Method of transmitting messages in a dispatch call

• US 6,169,906 B1
• Filed: 03/24/1998
• Issued: 01/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bruckert, Eugene J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BEAMER, TEMICA M
• Application Number:
  US09/047,022
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404, 455/439, 455/512, 455/513, 455/521, 455/519, 455/525, 455/526, 455/518, 455/527, 455/508, 455/522, 455/59, 455/63, 370/441, 370/296, 370/389, 370/331, 370/465, 370/468
• US Class Current: 455/518
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/08 Trunked mobile radio systems

Abstract

Communication units (107 and 109) are distinguished between preferred units and non-preferred units. The same message content is transmitted (207) to the preferred units at a preferred quality, such as at a preferred transmission rate, and to the non-preferred units (209) at a non-preferred rate, such as one-half the preferred transmission rate. The bandwidth saved can be reallocated for other messages, thereby resulting in a more efficient use of resources for a dispatch call.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

establishing a dispatch call in a wireless communication system;

determining a first preferred communication unit (MS);

transmitting a first part of a message to at least the first preferred communication unit at a preferred quality;

transmitting the first part of the message to at least one communication unit that is not a preferred communication unit at a quality less than the preferred quality, wherein the preferred quality comprises a first transmission rate, and the quality less than the preferred quality comprises a rate slower than the first transmission rate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first transmission rate is a vocoder transmission rate.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the preferred quality further comprises a first transmission power, and the quality less than the preferred quality further comprises a power less than the first transmission power.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining a second preferred communication unit;

transmitting a second part of the message to at least the second preferred communication unit at the preferred quality;

transmitting the second part of the message to at least one communication unit that is not a preferred communication unit at a quality less than the preferred quality.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining that the first preferred communication unit is no longer preferred;

transmitting a second part of the message to at least the first preferred communication unit that is no longer preferred at the quality less than the preferred quality.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the preferred communication unit compares an outbound signal to a received signal and mutes the preferred communication unit'"'"'s reception if the outbound signal and the received signal are substantially the same.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication system is a CDMA system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication system is a cellular system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first part of the message is transmitted to two or more preferred communication units at the preferred quality.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first part of the message is transmitted to two or more communication units at a quality less than the preferred quality.

11. A method comprising the steps of:

establishing a dispatch call in a wireless communication system;

determining a first preferred communication unit (MS);

transmitting a first part of a message to at least the first preferred communication unit at a preferred quality;

transmitting the first part of the message to at least one communication unit that is not a preferred communication unit at a quality less than the preferred quality;

transmitting, by an originating communication unit, a communication;

receiving, at a first base station, the communication;

sending the communication to a transcoder;

transcoding, by the transcoder, the communication into the first part of the message at the preferred quality and into the first part of the message at the quality less than the preferred quality.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of sending the first part of the message at the preferred quality to the first base station.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of sending the first part of the message at the quality less than the preferred quality to a base station not servicing a preferred communication unit.

14. A method comprising the steps of:

establishing a dispatch call in a wireless communication system;

assuming all communication units participating in the dispatch call are non-preferred communication units;

transmitting a first part of a first message to the non-preferred communication units at a non-preferred quality;

receiving a part of a second message from a first communication unit;

considering the first communication unit as a first preferred communication unit;

transmitting a second part of the first message to at least the first preferred communication unit at a preferred quality;

transmitting the second part of the first message to at least one communication unit that is not the first preferred communication unit at the non-preferred quality, wherein the preferred quality comprises a first transmission rate, and the quality less than the preferred quality comprises a rate slower than the first transmission rate.

15. The method of claim 14, where the step of transmitting the first part of the first message to the non-preferred communication units at the non-preferred quality is performed by all base stations participating in the dispatch call.

16. The method of claim 14, where the step of transmitting the second part of the first message to at least the first preferred communication unit at the preferred quality is performed by a base station servicing the first preferred communication unit in the dispatch call.

17. The method of claim 14, where the step of transmitting the second part of the first message to at least one communication unit that is not the first preferred communication unit at the non-preferred quality is performed by a base station not servicing the first preferred communication unit in the dispatch call.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting, by an originating communication unit, a communication;

receiving, at a first base station, the communication;

sending the communication to a transcoder;

transcoding, by the transcoder, the communication into the first part of the first message at the non-preferred quality.