Group communication in communication system

• US 20070073892A1
• Filed: 11/23/2005
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Laurila, Antti, Poikselka, Miikka
• Granted Patent: US 9,942,281 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4061 Push-to services, e.g. push-to-talk or push-to-video
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

In a communication system providing a group communication service and advertisement of an existing and newly created group, information on usable media types in the group is sent to group members in a message advertising the group. The message contains either a new field for the information or an existing field is extended to contain the information.

Claims

1. A method of informing group members about usable media types in a group in a communication system providing group communication service, comprising:

advertising a group by sending at least one message to at least one intended group member; and

adding to the message advertising the group an indication of usable media types in the group,

wherein the usable media types contain at least one media type.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising storing the usable media types in the group in response to receiving the message.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the message is sent to all users intended to participate in group communication of the group.

4. A signaling message, which is an advertisement of a group in a communication system providing a group communication service, the signaling message comprising:

information on usable media types in the group,

wherein the usable media types contain at least one media type.

5. A signaling message as claimed in claim 4, further comprising:

a field for the information on usable media types in the group.

6. A signaling message as claimed in claim 4, wherein an existing field in the message is extended to contain the information on usable media types in the group.

7. A signaling message as claimed in claim 6, wherein the existing field is a field for group type.

8. A signaling message as claimed in claim 4, wherein the usable media types are selected from the group of poc, im, audio, video, conference, application, all, and other.

9. A signaling message as claimed in claim 4, wherein the message contains all usable media types in the group.

10. User equipment supporting group communication, the user equipment being configured to:

advertise a group by sending a signaling message containing information on usable media types in the group,

wherein the usable media types contain at least one media type.

11. User equipment as claimed in claim 10, wherein the user equipment is further configured to:

add said usable media types to a field for informing about usable media types in the group.

12. User equipment as claimed in claim 10, wherein the user equipment is further configured to:

add said usable media types to an existing field in the message.

13. User equipment supporting group communication, wherein the user equipment is configured to:

receive a signaling message advertising a group and containing information on usable media types in the group; and

store the usable media types in the group,

wherein the usable media types contain at least one media type.

14. A group communication server for a communication system providing a group communication service, the group communication server being configured to:

advertise a group by sending a signaling message containing information on usable media types in the group,

wherein the usable media types contain at least one media type.

15. A group communication server as claimed in claim 14, wherein the group communication server is further configured to:

add said usable media types to a field for informing about usable media types in the group.

16. A group communication server as claimed in claim 14, wherein the group communication server is further configured to:

add said usable media types to an existing field in the message.

17. A computer program embodied in a computer-readable medium and comprising program instructions, wherein execution of said program instructions causes a device containing the computer program product to form a signaling message for advertising a group, the signaling message comprising:

information on usable media types in the group,

wherein the usable media types contain at least one media type.

18. The computer program of claim 17, wherein the usable media types are selected from the group of poc, im, audio, video, conference, application, all, and other.

19. The computer program of claim 17, wherein the message contains all usable media types in the group.

21. The computer program of claim 17, wherein the usable media types are selected from the group of poc, im, audio, video, conference, application, all, and other.

22. The computer program of claim 17, wherein the message contains all usable media types in the group.

20. A signaling message, comprising:

advertisement of a group in a communication system providing a group communication service; and

information on usable media types in the group,

wherein the usable media types contain at least one media type.