Group call in a communication system

• US 20060128411A1
• Filed: 06/08/2004
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Turcanu, Calin
• Granted Patent: US 8,331,971 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/518
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast

Abstract

The present invention relates to an ad-hoc group call made from a subscriber device of a communications system. A list of subscribers is stored in a phonebook application in a subscriber device. A user can activate a group call and select two or more subscribers from the phonebook. In response to such selection, the subscriber device provides appropriate signalling with a group communication service in a network infrastructure for establishing an ad-hoc group call consisting of the selected subscribers and the user of the subscriber device. The ad-hoc group is deleted when the call ends.

Claims

1-10. -10. (canceled)

11. A method of making an ad-hoc group call in a subscriber device of a communications system, the method comprising

storing a list of subscribers in a phonebook application in a subscriber device,

storing presence information of the subscribers in the phonebook application, said presence information including information on the availability of the subscribers for a group call, and

in response to receiving, via a user interface from a user of the subscriber device, a group call activation with a selection of two or more subscribers from the phonebook, providing appropriate signalling with a group communication service in a network infrastructure for establishing an ad-hoc group call consisting of the selected subscribers and the user of the subscriber device.

12. A method according to claim 11, comprising

sending a speech item or a speech item request each time a talk activity is detected or indicated in the subscriber device during a call.

13. A method according to claim 11, comprising

opening the phonebook application in response to a predetermined input from the user interface,

displaying the list of subscribers on the user interface,

in response to the user'"'"'s selection of two or more subscribers from the list via the user interface, displaying a group communications menu on the user interface, and

establishing an ad-hoc group including the user and the selected subscribers in response to the user selecting a predetermined operation in the group communications menu or the user pressing a predetermined button, such as an off-hook button or a push-to-talk switch.

14. A method according to claim 11, comprising

opening the phonebook application in response to a predetermined input from the user interface,

displaying the list of subscribers on the user interface,

receiving the user'"'"'s selection of two or more subscribers from the list via the user interface, and

establishing an ad-hoc group including the user and the selected subscribers in response to the user pressing a predetermined button, such as an off-hook button or a push-to-talk switch.

15. A subscriber device for a mobile communication system, comprising

a talk group communication means,

a phonebook application means storing a list of subscribers,

the phonebook application means being configured to store presence information of the subscribers, said presence information including information on the availability of the subscribers for a group call, and

means responsive to receiving, via a user interface from a user of the subscriber device, group call activation with a selection of two or more subscribers from the phonebook for providing appropriate signalling with a group communication service in a network infrastructure for establishing an ad-hoc group call consisting of the selected subscribers and the user of the subscriber device.

16. A device according to claim 15, comprising

said talk group communication means being configured to send a speech item or a speech item request each time a talk activity detector or a push-to-talk switch is activated in the subscriber device during a call.

17. A device according to claim 15, comprising

the phonebook application being configured to display the list of subscribers on the user interface,

the phonebook application being configured, in response to the user'"'"'s selection of two or more subscribers from the list via the user interface, to display a group communications menu on the user interface, and

the phonebook application being configured to initiate establishment of an ad-hoc group including the user and the selected subscribers in response to the user selecting a predetermined operation in the group communications menu or the user pressing a predetermined button, such as an off-hook button or a push-to-talk switch.

18. A device according to claim 15, comprising

the phonebook application being configured to display the list of subscribers on the user interface,

the phonebook application being configured, in response to the user'"'"'s selection of two or more subscribers from the list via the user interface, to display a group communications menu on the user interface, and

the phonebook application being configured, in response to the user'"'"'s selection of two or more subscribers from the list via the user interface and the user selecting a predetermined operation in the group communications menu or the user pressing a predetermined button, such as an off-hook button or a push-to-talk switch, to initiate establishment of an ad-hoc group including the user and the selected subscribers.

19. A program comprising program code means that, when run in a processor of a subscriber device of a communication system, performs steps of

storing a list of subscribers in a phonebook application in a subscriber device,

storing presence information of the subscribers in the phonebook application, said presence information including information on the availability of the subscribers for a group call, and

in response to receiving, via a user interface from a user of the subscriber device, a group call activation with a selection of two or more subscribers from the phonebook, providing appropriate signalling with a group communication service in a network infrastructure for establishing an ad-hoc group call consisting of the selected subscribers and the user of the subscriber device.

20. A storage medium comprising an executable program that includes

a phonebook application routine configured to store a list of subscribers in a subscriber device of a communications system, and to store presence information of the subscribers in the phonebook application, said presence information including information on the availability of the subscribers for a group call, and

a routine configured, in response to receiving, via a user interface from a user of the subscriber device, group call activation with a selection of two or more subscribers from the phonebook to provide an appropriate signalling with a group communication service in a network infrastructure for establishing an ac-hoc group call consisting of the selected subscribers and the user of the subscriber.

21. A subscriber device for a mobile communication system, comprising

a radio transceiver with a group communication capability,

a memory containing a list of subscribers of a phonebook application, and presence information of said subscribers, said presence information including information on the availability of the subscribers for a group call,

a controller connected to a user interface from a user of the subscriber device via which a group call activation can be received with a selection of two or more subscribers from said list of the phonebook application,

said controller being further connected to said transceiver to send via said transceiver to a group communication service in a network infrastructure an ad-hoc group call setup signalling for a call group consisting of the selected subscribers and the user of the subscriber device.