Push to talk (PTT) service method

• US 7,536,180 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2005
• Issued: 05/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Yoon, Sung-Jae, Kang, Dong-Han, Shin, Jae-Gwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson; Blane J
• Application Number:
  US11/203,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20060040689A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,372 Days
• Field of Search: 455/518, 455/519, 455/509, 455/515, 455/418, 455/419, 455/414.1, 455/516, 455/517, 455/520
• US Class Current: 455/418
• 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

A method of providing a Push-To-Talk (PTT) service is provided. In a PTT service provided through a PTT server to a PTT portable terminal, the PTT portable terminal requests termination of its participation in a PTT group call during the PTT group call takes place among at least three members, requests recording of the PTT group call to the PTT server, and ends a PTT application program. When the PTT group call is terminated among the remaining members, the PTT portable terminal receives from the PTT server a notification message indicating that the PTT group call has been recorded and plays the recorded PTT group call.

Claims

1. A method of providing a Push-To-Talk (PTT) service through a PTT server in a PTT portable terminal, the method comprising the steps of:

requesting termination by a first member of at least three members in PTT group call of a participation of the PTT group call during the PTT group call among the at least three members;

requesting by the first member recording of the PTT group call to the PTT server and ending a PTT application program of the first member;

recording the PTT group call by the PTT server; and

receiving a notification message by the first member indicating that the PTT group call has been recorded.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification message is received by the first member, when the PTT group call is terminated among the remaining members.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

playing the recorded PTT group call by the first member.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of asking the first member whether to record the PTT group call when an acknowledgement signal is not received for the request of call recording.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying the notification message by the first member.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of, if recording of the PTT group call is not requested by the first member, displaying a notification message by the first member indicating termination of the PTT group call and ending the PTT application program.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the playing step comprises the steps of:

determining by the first member whether a key input requesting a play control for the recorded PTT group call has been generated during playing; and

playing the recorded PTT group call by the first member according to the key input upon generation of the key input requesting a play control.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the key input comprises a Dual Tone Multi Frequency (DTMF) signal to the PTT server and the PTT server performs the play control according to the DTMF signal.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the play control comprises control of at least one of a play position and play a speed.

10. A method of providing a Push-To-Talk (PTT) service through a PTT server in a PTT portable terminal, the method comprising the steps of:

requesting termination of participation of a PTT group call by a first member of at least three members in the PTT group call during the PTT group call among the at least three members;

requesting recording of the PTT group call by the first member to the PTT server and ending a PTT application program of the first member;

recording the PTT group call by the PTT server; and

determining by the PTT server, upon connection to the PTT service, whether the PTT group call has ended among the remaining members.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of determining further comprises:

if the PTT group call has ended, playing the recorded PTT group call by the first member upon request for play back of the call.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the playing step comprises the step of, if the joining is not requested by the first member, playing the recorded PTT group call by the first member upon the request for the call play back, when the PTT group call ends among the remaining members.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the playing step comprises the steps of:

displaying a notification message by the first member indicating, that the recording has been completed, if the PTT group call ends among the remaining members upon connecting the first member to the PTT service; and

connecting the first member to the recorded PTT group call, upon request for call play back by the first member and playing the recorded PTT group call.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one of the connecting and play back step comprises, upon the first member requesting call play back, at least one of connecting to a voice mail and a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) having the recorded PTT group call and downloading the recorded PTT group call.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

joining the first member to the PTT group call if the PTT group call is still active.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the joining step comprises the steps of:

displaying a notification message by the first member indicating that the PTT group call is still active;

determining by the first member whether the joining is requested; and

joining the first member to the PTT group call if the joining is represented.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of, if the PTT portable terminal of the first member is not connected to the PTT service after the termination of the participation in the PTT group call, displaying a notification message by the first member indicating completion of the recording of the PTT group call, when the PTT group call ends among the remaining members.

18. A method of providing a Push-To-Talk (PTT) service for a PTT group call among PTT portable terminals through a PTT server, the method comprising the steps of:

servicing the PTT group call among at least three members;

recording the PTT group call from a time when a first member of the at least three members ends participation of the first member in the PTT group call; and

playing the recorded PTT group call to the first member if a PTT portable terminal of the first member is connected to the PTT service.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of recording is performed until a time when the PTT group call ends among the remaining members.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the playing step comprises the step of transmitting a notification message to the PTT portable terminal of the first member, the notification message comprising indication that the PTT group call has been recorded, when the PTT portable terminal of the first member is connected to the PTT service.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of controlling the playing of the recorded PTT group call upon request for play control from the PTT portable terminal of the first member.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the controlling of the playing step comprises the step of controlling playing of the recorded PTT group call according to a Dual Tone Multi Frequency (DTMF) signal received from the PTT portable terminal of the first member.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the playing step comprises the step of downloading the recorded PTT group call to the PTT portable terminal of the first member when the PTT portable terminal of the first member connects to a voice mail or a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) having the recorded PTT group call.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the recording step further comprises storing first information about the PTT portable terminal of the first member with the recording of the PTT group call.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the playing step comprises the step of comparing the first information about the PTT portable terminal of the first member stored with the recording of the PTT group call with a second information about PTT portable terminal connecting to the PTT service, and playing the recording of the PTT group call if the second and first information match.

26. A method of providing a Push-To-Talk (PTT) service for a PTT group call among PTT portable terminals through a PTT server, the method comprising the steps of:

servicing the PTT group call among at least three members;

recording the PTT group call from a time when a first member of the at least three members ends participation of the first member in the PTT group call; and

requesting the first member to join the PTT group call, if a PTT portable terminal of the first member is connected to the PTT service, and joining the first member in the PTT group call if the first member complies;

completing recording of the PTT group call when the PTT group call ends among the remaining first member; and

if the first member complies with the request to join the PTT group call, transmitting a notification message to the first member, the notification message comprising indication that the PTT group call has been recorded, and playing the recorded PTT group call to the first member.

27. A method of providing a Push-To-Talk (PTT) service for a PTT group call among PTT portable terminals of at least three members through a PTT server, the method comprising the steps of:

servicing the PTT group call to the PTT portable terminals through the PTT server;

recording the PTT group call if a PTT portable terminal of the at least three portable terminals requests termination of participation of the PTT portable terminal in the PTT group call;

completing recording of the PTT group call if the PTT group call ends among the remaining members;

transmitting a notification message to the PTT portable terminal, the notification message comprising indication of the completed recording of the PTT group call; and

receiving the recorded PTT group.call from the PTT server in the PTT portable terminal.

28. A method of providing a Push-To-Talk (PTT) service for a PTT group call among PTT portable terminals of at least three members through a PTT server, the method comprising the steps of:

servicing the PTT group call to the PTT portable terminals through the PTT server;

recording the PTT group call if a PTT portable terminal of a member of the at least three members requests termination of participation of the PTT portable terminal in the PTT group call during the PTT group call;

determining whether the PTT portable has been connected to the PTT service;

determining whether the PTT group call has ended among the remaining members if the PTT portable has been connected to the PTT service;

transmitting to the PTT portable terminal a notification message indicating that the PTT group call has been recorded, if the PTT group call has ended;

servicing the recorded PTT group call to the PTT portable terminal upon request for call play back; and

joining the PTT portable terminal in the PTT group call if the PTT group call is still active and the member requests or complies with a request to join the PTT group call.

29. An apparatus for providing a Push-To-Talk (PTT) service comprising:

an input unit for entering a request;

a display for displaying a connection among users; and

a controller for requesting termination of a participation of a first member of at least three members in PTT group call during the PTT group call among the at least three members, requesting recording of the PTT group call of the first member, and receiving a notification message indicating that the PTT group call has been recorded.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the PTT server receives the requests.

31. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the controller ends a PTT application program after the request to record the PTT group call is made.

32. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the notification message is received when the PTT group call is terminated among the remaining members.

33. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the controller plays the recorded PTT group call.

34. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the controller receives the recording from a PTT server for controlling playback of the recorded group call.

35. A system of providing a Push-To-Talk (PTT) service for a PTT group call among PTT portable terminals through a PTT server, comprising:

the PTT portable terminals for establishing the PTT group call among at least three members;

the PTT server for recording the PTT group call from a time when a first member of the at least three members ends participation of the first member in the PTT group call and playing the recorded PTT group call to the first member if a PTT portable terminal of the first member is connected to the PTT service.