METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DYNAMIC TALK GROUP FORMATION AS A FUNCTION OF SUBSCRIBER UNIT MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO A DEFINED INCIDENT LOCATION

• US 20170294131A1
• Filed: 12/16/2014
• Published: 10/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: JEDRZEJEWSKI, TOMASZ JAKUB, TUTAJ, LUKASZ WOJCIECH
• Granted Patent: US 9,978,283 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/207 with respect to certain areas, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas with possible alerting when inside or outside boundaries
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

A process for dynamic talk group formation in a wireless communication system as a function of subscriber unit movement relative to a defined incident location includes receiving, at an infrastructure controller device from one of a third subscriber unit and a dispatch console, a request for forming a new talk group relative to a defined incident location. The infrastructure controller device determines a direction of movement of a plurality of subscriber units relative to the defined incident location. The infrastructure controller device then forms a talk group including a first subscriber unit from the plurality of subscriber units determined to be moving towards the defined incident location and not including a second subscriber unit from the plurality of subscriber units determined to not be moving towards the defined incident location.

Claims

1. A method for dynamic talk group formation in a wireless communication system as a function of subscriber unit movement relative to a defined incident location, the method comprising:

receiving, at an infrastructure controller device from one of a third subscriber unit and a dispatch console, a request for forming a new talk group relative to a defined incident location;

determining, by the infrastructure controller device, a direction of movement of a plurality of subscriber units relative to the defined incident location; and

forming, by the infrastructure controller device, a talk group including a first subscriber unit from the plurality of subscriber units determined to be moving towards the defined incident location and not including a second subscriber unit from the plurality of subscriber units determined to not be moving towards the defined incident location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of forming the talk group further comprises including the first subscriber unit determined to be moving towards the defined incident location responsive to determining that the first subscriber unit also meets an additional inclusion threshold rule.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the additional inclusion threshold rule comprises a current location of the subscriber units that is within a maximum distance from the defined incident location.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the additional inclusion threshold rule comprises a type of responder of the subscriber unit.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the additional inclusion threshold rule comprises an estimated time to arrive at the defined incident location for the subscribers unit.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that a subscriber unit is moving towards the defined incident location comprises tracking a plurality of prior locations for each subscriber unit, determining an average cardinal direction of each subscriber unit travel using the plurality of prior locations, and determining that the average cardinal direction of travel intersects a threshold area surrounding the defined incident location.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the threshold area surrounding the defined incident location is a circle having a pre-configured radius distance from the defined incident location.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the threshold area surrounding the defined incident location is a geo-fence defined at a dispatch console and surrounding the defined incident location.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that a subscriber unit is moving towards the defined incident location comprises tracking a plurality of prior locations for each subscriber unit, accessing a cartographic database of available paths and identifying a limited number of shortest or fastest paths from one of the prior locations to the defined incident location, and determining from subsequent locations for each subscriber unit that the subscriber unit is traversing one of the limited number of shortest or fastest paths towards the defined incident location.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of forming the talk group includes forming, by the infrastructure controller device, the talk group including a plurality of subscriber units determined to be moving towards the defined incident location and not including a plurality of subscriber units determined to not be moving towards the defined incident location.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising tracking, by the infrastructure controller device, locations of the plurality of subscriber units over time.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing, by the infrastructure controller device, one or more of audio and data transmitted by the one of the third subscriber unit and the dispatch console to be provided to subscriber units in the formed talk group.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein causing the one or more of audio and data transmitted by the one of the third subscriber unit and the dispatch console to be provided to subscriber units in the formed talk group comprises the third subscriber unit transmitting the one or more of audio and data with a formed group identifier associated with the formed group, the subscriber units in the formed group directly receiving the one or more of audio and data transmitted by the third subscriber unit, and the subscriber units in the formed group playing back the received one or more of audio and data.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein causing the one or more of audio and data transmitted by the one of the third subscriber unit and the dispatch console to be provided to the subscriber units in the formed group comprises receiving the one or more of audio and data transmitted by the one of the third subscriber unit and the dispatch console at one of a push-to-talk (PTT) server and a repeater, and forwarding, via the one of the PTT server and the repeater, the one or more of audio and data transmitted by the one of the third subscriber unit and the dispatch console to the subscriber units in the formed group.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing, by the infrastructure controller device, one of an assigned talk group identifier associated with the formed talk group and a list of subscriber units in the formed talk group to be provided to the one of the third subscriber unit and the dispatch console.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising causing, by the infrastructure controller device, one of the assigned talk group identifier associated with the formed talk group and the list of subscriber units in the formed talk group to be provided to each of the subscriber units in the formed talk group.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after forming the talk group including the first subscriber unit:

receiving further location updates of the first subscriber unit;

determining, from the further location updates, that the first subscriber unit is no longer moving towards the defined incident location; and

removing the first subscriber unit from the formed talk group.

18. An infrastructure controller device for dynamic talk group formation in a wireless communication system as a function of a subscriber unit movement relative to a defined incident location, the device comprising:

a transceiver;

a data store; and

one or more processors configured to;

receive, via the transceiver, from one of a third subscriber unit and a dispatch console, a request for forming a new talk group relative to a defined incident location;

determine a direction of movement of a plurality of subscriber units relative to the defined incident location; and

form a talk group including a first subscriber unit from the plurality of subscriber units determined to be moving towards the defined incident location and not including a second subscriber unit from the plurality of subscriber units determined to not be moving towards the defined incident location.

19. The infrastructure controller device of claim 18, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause, via the transceiver, one of an assigned talk group identifier associated with the formed talk group and a list of subscriber units in the formed talk group to be provided to the one of the third subscriber unit and the dispatch console.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processing device, perform a set of functions, the set of functions comprising:

receiving, at the processing device from one of a third subscriber unit and a dispatch console, a request for forming a new talk group relative to a defined incident location;

determining, by the processing device, a direction of movement of a plurality of subscriber units relative to the defined incident location; and

forming, by the processing device, a talk group including a first subscriber unit from the plurality of subscriber units determined to be moving towards the defined incident location and not including a second subscriber unit from the plurality of subscriber units determined to not be moving towards the defined incident location.