Device and method for sending information on push-to-talk groups

• US 20070054687A1
• Filed: 02/03/2006
• Published: 03/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Nakamori, Futoshi, Yamada, Shinji, Akita, Kenichi, Sakurai, Yamato, Maekawa, Masafumi, Takezaki, Junji, Nomura, Takaya, Nagaki, Makoto, Yagi, Ryoji, Seto, Koujiro, Inaguma, Takao
• Application Number:
  US11/346,244
• Publication Number:
  US 20070054687A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/518
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/08 Trunked mobile radio systems

Abstract

A push-to-talk data transmission device that creates and manages groups of participating terminals dynamically. A PoC data transmission device is deployed to support push-to-talk sessions in a prescribed area. This device has a data transmitter that broadcasts a group profile repetitively in the prescribed area. The group profile is a set of parameters that prompt terminals in the prescribed area to send back their respective unique identifiers to join a push-to-talk session. A counter in the PoC data transmission device counts the number of responses returned from the terminals, and the data transmitter broadcasts a new group profile if the number of responses has reached a predetermined threshold.

Claims

1. A device for distributing data for setting up push-to-talk sessions, the device comprising:

a data transmitter that broadcasts a group profile repetitively in a prescribed area, the group profile being a set of parameters that prompt terminals in the prescribed area to send unique identifiers thereof to join a push-to-talk session; and

a counter for counting the number of responses returned from the terminals;

wherein said data transmitter broadcasts a new group profile if the number of responses has reached a predetermined threshold.

2. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a group profile generator that generates the new group profile.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein:

an administration terminal having an administrator privilege is provided in the prescribed area; and

the administration terminal receives information about member terminals of a group and is allowed to communicate with said member terminals.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein:

the administration terminal is allowed to communicate with every member terminal of the group in the push-to-talk session; and

the member terminals is only allowed to communicate with the administration terminal in the push-to-talk session.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the new group profile is provided from a group list management server that is connected to the device via a network.

6. A method for distributing data for setting up push-to-talk sessions, the method comprising:

broadcasting a group profile repetitively in a prescribed area, the group profile being a set of parameters that prompt terminals in the prescribed area to send unique identifiers thereof to join a push-to-talk session;

counting the number of responses returned from the terminals; and

broadcasting a new group profile if the number of responses has reached a predetermined threshold.

7. A group list management server for managing a group of terminals participating in a push-to-talk session, wherein the group list management server manages information provided by member terminals of each group in response to a group profile that has been transmitted so as to prompt terminals in a prescribed area to send unique identifiers thereof to join a push-to-talk session.

8. The group list management server according to claim 7, the group list management server generating and sending a new group profile if the number of responses returned from the terminals has reached a predetermined threshold.