Dynamically determining a community of entities in a communication system

• US 7,069,016 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2003
• Issued: 06/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Monks, Deborah J., Crisler, Kenneth J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelin, Jean
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miller, Brandon J.
• Application Number:
  US10/601,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20040259581A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: 455/453, 455/463, 455/500, 455517-519, 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/416, 455/456.3
• US Class Current: 455/453
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A method for dynamically determining a community of entities in a communications system having a plurality of entities is described. The method includes the steps of: determining (210) the location of at least a portion of the plurality of entities within a first coverage area; computing (220) an entity density function for a plurality of density calculation zones within the first coverage area as a function of the determined location of the entities; detecting (230) that a predetermined proximity density threshold has been exceeded in at least one of the density calculation zones; generating a list (240) of entities that are in proximity to the density calculation zone within which the proximity density threshold was exceeded; and determining (230) whether at least one community can be defined that includes at least two entities from the list.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically determining a community of entities in a communications system having a plurality of entities, said method comprising the steps of:

determining the location of at least a portion of said plurality of entities within a first coverage area;

computing an entity density function for a plurality of density calculation zones within said first coverage area as a function of the determined location of said entities;

detecting that a predetermined proximity density threshold has been exceeded in at least one said density calculation zone;

generating a list of entities that are in proximity to the density calculation zone within which the proximity density threshold was exceeded;

determining whether at least one community can be established comprising at least two entities from said list;

establishing at least one community comprising at least two entities from said list; and

sending default community information to each entity in each said established community.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said established community is a talk group.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said established community is a multicast list.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of determining whether a community can be established comprises determining whether at least two entities from said list are authorized to join said community.

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

establishing at least one preliminary community comprising at least two entities from said list; and

enabling each said preliminary community to be modified.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of determining whether a community can be established comprises determining whether at least two entities from said list have at least one common predetermined communications capability.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said common predetermined communications capability is a common preferred media capability.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said list comprises entities that are located within the density calculation zone for which the proximity density threshold was exceeded.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said list comprises entities that are located within a predetermined radius of the density calculation zone for which the proximity density threshold was exceeded.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein each said density calculation zone comprises a portion of said first coverage area and said density calculation zones have overlapping coverage areas.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein each said density calculation zone comprises uniform sized portions of said first coverage area.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the entity density computation for each said density calculation zone comprises determining the number of entities located within said density calculation zone.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said proximity density threshold is statically configured.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said proximity density threshold is dynamically determined.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of determining whether a community can be established is based on user preference.

16. A method for dynamically determining a community of entities in a communications system having a plurality of entities, said method comprising the steps of:

determining the location of at least a portion of said plurality of entities within a first coverage area;

computing an entity density function for a plurality of density calculation zones within said first coverage area as a function of the determined location of said entities, wherein the entity density computation for each said density calculation zone comprises determining the number of entities located within said density calculation zone;

detecting that a predetermined proximity density threshold has been exceeded in at least one said density calculation zone;

generating a list of entities that are in proximity to the density calculation zone within which the proximity density threshold was exceeded;

determining whether at least one community can be established comprising at least two entities from said list;

establishing at least one community comprising at least two entities from said list; and

sending default community information to each entity in each said established community.