Data loss control in a push to communicate network

• US 7,675,875 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2005
• Issued: 03/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lim, Guk-Chan
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HANH N
• Application Number:
  US11/322,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20060171338A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,531 Days
• Field of Search: 370/216, 370/218, 370/242, 370/276, 370/282, 370/320, 370/328, 370/329, 370/428, 370/429, 370/412, 455/67.11, 455/522, 455/69, 455/70, 455/518, 455/463
• US Class Current: 370/278
• 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

An audio data retransmission method in a push to communicate (PTx) terminal for transmitting data by pressing a PTx key is provided. The method comprises transmitting data using a transmitting PTx terminal; storing the data in a buffer; and retransmitting the data when receiver requests retransmission due to a loss in communications.

Claims

1. A data retransmission method in a push to communicate (PTx) communications network for transmitting data from a transmitting mobile PTx terminal to a receiving PTx terminal, the method comprising:

transmitting first data from the transmitting mobile PTx terminal to the receiving PTx terminal;

storing the first data in the transmitting mobile PTx terminal;

retransmitting from the transmitting mobile PTx terminal the first data in response to the receiving PTx terminal requesting retransmission of the first data; and

deleting the stored first data after the first data is successfully delivered to the receiving PTx terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data is stored in a buffer.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the buffer is implemented as at least one of an internal memory and an external memory in the transmitting mobile PTx terminal.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising outputting the first data through a speaker in the retransmitting process.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a PTx key is implemented on the transmitting mobile PTx terminal, such that interacting with the PTx key results in transmission of the first data.

6. An audio data retransmission method in a push to communicate (PTx) mobile terminal for transmitting audio data, the method comprising:

setting an automatic audio retransmission function;

storing audio data, to be transmitted to a receiver PTx terminal, in a buffer of the PTx mobile terminal;

retransmitting by the PTx mobile terminal the audio data stored in the buffer, in response to the receiver PTx terminal requesting retransmission of the audio data; and

deleting the stored audio data after the audio data is successfully delivered to the receiver PTx terminal.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the PTx mobile terminal comprises a designated PTx key for setting the automatic audio retransmission function.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the PTx mobile terminal comprises a key on a keypad of the PTx terminal for activating the automatic audio retransmission function.

9. A mobile terminal apparatus that supports a push to communicate (PTx) function, the apparatus comprising:

a radio frequency unit adapted to communicate radio communication signals;

a codec adapted to process audio inputs provided by a user via a PTx function;

a memory adapted to store the processed audio inputs; and

a microprocessor unit adapted to control said codec to forward the processed audio inputs to said memory for storage after the processed audio inputs are transmitted to another user via said radio frequency unit, the microprocessor unit further adapted to control said radio frequency unit, said codec, and said memory to re-transmit the processed audio inputs stored in said memory, if said another user requests re-transmission of the processed audio inputs due to a loss in transmission,

wherein the processed audio inputs are temporarily stored in said memory until the user provides subsequent audio inputs via the PTx function.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processed audio inputs temporarily stored in said memory are deleted therefrom if said another user does not request re-transmission by the time the user provides the subsequent audio inputs via the PTx function.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the mobile terminal is a PTx terminal.

12. A communication network configured for supporting a push to communicate (PTx) communication protocol, the communication network comprising a plurality of base stations in communication with a plurality of PTx terminals,

wherein a transmitting mobile PTx terminal requests a talk burst grant from a PTx server for transmitting audio data to a receiving PTx terminal,

wherein the transmitting mobile PTx terminal stores the audio data in a storage medium of the transmitting mobile PTx terminal when the request for talk burst grant is submitted, so that if the receiving PTx terminal fails to receive the audio data, the stored audio data is retransmitted, and

wherein the transmitting mobile PTx terminal deletes the stored audio data after the stored audio data is successfully delivered to the receiving PTx terminal.

13. A data communication protocol for a push to communicate (PTx) mobile communications network comprising:

detecting a floor grant for data communication between a transmitting mobile PTx terminal and a receiving PTx terminal;

determining whether a failure has occurred in transmitting data to the receiving PTx terminal;

transmitting from the receiving PTx terminal a request for retransmission of the data;

storing the data at the transmitting mobile PTx terminal, upon the occurrence of the failure of the transmitting of the data; and

deleting the stored data after the data is successfully delivered to the receiving PTx terminal.

14. The data communication protocol of claim 13, wherein the failure in transmitting the data is determined, when a threshold time has lapsed from time of the floor grant.

15. The data communication protocol of claim 13, wherein the failure in transmitting the data is determined, when the transmitting mobile PTx terminal does not receive an acknowledgement of receipt from the receiving PTx terminal.

16. The data communication protocol of claim 13, wherein the transmitting mobile PTx terminal automatically retransmits the data.

17. The data communication protocol of claim 13, wherein the transmitting mobile PTx terminal retransmits the data in response to user interaction with the transmitting mobile PTx terminal.

18. A push to communicate mobile (PTx) terminal comprising:

a transmitting unit for requesting a floor grant for data communication with a receiving PTx terminal;

memory for storing data; and

a processing unit configured to cause the transmitting unit to retransmit the data to the receiving PTx terminal responsive to a request for re-transmission received from the receiving PTx terminal,

wherein the processing unit is further configured to cause the memory to delete the stored data after the data is successfully delivered to the receiving PTx terminal.

19. The PTx terminal of claim 18, wherein a failure in transmitting the data is determined, when a threshold time has lapsed from time of the floor grant.

20. The PTx terminal of claim 18, wherein a failure in transmitting the data is determined, when the PTx terminal does not receive an acknowledgement of receipt from the receiving PTx terminal.

21. The PTx terminal of claim 18, wherein the PTx terminal automatically retransmits the data.

22. The PTx terminal of claim 18, wherein the PTx terminal retransmits the data in response to user interaction with the PTx terminal.