System and method for granting transmit capability in a push to communicate system

• US 7,761,109 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2006
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Allen, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Duc
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rego; Dominic E
• Application Number:
  US11/458,611
• Publication Number:
  US 20070021136A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,462 Days
• Field of Search: 455/90.2, 455/412.1, 455/414.1, 455517-520, 455/78, 455/79, 455/500, 455/426.1, 455/422.1, 455/416, 455/420, 370/352, 370/389, 370/338, 370/328
• US Class Current: 455/518
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3833 Hand-held transceivers
• 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

Systems of methods for performing queued and moderated communication groups in a system featuring network provided half duplex communications communication group sessions are provided. According to one aspect, a first mobile terminal provides the network with an identification of a second mobile terminal so that the network may automatically grant the transmit capability to the second mobile terminal after a transmitting mobile has finished transmitting communications. Therefore, the second mobile terminal receives the transmit capability without even requesting it, or without the network having to wait to receive a request for the transmit capability. According to another aspect, priority information is pre-assigned during creation of the communication group or dynamically assigned by another mobile user during the talk group session. Granting of the transmit capability and the time duration of the transmit capability is dependent upon the priority information. In this manner, priority information is group-specific.

Claims

1. A method in a requesting mobile terminal of a plurality of mobile terminals of a communication group for a communication session delivered via a network, each of the plurality of mobile terminals having push to communicate capabilities within the communication group such that a transmitting mobile terminal within the communication group is given a transmit capability using a talk channel while all other mobile terminals have a receive capability, the method comprising:

receiving, at the requesting mobile terminal, a user input for selecting a responding mobile terminal of the communication group; and

in response to receiving the user input, and while the transmit capability is given;

transmitting, from the requesting mobile terminal to the network, an identification of the responding mobile terminal for requesting the network to grant the responding mobile terminal the transmit capability, so that the grant is provided once the transmitting mobile terminal requests a release of the talk channel to finish transmitting communications.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein another mobile terminal other than the requesting mobile terminal is the transmitting mobile terminal.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting communications upon being granted the transmit capability, the requesting mobile terminal being the transmitting mobile terminal.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting a request for the transmit capability; and

transmitting communications upon being granted the transmit capability in response to the request, the requesting mobile terminal being the transmitting mobile terminal.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the identification of the responding mobile terminal and the request for the transmit capability are transmitted together in a single message.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the single message is a RTCP (Real Time Transport Control Protocol) message.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the communications being transmitted by the transmitting mobile terminal comprises at least one of:

voice communications, and multi media communications.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the requesting mobile terminal is coupled to a network configured to deliver such to communicate capabilities within the communication group.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the responding terminal is different from the requesting mobile terminal.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon for execution on a processor so as to implement the method of claim 1.

11. A mobile terminal configured to communicate in a communication session delivered via a network using push to communicate capabilities within a communication group of mobile terminals, such that within the communication group a transmitting mobile terminal is given a transmit capability using a talk channel while all other mobile terminals have a receive capability, the mobile terminal comprising:

a wireless access radio configured to establish communication;

a user interface configured to receive a user input for selecting a responding mobile terminal of the communication group; and

a responding function configured to send, in response to receiving the user input and while the transmit capability is given, an identification of the responding mobile terminal for requesting the network to grant the responding mobile terminal the transmit capability, so that the grant is provided once the transmitting mobile terminal requests a release of the talk channel to finish transmitting communications.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein the wireless access radio is further configured to establish communication with a network configured to deliver push to communicate capabilities within the communication group of mobile terminals.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein the responding mobile terminal is different from the mobile terminal.

14. A user interface of a mobile terminal, the mobile terminal being configured to communicate with a network, the network being configured to deliver push to communicate capabilities within a communication group of mobile terminals such that within the communication group a transmitting mobile terminal is given a transmit capability using a talk channel while all other mobile terminals have a receive capability, the user interface comprising:

a display configured to display an identification of mobile terminals of the communication group; and

an input configured to accept a user input for selecting a responding mobile terminal of the mobile terminals that do not have the transmit capability, and in response to the user input being accepted, sending to the network, while the transmit capability is given, an identification of the responding mobile terminal to request the network to grant the responding mobile terminal the transmit capability, so that the grant is provided once the transmitting mobile terminal requests a release of the talk channel to finish transmitting communications.

15. The user interface of claim 14, wherein the responding mobile terminal is different from the mobile terminal.

16. A method in a network configured to deliver push to communicate capabilities within a communication group of mobile terminals such that within the communication group a transmitting mobile terminal is given a transmit capability using a talk channel while all other mobile terminals have a receive capability, the method comprising:

receiving, from a first mobile terminal of the communication group, while the transmit capability is given, an identification of a second mobile terminal of the communication group for requesting the network to grant the second mobile terminal the transmit capability; and

in response to receiving the identification for requesting the grant and while the transmit capability is given;

granting the transmit capability to the second mobile terminal once the transmitting mobile terminal requests a release of the talk channel to finish transmitting communications.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first mobile terminal is different from the second mobile terminal.