Method for managing communication sessions

• US 20060276213A1
• Filed: 12/22/2004
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Hilf, Eric, Gottschalk, Thomas, Kautz, Olaf
• Granted Patent: US 7,203,509 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/518
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4061 Push-to services, e.g. push-to-talk or push-to-video
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

A method for managing communication sessions in a packet-oriented communication system, consisting of a central control unit and a plurality of mobile stations, which can be interconnected via the central control unit. To achieve this, a communication session is established between mobile stations that are assigned to a first communication group. Session priorities are then defined for a first mobile station of the first communication group, said station being in addition assigned to at least a second communications group. Finally the session priorities are transmitted to the central control unit. A second communication session is also established between those mobile stations that are assigned to the second communication group(s), including the first mobile station. Both the first and the second communication session are established via the central control unit, in such a way that the latter can manage the first mobile station in both communication sessions according to the transmitted session priorities.

Claims

1. Method for administration of communication sessions (KSI1;

KSI2) in a packet-oriented communication system (KS), consisting of a central control device (PTT-S) and a plurality of mobile stations (O, R11, R12, R21, R22, R23), which are connected to each other via the central control device, whereby the method features the following steps;

Setting up a first communication session (KSI1) between mobile stations (O, R11, R12), which are assigned to a first communication group (KG1), via the central control device;

Defining a session prioritization for a first mobile station (O) of the first communication group which is further assigned to at least one second communication group (KG2);

in which the session prioritization specifies the communication session with one of the assigned communication groups the first mobile station wishes to participate in an active participation state and the communication session the other participants of the assigned communication group in which the first mobile station wishes to participate in a passive participation state

Transmitting the session prioritization to the central control device;

Setting up a second communication session (KSI2) between mobile stations (R22, R21, R23, O) including the first mobile station (O) which are assigned to the at least one second communication group (KG2), via the central control device;

Administering the first mobile station (O) through the central control device in the two communication sessions in accordance with the transmitted session prioritization.

2. Method in accordance with claim 1,

in which, in the active participation state of a communication session, data packets with speech information are transmitted to or from the first mobile station.

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2,

in which, in the active participation state the speech information is acoustically output and/or captured by the relevant mobile station.

4. Method in accordance with one of the claims 1 to 3,

in which, in the passive participation state, data packets with text information are transmitted to the first mobile station.

5. Method in accordance with claim 4,

in which the text information is output on a display (DSP) of the first mobile station.

6. Method in accordance with claim 3 and 5,

in which the speech information and the text information are output simultaneously.

7. Method in accordance with one of the claims 1 to 6,

in which the other mobile stations of the first communication group (KG1) and/or of the at least one second communication group (KG2) are informed of the relevant participation state of the first mobile station (O) in the communication group by the central control device (PTT-S).

8. Method in accordance with one of the claims 1 to 7,

in which the other mobile stations of the relevant communication group are informed by the central control device as to the communication session with the communication group in which the first mobile station (O) is participating at the moment.

9. Method in accordance with one of the claims 1 to 8, in which data packets with speech information from a communication session (KSI2) in which the first mobile station (O) is participating in the passive participation state are converted by the central control device (PTT-S) into data packets with text information and sent to the first mobile station (O).

10. Method in accordance with one of the claims 1 to 9,

in which data packets which are transmitted from the central control device to the first mobile station (O), are identified as to whether they originate from a communication session in which the first mobile station is actively or passively participating.

11. Method in accordance with claim 12,

in which the first mobile station (O) analyzes the identification of the data packets and for the information contained in them in each case, performs a speech output or text output.

12. Method in accordance with one of the claims 1 to 11,

in which in a communication session of a communication group only one mobile station ever has the right at a specific time as sender to transmit data packets with speech information, whereas the other mobile stations of the communication group as recipients may not interrupt.

13. Method in accordance with one of the claims 1 to 11,

in which, after transmission of data packets with speech information from a sending mobile station in a communication session of a communication group to the central control device (PTT-S), the other mobile stations are informed by the central control device that data packets are ready for transmission, whereupon those mobile stations which would like to receive the data packets from the central control device notify the latter so that the central control device transmits the data packets to these mobile stations.

14. Method in accordance with one of the claims 1 to 13, in which the mobile stations (R21, R22, R23) of a communication session (KSI2) in which the first mobile station (O) is participating in a passive participation state, are sent an activity status of the first mobile station (O) in the communication session (KSI1) in which the first mobile station (O) is participating in an active participation state.

15. Method according to claim 14, in which the activity status specifies whether the first mobile station (O) in the communication session with active participation state currently has the right to speak or not.

16. Method in accordance with one of the claims 14 or 15, in which the mobile stations (R21, R22, R23) of a communication session (KSI2) in which the first mobile station (O) is participating in a passive participation state are shown the activity status of the first mobile station (O) on a display of the relevant mobile stations.

17. Communication system consisting of a central control device and a plurality of mobile stations to execute a method in accordance with claims 1 to 16.

18. Communication system in accordance with claim 17,

which is embodied as a mobile radio system, which especially operates according to the UMTS standard or GPRS standard.

19. Communication system in accordance with claim 17 or 18,

in which the mobile stations are embodied as mobile radio devices, mobile telephones or portable computers with radio modules.

20. Central control device in a communication system which is designed to execute a method in accordance with one of the claims 1 to 16.