Method and Apparatus for Establishing a POC Session

• US 20110231558A1
• Filed: 09/19/2008
• Published: 09/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Holm, Jan
• Granted Patent: US 9,065,875 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4061 Push-to services, e.g. push-to-talk or push-to-video

Abstract

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of establishing a Push-to-talk over Cellular (PoC) communication session between an inviting PoC client and at least one invited PoC client using an IP Multimedia Subsystem network. The method comprises using the pre-established session procedure to negotiate media parameters between the inviting PoC client and a participating PoC server for the inviting PoC client. At the inviting PoC client, sending a Talk Burst Control Protocol (TBCP) or Media Burst Control Protocol (MBCP) message directly to its participating PoC server, the TBCP or MBCP message containing the PoC address of the at least one invited PoC client. At said participating PoC Server, in response to receipt of the TBCP or MBCP message, generating a SIP INVITE message and sending the SIP INVITE message towards a participating PoC server for the at least one invited PoC client.

Claims

1. A method of establishing a Push-to-talk over Cellular (PoC) communication session between an inviting PoC client and at least one invited PoC client using an IP Multimedia Subsystem network, the method comprising:

using the pre-established session procedure to negotiate media parameters between the inviting PoC client and a participating PoC server for the inviting PoC client;

at the inviting PoC client, sending a Talk Burst Control Protocol (TBCP) or Media Burst Control Protocol (MBCP) message directly to its participating PoC server in order to initiate the PoC communication session, the TBCP or MBCP message containing the PoC address of the at least one invited PoC client; and

at said participating PoC Server, in response to receipt of the TBCP or MBCP message, generating a SIP INVITE message and sending the SIP INVITE message towards a participating PoC server for the at least one invited PoC client.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of generating the SIP INVITE message comprises:

using the PoC addresses included in the TBCP or MBCP message sent from the inviting PoC client together with the information received and media parameters negotiated during the pre-established session procedure to complete the fields and body of the SIP INVITE.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the TBCP or MBCP message is a TBCP or MBCP Connect message.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the TBCP or MBCP message comprises:

an IP header;

a TBCP or MBCP header; and

the PoC address of the at least one PoC client.

5. An apparatus configured to operate as a Push-to-talk over Cellular (PoC) client, the apparatus comprising:

a negotiating unit for negotiating media parameters with a participating PoC server of the PoC client using the pre-established session procedure; and

a PoC session initiation unit for generating and sending a Talk Burst Control Protocol (TBCP) or Media Burst Control Protocol (MBCP) message directly to said participating PoC server in order to initiate a PoC communication session, the TBCP or MBCP message containing the PoC address of at least one other PoC client.

6. An apparatus configured to operate as a Push-to-talk over Cellular (PoC) server, the apparatus comprising:

a negotiating unit for negotiating media parameters with a PoC Client using the pre-established session procedure; and

a PoC session processing unit for receiving a Talk Burst Control Protocol (TBCP) or Media Burst Control Protocol (MBCP) message from said PoC client initiating a PoC communication session, the TBCP or MBCP message comprising the PoC addresses of at least one other PoC client, and in response generating a SIP INVITE message using said negotiated parameters and sending the SIP INVITE message towards a participating PoC server for the at least one other PoC client.