System and method for distributing VoIP data packets in group communications among wireless telecommunication devices

• US 20060221968A1
• Filed: 03/31/2005
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Razdan, Ashu, Rosen, Eric C., Ananthanarayanan, Arul, Gill, Harleen K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,724,743 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4061 Push-to services, e.g. push-to-talk or push-to-video
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2044 Group features, e.g. closed user group
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/205 Broadcasting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/02 Data link layer protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices

Abstract

In group wireless telecommunication, such as push-to-talk (PTT) calls, a voice communication is broadcast through Internet protocol data packets to other member devices of the PTT group. At least one communication server receives a single communication stream from a communicating wireless device, such as a PTT call, and creates a group communication to all wireless telecommunication devices of the designated group with the broadcast of Internet protocol data packets containing the voice data of the communication stream to one or more wireless telecommunication devices of the receiving group that can receive and handle the packets. Other wireless network infrastructure can be used to assist the communication server in generation and broadcast of the Internet protocol data packets to the receiving wireless telecommunication devices.

Claims

1. A system for broadcasting Internet protocol data packets containing voice data to 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 communication stream to a designated group of the plurality of wireless telecommunication devices, and at least one of the plurality of wireless telecommunication devices able to receive broadcast Internet protocol data packets containing voice data; 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, and wherein the server causes the broadcast of Internet protocol data packets containing voice data to at least one wireless telecommunication device of the receiving group of the plurality of wireless telecommunication devices.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication server broadcasts voice data packets.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the communication server broadcasts application data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication server broadcasts multimedia.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one wireless telecommunication device sends Internet protocol data packets to the communication server.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless telecommunication device sends voice data to the communication server and the communication server routes the voice data to another computer device on the network that converts the voice data in Internet protocol data packets for broadcast to at least one wireless telecommunication device of the group.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more intermittent communication devices that bridge communication streams between the communication server and the group of wireless telecommunication devices, and wherein the communication server further determines the wireless telecommunication devices of the group able to receive broadcast Internet data protocol packets and directing the one or more intermittent communication devices to send Internet protocol data packets to those wireless telecommunication devices of the group that can receive Internet protocol data packets.

8. A communication server for broadcasting Internet protocol data packets containing voice data to a group of wireless telecommunication devices on a wireless network, wherein the communication server receives a single communication stream from a communicating wireless device and creates a group communication to all wireless telecommunication devices of the designated group, and wherein the server causes the broadcast of Internet protocol data packets containing voice data to at least one wireless telecommunication device of the receiving group of the plurality of wireless telecommunication devices.

9. The communication server of claim 8, wherein the communication server broadcasts only voice data packets.

10. The communication server of claim 8, wherein the communication server further broadcasts application data.

11. The communication server of claim 8, wherein the communication server further broadcasts multimedia.

12. The communication server of claim 8, wherein the communication server further receives Internet protocol data packets from one or more wireless telecommunication devices on the wireless network.

13. The communication server of claim 8, wherein one or more intermittent communication devices bridge communication streams between the communication server and the group of wireless telecommunication devices, and wherein the communication server further determines the wireless telecommunication devices of the group able to receive broadcast Internet data protocol packets and directing the one or more intermittent communication devices to send Internet protocol data packets to those wireless telecommunication devices of the group that can receive Internet protocol data packets.

14. A system for broadcasting Internet protocol data packets containing voice data on a wireless network, comprising:

means for wireless telecommunication and directing a single communication stream to a designated group of other wireless telecommunication means on the wireless network, the wireless telecommunication devices further for receiving broadcast Internet protocol data packets containing voice data; and

means for receiving the single communication stream from a communicating wireless means and creating a group communication to all wireless telecommunication means of the designated group, and wherein the means for receiving further causing the broadcast of Internet protocol data packets containing voice data to the wireless telecommunication means.

15. A wireless telecommunication device able to direct a single communication stream to a designated group of a plurality of wireless telecommunication devices accessible on a wireless network, the wireless telecommunication device further able to receive broadcast Internet protocol data packets containing voice data in addition to communicating through a standard communication stream on the wireless network to other wireless telecommunication devices on the wireless network.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the wireless telecommunication device further transmits Internet protocol voice data packets to other computer devices on the wireless network.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the wireless telecommunication device further transmits application data to other computer devices on the wireless network.

18. The device of claim 15, wherein the standard communication stream is a full duplex telephone call across a cellular telecommunication network.

19. The device of claim 15, wherein the standard communication stream is a half duplex telephone call across a cellular telecommunication network to a group of other wireless telecommunication devices.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the standard communication stream is a push-talk telecommunication.

21. A method for efficiently distributing Internet protocol data packets containing voice data among a group of wireless telecommunication devices on a wireless network, comprising the steps of:

directing a single communication stream from a wireless telecommunication device to a designated group of a plurality of wireless telecommunication devices on a wireless network, the communication stream including voice data, and wherein at least one of the plurality of wireless telecommunication devices able to receive Internet protocol data packets containing voice data;

receiving the single communication stream from a communicating wireless device at a communication server;

creating at the communication server a group communication to all wireless telecommunication devices of the designated group; and

broadcasting Internet protocol data packets containing voice data to at least one wireless telecommunication device of the receiving group of the plurality of wireless telecommunication devices.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of receiving the Internet protocol data packets containing voice data at one or more of the plurality of wireless telecommunication devices in the group.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of directing a communication stream includes directing application data to a designated group of a plurality of wireless telecommunication devices.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of directing a communication stream includes directing multimedia to a designated group of a plurality of wireless telecommunication devices.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of routing the voice data from the communication server to another computer device on the network that converts the voice data in Internet protocol data packets for broadcast to at least one wireless telecommunication device of the group.

26. The method of claim 21, further comprising the steps of:

determining at the communication server the wireless telecommunication devices of the group able to receive broadcast Internet data protocol packets; and

directing one or more intermittent communication devices to send Internet protocol data packets to those wireless telecommunication devices of the group that can receive Internet protocol data packets, the one or more intermittent communication devices bridging communication streams between the communication server and the group of wireless telecommunication devices.

27. A method for efficiently distributing Internet protocol data packets containing voice data among a group of wireless telecommunication devices on a wireless network, comprising:

a step for directing a single communication stream from a wireless telecommunication device to a designated group of a plurality of wireless telecommunication devices on a wireless network, the communication stream including voice data, and wherein at least one of the plurality of wireless telecommunication devices able to receive Internet protocol data packets containing voice data;

a step for receiving the single communication stream from a communicating wireless device at a communication server;

a step for creating a group communication to all wireless telecommunication devices of the designated group; and

a step for broadcasting Internet protocol data packets containing voice data to at least one wireless telecommunication device of the receiving group of the plurality of wireless telecommunication devices.

28. A method for broadcasting Internet protocol data packets containing voice data to a group of wireless telecommunication devices on a wireless network, comprising the steps of:

receiving a single communication stream at a communication server from a communicating wireless telecommunication device;

creating at the communication server a group communication to all wireless telecommunication devices of a designated group of wireless telecommunication devices; and

broadcasting Internet protocol data packets containing voice data from the communication stream to at least one member wireless telecommunication device of the receiving group of the plurality of wireless telecommunication devices.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the step of broadcasting is broadcasting only voice data packets.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the step of broadcasting is broadcasting application data.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the step of broadcasting is broadcasting multimedia.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein the step of receiving a communication stream is receiving Internet protocol data packets from one or more wireless telecommunication devices on the wireless network.

33. The method of claim 28, further comprising the steps of:

determining at the communication server the member wireless telecommunication devices able to receive broadcast Internet data protocol packets, and wherein one or more intermittent communication devices bridge communication streams between the communication server and the group of wireless telecommunication devices; and

directing the one or more intermittent communication devices to send Internet protocol data packets to those member wireless telecommunication devices of the group that can receive Internet protocol data packets.

34. A method for broadcasting Internet protocol data packets containing voice data to a group of wireless telecommunication devices on a wireless network, comprising:

a step for receiving a single communication stream at a communication server from a communicating wireless telecommunication device;

a step for creating a group communication to all wireless telecommunication devices of a designated group of wireless telecommunication devices; and

a step for broadcasting Internet protocol data packets containing voice data to at least one wireless telecommunication device of the receiving group of the plurality of wireless telecommunication devices.

35. A computer program in a computer-readable medium, that when executed by a computer, broadcasts Internet protocol data packets containing voice data to a group of wireless telecommunication devices on a wireless network through causing the computer to perform the steps of:

receiving a single communication stream at the executing computer device from a communicating wireless telecommunication device;

creating a group communication to all wireless telecommunication devices of a designated group of wireless telecommunication devices, and

broadcasting Internet protocol data packets containing voice data from the communication stream to at least one member wireless telecommunication device of the receiving group of the plurality of wireless telecommunication devices.

36. The program of claim 35, wherein the program further causes the step of broadcasting to be broadcasting only voice data packets.

37. The program of claim 35, wherein the program further causes the step of broadcasting to be broadcasting application data.

38. The program of claim 35, wherein the program further causes the step of broadcasting to be broadcasting multimedia.

39. The program of claim 35, wherein the program further causes the step of receiving a communication stream to be receiving Internet protocol data packets from one or more wireless telecommunication devices on the wireless network.

40. The program of claim 35, further causing the computer to perform the steps of:

determining at the executing computer device the member wireless telecommunication devices able to receive broadcast Internet data protocol packets, and wherein one or more intermittent communication devices bridge communication streams to the group of wireless telecommunication devices; and

directing the one or more intermittent communication devices to send Internet protocol data packets to those member wireless telecommunication devices of the group that can receive Internet protocol data packets.