Methods and apparatus for providing PTT data buffering support indications from mobile devices and PTT data buffering control by wireless networks

• US 20070054686A1
• Filed: 07/15/2005
• Published: 03/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Allen, Andrew, Zhao, Wen, Jin, Xin
• Granted Patent: US 8,041,376 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/518
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

In one illustrative example of the present application, a mobile communication device has one or more processors, a wireless transceiver adapted to provide communications through a wireless communication network, and a buffer memory for use in buffering a Push-To-Talk (PTT) communication from the mobile communication device. The one or more processors are operative to produce a mobile device indication message which indicates the mobile device'"'"'s support for buffering of the PTT communication. This message is transmitted by the wireless transceiver to a PTT service entity through the wireless network. The one or more processors may be further operative to receive, from the PTT service entity through the wireless network, a network indication message which instructs the mobile device whether to use buffering for the PTT communication. The mobile device may use the buffer memory for the buffering of the PTT communication based on the network indication message from the PTT service entity.

Claims

1. A method for use in providing Push-To-Talk (PTT) communications at a mobile communication device, the method comprising the acts of:

providing, at the mobile communication device, a buffer memory for use in buffering a PTT communication from the mobile communication device;

producing, at the mobile communication device, a mobile device indication message which indicates whether support exists for the buffering of the PTT communication with use of the buffer memory; and

causing the mobile device indication message to be transmitted to a PTT service entity through a wireless communication network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the acts of:

causing the following acts to be performed when the buffer memory of the mobile communication device is used for the buffering of the PTT communication;

saving, in the buffer memory, digital data corresponding to input signals at the mobile communication device;

causing a request for the PTT communication to be made through the wireless communication network;

identifying that a floor grant has been received through the wireless communication network in response to the request; and

after identifying the floor grant, causing the digital data from the buffer memory to be retrieved and transmitted to the wireless communication network for the PTT communication.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the acts of:

causing the following acts to be performed when the buffer memory of the mobile communication device is used for the buffering of the PTT communication;

identifying a user actuation of a PTT switch for initiating the PTT communication;

in response to identifying the user actuation of the PTT switch;

saving, in the buffer memory, digital data corresponding to input signals at the mobile communication device;

causing a request for the PTT communication to be made through the wireless communication network;

identifying that a floor grant has been received through the wireless communication network in response to the request; and

after identifying the floor grant, causing the digital data from the buffer memory to be retrieved and transmitted to the wireless communication network for the PTT communication.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device indication message further indicates a buffer size of the buffer memory used for the buffering of the PTT communication.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication device has a first buffer size of the buffer memory for a first media type and a second buffer size of the buffer memory for a second media type, and the message further indicates one of the first buffer size and the second buffer size used for the buffering of the PTT communication.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device indication message further indicates a buffer size of the buffer memory used for the buffering of the PTT communication, the method further comprising the acts of:

producing a subsequent message which indicates an updated buffer size of the buffer memory; and

causing the subsequent message which indicates the updated buffer size to be transmitted to the PTT service entity through the wireless communication network.

7. The method of claim 1,.further comprising:

receiving, from the PTT service entity through the wireless communication network, a network indication message which controls use of the buffering for the PTT communication; and

using the buffer memory for the buffering of the PTT communication based on the network indication message from the PTT service entity.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the PTT service entity through the wireless communication network, a network indication message which indicates a buffer size; and

using the buffer size of the buffer memory for the buffering of the PTT communication based on the network indication message from the PTT service entity.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to or during PTT communication session establishment;

receiving, from the PTT service entity through the wireless communication network, a network indication message which controls use of the buffering for the PTT communication; and

using the buffer memory for the buffering of the PTT communication based on the network indication message from the PTT service entity.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device indication message comprises one of a Session Description Protocol (SDP) message and a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device indication message further indicates that the mobile communication device supports a real-time control of the use of buffering at the mobile communication device by the PTT service entity during operation of the mobile communication device.

12. A communication device, comprising:

one or more processors;

a wireless transceiver coupled to the one or more processors and adapted to provide communications through a wireless communication network;

a buffer memory for use in buffering a PTT communication;

the one or more processors being operative to;

produce, at the mobile communication device, a mobile device indication message which indicates whether support exists for the buffering of the PTT communication with use of the buffer memory; and

cause the mobile device indication message to be transmitted by the wireless transceiver to a PTT service entity through the wireless communication network.

13. The communication device of claim 12, wherein the message further indicates a buffer size of the buffer memory used for the buffering of the PTT communication.

14. The communication device of claim 12, wherein the mobile communication device has a first buffer size of the buffer memory for a first media type and a second buffer size of the buffer memory for a second media type, and the mobile device indication message further indicates one of the first buffer size and the second buffer size used for the buffering of the PTT communication.

15. The communication device of claim 12, wherein the message further indicates a buffer size of the buffer memory used for the buffering of the PTT communication, and the one or more processors are further operative to:

produce a subsequent message which indicates an updated buffer size of the buffer memory; and

cause the subsequent message which indicates the updated buffer size to be transmitted to the PTT service entity through the wireless communication network.

16. The communication device of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to:

receive, from the PTT service entity through the wireless communication network, a network indication message which controls use of the buffering for the PTT communication; and

use the buffer memory for the buffering of the PTT communication based on the network indication message from the PTT service entity.

17. The communication device of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to:

prior to or during PTT communication session establishment;

receive, from the PTT service entity through the wireless communication network, a network indication message which controls use of the buffering for the PTT communication; and

use the buffer memory for the buffering of the PTT communication based on the network indication message from the PTT service entity.

18. The communication device of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to:

receive, from the PTT service entity through the wireless communication network, a network indication message which indicates a buffer size of the buffer memory; and

use the buffer size of the buffer memory for the buffering of the PTT communication based on the network indication message from the PTT service entity.

19. The communication device of claim 12, wherein the mobile device indication message comprises one of a Session Description Protocol (SDP) message and a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message.

20. The communication device of claim 12, wherein the mobile device indication message further indicates that the mobile communication device supports a real-time control of the buffering at the mobile communication device by the PTT service entity during operation of the mobile communication device.

21. A method for use in providing Push-To-Talk (PTT) communications for a communication device, the method comprising the acts of:

producing a network indication message which controls use of a buffer memory of the communication device which is used for buffering a PTT communication from the communication device; and

causing the network indication message to be transmitted to the communication device through a wireless communication network.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the network indication message further indicates a buffer size of the buffer memory for the buffering of the PTT communication.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the mobile communication device has a first buffer size of the buffer memory for a first media type and a second buffer size of the buffer memory for a second media type, and the network indication message further indicates one of the first buffer size and the second buffer size used for the buffering of the PTT communication.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the message further indicates a buffer size of the buffer memory used in the buffering for the PTT communication, the method further comprising the acts of:

producing a subsequent message which indicates an updated buffer size for the buffer memory; and

causing the subsequent message which indicates the updated buffer size to be transmitted to the PTT service entity through the wireless communication network.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the act of causing the network indication message to be transmitted is performed prior to or during PTT communication session establishment.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the network indication message comprises one of a Session Description Protocol (SDP) message and a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message.

27. A Push-To-Talk (PTT) server which is adapted to produce a network indication message which controls use of a buffer memory of a communication device which is used for buffering a PTT communication from the communication device, and cause the network indication message to be transmitted to the communication device through a wireless communication network.

28. The PTT server of claim 27, wherein the network indication message further indicates a buffer size of the buffer memory for the buffering of the PTT communication.

29. The PTT server of claim 27, wherein the communication device has a first buffer size of the buffer memory for a first media type and a second buffer size of the buffer memory for a second media type, and the network indication message further indicates one of the first buffer size and the second buffer size used for the buffering of the PTT communication.

30. The PTT server of claim 27, wherein the message further indicates a buffer size of the buffer memory used in the buffering for the PTT communication, and the PTT server is further adapted to produce a subsequent message which indicates an updated buffer size for the buffer memory, and cause the subsequent message which indicates the updated buffer size to be transmitted to the PTT server through the wireless communication network.

31. The PTT server of claim 27, wherein the PTT server is further adapted to cause the network indication message to be transmitted prior to or during PTT communication session establishment.

32. The PTT server of claim 27, wherein the network indication message comprises one of a Session Description Protocol (SDP) message and a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message.

33. A wireless communication system, comprising:

a wireless communication network;

a Push-To-Talk (PTT) service entity coupled in the wireless communication network;

one or more communication devices, each communication device being adapted to operate in the wireless communication network and including;

one or more processors;

a wireless transceiver coupled to the one or more processors and being adapted to provide communications through the wireless communication network;

a buffer memory for use in buffering a PTT communication;

the one or more processors being operative to;

produce a mobile device indication message which indicates that the communication device supports the buffering of the PTT communication with use of the buffer memory;

cause the mobile device indication message to be transmitted by the wireless transceiver to the PTT service entity through the wireless communication network; and

the PTT service entity being adapted to produce a network indication message which controls use of the buffer memory of the communication device for the buffering of the PTT communication from the communication device, and to cause the network indication message to be transmitted to the communication device through the wireless communication network.