Managing group voice communication in telecommunications system

• US 7,200,396 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2004
• Issued: 04/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callahan Cellular LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Kauppinen, Risto
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng; George
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOAN, KIET M
• Application Number:
  US10/883,985
• Publication Number:
  US 20050260988A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,001 Days
• Field of Search: 455/518, 709/225
• US Class Current: 455/435.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data

Abstract

The present solution relates to a telecommunications system where information is maintained of communication groups available to a user terminal (UE). A communication server (PoC server) of the system is able to receive a request message (3-1) sent by the user terminal (UE), the request message (3-1) comprising an indication of the communication group the user wishes to speak to. If the request can be accepted, the communication server (PoC server) transmits a floor granted message (3-2) to the user terminal (UE). According to the present solution the communication group requested by the user is set (3-3) as the priority communication group for said user at least for a predetermined time period.

Claims

1. A method for managing group voice communication in a telecommunications system comprising:

a telecommunications network;

a user terminal connected to the telecommunications network; and

a communication server capable of providing the user terminal with access to group voice communication via the telecommunications network;

the method comprising

maintaining information of at least two communication groups available to the user terminal;

receiving, in the communication server, a request message indicating a request from the user terminal to speak to a first communication group;

transmitting, from the communication server to the user terminal, a grant message indicating an acceptance of said request;

as a response to said transmitting, setting the first communication group as a priority communication group of a highest priority for said user terminal, wherein said setting of the priority communication group is temporary;

maintaining information of a default priority communication group for the user terminal; and

setting, as a response to an expiry of a temporary priority group, the default priority communication group as the priority communication group of the highest priority for the user terminal.

2. A telecommunications system for providing group voice communication comprising

a telecommunications network;

a user terminal connected to the telecommunications network; and

a communication server capable of providing the user terminal with access to group voice communication via the telecommunications network;

the system being configured to maintain information of at least two communication groups available to the user terminal; and

the communication server being configured to

receive a request message from the user terminal, said request message indicating a desire of the respective user terminal to speak to a first communication group;

transmit a grant message to the user terminal, if said request message is acceptable; and

based on the transmitted grant message, set the first communication group as a priority communication group of a highest priority for said user terminal, wherein said priority group setting is temporary.

maintain information of a default priority communication group for the user terminal; and

set, as a response to the termination of the temporary priority, the default priority communication group as the priority communication group of the highest priority for the user terminal.

3. A communication server for providing a user with access to group voice communication in a telecommunications system comprising a user terminal, wherein the communication server is configured to

receive a request message from the user terminal indicating a desire of the respective user terminal to speak to a first communication group;

transmit a grant message to the user terminal, if said request message is acceptable; and

as a response to said transmitting, set the first communication group as a priority communication group of a highest priority for said user terminal

the communication server being arranged, if at least two simultaneous voice streams are received from members of different communication groups, to transmit to the user terminal only the voice stream coming from the communication group of the highest priority for said user terminal wherein it is further arranged to

terminate said priority group setting after a predetermined time period;

maintain information of a default priority communication group for the user terminal; and

set, as a response to a termination of a priority, the default priority communication group as the priority communication group of the highest priority for the user terminal.

4. A communication server for providing a user with access to group voice communication in a telecommunications system comprising a user terminal, the communication server comprising

means for receiving a request message from a user terminal indicating a desire of the respective user terminal to speak to a first communication group;

means for transmitting a grant message to the user terminal, if said request is acceptable; and

means for setting, as a response to said transmitting, the first communication group as a priority communication group of the highest priority for said user terminal;

means for terminating said priority group setting after a predetermined time period;

means for maintaining information of a default priority communication group for the user terminal; and

means for setting, as a response to a termination of the priority, the default priority communication group as the priority communication group of the highest priority for the user terminal.

5. A method for managing group voice communication in a telecommunications system comprising

a telecommunications network;

a user terminal connected to the network; and

a communication server capable of providing the user terminal access to group voice communication via the network;

the method comprising;

maintaining information of at least two communication groups available to the user terminal;

receiving, in the communication server, a message indicating a request from the user terminal to speak to a first communication group; and

based on the received request message, setting the first communication group as a priority communication group of a highest priority for said user terminal, wherein said setting of the priority communication group is temporary;

maintaining information of a default priority communication group for the user terminal; and

setting, as a response to an expiry of the temporary priority group, the default priority communication group as the priority communication group of the highest priority for the user terminal.

6. A telecommunications system for providing group voice communication comprising:

a telecommunications network;

a user terminal connected to the network; and

a communication server capable of providing the user terminal access to group voice communication via the network;

wherein

the system is configured to maintain information of at least two communication groups available to the user terminal; and

the communication server is configured to, as a response to receiving a request message from the user terminal indicating a desire of the respective user terminal to speak to a first communication group, set the first communication group as a priority communication group of a highest priority for said user terminal,

wherein said priority group setting is temporary; and

the communication server is configured to

terminate said priority group setting after a predetermined time period;

maintain information of a default priority communication group for the user terminal; and

set, as a response to a termination of the temporary priority, the default priority communication group as the priority communication group of the highest priority for the user terminal.

7. A communication server for providing a user with access to group voice communication in a telecommunications system comprising a user terminal, wherein the communication server is configured to

receive a request message from a user terminal indicating a desire of the respective user terminal to speak to a first communication group;

and

as a response to said receiving, set the first communication group as a priority communication group of a highest priority for said user terminal;

terminate said priority group setting after a predetermined time period;

maintain information of a default priority communication group for the user terminal; and

set, as a response to a termination of a priority, the default priority communication group as the priority communication group of the highest priority for the user terminal.

8. A communication server for providing a user with access to group voice communication in a telecommunications system comprising a user terminal, the communication server comprising:

means for receiving a request message from a user terminal indicating a desire of the respective user terminal to speak to a first communication group;

means for setting, as a response to said receiving, the first communication group as a priority communication group of a highest priority for said user terminal;

means for terminating said priority group setting after a predetermined time period;

means for maintaining information of a default priority communication group for the user terminal; and

means for setting, as a response to a termination of a priority, the default priority communication group as the priority communication group of the highest priority for the user terminal.