FLOOR CONTROL IN A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20090109994A1
• Filed: 09/15/2008
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bekiares, Tyrone D., Hiben, Bradley M., LoGalbo, Bob
• Granted Patent: US 8,531,993 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/462
• 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 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: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0833 Random access procedures, e.g. with 4-step access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0875 with assigned priorities based access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

A method (400) of implementing floor control in a communications system (100). The method can include receiving a random symbol from each of a plurality of communication devices (104, 106, 108, 110, 112) or network nodes (204, 206, 208, 210, 212). From the plurality of random symbols, a random symbol that satisfies a criteria can be identified. Floor ownership can be granted to a selected one of the communication devices associated with the identified random symbol or from which the identified random symbol was received.

Claims

1. A method of implementing floor control in a communications system, comprising:

receiving a random symbol from each of a plurality of communication devices;

from the plurality of random symbols, identifying a random symbol that satisfies a criteria; and

granting floor ownership to a selected one of the communication devices from which the identified random symbol was received.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a priority level associated with the random symbol, wherein granting floor ownership comprises granting floor ownership to a selected one of the communication devices from which the identified random symbol and identified priority level was received.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the random symbol comprises identifying the random symbol after expiration of a defined period.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the random symbols comprises receiving a respective data stream from each of the plurality of communication devices, each respective data stream comprising a corresponding one of the random symbols and media.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a floor request comprising a random symbol; and

communicating the floor request to at least one of the plurality of communication devices.

6. A method of implementing floor control in a communications system, comprising:

receiving a random symbol from each of a plurality of network nodes;

from the plurality of random symbols, identifying a random symbol that satisfies a criteria; and

granting floor ownership to a communication device associated with the identified random symbol.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising identifying a priority level associated with the random symbol, wherein granting floor ownership comprises granting floor ownership to a communication device associated with the identified random symbol and identified priority level.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein identifying the random symbol comprises identifying the random symbol after expiration of a defined period.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving the random symbols comprises receiving a respective data stream from each of the plurality of network nodes, each respective data streams comprising a corresponding one of the random symbols and media.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving a data stream communicated from the selected communication device; and

responsive to communication of the data stream being terminated, terminating the floor ownership granted to the selected communication device.

11. A communication device, comprising:

a transceiver that receives a random symbol from each of a plurality of other communication devices; and

a floor control application that, from the plurality of random symbols, identifies a random symbol that satisfies a criteria, and grants floor ownership to a selected one of the other communication devices from which the identified random symbol was received.

12. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the floor control application identifies a priority level associated with the random symbol and grants floor ownership to a selected one of the other communication devices from which the identified random symbol and identified priority level was received.

13. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the floor control application identifies the random symbol after expiration of a defined period.

14. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the transceiver receives a respective data stream from each of the plurality of other communication devices, each respective data streams comprising a corresponding one of the random symbols and media.

15. The communication device of claim 11, wherein:

the transceiver receives a data stream communicated from the selected communication device; and

responsive to communication of the data stream being terminated, the floor control application terminates the floor ownership granted to the selected communication device.

16. A network node, comprising:

a network adapter that receives a random symbol from each of a plurality of other network nodes; and

a floor control application that, from the plurality of random symbols, identifies a random symbol that satisfies a criteria, and grants floor ownership to a communication device associated with the identified random symbol.

17. The network node of claim 16, wherein the floor control application identifies a priority level associated with the random symbol.

18. The network node of claim 16, wherein the floor control application identifies the random symbol after expiration of a defined period.

19. The network node of claim 16, wherein the network adapter receives a respective data stream from each of the plurality of other network nodes, each respective data streams comprising a corresponding one of the random symbols and media.

20. The communication device of claim 16, further comprising:

a transceiver that receives a data stream from a communication device;

wherein;

the floor control application generates a floor request comprising a random symbol; and

the network adapter communicates the floor request to at least one of the other network nodes.