Method And Apparatus For Delivering IPP2T (IP-Push-to-Talk) Wireless LAN Mobile Radio Service

• US 20080043690A1
• Filed: 09/19/2007
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rice, Christopher, Miller, Robert, Murray, John, Chow, Albert
• Granted Patent: US 7,983,198 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4061 Push-to services, e.g. push-to-talk or push-to-video
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/08 Trunked mobile radio systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A wireless subscriber terminal (ST) for use with IP push-to-talk (PP2T) service using a wireless local area network (WLAN) operating in a plurality of modes, including a mobile terminal having an ability to communicate over the air to a wireless Access Point (AP), the mobile terminal further programmable to use conventional WLAN protocols, and a method for operating the wireless terminal are described.

Claims

1. A wireless subscriber terminal (ST) for use with IP push-to-talk (IPP2T) service using a wireless local area network (WLAN) operating in a plurality of modes, comprising a mobile terminal having an ability to communicate over the air to a wireless Access Point (AP), said mobile terminal further programmable to use conventional WLAN protocols.

2. The wireless ST according to claim 1, wherein said conventional protocols include Voice over Internet Protocols (VoIP).

3. The wireless ST according to claim 2, wherein said VoIP protocol support includes Session Initiation Protocols (SIP) and Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP).

4. The wireless ST according to claim 1, wherein said wireless ST operates with a software PBX or network switch.

5. The wireless ST according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of operating modes comprises:

a IPP2T ST mode;

voice over IP (VoIP) terminal service mode; and

a combination mode, wherein said IPP2T service mode is a default mode which can be preempted by a VoIP service call.

6. A method of selecting a combination IP push-to-talk (IPP2T) and voice over IP (VoIP) service mode of a wireless multi-mode subscriber terminal (ST) comprising:

selecting IPP2T from a ST;

interacting with an access point (AP) to initiate IPP2T service;

completing initialization;

placing said ST into listen mode;

initializing a push-to-talk (PTT) service by a subscriber;

speaking into said ST by said subscriber;

digitizing speech of said subscriber by said ST;

forwarding said digitized speech by said ST to said AP;

releasing said ST from said PP2T service mode;

determining by said ST if said subscriber has terminated service; and

generating a call detail record (CDR) for a wireless local area network (WLAN) mobile radio service (WLMRS) controller (WLMRSC).

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said PTT service is initiated by voice activation.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said voice-activated PTT service can be muted by depressing one of a key and button in order to prevent inadvertent transmissions.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein said voice-activated PTT service has an associated “

on the air”

indicator which indicates that the ST is sending packets to the network and that the network is forwarding them to the other users in the WLMRS user group.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein said PTT service is initiated by depressing a PTT button by said subscriber.

11. The method according to claim 6, wherein said PTT service is initiated by depressing a “

soft”

key on a PTT ST emulator.

12. An Internet protocol (IP) push-to-talk (IPP2T) apparatus for use with IPP2T service, said IPP2T service using a wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) comprising:

a device emulating a push-to-talk radio, said device capable of operating in a plurality of modes and said device having an ability to communicate over an air interface to said WLAN; and

said device further being programmable to use conventional WLAN protocols.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said operating modes include IPP2T only, Voice over IP (Vow) only, IPP2T and VoIP, and registration.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein communication with said WLAN is to a plurality of APs and one of said plurality of APs receives said communication and handles said particular communication based on one of a channel quality metric and radio resource availability.

15. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said emulating device receives and outputs a multicast stream comprising all current transmitting subscribers'"'"' speech within a currently active group of which a particular subscriber using said emulating device is a member.

16. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said emulating device supports multicasting.