System and method for initiating push-to-talk sessions between outside services and user equipment

• US 7,155,248 B2
• Filed: 12/24/2004
• Issued: 12/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonim Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonim Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Idnani, Amit
• Primary Examiner(s): Gesesse, Tilahun
• Application Number:
  US11/022,273
• Publication Number:
  US 20060089167A1
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 455/519, 455/518, 455/517, 455/521, 455/416, 370/312
• US Class Current: 455/519
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4061 Push-to services, e.g. push-to-talk or push-to-video
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

Outside services are connected to user equipment via a push-to-talk (PTT) session by signing-up the user equipment with the outside service, generating a request to establish the PTT session between the user equipment and the outside service, establishing the PTT session, and transmitting media from the outside service to the user equipment via the PTT session. The request to establish the PTT session may be either from the outside service or from the user equipment. The establishment of the PTT session is initiated from within the network. Further, the PTT session may be either delayed or in real-time in relation to the request to establish the PTT session.

Claims

1. A server in communication with a push-to-talk network and configured to establish a push-to-talk session between an application server associated with an outside service application server and user equipment, comprising:

means for subscribing the user equipment with the outside service application server,

means for initiating a push-to-talk session on the push-to-talk network; and

means for moving media from the outside service application server to the user equipment;

wherein in response to a message requesting to establish a push-to-talk session at a predetermined time received by the means for subscribing, the means for subscribing requests the means for initiating to initiate a push-to-talk session between the outside service application server and the user equipment and the means for subscribing further alerts the means for moving to accept media from the outside service application server;

wherein in response to the initiation request, the means for initiating causes the push-to-talk network to establish a push-to-talk session between the outside service application server and the user equipment; and

wherein the means for moving moves media from the outside service application server to the user equipment when the push-to-talk session is established.

2. the server recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a first communications channel for transmitting messages between the outside service application server and the server; and

a second communications channel for transmitting messages between the push-to-talk network and the server.

3. The server recited in claim 1, further comprising:

means for routing messages to and from;

the means for subscribing, the means for initiating, and the means for moving on one hand, and the outside service application server and push-to-talk network on the other.

4. The server recited in claim 1, wherein the server communicates with the outside service application server via an application program interface (API).

5. The server recited in claim 1, wherein the push-to-talk communications network is a cellular network.

6. The server recited in claim 5, wherein SIP is used as a signaling protocol and RTP is used as a protocol for data transmissions;

and wherein the message received by the means for subscribing is a SUBSCRIBE message.

7. The server recited in claim 1, wherein the means for initiating causes the push-to-talk network to establish a push-to-talk session by generating an INVITE message.

8. The server recited in claim 1, wherein the predetcrmined time is immediately upon receipt of the message received by the means for subscribing.

9. The server recited in claim 1, wherein the predetermined time is at a time subsequent to receipt of the message received by the means for subscribing.

10. The server recited in claim 1, wherein the message received by the means for subscribing originates from the user equipment.

11. The server recited in claim 1, wherein the message received by the means for subscribing originates from the outside service application server.

12. The server recited in claim 1, further comprising:

means for obtaining metadata from the outside service application server prior to initiating the push-to-talk session pertaining to the push-to-talk session.

13. The server rccited in claim 1, further comprising:

means for obtaining pre-fetched media from the outside service application server prior to initiating the push-to-talk session comprising at least a portion of the media to be moved when the push-to-talk session is established.

14. The server recited in claim 1, wherein means for initiating initiates the push-to-talk session with no more than one instance of the user equipment.

15. The server recited in claim 14, wherein service initiator initiates the push-to-talk session with no more than one instance of the user equipment.

16. A server in communication with a push-to-talk network and configured to establish a push-to-talk session between an application server associated with an outside service application server and user equipment, comprising:

a subscription engine for subscribing the user equipment with the outside service application server;

a service initiator for initiating a push-to-talk session on the push-to-talk network; and

a media gateway for moving media from the outside service application server to the user equipment;

wherein in response to a message requesting to establish a push-to-talk session at a predetermined time received by the subscription engine, the subscription engine requests the service initiator to initiate a push-to-talk session between the outside service application server and the user equipment and the subscription engine further alerts the media gateway to accept media from the outside service application server;

wherein in response to the initiation request, the service initiator causes the push-to-talk network to establish a push-to-talk session between the outside service application server and the user equipment; and

wherein the media gateway moves media from the outside service application server to the user equipment when the push-to-talk session is established.

17. The server recited in claim 16, further comprising:

a first communications channel for transmitting messages between the outside service application server and the server; and

a second communications channel for transmitting messages between the push-to-talk network and the server.

18. The server recited in claim 16, further comprising:

a framework for routing messages to and from;

the subscription engine, the service initiator, and the media gateway on one hand, and the outside service application server and push-to-talk network on the other.

19. The server recited in claim 16, wherein the server communicates with the outside service application server via an application program interface (API).

20. The server recited in claim 16, wherein the push-to-talk communications network is a cellular network.

21. The server recited in claim 20, wherein SIP is used as a signaling protocol and RTP is used as a protocol for data transmissions;

and wherein the message received by the subscription engine is a SUBSCRIBE message.

22. The server recited in claim 16, wherein the service initiator causes the push-to-talk network to establish a push-to-talk session by generating an INViTE message.

23. The server recited in claim 16, wherein the predetermined time is immediately upon receipt of the message received by the subscription engine.

24. The server recited in claim 16, wherein the predetermined time is at a time subsequent to receipt of the message received by the subscription engine.

25. The server recited in claim 16, wherein the message received by the subscription engine originates from the user equipment.

26. The server recited in claim 16, wherein the message received by the subscription engine originates from the outside service application server.

27. The server recited in claim 16, further comprising:

means for obtaining metadata from the outside service application server prior to initiating the push-to-talk session pertaining to the push-to-talk session.

28. The server recited in claim 16, further comprising:

means for obtaining pre-etched media from the outside service application server prior to initiating the push-to-talk session comprising at least a portion of the media to be moved when to push-to-talk session is established.