user interface means for outputting group member list information including a list of the group members within the specific area according to the control signal of said controller.

20. The mobile terminal of claim 19, wherein said user interface means is a display for informing a user of the group member list information.

21. The mobile terminal of claim 19, wherein the member list is sorted according to a relation to a user.

22. A group communication service system employing a location based service function, the group communication service system comprising:

a location information provider for determining locations of each of a plurality of mobile terminals and for registering a plurality of pushto service subscribers; and

a terminal for performing a specific group communication function according to a user selection command, by continuously exchanging status information with a network and by being provided with location information of the plurality of pushto service subscribers.

23. The group communication service system of claim 22, wherein the location of any one of the plurality of mobile terminals is determined by one of at least one of a mobile communication network and a received satellite signal.

24. The group communication service system of claim 22, wherein said terminal has at least one user function among grouping group members according to a specific area, sorting group members according to a specific area, grouping members according to a specific area defined by the user, grouping members according to a specific area determined with respect to a member selected by the user, and grouping members according to a specific area determined with respect to the user.

25. The group communication service system of claim 24, wherein establishment of the specific area is selectively defined by the user.

26. The group communication service system of claim 24, wherein establishment of the specific area is predefined by one of the system and said terminal.

27. The group communication service system of claim 24, wherein each of the user functions can be displayed in a pop-up menu form