System and method for providing group calling in a wireless network

• US 20070177592A1
• Filed: 01/31/2006
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LGS Innovations LLC (CACI International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Yang, Yang, Vitebsky, Stanley, Rossetti, David, Mooney, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 7,885,199 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/390
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1063 Application servers providing network services systems providing special services to telephonic subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2044 Group features, e.g. closed user group
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast

Abstract

There is provided a system and method for providing group calling in a wireless network. More specifically, in one embodiment, there is provided a method comprising receiving a request to participate a group call from a mobile device located in a wireless service area, determining whether a threshold number of other mobile devices in the wireless service area are participating in the group call, if the threshold number of the other mobile devices are participating in the group call, designating the requesting mobile device to receive a multicast transmission of the group call, and if the threshold number of other mobile devices are not participating in the group call, designating the requesting mobile device to receive a unicast transmission of the group call.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a request to participate a group call from a mobile device located in a wireless service area;

determining whether a threshold number of other mobile devices in the wireless service area are participating in the group call;

if the threshold number of the other mobile devices are participating in the group call, designating the requesting mobile device to receive a multicast transmission of the group call; and

if the threshold number of other mobile devices are not participating in the group call, designating the requesting mobile device to receive a unicast transmission of the group call.

2. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein receiving the request to join a group call comprises receiving a request to join a group call from a mobile device located within a wireless cell.

3. The method, as set forth in claim 1, comprising:

determining whether the wireless service area has a multicast set associated with the group; and

if the wireless service area has a multicast set associated with the group, assigning the mobile device to the multicast set if the requesting mobile device is designated to receive the multicast transmission

4. The method, as set forth in claim 3, comprising:

if the wireless service area does not have a multicast set associated with the group call, creating a new multicast set associated with the group call; and

assigning the requesting mobile device to the new multicast set.

5. The method, as set forth in claim 1, comprising:

setting up a multicast channel in the wireless service area;

receiving application data associated with the group call from a multicaster; and

transmitting the application data over the multicast channel.

6. The method, as set forth in claim 1, comprising:

paging the mobile devices in the wireless service area that have joined the group call;

discarding the pages intended for the mobile devices designated for a multicast of the group call; and

establishing a unicast connection with the mobile devices designated for a unicast of the group call.

7. The method, as set forth in claim 1, comprising:

signaling the mobile devices designated for the multicast of the group call, wherein the signaling is performed over a multicast signaling channel;

establishing a multicast channel;

receiving application data associated with the group call; and

transmitting the application data over the multicast channel.

8. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein receiving the request comprises receiving registration information.

9. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the threshold number of other mobile devices in the wireless service area comprises a tunable parameter associated with a resource efficiency breakpoint between multicast and unicast transmission modes.

10. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the threshold number of other mobile devices in the wireless service area comprises a dynamically adapted parameter associated with a resource efficiency breakpoint between multicast and unicast transmission modes.

11. The method, as set forth in claim 1, comprising:

detecting that one of the mobile devices has left the wireless service area; and

establishing a unicast connection with the departed mobile device in another wireless service area.

14. The communication device, as set forth in claim 11, wherein the communication device is configured:

to determine whether the wireless service area has a multicast set associated with the group; and

to assign the mobile device to the multicast set if the wireless service area has a multicast set associated with the group.

12. A communication device configured:

to receive a request to participate a group call from a mobile device located in a wireless service area;

to determine whether a threshold number of other mobile devices in the wireless service area are participating in the group call;

to designate the requesting mobile device to receive a multicast transmission of the group call, if the threshold number of the other mobile devices are participating in the group call; and

to designate the requesting mobile device for a unicast of the group call if the threshold number of the other mobile devices are not participating in the group call.

13. The communication device, as set forth in claim 12, wherein the communication device comprises a radio network controller.

15. The communication device, as set forth in claim 12, wherein the communication device is configured:

to establish a multicast channel; and

to transmit a group call to the mobile device over the multicast channel.

16. A method comprising:

transmitting information to a mobile device over a multicast channel;

detecting a degradation in transmission quality of the group call;

establishing a unicast connection to the mobile device; and

transmitting the group call to the mobile device over the unicast channel.

17. The method, as set forth in claim 16, wherein detecting the degradation in transmission quality comprises detecting a degradation in RF conditions.

18. The method, as set forth in claim 16, comprising notifying an application server that the group call is being transmitted to the mobile device over the unicast channel.

19. A method comprising:

receiving a registration from a mobile device in a first wireless service area, wherein the mobile device is configured to receive a group call in a second wireless service area over a multicast channel;

determining whether the registration created a new multicast set for the second wireless service area; and

if the registration did create a new multicast set, establishing a multicast channel in the second wireless service area.

20. The method, as set forth in claim 19, comprising:

identifying a second mobile device in the second wireless service area that is configured to receive the group call over a unicast channel;

transmitting parameters of the new multicast channel to the second mobile device; and

releasing the unicast channel associated with the second mobile device.