METHOD FOR GROUP CALL COMMUNICATION

• US 20110028140A1
• Filed: 07/31/2009
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ekanayake, Mahes M., Dewasurendra, Duminda A., Phang, Wayne M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,432,880 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/422.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast

Abstract

A method for communicating a group call within a communication network comprising at least one repeater and a plurality of communication devices includes: receiving at least one preamble slot and at least one synchronization slot from an originator communication device by the repeater and a communication device; operating the communication device to receive one or more calls directly from the originator device via eavesdropping on the repeater uplink channel when a received signal strength indication (RSSI) of the direct preamble and synchronization slots is greater than a threshold; and operating the communication device to receive one or more calls from the originator device via the repeater on a repeater downlink channel of the repeater when the direct RSSI is not greater than the threshold.

Claims

1. A method for communicating a group call within a communication network comprising at least one repeater and a plurality of communication devices, the method comprising:

receiving at least one preamble slot and at least one synchronization slot from an originator communication device by a communication device;

operating the communication device to receive one or more calls directly from the originator device when a direct received signal strength indication (RSSI) of the preamble and synchronization slots is greater than a threshold; and

operating the communication device to receive one or more calls from the originator device via the repeater on a repeater downlink channel of the repeater when the direct RSSI is not greater than the threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more calls comprise at least one group call.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication device is in direct range of the originator communication device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising prior to the receiving of the at least one preamble slot and the at least one synchronization slot:

initiating a call by the originator communication device sending the at least one preamble slot and the at least one synchronization slots in an uplink hopset.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one preamble slot and the at least one synchronization slot include time and frequency synchronization information.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the at least one preamble slot and the at least one synchronization slot by the repeater.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the repeater is in direct range of the originator communication device.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

operating the repeater and the communication device to each synchronize itself using the received at least one preamble slot and the at least one synchronization slots.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

operating the repeater to retransmit the at least one preamble slot and at least one synchronization slot after synchronization.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

operating the communication device to synchronize to the repeater downlink channel of the repeater in response to receiving the retransmitted at least one preamble slot and at least one synchronization slot.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a repeater request to relay the one or more calls from the originator communication device to the repeater.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

transmitting a request acknowledgement from the repeater to the originator communication device in response to receiving the repeater request.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving the repeater request by the communication device.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the one or more calls on an uplink channel by the originator communication device.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

operating the repeater to retransmit the one or more calls on the repeater downlink channel.

16. A method for communicating a group call within a communication network comprising at least one repeater and a plurality of communication devices, the method comprising:

receiving at least one preamble slot and at least one synchronization slot on an uplink channel from an originator communication device by a communication device;

retransmitting the at least one preamble slot and the at least one synchronization slot by a repeater;

comparing an uplink received signal strength indication (RSSI) of the uplink channel to a downlink RSSI of a downlink channel;

operating the communication device to receive one or more calls directly from the originator device when the uplink RSSI is greater than the downlink RSSI; and

operating the communication device to receive one or more calls from the originator device via the repeater on the downlink channel of the repeater when the uplink RSSI is not greater than the downlink RSSI.