Method and apparatus for dynamically grouping communication units in a communication system
First Claim
1. A method for a display-based terminal to dynamically group communication units in a dispatch communication system, the method comprising the steps of:
- displaying a map to a user of the display-based terminal indicating locations of a plurality of communication units;
receiving, from the user, a selection from the map of at least one communication unit of the plurality of communication units to produce at least one selected communication unit;
receiving, from the user, an identification of at least one talkgroup with which the at least one selected communication unit is to become a member; and
automatically grouping the at least one selected communication unit into the at least one talkgroup.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A display-based terminal (101) employs a method and apparatus for dynamically grouping communication units (105-113) operating in a communication system (100). The display-based terminal displays a map (300, 400) to a user of the terminal that indicates, among other things, locations of communication units in at least a portion of the communication system. The terminal receives the user'"'"'s selection of communication units from the map and an identification of at least one talkgroup with which the selected units are to become members. The communication units may be selected individually, as a group (e.g., using “click and drag” rectangling techniques), or both. After communication units have been selected from the map, the terminal automatically groups the selected units into the indicated talkgroup. If the terminal user desires to ungroup a previously grouped communication unit, the user selects the unit from the map and the terminal automatically removes the newly selected unit from the talkgroup.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. A method for a display-based terminal to dynamically group communication units in a dispatch communication system, the method comprising the steps of:
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displaying a map to a user of the display-based terminal indicating locations of a plurality of communication units;
receiving, from the user, a selection from the map of at least one communication unit of the plurality of communication units to produce at least one selected communication unit;
receiving, from the user, an identification of at least one talkgroup with which the at least one selected communication unit is to become a member; and
automatically grouping the at least one selected communication unit into the at least one talkgroup. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
displaying a list of talkgroup identifications to the user; and
receiving, from the user, a selection of at least one talkgroup identification from the list of talkgroup identifications.
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4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of receiving an identification of at least one talkgroup further comprises the steps of:
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receiving, from the user, a request for the list of talkgroup identifications; and
retrieving the list of talkgroup identifications from memory responsive to the request.
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5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving a selection from the map comprises the steps of:
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receiving, from the user, a selection of a geographic area on the map; and
automatically selecting each communication unit located in the geographic area to produce the at least one selected communication unit.
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6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
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receiving, from the user, a selection from the map of the at least one selected communication unit; and
automatically removing the at least one selected communication unit from the at least one talkgroup, such that the at least one selected communication unit rejoins a talkgroup that included the at least one communication unit prior to selection of the at least one communication unit.
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7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of automatically grouping comprises the steps of:
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accessing a communication resource; and
sending a command to the at least one selected communication unit over the communication resource, the command including grouping information related to the at least one talkgroup and instructing the at least one selected communication unit to reconfigure based on the grouping information.
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8. The method of claim 7, wherein the grouping information includes at least one of the identification of the at least one talkgroup and an encryption key.
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9. A method for a display-based terminal to dynamically ungroup communication units in a dispatch communication system, the method comprising the steps of:
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displaying a map to a user of the display-based terminal indicating locations of a plurality of communication units;
receiving, from the user, a selection from the map of at least one communication unit of the plurality of communication units to produce at least one selected communication unit;
receiving, from the user, an identification of at least one talkgroup of which the at least one selected communication unit is presently a member; and
automatically removing the at least one selected communication unit from the at least one talkgroup. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
displaying a list of talkgroup identifications to the user; and
receiving, from the user, a selection of at least one talkgroup identification from the list of talkgroup identifications.
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12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of receiving an identification of at least one talkgroup further comprises the steps of:
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receiving, from the user, a request for the list of talkgroup identifications; and
retrieving the list of talkgroup identifications from memory responsive to the request.
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13. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of receiving a selection from the map comprises the steps of:
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receiving, from the user, a selection of a geographic area on the map; and
automatically selecting each communication unit located in the geographic area to produce the at least one selected communication unit.
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14. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of automatically removing comprises the steps of:
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accessing a communication resource; and
sending an ungroup command to the at least one selected communication unit over the communication resource, the ungroup command including the identification of the at least one talkgroup.
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15. A method comprising the steps of:
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displaying a map of a geographic area on a display-based terminal, wherein the map contains a plurality of communication units in their associated locations within the geographic area;
accepting, by the display-based terminal, a selection, from the user of the display-based terminal, of least one communication unit of the plurality of communication units from the displayed map;
accepting, from the user, a talkgroup identification of a talkgroup; and
grouping the selected at least one communication unit into the talkgroup. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
accepting a request from the user for a list of talkgroup identifications;
obtaining the list of talkgroup identifications from a database; and
displaying the list of talkgroup identifications on the display-based terminal.
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19. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:
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receiving, from the user, an indication from the map of at least one communication unit of the plurality of communication units to produce at least one indicated communication unit;
receiving, from the user, an identification of at least one talkgroup of which the at least one indicated communication unit is presently a member; and
automatically removing the at least one indicated communication unit from the at least one talkgroup.
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20. A method comprising the steps of:
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displaying a map of a geographic area on a display-based terminal, wherein the map contains a plurality of communication units in their associated locations within the geographic area;
accepting, by the display-based terminal, a selection, from the user of the display-based terminal, of least one communication unit of the plurality of communication units from the displayed map;
accepting, from the user, at least one talkgroup identification of at least one talkgroup of which the selected at least one communication unit is a member; and
removing the selected at least one communication unit from the talkgroup. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
accepting a request from the user for a list of talkgroup identifications in which the selected at least one communication unit is a member of at least one talkgroup identified in the list of talkgroup identifications;
obtaining the list of talkgroup identifications from a database; and
displaying the list of talkgroup identifications on the display-based terminal.
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24. The method of claim 20, further comprising the steps of:
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receiving, from the user, an indication from the map of at least one communication unit of the plurality of communication units to produce at least one indicated communication unit;
receiving, from the user, an identification of at least one talkgroup of which the at least one indicated communication unit is presently a member; and
automatically removing the at least one indicated communication unit from the at least one talkgroup.
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25. A display-based terminal comprising:
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a graphical user interface arranged and constructed to display, to a user of the display-based terminal, a map indicating locations of a plurality of wireless communication units;
a selection device for use by the user of the display-based terminal to select from the map at least one wireless communication unit of the plurality of wireless communication units to produce at least one selected communication unit and to identify at least one talkgroup with which the at least one selected communication unit is to become a member; and
a processor coupled to the graphical user interface and the selection device, the processor, responsive to the selection device, arranged and constructed to automatically group the at least one selected communication unit into the at least one talkgroup. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28)
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29. A display-based terminal comprising:
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a graphical user interface that displays, to a user of the display-based terminal, a map indicating locations of a plurality of wireless communication units;
a selection device for use by the user of the display-based terminal to select from the map at least one wireless communication unit of the plurality of wireless communication units to produce at least one selected communication unit and to identify at least one talkgroup of which the at least one selected communication unit is presently a member; and
a processor coupled to the graphical user interface and the selection device, the processor, responsive to the selection device, automatically removing the at least one selected communication unit from the at least one talkgroup. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
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Specification