SETTING UP A FULL-DUPLEX COMMUNICATION SESSION AND TRANSITIONING BETWEEN HALF-DUPLEX AND FULL-DUPLEX DURING A COMMUNICATION SESSION WITHIN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM

• US 20130315110A1
• Filed: 07/31/2013
• Published: 11/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Razdan, Ashu, Rosen, Eric, Ross, David, Ananthanarayanan, Arulmozhi, Shuman, Mohammed Ataur Rahman, Brewer, Beth
• Granted Patent: US 9,520,982 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/277
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

In an embodiment, an originating device sends a request, to a server, to initiate a full-duplex session with a target device. Responsive to the full-duplex request, a half-duplex session is set-up from the originating device to the target device before the full-duplex session is set-up. The target device indicates its acceptance of the half-duplex session, receives half-duplex media from the originating device and selectively indicates its acceptance of the full-duplex session. In another embodiment, during a session currently supported either by half-duplex or full-duplex, the server arbitrating the session receives a request from one of the session participants to transition the session to another duplex-type. The server then selectively transitions the duplex-type of the session.

Claims

1. A method of establishing a full-duplex communication session within a wireless communications system, comprising:

receiving an announce message that announces at least a half-duplex communication session;

selectively accepting the announced half-duplex communication session;

establishing the half-duplex communication session by setting up a half-duplex communication channel from an originating device;

determining whether the announced half-duplex communication session is associated with a potential full-duplex communication session;

selectively accepting the full-duplex communication session;

receiving media from the originating device over the half-duplex communication channel before the full-duplex communication session is established.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the received announce message announces both the half-duplex and full-duplex communication sessions.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the received announce message indicates that a first call accept message accepts the announced half-duplex communication session and a second call accept message accepts the full-duplex communication session.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the received announce message is configured to force acceptance of the half-duplex and full-duplex communication sessions.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing the full-duplex communication session by setting up a full-duplex communication channel with the originating device;

exchanging media with the originating device over the full-duplex communication channel after the full-duplex communication session is established.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein sending media to the originating device on the full-duplex channel implicitly indicates that the full-duplex communication session is accepted.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein a call accept message indicates that the full-duplex communication session is accepted.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the potential full-duplex communication session is rejected either by sending a call reject message or failing to send a call accept message.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the half-duplex communication session and full-duplex communication session are announced in different announce messages.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the different announce messages are configured to force acceptance of the half-duplex and full-duplex communication sessions, respectively.

47. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively accepting the full-duplex communication session includes:

prompting a user to determine if the user wishes to answer the announce message in order to join the full-duplex communication session; and

receiving a response to the prompt from the user,

wherein the full-duplex communication session is established if the response indicates that the user wishes to answer the announce message, and

wherein the full-duplex communication session is not established if the response indicates that the user does not wish to answer the announce message.

48. The method of claim 1, wherein the media corresponds to device-captured media that is captured by the originating device before the full-duplex communication session.

11. A method of transitioning a communication session between half-duplex and full-duplex within a wireless communications system, comprising:

conducting a given communication session between an originating device and at least one target device, the given communication session having a first duplex characteristic;

receiving a request, from either the originating device or the at least one target device, to transition the given communication session from the first duplex characteristic to a second duplex characteristic; and

selectively transitioning the given communication session from the first duplex characteristic to the second duplex characteristic in response to the received request.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the given communication session having the first duplex characteristic corresponds to half-duplex and the given communication session having the second duplex characteristic corresponds to full-duplex.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

if the device requesting the transition from half-duplex to full-duplex does not hold for the floor for the half-duplex session,

setting up a uni-directional communication link from the requesting device to at least the current floor-holder before the transition to full-duplex completes; and

forwarding media from the requesting device over the uni-directional communication link

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

terminating the uni-directional communication link after the transition to full-duplex completes.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the given communication session having the first duplex characteristic corresponds to full-duplex and the given communication session having the second duplex characteristic corresponds to half-duplex.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the device requesting the transition further requests to be a floor-holder for the half-duplex session after the transition.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

buffering media from a floor-holder of the half-duplex session under transition; and

sending the buffered media to each non-floor-holder of the half-duplex session under transition when a threshold number of non-floor-holders of the half-duplex session under transition become available.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

notifying each device that is participating in the given communication session having the first duplex characteristic that a duplex-transition has been requested,

wherein the selectively transitioning step is conditioned upon a threshold number of devices agreeing to the duplex-transition.

19. A method of transitioning a communication session between half-duplex and full-duplex within a wireless communications system, comprising:

participating in a given communication session between an originating device and at least one target device, the given communication session having a first duplex characteristic;

sending a request to transition the given communication session from the first duplex characteristic to a second duplex characteristic; and

transitioning the given communication session from the first duplex characteristic to the second duplex characteristic if the sent request is granted.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the given communication session having the first duplex characteristic corresponds to half-duplex and the given communication session having the second duplex characteristic corresponds to full-duplex.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

if a requesting device that performs the sending step is not a floor-holder of the half-duplex session before the transition,

setting up a uni-directional communication link from the requesting device to at least the current floor-holder before the transition to full-duplex completes; and

forwarding media from the requesting device over the uni-directional communication link

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

terminating the uni-directional communication link after the transition to full-duplex completes.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the given communication session having the first duplex characteristic corresponds to full-duplex and the given communication session having the second duplex characteristic corresponds to half-duplex.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

requesting the floor for the half-duplex session after the transition.

25. A method of transitioning a communication session between half-duplex and full-duplex within a wireless communications system, comprising:

participating in a given communication session between an originating device and at least one target device, the given communication session having a first duplex characteristic;

receiving a notification that another session participant has requested to transition the given communication session from the first duplex characteristic to a second duplex characteristic; and

selectively transitioning the given communication session from the first duplex characteristic to the second duplex characteristic in response to the received notification.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the given communication session having the first duplex characteristic corresponds to half-duplex and the given communication session having the second duplex characteristic corresponds to full-duplex.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

if a requesting device that performs the sending step is not a floor-holder of the half-duplex session before the transition,

setting up a uni-directional communication link from the requesting device to at least the current floor-holder before the transition to full-duplex completes; and

forwarding media from the requesting device over the uni-directional communication link.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

terminating the uni-directional communication link after the transition to full-duplex completes.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the selectively transitioning step forces a device receiving the notification to perform the transition.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the selectively transitioning step establishes a full-duplex communication channel at a device receiving the notification, further comprising:

muting a communication interface at the notified device upon establishment of the full-duplex communication channel;

prompting a user of the notified device to accept the full-duplex communication session; and

selectively un-muting the communication interface based on the whether the user responds to the prompt by accepting the full-duplex communication session.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein the given communication session having the first duplex characteristic corresponds to full-duplex and the given communication session having the second duplex characteristic corresponds to half-duplex.

32. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

determining whether to accept the duplex-transition.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

if the determining step determines to accept the duplex transition, accepting the full-duplex transmission either by (i) sending a message to a server controlling the full-duplex session indicating that the full-duplex session is accepted, or (ii) sending media to the server.

34. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

if the determining step determines not to accept the duplex transition, rejecting the full-duplex transmission either by (i) sending a message to a server controlling the full-duplex session indicating that the full-duplex session is rejected, or (ii) refraining from sending a message to a server controlling the full-duplex session indicating that the full-duplex session is accepted.

35. An access terminal configured to participate in server-arbitrated communication sessions within a wireless communications system, comprising:

means for receiving an announce message that announces at least a half-duplex communication session;

means for selectively accepting the announced half-duplex communication session;

means for establishing the half-duplex communication session by setting up a half-duplex communication channel from an originating device;

means for determining whether the announced half-duplex communication session is associated with a potential full-duplex communication session;

means for selectively accepting the full-duplex communication session;

means for receiving media from the originating device over the half-duplex communication channel before the full-duplex communication session is established.

36. A server configured to arbitrate communication sessions between access terminals within a wireless communications system and to transition communication sessions between half-duplex and full-duplex, comprising:

means for conducting a given communication session between an originating device and at least one target device, the given communication session having a first duplex characteristic;

means for receiving a request, from either the originating device or the at least one target device, to transition the given communication session from the first duplex characteristic to a second duplex characteristic; and

means for selectively transitioning the given communication session from the first duplex characteristic to the second duplex characteristic in response to the received request.

37. An access terminal configured to participate in server-arbitrated communication sessions within a wireless communications system, comprising:

means for participating in a given communication session between an originating device and at least one target device, the given communication session having a first duplex characteristic;

means for sending a request to transition the given communication session from the first duplex characteristic to a second duplex characteristic; and

means for transitioning the given communication session from the first duplex characteristic to the second duplex characteristic if the sent request is granted.

38. An access terminal configured to participate in server-arbitrated communication sessions within a wireless communications system, comprising:

means for participating in a given communication session between an originating device and at least one target device, the given communication session having a first duplex characteristic;

means for receiving a notification that another session participant has requested to transition the given communication session from the first duplex characteristic to a second duplex characteristic; and

means for selectively transitioning the given communication session from the first duplex characteristic to the second duplex characteristic in response to the received notification.

39. An access terminal configured to participate in server-arbitrated communication sessions within a wireless communications system, comprising:

logic configured to receive an announce message that announces at least a half-duplex communication session;

logic configured to selectively accept the announced half-duplex communication session;

logic configured to establish the half-duplex communication session by setting up a half-duplex communication channel from an originating device;

logic configured to determine whether the announced half-duplex communication session is associated with a potential full-duplex communication session;

logic configured to selectively accept the full-duplex communication session;

logic configured to receive media from the originating device over the half-duplex communication channel before the full-duplex communication session is established.

40. A server configured to arbitrate communication sessions between access terminals within a wireless communications system and to transition communication sessions between half-duplex and full-duplex, comprising:

logic configured to conduct a given communication session between an originating device and at least one target device, the given communication session having a first duplex characteristic;

logic configured to receive a request, from either the originating device or the at least one target device, to transition the given communication session from the first duplex characteristic to a second duplex characteristic; and

logic configured to selectively transition the given communication session from the first duplex characteristic to the second duplex characteristic in response to the received request.

41. An access terminal configured to participate in server-arbitrated communication sessions within a wireless communications system, comprising:

logic configured to participate in a given communication session between an originating device and at least one target device, the given communication session having a first duplex characteristic;

logic configured to send a request to transition the given communication session from the first duplex characteristic to a second duplex characteristic; and

logic configured to transition the given communication session from the first duplex characteristic to the second duplex characteristic if the sent request is granted.

42. An access terminal configured to participate in server-arbitrated communication sessions within a wireless communications system, comprising:

logic configured to participate in a given communication session between an originating device and at least one target device, the given communication session having a first duplex characteristic;

logic configured to receive a notification that another session participant has requested to transition the given communication session from the first duplex characteristic to a second duplex characteristic; and

logic configured to selectively transition the given communication session from the first duplex characteristic to the second duplex characteristic in response to the received notification.

43. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions, which, when executed by an access terminal configured to participate in server-arbitrated communication sessions within a wireless communications system, cause the access terminal to perform operations, the instructions comprising:

program code to receive an announce message that announces at least a half-duplex communication session;

program code to selectively accept the announced half-duplex communication session;

program code to establish the half-duplex communication session by setting up a half-duplex communication channel from an originating device;

program code to determine whether the announced half-duplex communication session is associated with a potential full-duplex communication session;

program code to selectively accept the full-duplex communication session;

program code to receive media from the originating device over the half-duplex communication channel before the full-duplex communication session is established.

44. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions, which, when executed by a server configured to arbitrate communication sessions between access terminals within a wireless communications system and to transition communication sessions between half-duplex and full-duplex, cause the server to perform operations, the instructions comprising:

program code to conduct a given communication session between an originating device and at least one target device, the given communication session having a first duplex characteristic;

program code to receive a request, from either the originating device or the at least one target device, to transition the given communication session from the first duplex characteristic to a second duplex characteristic; and

program code to selectively transition the given communication session from the first duplex characteristic to the second duplex characteristic in response to the received request.

45. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions, which, when executed by an access terminal configured to participate in server-arbitrated communication sessions within a wireless communications system, cause the access terminal to perform operations, the instructions comprising:

program code to participate in a given communication session between an originating device and at least one target device, the given communication session having a first duplex characteristic;

program code to send a request to transition the given communication session from the first duplex characteristic to a second duplex characteristic; and

program code to transition the given communication session from the first duplex characteristic to the second duplex characteristic if the sent request is granted.

46. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions, which, when executed by an access terminal configured to participate in server-arbitrated communication sessions within a wireless communications system, cause the access terminal to perform operations, the instructions comprising:

program code to participate in a given communication session between an originating device and at least one target device, the given communication session having a first duplex characteristic;

program code to receive a notification that another session participant has requested to transition the given communication session from the first duplex characteristic to a second duplex characteristic; and

program code to selectively transition the given communication session from the first duplex characteristic to the second duplex characteristic in response to the received notification.