Group communication

• US 20080009303A1
• Filed: 09/28/2006
• Published: 01/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conversant Wireless Licensing S.à.r.l. (f/k/a Core Wireless Licensing S.a.r.l.) (MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management))
• Original Assignee: 2011 Intellectual Property Asset Trust (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Leppisaari, Arto, Paavonen, Tapio, Westman, Ilkka, Kuure, Pekka, Hyytia, Simo
• Granted Patent: US 9,154,924 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/518
• 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 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• 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 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5063 Centrally initiated conference, i.e. Conference server dials participants computer conference organisation arrangements H04L12/1818
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data

Abstract

In order to facilitate group communication using characteristics of a pre-arranged group but not involving all members of the pre-arranged group, a parameter indicating that the group communication is not intended to all members of the pre-arranged group is added by an inviting group member sending a request to a group server, and the group server, in response to the parameter, is configured to not to invite all members to the group communication.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a request to establish group communication, the request relating to a pre-arranged group and comprising a parameter indicating that the group communication is not intended to all members of the pre-arranged group; and

in response to the parameter, not triggering a process of inviting all group members.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, the method further comprising establishing a pre-arranged session for the group communication in response to the request.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, the method further comprising

receiving a list indicating one or more specifically defined participants;

and

inviting the one or more specifically defined participants indicated in the list in response to receiving the list.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, the method further comprising

receiving a participant indication indicating one or more specifically defined participants;

and

inviting the one or more specifically defined participants in response to receiving the participant indication.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, the method further comprising

receiving a participant indication indicating one or more specifically defined participants;

checking whether or not the specifically defined participants are members of the pre-arranged group; and

inviting the specifically defined participants that are members of the pre-arranged group.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, the method further comprising

receiving a participant indication indicating one or more specifically defined participants;

checking whether or not the specifically defined participants are members of the pre-arranged group; and

inviting the specifically defined participants in response to all of the specifically defined participants being members of the pre-arranged group.

7. A system comprising

a user terminal supporting group communication and being configured to trigger group communication relating to a pre-arranged group by sending a request to establish a group communication to a server hosting the pre-arranged group, and to add to the request a parameter indicating that the group communication is not intended to all members of the pre-arranged group;

and

a server providing pre-arranged group services and being configured not to invite all group members of the pre-arranged group in response to receiving the request containing the parameter.

8. A system as claimed in claim 7, wherein

the user terminal and the server are further configured to establish a pre-arranged session in response to the request.

9. A system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the user terminal is further configured to send invitations to a group of specifically defined participants while establishing the pre-arranged session.

10. A system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the user terminal is further configured to send invitations to a group of specifically defined participants after the pre-arranged session has been established.

11. A system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the user terminal is further configured to send to the server a list indicating a group of specifically defined participants, and the server is further configured to invite the specifically defined participants in response to receiving the list.

12. A system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the user terminal is further configured to send to the server an indication of a participant, and the server is further configured to invite the participant in response to receiving the indication.

13. A user terminal supporting a group communication service having pre-arranged groups, the user terminal being configured to trigger group communication with members of a pre-arranged group by sending a request to establish group communication to a server hosting the group, and comprising means for adding to the request a parameter indicating that the group communication is not intended to all members of the pre-arranged group.

14. A user terminal as claimed in claim 13, wherein the user terminal further comprises means for inviting specifically defined participants by sending with the request a list indicating a group of specifically defined participants.

15. A user terminal as claimed in claim 13, wherein the user terminal further comprises means for inviting specifically defined participants by sending, after the request, to the server a list indicating a group of specifically defined participants.

16. A user terminal as claimed in claim 13, wherein the user terminal comprises means for inviting specifically defined participants by sending invitations to the participants after the request has been sent to the server.

17. A user terminal as claimed in claim 13, wherein the user terminal comprises means for inviting specifically defined participants by sending an invitation to the server, the invitation containing an indication of one or more specifically defined participants.

18. A server component comprising:

inviting means for triggering a process of inviting all group members in response to receiving a request to establish group communication, the request relating to a pre-arranged group, from an inviting member of the pre-arranged group;

means for detecting a parameter in the request, the parameter indicating that the group communication is not intended to all members of the pre-arranged group, and

means for inactivating the inviting means in response to detecting the parameter.

19. A server component as claimed in claim 18, wherein the server is further configured to receive from the inviting member an indication of specifically defined participants, and the inviting means are configured to invite the specifically defined participants in response to the server receiving the indication.

20. A server component as claimed in claim 19, wherein the server is further configured to receive from the inviting member an indication of group members to whom the group communication is not intended, and the inviting means are configured to invite all other members of the group but not the indicated members in response to the server receiving the indication.

21. A signaling message, which is a request to establish group communication relating to a pre-arranged group in a communication system providing a group communication service, the signaling message comprising a parameter indicating that the group communication is not intended to all members of the pre-arranged group.

22. A signaling message as claimed in claim 21, wherein the signaling message further comprises a list of specifically defined participants to be included in the group communication.

23. A method comprising:

forming a request to establish group communication, the request relating to a pre-arranged group;

adding to said request a parameter indicating that the group communication is not intended to all members of the pre-arranged group; and

sending the request comprising the parameter.

24. A user terminal comprising:

a user interface for receiving instructions from a user;

a memory configured to maintain information relating to at least one pre-arranged group;

an operation processor capable of accessing the memory for storing and obtaining information and configured to be responsive to the user interface for creating a request to establish group communication with members of a pre-arranged group and for adding to the request a parameter indicating that the group communication is not intended to all members of the pre-arranged group; and

a transmitter configured to be responsive to the operation processor for sending the request to a server hosting the pre-arranged group.

25. A user terminal as claimed in claim 24, wherein the operation processor is further configured to add to the request a list indicating at least one specifically defined participant.

26. A user terminal as claimed in claim 24, wherein

the operation processor is further configured to create, after the request, a list indicating at least one specifically defined participant to be invited to the group communication;

and

the transmitter is further configured to send the list to the server hosting the pre-arranged group.

27. A user terminal as claimed in claim 24, wherein

the operation processor is further configured to create an invitation indicating one or more specifically defined participants to be invited to the group communication;

and

the transmitter is further configured to send the invitation, after the request, to the server hosting the pre-arranged group.

28. A user terminal as claimed in claim 24, wherein

the operation processor is further arranged to create at least one invitation indicating a specifically defined participant;

and

the transmitter is further configured to send the invitation to the specifically defined participant after the request has been sent to the server.

29. A server component comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a request to establish group communication with members of a pre-arranged group;

a memory configured to maintain information relating to the pre-arranged group;

an operation processor capable of accessing the memory for storing and obtaining information and configured to be responsive to a parameter in the request, the parameter indicating that the group communication is not intended to all members of the pre-arranged group by not inviting members to the group communication in response to the request.

30. A server component as claimed in claim 29, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive an indication of at least one specifically defined participant for the group communication, and the operation processor is further arranged to create at least one invitation in response to the indication, and the server component further comprises a transmitter configured to be responsive to the operation processor for sending the at least one invitation to the specifically defined participant the invitation relates to.

31. A server component as claimed in claim 30, wherein the operation processor is further arranged to check whether or not the at least one specifically defined participant is a member of the pre-arranged group, and in response to the at least one specifically defined participant not being a member, to create an error message, and the transmitter is further configured to send the error message to a sender of the indication.

32. A server component as claimed in claim 29, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive an indication of at least one specifically defined participant in the group communication, and the operation processor is further arranged to check whether or not the at least one specifically defined participant is a member of the pre-arranged group, and in response to the at least one specifically defined participant not being a member, to create an error message, and in response to the at least one specifically defined participant being a member, to create at least one invitation in response to the indication, and the server component further comprises a transmitter configured to be responsive to the operation processor for sending the at least one invitation to the specifically defined participant the invitation relates to, and to send the error message to a sender of the indication.

33. A server component as claimed in claim 29, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive a list indicating at least one specifically defined participant in the group communication, and the operation processor is further arranged to check whether or not all of the specifically defined participants in the list are members of the pre-arranged group, and in response to at least one specifically defined participant not being a member, to create an error message, and in response to all of the specifically defined participants being members to create at least one invitation, and the server component further comprises a transmitter configured to be responsive to the operation processor for sending the at least one invitation to the specifically defined participant the invitation relates to and for sending the error message to a sender of the list.

34. A server component as claimed in claim 29, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive an indication of group members to whom the group communication is not intended, and the operation processor is further arranged to create at least one invitation to invite all except the indicated members of the group, and the server component further comprises a transmitter configured to be responsive to the operation processor for sending the at least one invitation to the member the invitation relates to.