Systems and methods for push-to-talk wireless applications

• US 7,743,073 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2004
• Issued: 06/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TeamConnect, LLC
• Original Assignee: Pacific Datavision Incorporated
• Inventors: Fehrenbach, Mark E., Rohmann, Richard E., Lasensky, Peter J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Khanh B
• Application Number:
  US10/947,639
• Publication Number:
  US 20060112118A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,099 Days
• Field of Search: 707/6, 707/10, 707100-101
• US Class Current: 707/793
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for routing data messages to appropriate applications among multiple available applications. Observers use a variety of signal transmission devices to generate and transmit data messages to a receiver. Each observer has an observer identification and each receiver has a receiver identification. A routing layer is configured to correlate the observer identification and the receiver identification. While multiple applications are available, the routing layer routes the data message to the appropriate application based on the correlated observer and receiver identifications. The router can further route the data message to an appropriate destination within the appropriate application based on the correlated observer and receiver identifications. The data message can also undergo additional signal processing before it is routed to a third party application.

Claims

1. A message authority comprising:

a collector having a target identification, the collector configured to receive a voice message from a push-to-talk transmission device having a sender identification;

a routing layer interfaced with the collector, the routing layer configured to correlate the sender identification and the target identification to determine an associated application based on the correlations; and

a table configured to store associations of application identifiers with combinations of sender and target identifiers, and wherein the routing layer is configured to access the table in order to determine the associated application.

2. The message authority of claim 1, wherein the routing layer is further configured to determine a path associated with the associated application and to forward the voice message to the associated application using the determined path.

3. The message authority of claim 2, further comprising a table configured to store path information for a plurality of applications and wherein the routing layer is configured to access the table to determine the associated path for the associated application.

4. The message authority of claim 1, wherein the routing layer is further configured to determine whether the associated application is a direct application or a distributed application.

5. The message authority of claim 4, further comprising a distributed application processor interfaced with the routing layer, wherein the routing layer is configured to forward the voice message to the distributed application processor when it is determined that the associated application is a distributed application.

6. The message authority of claim 5, wherein the distributed application processor is configured to determine whether any processing or formatting of the voice message is required before the voice message is forwarded to the associated distributed application.

7. The message authority of claim 6, wherein the distributed application processor is further configured to perform any processing or formatting that is required and to then forward the processed or formatted voice message to the associated distributed application.

8. The message authority of claim 6, further comprising a table configured to store instructions for additional processing or formatting for a plurality of distributed applications, and wherein the distributed applications processor is configured to access the table to determine whether any additional processing or formatting is required before forwarding the voice message to the associated distributed application.

9. The message authority of claim 5, wherein the distributed application processor forms part of the routing layer.

10. A message authority comprising:

a collector having a target identification, the collector configured to receive a voice message from a transmission device having a sender identification;

a routing layer interfaced with the collector, the routing layer configured to correlate the sender identification and the target identification to determine an associated application based on the correlation; and

a table configured to store associations of application identifiers with combinations of sender and target identifiers, and wherein the routing layer is configured to access the table in order to determine the associated application.

11. The message authority of claim 10, wherein the routing layer is further configured to determine a path associated with the associated application and to forward the voice message to the associated application using the determined path.

12. The message authority of claim 11, further comprising a table configured to store path information for a plurality of applications, and wherein the routing layer is configured to access the table to determine the associated path for the associated application.

13. The message authority of claim 10, wherein the routing layer is further configured to determine whether the associated application is a direct application or a distributed application.

14. The message authority of claim 13, further comprising a distributed application processor interfaced with the routing layer, wherein the routing layer is configured to forward the voice message to the distributed application processor when it is determined that the associated application is a distributed application.

15. The message authority of claim 14, wherein the distributed application processor is configured to determine whether any processing or formatting of the voice message is required before the voice message is forwarded to the associated distributed application.

16. The message authority of claim 15, wherein the distributed application processor is further configured to perform any processing or formatting that is required and to then forward the processed or formatted voice message to the associated distributed application.

17. The message authority of claim 15, further comprising a table configured to store instructions for additional processing or formatting for a plurality of distributed applications, and wherein the distributed applications processor is configured to access the table to determine whether any additional processing or formatting is required before forwarding the voice message to the associated distributed application.

18. The message authority of claim 14, wherein the distributed application processor forms part of the routing layer.

19. A message authority comprising:

a collector having a target identification, the collector configured to receive a voice message from a transmission device having a sender identification;

a distributed application processor;

a routing layer interfaced with the collector and the distributed application processor, the routing layer configured to correlate the sender identification and the target identification determine an associated application based on the correlation, and determine whether the associated application is a direct application or a distributed application; and

a table configured to store associations of application identifiers with combinations of sender and target identifiers, and wherein the routing layer is configured to access the table in order to determine the associated application.

20. The message authority of claim 19, wherein the routing layer is configured to forward the voice message to the distributed application processor when it is determined that the associated application is a distributed application.

21. The message authority of claim 20, wherein the distributed application processor is configured to determine whether any processing or formatting of the voice message is required before the voice message is forwarded to the associated distributed application.

22. The message authority of claim 21, wherein the distributed application processor is further configured to perform any processing or formatting that is required and to then forward the processed or formatted voice message to the associated distributed application.

23. The message authority of claim 21, further comprising a table configured to store instructions for additional processing or formatting for a plurality of distributed applications, and wherein the distributed applications processor is configured to access the table to determine whether any additional processing or formatting is required before forwarding the voice message to the associated distributed application.

24. The message authority of claim 19, wherein the routing layer is further configured to determine a path associated with the associated application and to forward the voice message to the associated application using the determined path.

25. The message authority of claim 24, further comprising a table configured to store path information for a plurality of applications, and wherein the routing layer is configured to access the table to determine the associated path for the associated application.

26. A communication system, comprising:

a plurality of transmission devices, each having a sender identification; and

a message authority, the message authority comprising;

a collector having a target identification, the collector configured to receive a voice message from a transmission device of the plurality of transmission devices;

a routing layer interfaced with the collector, the routing layer configured to correlate the sender identification associated with the transmission device and the target identification and to determine an associated application based on the correlation; and

a table configured to store associations of application identifiers with combinations of sender and target identifiers, and wherein the routing layer is configured to access the table in order to determine the associated application.

27. The communication system of claim 26, wherein the plurality of transmission devices are wireless transmission devices, and wherein the plurality of transmission devices are configured to communicate with the collector via a wireless carrier network.

28. The communication system of claim 26, wherein the plurality of transmission devices comprise single action inputs, and wherein the plurality of transmission device are configure to generate and send voice messages in response to single actions initiated using the single action inputs.

29. The communication system of claim 26, wherein the routing layer is further configured to determine a path associated with the associated application and to forward the voice message to the associated application using the determined path.

30. The communication system of claim 29, wherein the message authority further comprises a table configured to store path information for a plurality of applications, and wherein the routing layer is configured to access the table to determine the associated path for the associated application.

31. The communication system of claim 26, wherein the routing layer is further configured to determine whether the associated application is a direct application or a distributed application.

32. The communication system of claim 31, wherein the message authority further comprises a distributed application processor interfaced with the routing layer, wherein the routing layer is configured to forward the voice message to the distributed application processor when it is determined that the associated application is a distributed application.

33. The communication system of claim 32, wherein the distributed application processor is configured to determine whether any processing or formatting of the voice message is required before the voice message is forwarded to the associated distributed application.

34. The communication system of claim 33, wherein the distributed application processor is further configured to perform any processing or formatting that is required and to then forward the processed or formatted voice message to the associated distributed application.

35. The communication system of claim 33, wherein the message authority further comprises a table configured to store instructions for additional processing or formatting for a plurality of distributed applications, and wherein the distributed applications processor is configured to access the table to determine whether any additional processing or formatting is required before forwarding the voice message to the associated distributed application.

36. The communication system of claim 32, wherein the distributed application processor forms part of the routing layer.

37. The communication system of claim 26, wherein the collector is associated with a plurality of target identifications.

38. The communication system of claim 26, wherein the message authority comprises a plurality of collectors each associated with at least one target identifier.

39. The communication system of claim 38, wherein the plurality of transmission devices are associated with a plurality of wireless carriers, and wherein each of the plurality of collectors is associated with a different carrier of the plurality of carriers.

40. The communication system of claim 39, wherein at least some of the plurality of a collectors comprises a carrier gateway.