Methods for implementing a talkgroup call in a multicast IP network

• US 6,647,020 B1
• Filed: 12/17/1999
• Issued: 11/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Biggs, Robert, McDonald, Daniel J., Maher, John W., DeRango, Mario
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phunkulh, Bob A.
• Application Number:
  US09/464,269
• Time in Patent Office: 1,425 Days
• Field of Search: 370/260, 370/261, 370/262, 370/270, 370/277, 370/278, 370/279, 370/293, 370/312, 370/313, 370/327, 370/328, 370/349, 370/390, 370/432, 455/416, 455/500, 455/516, 455/517, 455/518, 455/519
• US Class Current: 370/432
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services

Abstract

Systems and methods for implementing dispatch calls using IP multicasting protocols are disclosed. The methods include utilizing a payload multicast group address for distributing payload, and utilizing a control multicast group address for distributing control messages to members of the talkgroup in a single-zone (FIG. 1). A zone controller 116 dynamically identifies payload and control multicast group addresses and sends them to participating sites 102, 104. The participating sites 102, 104 issue Join commands to associated network devices 108, 110 to receive payload and control messages addressed to the respective payload and control multicast group addresses. There is further disclosed a system and method for implementing dispatch calls for members in multiple zones (FIG. 6). Zone controllers 630, 632 separately identify control multicast group addresses and send them to affiliating devices in their respective zones. A controlling zone controller 630 dynamically identifies a payload multicast group address that is used by participating devices in both zones. The participating sites 606, 616 issue Join commands to associated network devices 610, 622 to receive payload messages addressed to the payload multicast group address and control messages addressed to their control multicast group address.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

receiving, by a controller from a communication source, a request for a talkgroup call;

upon receipt of the request for the talkgroup call, identifying, by the controller, a payload multicast group address to be used by the communication source for distributing a payload message to a participating device of the talkgroup call;

distributing, by the controller to the communication source and the participating device, the payload multicast group address;

issuing, from the participating device to a first network device, a command to enable the participating device to receive a payload messages via the payload multicast group address;

sending, from the communication source to a second network device, a payload message addressed to the payload multicast group address; and

sending, by the second network device, the payload message to the participating device via the payload multicast address.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication source is selected from a group consisting of a portable wireless communication device, a mobile wireless communication device, a wireline communication device, a wireless console, a wireline console, a repeater, a site controller, a comparator, a telephone interconnect devices and an internet protocol telephony device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the participating device is selected from a group consisting of a portable wireless communication device, a mobile wireless communication device, a wireline communication device, a wireless console, a wireline console, a repeater, a site controller, a comparator, a telephone interconnect device, an internet protocol telephony device, a call logger, a scanner, and a gateway.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the payload message comprises any one of an audio payload, a data payload, a video payload, and a multimedia payload.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of distributing comprises the controller sending to the communication source and the participating device a call grant message signifying a start of the talkgroup call, the call grant message comprising the payload multicast group address to be used by the communication source for the talkgroup call.

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

receiving, by the controller from at least one of the communication source and the participating device, a request to affiliate to a talkgroup, and

upon receipt of the request to affiliate to the talkgroup, identifying, by the controller, a control multicast group address to be used for distributing a control message to at least one of the communication source and the participating device,

wherein the controller sends the call grant message to at least one of the communication source and the participating device via a repeater, the call grant message being one of a unicast message and a multicast message, the multicast message being sent via the control multicast group address.

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

receiving, by the controller from at least one of the communication source and the participating device, a request to affiliate to a talkgroup, and

upon receipt of the request to affiliate to the talkgroup, identifying, by the controller, a control multicast group address to be used for distributing a control message to at least one of communication source and the participating device,

wherein the controller sends the call grant message to at least one of the communication source and the participating device via a dispatch console, the call grant message being one of a unicast message and a multicast message, the multicast message being sent via the control multicast group address.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of issuing, from a participating device to a first network device, a command to enable the participating device to receive a payload message via the payload multicast group comprises sending an IGMP Join messages to the first network device.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

determining, by the controller, that the talkgroup call has ended;

sending, from the controller to the participating device, a call end message signifying the end of the talkgroup call; and

upon receipt of the call end message, issuing, by the participating device, a command to the first network device to discontinue the participating device from receiving payload messages via the payload multicast group address.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

receiving, by the controller from at least one of the communication source and the participating device, a request to affiliate to a talkgroup, and

upon receipt of the request to affiliate to the talkgroup, identifying, by the controller, a control multicast group address to be used for distributing a control message to at least one of the communication source and the participating device,

wherein the controller sends the call end message to at least one of the communication source and the participating device via a repeater, the call end message being one of a unicast message and a multicast message, the multicast message being sent via the control multicast group address.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

receiving, by the controller from at least one of the communication source and the participating device, a request to affiliate to a talkgroup, and

upon receipt of the request to affiliate to the talkgroup, identifying, by the controller, a control multicast group address to be used for distributing a control message to at least one of communication source and the participating device,

wherein the controller sends the call end message to at least one of the communication source and the participating device via a dispatch console, the call end message being one of a unicast message and a multicast message, the multicast message being sent via the control multicast group address.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

receiving, by the controller from at least one of the communication source and the participating device, a request to affiliate to a talkgroup, and

upon receipt of the request to affiliate to the talkgroup, identifying, by the controller, a control multicast group address to be used for distributing a control message to at least one of communication source and the participating device,

wherein the controller sends the call end message to at least one of the communication source and the participating device via a base station, the call end message being one of a unicast message and a multicast message, the multicast message being sent via the control multicast group address.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of issuing, by the participating device, a command to the first network device to discontinue the participating device from receiving payload messages via the payload multicast group address, comprises, sending an IGMP Leave messages to the first network device.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of receiving, by the participating device, the payload message via the payload multicast group address.

15. A method comprising the steps of:

sending, from a communication device to a controller, an affiliation request for a talkgroup;

upon receipt of the affiliation request, identifying, by the controller, a control multicast group address for use in sending control signaling to the talkgroup;

sending, by the controller to the communication device, an affiliation acknowledgment comprising the control multicast group address;

upon receipt of the affiliation acknowledgment, issuing, by the communication device to a network device, a command to enable the communication device to receive a control message via the control multicast group address; and

sending, from the network device to the communication device, the control message addressed to the control multicast group address.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the steps of:

sending, by the communication device to the controller, a deaffiliation request for the talkgroup;

upon receipt of the deaffiliation request, sending, by the controller to the communication device, a deaffiliation acknowledgment;

upon receipt of the deaffiliation acknowledgment, issuing, by the communication device to the network device, a command to discontinue sending control messages to the communication device via the control multicast group address.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the communication device is selected from a group consisting of a portable wireless communication device, a mobile wireless communication device, a wireline communication device, a wireless console, a wireline console, a repeater, a site controller, a comparator, a telephone interconnect device, and an internet protocol telephony device.

18. In a communication system comprising at least one communication device participating in a talkgroup call, a method comprising the steps of:

sending, from a communication device to a controller, an affiliation request for a talkgroup;

upon receipt of the affiliation request, identifying, by the controller, at least one multicast group address to be used for distributing communication information to the communication device;

sending, from the controller to the communication device, an affiliation response comprising the at least one multicast group address;

upon receipt of the affiliation response, joining, by the communication device, the at least one multicast group address; and

receiving, by the communication device, communication information via the at least one multicast group address, wherein the at least one multicast group address comprises a payload multicast group address for distributing payload messages to the talkgroup.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the multicast group address comprises a control multicast group address, and wherein the communication information received by the communication device comprises control messages addressed to the control multicast group address.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the multicast group address comprises a payload multicast group address, and wherein the communication information received by the communication device comprises payload messages addressed to the payload multicast group address.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the multicast group address comprises a control multicast group address and a payload multicast group address, the communication information received by the communication device comprises control messages addressed to the control multicast group address and payload messages addressed to the payload multicast group address.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the control multicast group address differs from the payload multicast group address.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of sending, from a network device the communication device, at least one payload message addressed to the payload multicast group address.

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

sending, from the communication device to the controller, a deaffiliation request for the talkgroup;

upon receipt of the deaffiliation request, sending, from the controller to the communication device, a deaffiliation response; and

sending, from the communication device to a network device, a leave message instructing the network device to disassociate the communication device from the at least one multicast group address associated with the talkgroup.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of sending a leave message causes the communication device to discontinue receiving payload messages addressed to the payload multicast group address.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of sending a leave message causes the communication device to discontinue receiving control messages addressed to the control multicast group address.

27. A communication system comprising:

a controller;

a first network device and a second network device coupled to the controller;

a communication source coupled to the first network device; and

a participating device coupled to the second network device,

when the controller, the first network device, the second network device, the communication source, and the participating device are operable;

the controller receives a request for a talkgroup call from the communication source, upon receipt of the request for the talkgroup call, the controller identifies a payload multicast group address to be used by the communication source for distributing a payload message to the participating device of the talkgroup call, and the controller sends a talkgroup call grant message comprising the payload multicast group address to the communication source and the participating device;

the participating device issues a command to the second network device to enable the participating device to receive payload messages via the payload multicast group address,

the communication source sends a payload message addressed to the payload multicast group address to the first network device, and

the first network device sends the payload message to the participating device via the payload multicast group address.

28. The communication system of claim 27, wherein the communication source is selected from a group consisting of a portable wireless communication device, a mobile wireless communication device, a wireline communication device, a wireless console, a wireline console, a repeater, a site controller, a comparator, a telephone interconnect device, and an internet protocol telephony device.

29. The communication system of claim 27, wherein the participating device is selected from a group consisting of a portable wireless communication device, a mobile wireless communication device, a wireline communication device, a wireless console, a wireline console, a repeater, a site controller, a comparator, a telephone interconnect device, an internet protocol telephony device, a call logger, a scanner, and a gateway.

30. A communication system comprising:

a controller;

a network device coupled to the controller; and

a communication device coupled to the network device,

when the controller, the network device, and the communication device are operable;

the controller receives an affiliation request for a talkgroup from the communication device, and upon receipt of the affiliation request for the talkgroup, the controller identifies a control multicast group address for use in sending control signaling to the talkgroup, and sends an affiliation acknowledgement comprising the control multicast group address to the communication device,

upon receipt of the affiliation acknowledgement, the communication device issues a command to the network device to enable the communication device to receive a control message via the control multicast group address, and

in respond to the command, the network device sends the control message addressed to the control multicast group address to the communication device.

31. The communication system of claim 30, wherein the communication device is selected from a group consisting of a portable wireless communication device, a mobile wireless communication device, a wireline communication device, a wireless console, a wireline console, a repeater, a site controller, a comparator, a telephone interconnect device, and an internet protocol telephony device.