System and method for providing communication resources to wireless dispatch priority users

• US 20070202910A1
• Filed: 02/27/2006
• Published: 08/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Ananthanarayanan, Arulmozhi, Brewer, Beth
• Granted Patent: US 7,747,269 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/521
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

A wireless push-to-talk (PIT) communication system 100 assigns a special dispatch priority to for emergency communications to and from police, fire dept. or communications to other emergency personnel. A communication which has been assigned dispatch priority takes precedence over all other non-dispatch priority communications for initially completing the call and maintaining the communications links. An indication of dispatch priority in a 1xCV-DO system may be achieved by setting a bit in the RequestReason field 604 of the ConnectionRequest message 602.

Claims

1. A method of wirelessly communicating comprising:

accepting an input indicating that a call is to be initiated at an originating terminal; and

transmitting a connection request to initiate the call;

wherein the connection request includes an indication that the call is to be a dispatch priority call.

2. The method described in claim 1, wherein the dispatch priority call is a half duplex push-to-talk (PTT) call.

3. The method described in claim 1, wherein the connection request includes an indication of dispatch priority.

4. The method described in claim 1, further comprising:

verifying that the call is to be accorded dispatch priority status.

5. The method described in claim 1, wherein the dispatch priority call has an indication of message priority associated with it.

6. The method described in claim 1, wherein the dispatch priority status gives the dispatch priority call precedence over all existing non-dispatch priority calls, and

wherein at least some of the non-dispatch priority calls have message priority.

7. The method described in claim 1, further comprising:

determining, in response to the connection request, whether there are enough open channels to complete the dispatch priority call to a recipient access terminal.

8. The method described in claim 7, further comprising:

tearing down one or more non-dispatch priority calls to complete the dispatch priority call.

9. The method described in claim 2, wherein the PTT call is to be connected to a plurality of recipient access terminals.

10. The method described in claim 1, wherein the originating terminal is a wireless access terminal.

11. The method described in claim 1, wherein the originating terminal is a landline terminal and the dispatch priority call is initiated from a landline to a plurality of recipient access terminals which are members of a PTT calling group.

12. The method described in claim 4, wherein the verifying further comprises:

determining whether an identification of the originating terminal initiating the dispatch priority call is authorized for the dispatch priority status.

13. An access terminal comprising:

receiver circuitry configured to receive incoming messages;

logic configured to accept an input indicating that a dispatch priority call is to be initiated at the access terminal;

logic configured to request dispatch priority as part of the connection request; and

transmitter circuitry configured to transmit a connection request to initiate the dispatch priority call.

14. The access terminal described in claim 13, wherein, for dispatch priority calls, said access terminal is afforded priority over all other non-dispatch priority calls.

15. The access terminal described in claim 14, wherein, in response to the connection request one or more non-dispatch priority calls are torn down to complete the dispatch priority call from the access terminal.

16. The access terminal of claim 13, further comprising:

a push-to-talk button;

wherein the access terminal is configured to communicate via the dispatch priority call with a plurality of other access terminals which are members of a PTT group.

17. The access terminal of claim 13, further comprising:

a memory configured to store an access terminal identification code which is associated with a dispatch priority status.

18. A radio node comprising:

transceiver circuitry configured to receive incoming messages and transmit outgoing messages;

logic configured to receive a dispatch priority request as part of the connection request from an access terminal; and

logic configured to afford said access terminal priority over all other non-dispatch priority calls.

19. The radio node described in claim 18, wherein, in response to the connection request one or more non-dispatch priority calls are torn down to complete the dispatch priority call from the access terminal.

20. A method of wirelessly communicating comprising:

accepting an input indicating that a full duplex VoIP call is to be initiated at an originating terminal; and

transmitting a connection request to initiate the call;

wherein the connection request includes an indication that the call is to be a special priority call.