USING FM/AM RADIO AND CELLULAR TECHNOLOGY TO SUPPORT INTERACTIVE GROUP COMMUNICATION FOR LARGE NUMBER OF USERS

• US 20140112167A1
• Filed: 10/23/2012
• Published: 04/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Shuman, Mohammed Ataur R., Goel, Amit, Song, Bongyong
• Granted Patent: US 8,982,885 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1845 broadcast or multicast in a specific location, e.g. geocast protocols for adapting network applications to user terminal location H04L67/52; services specially adapted for wireless communication networks making use of the location of users or terminals H04W4/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4061 Push-to services, e.g. push-to-talk or push-to-video
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

The disclosure is directed to conducting group communications. An embodiment receives information defining a group communication from a first network, detects an availability of at least one local uni-directional radio broadcast network outside the first network, transmits an acknowledgment indicating an intention to connect to the at least one local uni-directional radio broadcast network, and monitors the group communication on the at least one local uni-directional radio broadcast network.

Claims

1. A method for conducting group communications, comprising:

receiving information defining a group communication from a first network;

detecting an availability of at least one local uni-directional radio broadcast network outside the first network;

transmitting an acknowledgment indicating an intention to connect to the at least one local uni-directional radio broadcast network; and

monitoring the group communication on the at least one local uni-directional radio broadcast network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one local uni-directional radio broadcast network is an FM or AM transmission.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first network is a cellular network.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the transmitting the acknowledgment is performed on the first network.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first network is a cellular network and the transmitting is performed on a unicast connection.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the FM or AM transmission is an analog transmission.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the FM transmission is a Digital Media over FM transmission.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the Digital Media over FM transmission is a secure connection and authentication is required to join the group communication.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network is a cellular network, the method further comprising:

establishing a unicast connection on the first network to allow communication in the group communication.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the establishing is a floor request and the group communication is a push-to-talk (PTT) group communication.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

dropping the unicast connection on the first network after the communication in the group communication.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the information defining the group communication comprises an identifier and/or an address of the at least one local uni-directional radio broadcast network.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the information defining the group communication comprises a group member list.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the information defining the group communication comprises a start time and an end time or a duration of the group communication.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a start time of the group communication based on the information defining the group communication.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an end time of the group communication based on the information defining the group communication; and

ceasing to monitor the at least one local uni-directional radio broadcast network.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a group communication media over the at least one local uni-directional radio broadcast network.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the group communication media is a talk spurt.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an in-call status on the first network.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving comprises:

receiving the information defining the group communication in a short message service (SMS) message.

21. An apparatus for conducting group communications, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to perform operations comprising;

receiving information defining a group communication from a first network;

detecting an availability of at least one local uni-directional radio broadcast network outside the first network;

transmitting an acknowledgment indicating an intention to connect to the at least one local uni-directional radio broadcast network; and

monitoring the group communication on the at least one local uni-directional radio broadcast network.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the at least one local uni-directional radio broadcast network is an FM or AM transmission.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the first network is a cellular network.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the transmitting the acknowledgment is performed on the first network.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the first network is a cellular network and the transmitting is performed on a unicast connection.

26. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the FM or AM transmission is an analog transmission.

27. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the FM transmission is a Digital Media over FM transmission.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the Digital Media over FM transmission is a secure connection and authentication is required to join the group communication.

29. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the first network is a cellular network, the operations further comprising:

establishing a unicast connection on the first network to allow communication in the group communication.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the establishing is a floor request and the group communication is a push-to-talk (PTT) group communication.

31. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the operations further comprise:

dropping the unicast connection on the first network after the communication in the group communication.

32. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the information defining the group communication comprises an identifier and/or an address of the at least one local uni-directional radio broadcast network.

33. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the information defining the group communication comprises a group member list.

34. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the information defining the group communication comprises a start time and an end time or a duration of the group communication.

35. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the operations further comprise:

detecting a start time of the group communication based on the information defining the group communication.

36. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the operations further comprise:

detecting an end time of the group communication based on the information defining the group communication; and

ceasing to monitor the at least one local uni-directional radio broadcast network.

37. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a group communication media over the at least one local uni-directional radio broadcast network.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the group communication media is a talk spurt.

39. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving an in-call status on the first network.

40. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the receiving comprises:

receiving the information defining the group communication in a short message service (SMS) message.

41. An apparatus for conducting group communications, comprising:

logic configured to receive information defining a group communication from a first network;

logic configured to detect an availability of at least one local uni-directional radio broadcast network outside the first network;

logic configured to transmit an acknowledgment indicating an intention to connect to the at least one local uni-directional radio broadcast network; and

logic configured to monitor the group communication on the at least one local uni-directional radio broadcast network.

42. An apparatus for conducting group communications, comprising:

means for receiving information defining a group communication from a first network;

means for detecting an availability of at least one local uni-directional radio broadcast network outside the first network;

means for transmitting an acknowledgment indicating an intention to connect to the at least one local uni-directional radio broadcast network; and

means for monitoring the group communication on the at least one local uni-directional radio broadcast network.

43. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for conducting group communications, comprising:

at least one instruction to receive information defining a group communication from a first network;

at least one instruction to detect an availability of at least one local uni-directional radio broadcast network outside the first network;

at least one instruction to transmit an acknowledgment indicating an intention to connect to the at least one local uni-directional radio broadcast network; and

at least one instruction to monitor the group communication on the at least one local uni-directional radio broadcast network.