Methods and apparatus for the immediate acceptance and queuing of voice data for PTT communications

• US 7,697,950 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2007
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Zhao, Wen, Jin, Xin
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, JOHN J
• Application Number:
  US11/866,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20080020718A1
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 455/518, 455/517, 455/90.2, 455/519, 455/509, 455/520, 455/452.1, 455/450, 455/550.1, 455/557, 455/552.1, 455/514, 455/463, 370/310, 370/352, 370/401, 370/390
• US Class Current: 455/518
• 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

In one illustrative example, a mobile station includes a wireless transceiver; a user interface including a Push-To-Talk (PTT) switch for initiating a PTT voice communication and a microphone for receiving voice input signals; one or more processors; and a First-In-First-Out (FIFO) buffer memory coupled to the one or more processors. The one or more processors are operative to identify a user actuation of the PTT switch and, in response, save digital voice data corresponding to voice input signals in the FIFO buffer memory; cause a request for the PTT voice communication to be made through a wireless network; identify that a floor grant has been received through the wireless network in response to the request; and after identifying the floor grant, cause the digital voice data from the FIFO buffer memory to be retrieved and transmitted to the wireless network for the PTT voice communication. Advantageously, the saving of the digital voice data in the FIFO buffer memory is performed at least in part during a delay time period between the user actuation of the PTT switch and the identifying of the floor grant.

Claims

1. A method in a Push-To-Talk (PTT) capable mobile station, the method comprising:

sending a PTT voice communication request in a wireless communication network;

prior to receiving a floor grant in response to the PTT voice communication request;

beginning to receive voice input signals at the mobile station and encode, voice compress, and save digital voice data corresponding to the voice input signals in memory of the mobile station;

receiving the floor grant in response to the PTT voice communication request;

upon receiving the floor grant;

retrieving the saved digital voice data from the memory and transmitting the retrieved digital voice data; and

continuing to save the digital voice data in the memory after receiving the floor grant.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

continuing to save the digital voice data while transmitting the retrieved digital voice data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of encoding comprises the further act of encoding with use of a coder/decoder (CODEC).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of voice compressing comprises the further act of compressing with use of a voice compressor.

5. A Push-To-Talk (PTT) capable mobile station, comprising:

a processor configured to generate a PTT voice communication request;

a transmitter coupled to the processor, the transmitter configured to send the PTT voice communication request in a wireless communication network; and

memory coupled to the processor; and

a receiver coupled to the processor, the receiver configured to receive a floor grant in response to the transmission of the PTT voice communication request;

wherein the processor is further configured to;

upon transmission of the PTT voice communication request;

begin receiving voice input signals at the mobile station, and encoding, voice compressing, and saving in the memory digital voice data corresponding to the voice input signals;

upon the reception of the floor grant;

retrieve the saved digital voice data from the memory and cause the transmitter to transmit the retrieved digital voice data; and

continue saving in the memory the digital voice data corresponding to voice input signals after the reception of the floor grant in response to the transmission of the PTT voice communication request.

6. The PTT capable mobile station of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to continue saving the digital voice data in the memory during the transmission of the retrieved digital voice data.

7. The PTT capable mobile station of claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to encode the voice input signals with use of a coder/decoder (CODEC).

8. The PTT capable mobile station of claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to voice compress the encoded digital data with use of a voice compressor.