Method and system for providing a proxy media service

• US 20070105579A1
• Filed: 11/04/2005
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STA Group, LLC
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kalley, Yogesh, Shaffer, Shmuel, Talukder, Shah, Hall, Douglas, Metzger, Larry, Nagesh, Kittur
• Granted Patent: US 8,145,249 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/519
• 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: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• 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 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

A method for providing a push-to-talk proxy media service includes receiving a plurality of monitored push-to-talk communication streams over a high bandwidth connection and mixing the plurality of monitored push-to-talk communication streams into a mixed communication stream. The method also includes transmitting the mixed communication stream to a user endpoint over a low bandwidth connection.

Claims

1. A method for providing a push-to-talk proxy media service, comprising:

receiving a plurality of monitored push-to-talk communication streams over a high bandwidth connection;

mixing the plurality of monitored push-to-talk communication streams into a mixed communication stream; and

transmitting the mixed communication stream to a user endpoint over a low bandwidth connection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the push-to-talk communication streams comprises communications from a respective virtual talk group comprising a plurality of endpoints of different communication networks.

3. The method of claim 2:

wherein the mixed communication stream comprises a first communication of a first virtual talk group; and

further comprising transmitting an identification of the first virtual talk group when transmitting the mixed communication stream comprising the first communication.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of monitored push-to-talk communication streams are received over the high bandwidth connection from an interoperability system operable to configure each virtual talk group to facilitate communications among its member endpoints.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of the virtual talk groups comprises a plurality of endpoints of different communication networks whose communications are mapped to a multicast IP address or SIP dialed nailed connection.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of the virtual talk groups comprises a plurality of endpoints of different communication networks whose communications are bridged.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a plurality of monitored push-to-talk communication streams comprises receiving eight monitored push-to-talk communication streams.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the user endpoint volume instructions associated with at least one of the push-to-talk communication streams; and

adjusting the volume of the at least one of the push-to-talk communication streams according to the instructions when mixing the plurality of monitored push-to-talk communication streams into a mixed communication stream.

9. The method of claim 1:

further comprising receiving from the user endpoint a selection of a group of the push-to-talk communication streams for mixing; and

wherein mixing the plurality of monitored push-to-talk communication streams into a mixed communication stream comprises mixing the selected group of the push-to-talk communication streams into a mixed communication stream.

10. The method of claim 2, further comprising

receiving from the user over the low bandwidth connection:

a user communication; and

a selection of a plurality of virtual talk groups of the respective virtual talk groups; and

transmitting the received user communication to the selected plurality of virtual talk groups over the high bandwidth connection.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting to the user endpoint an identification of the selected plurality of virtual talk groups when transmitting the received user communication to the selected plurality of virtual talk groups.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting functionality indicators for a user at the user endpoint in the same manner as if the plurality of monitored push-to-talk communication streams had been individually transmitted over a high bandwidth connection to the user endpoint and mixed at the user endpoint for the user.

13. A system for providing a push-to-talk proxy media service, comprising:

an interface operable to receive a plurality of monitored push-to-talk communication streams over a high bandwidth connection;

a mixed coupled to the interface and operable to mix the plurality of monitored push-to-talk communication streams into a mixed communication stream; and

a processor operable to transmit the mixed communication stream to a user endpoint over a low bandwidth connection.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein each of the push-to-talk communication streams comprises communications from a respective virtual talk group comprising a plurality of endpoints of different communication networks.

15. The system of claim 14:

wherein the mixed communication stream comprises a first communication of a first virtual talk group; and

wherein the processor is further operable to transmit an identification of the first virtual talk group when transmitting the mixed communication stream comprising the first communication.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of monitored push-to-talk communication streams are received over the high bandwidth connection from an interoperability system operable to configure each virtual talk group to facilitate communications among its member endpoints.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein at least one of the virtual talk groups comprises a plurality of endpoints of different communication networks whose communications are mapped to a multicast IP address or SIP dialed nailed connection.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein at least one of the virtual talk groups comprises a plurality of endpoints of different communication networks whose communications are bridged.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein an interface operable to receive a plurality of monitored push-to-talk communication streams comprises an interface operable to receive eight monitored push-to-talk communication streams.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the interface is further operable to receive from the user endpoint volume instructions associated with at least one of the push-to-talk communication streams; and

the mixer is further operable to adjust the volume of the at least one of the push-to-talk communication streams according to the instructions when mixing the plurality of monitored push-to-talk communication streams into a mixed communication stream.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the interface is further operable to receive from the user endpoint a selection of a group of the push-to-talk communication streams for mixing; and

a processor operable to mix the plurality of monitored push-to-talk communication streams into a mixed communication stream comprises a processor operable to mix the selected group of the push-to-talk communication streams into a mixed communication stream.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein:

the interface is operable to receive from the user over the low bandwidth connection;

a user communication; and

a selection of a plurality of virtual talk groups of the respective virtual talk groups; and

the processor is operable to transmit the received user communication to the selected plurality of virtual talk groups over the high bandwidth connection.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the processor is further operable to transmit to the user endpoint an identification of the selected plurality of virtual talk groups when transmitting the received user communication to the selected plurality of virtual talk groups.

24. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is further operable to present functionality indicators for a user at the user endpoint in the same manner as if the plurality of monitored push-to-talk communication streams had been individually transmitted over a high bandwidth connection to the user endpoint and mixed at the user endpoint for the user.

25. A system for providing a push-to-talk proxy media service, comprising:

means for receiving a plurality of monitored push-to-talk communication streams over a high bandwidth connection;

means for mixing the plurality of monitored push-to-talk communication streams into a mixed communication stream; and

means for transmitting the mixed communication stream to a user endpoint over a low bandwidth connection.

26. Logic embodied in a computer readable medium, the computer readable medium comprising code operable to:

receive a plurality of monitored push-to-talk communication streams over a high bandwidth connection;

mix the plurality of monitored push-to-talk communication streams into a mixed communication stream; and

transmit the mixed communication stream to a user endpoint over a low bandwidth connection.

27. The medium of claim 26, wherein each of the push-to-talk communication streams comprises communications from a respective virtual talk group comprising a plurality of endpoints of different communication networks.

28. The medium of claim 27:

wherein the mixed communication stream comprises a first communication of a first virtual talk group; and

wherein the code is further operable to transmit an identification of the first virtual talk group when transmitting the mixed communication stream comprising the first communication.

29. The medium of claim 27, wherein the plurality of monitored push-to-talk communication streams are received over the high bandwidth connection from an interoperability system operable to configure each virtual talk group to facilitate communications among its member endpoints.

30. The medium of claim 27, wherein at least one of the virtual talk groups comprises a plurality of endpoints of different communication networks whose communications are mapped to a multicast IP address or SIP dialed nailed connection.

31. The medium of claim 27, wherein at least one of the virtual talk groups comprises a plurality of endpoints of different communication networks whose communications are bridged.

32. The medium of claim 26, wherein code operable to receive a plurality of monitored push-to-talk communication streams comprises code operable to receive eight monitored push-to-talk communication streams.

33. The medium of claim 26, wherein the code is further operable to:

receive from the user endpoint volume instructions associated with at least one of the push-to-talk communication streams; and

adjust the volume of the at least one of the push-to-talk communication streams according to the instructions when mixing the plurality of monitored push-to-talk communication streams into a mixed communication stream.

34. The medium of claim 26:

wherein the code is further operable to receive from the user endpoint a selection of a group of the push-to-talk communication streams for mixing; and

wherein code operable to mix the plurality of monitored push-to-talk communication streams into a mixed communication stream comprises code operable to mix the selected group of the push-to-talk communication streams into a mixed communication stream.

35. The medium of claim 26, wherein the code is further operable to:

receive from the user over the low bandwidth connection;

a user communication; and

a selection of a plurality of virtual talk groups of the respective virtual talk groups; and

transmit the received user communication to the selected plurality of virtual talk groups over the high bandwidth connection.

36. The medium of claim 35, wherein the code is further operable to transmit to the user endpoint an identification of the selected plurality of virtual talk groups when transmitting the received user communication to the selected plurality of virtual talk groups.

37. The medium of claim 36, wherein the code is further operable to present functionality indicators for a user at the user endpoint in the same manner as if the plurality of monitored push-to-talk communication streams had been individually transmitted over a high bandwidth connection to the user endpoint and mixed at the user endpoint for the user.

38. A method for providing a push-to-talk proxy media service, comprising:

receiving from a user endpoint over a low bandwidth connection;

a user communication; and

a selection of a plurality of virtual talk groups, each virtual talk group comprising a push-to-talk communication stream comprising communications from a plurality of endpoints of different communication networks; and

transmitting the received user communication to each of the selected plurality of virtual talk groups over a high bandwidth connection.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising transmitting to the user endpoint an identification of the selected plurality of virtual talk groups when transmitting the received user communication to the selected plurality of virtual talk groups.

40. A method for providing a push-to-talk proxy media service, comprising:

monitoring bandwidth on a connection between a user endpoint and a proxy system;

receiving a plurality of push-to-talk communication streams over a high bandwidth connection;

receiving from the user endpoint a selection of a number of the plurality of push-to-talk communication streams;

determining, based on the monitored bandwidth, whether the number of the plurality of push-to-talk communication streams can be individually transmitted to the user endpoint over the connection between the user endpoint and the proxy system at a specified service level;

if the number of the plurality of push-to-talk communication streams can be individually transmitted to the user endpoint over the connection at the specified service level, automatically transmitting the number of the plurality of push-to-talk communication streams individually to the user endpoint over the connection; and

if the number of the plurality of push-to-talk communication streams cannot be individually transmitted to the user endpoint over the connection at the specified service level;

automatically mixing the number of the plurality of push-to-talk communication streams into a mixed communication stream; and

transmitting the mixed communication stream to the user endpoint over the connection.

41. A method for providing a push-to-talk proxy media service, comprising:

monitoring bandwidth on a connection between a user endpoint associated with a user and a proxy system;

receiving at the user endpoint from the user a selection of a number of push-to-talk communication streams for transmission of a communication from the user;

determining, based on the monitored bandwidth and the number of selected push-to-talk communication streams, whether the communication from the user can be individually transmitted in separate streams to each of the selected number of push-to-talk communication streams over the connection from the user endpoint at a specified service level;

if the communication from the user can be individually transmitted in separate streams to each of the selected number of push-to-talk communication streams over the connection from the user endpoint at the specified service level, automatically transmitting communication from the user to each of the selected number of push-to-talk communication streams over the connection from the user endpoint; and

if the communication from the user cannot be individually transmitted in separate streams to each of the selected number of push-to-talk communication streams over the connection from the user endpoint at the specified service level, transmitting the communication from the user endpoint to the proxy system over the connection between the user endpoint and the proxy system in one stream for forking at the proxy system for transmission from the proxy system in separate streams to each of the selected number of push-to-talk communication streams.