Providing virtual talk group communication sessions in accordance with endpoint resources

• US 7,831,270 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2006
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STA Group, LLC
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kalley, Yogesh, Shaffer, Shmuel, Nagesh, Kittur V., Zanone, Dean M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wendell; Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran; Paul P
• Application Number:
  US11/383,998
• Publication Number:
  US 20070270172A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,636 Days
• Field of Search: 455/445, 455/509, 455/512, 455/515, 455/517, 455/518, 455/519, 455/520, 455/552.1, 455/552.2, 455/17, 455/412.1, 455/446, 455/456.2, 455/426.1, 455/450, 455/452, 455/466, 455/560, 455/561, 370/229, 370/255, 370/260, 370/270, 370/312, 370/328, 370/370, 370/338, 370/340, 370/390, 370/432, 370/465, 370/335, 370/349, 370/353, 370/392, 370/447, 370/321, 370/337, 370/341, 370/352, 370/345, 370/355, 370/356, 370/347, 370/442, 370/468, 370/230, 370/236.2, 370/254, 370/236.1, 379/201.12, 379/215.01, 379/372, 379/201.02, 379/37, 709/201, 709204-206, 709/227, 709/221, 709/218, 709/226, 709/229
• US Class Current: 455/518
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

Providing one or more virtual talk groups to an endpoint includes establishing one or more resources of a user endpoint. Demand of the one or more virtual talk groups is estimated, where the demand is placed on the one or more resources. Whether the one or more resources are capable of satisfying the demand is determined. At least a subset of the one or more virtual talk groups that may be presented to the user endpoint is established, if the one or more resources are not capable of satisfying the demand. At least the subset of the one or more virtual talk groups is provided to the user endpoint.

Claims

1. A method for providing one or more virtual talk groups to an endpoint, comprising:

establishing, by a processor, one or more resources belonging to a user endpoint used by a user;

estimating, by the processor, a demand that a plurality of virtual talk groups places on the endpoint, the demand indicating an amount of the one or more resources that the endpoint expends to participate in the plurality of virtual talk groups;

determining, by the processor, whether the one or more resources are capable of satisfying the demand;

establishing, by the processor, at least a subset of the virtual talk groups to present to the user endpoint if the one or more resources are not capable of satisfying the demand by presenting a recommendation to the user endpoint to reduce the demand and selecting the subset of the virtual talk groups according to a response from the user endpoint; and

providing at least the subset of the virtual talk groups to the user endpoint to allow the user to select a virtual talk group.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing at least the subset of the virtual talk groups further comprises:

presenting the virtual talk groups for selection; and

receiving a selection of at least the subset of the virtual talk groups.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

establishing at least the subset of the virtual talk groups further comprises;

presenting one or more features of the virtual talk groups for selection; and

receiving a selection of at least a subset of the one or more features; and

providing at least the subset of the virtual talk groups to the user endpoint further comprises;

providing at least the subset of the virtual talk groups with at least the subset of the one or more features.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing at least the subset of the virtual talk groups further comprises:

sending a message requesting selection of a next user endpoint; and

establishing that the next user endpoint has been selected.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing at least the subset of the virtual talk groups further comprises:

presenting one or more options to the user endpoint for selection, selection of an option of the one or more options operable to reduce the demand or increase the one or more resources.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing at least the subset of the virtual talk groups further comprises:

presenting one or more options to a dispatcher endpoint for selection, selection of an option of the one or more options operable to reduce the demand or increase the one or more resources.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing at least the subset of the virtual talk groups further comprises:

establishing at least the subset of the virtual talk groups according to one or more predetermined rules.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing at least the subset of the virtual talk groups further comprises:

presenting one or more options for selection, the one or more options comprising selecting or deselecting at least one of the following;

a video option;

a recording option; and

a media processing codec option.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing at least the subset of the virtual talk groups further comprises:

detecting an option considered by the user endpoint; and

presenting a recommendation of one or more options for selection, selection of the one or more options operable to increase the one or more resources to allow for the considered option.

10. A system for providing one or more virtual talk groups to an endpoint, comprising:

an interface operable to communicate with a user endpoint; and

a processor coupled to the interface and operable to;

establish one or more resources belonging to the user endpoint used by a user;

estimate demand that virtual talk groups places on the endpoint, the demand indicating an amount of the one or more resources that the endpoint expends to participate in the plurality of virtual talk groups;

determine whether the one or more resources are capable of satisfying the demand;

establish at least a subset of the virtual talk groups to present to the user endpoint if the one or more resources are not capable of satisfying the demand by presenting a recommendation to the user endpoint to reduce the demand and selecting the subset of the virtual talk groups according to a response from the user endpoint; and

provide at least the subset of the virtual talk groups to the user endpoint to allow the user to select a virtual talk group.

11. The system of claim 10, the processor further operable to establish at least the subset of the virtual talk groups by:

presenting the virtual talk groups for selection; and

receiving a selection of at least the subset of the virtual talk groups.

12. The system of claim 10, the processor further operable to:

establish at least the subset of the virtual talk groups by;

presenting one or more features of the virtual talk groups for selection; and

receiving a selection of at least a subset of the one or more features; and

provide at least the subset of the virtual talk groups to the user endpoint by;

providing at least the subset of the virtual talk groups with at least the subset of the one or more features.

13. The system of claim 10, the processor further operable to establish at least the subset of the virtual talk groups by:

sending a message requesting selection of a next user endpoint; and

establishing that the next user endpoint has been selected.

14. The system of claim 10, the processor further operable to establish at least the subset of the virtual talk groups by:

presenting one or more options to the user endpoint for selection, selection of an option of the one or more options operable to reduce the demand or increase the one or more resources.

15. The system of claim 10, the processor further operable to establish at least the subset of the virtual talk groups by:

presenting one or more options to a dispatcher endpoint for selection, selection of an option of the one or more options operable to reduce the demand or increase the one or more resources.

16. The system of claim 10, the processor further operable to establish at least the subset of the virtual talk groups by:

establishing at least the subset of the virtual talk groups according to one or more predetermined rules.

17. The system of claim 10, the processor further operable to establish at least the subset of the virtual talk groups by:

presenting one or more options for selection, the one or more options comprising selecting or deselecting at least one of the following;

a video option;

a recording option; and

a media processing codec option.

18. The system of claim 10, the processor further operable to establish at least the subset of the virtual talk groups by:

detecting an option considered by the user endpoint; and

presenting a recommendation of one or more options for selection, selection of the one or more options operable to increase the one or more resources to allow for the considered option.

19. A system for providing one or more virtual talk groups to an endpoint, the system comprising one or more devices operable to:

establish one or more resources of a user endpoint used by a user, the one or more resources comprising a bandwidth of the endpoint;

estimate demand of virtual talk groups, the demand placed on the one or more resources;

determine whether the one or more resources are capable of satisfying the demand;

establish at least a subset of the virtual talk groups that may be presented to the user endpoint if the one or more resources are not capable of satisfying the demand by presenting a recommendation to the user endpoint to reduce the demand and selecting the subset of the virtual talk groups according to a response from the user endpoint; and

provide at least the subset of the virtual talk groups to the user endpoint to allow the user to select a virtual talk group.

20. The system of claim 19, the one or more devices further operable to establish at least the subset of the virtual talk groups by:

presenting the virtual talk groups for selection; and

receiving a selection of at least the subset of the virtual talk groups.

21. The system of claim 19, the one or more devices further operable to:

establish at least the subset of the virtual talk groups by;

presenting one or more features of the virtual talk groups for selection; and

receiving a selection of at least a subset of the one or more features; and

provide at least the subset of the virtual talk groups to the user endpoint by;

providing at least the subset of the virtual talk groups with at least the subset of the one or more features.

22. The system of claim 19, the one or more devices further operable to establish at least the subset of the virtual talk groups by:

sending a message requesting selection of a next user endpoint; and

establishing that the next user endpoint has been selected.

23. The system of claim 19, the one or more devices further operable to establish at least the subset of the virtual talk groups by:

presenting one or more options to the user endpoint for selection, selection of an option of the one or more options operable to reduce the demand or increase the one or more resources.

24. The system of claim 19, the one or more devices further operable to establish at least the subset of the virtual talk groups by:

presenting one or more options to a dispatcher endpoint for selection, selection of an option of the one or more options operable to reduce the demand or increase the one or more resources.

25. The system of claim 19, the one or more devices further operable to establish at least the subset of the virtual talk groups by:

establishing at least the subset of the virtual talk groups according to one or more predetermined rules.

26. The system of claim 19, the one or more devices further operable to establish at least the subset of the virtual talk groups by:

presenting one or more options for selection, the one or more options comprising selecting or deselecting at least one of the following;

a video option;

a recording option; and

a media processing codec option.

27. The system of claim 19, the one or more devices further operable to establish at least the subset of the virtual talk groups by:

detecting an option considered by the user endpoint; and

presenting a recommendation of one or more options for selection, selection of the one or more options operable to increase the one or more resources to allow for the considered option.

28. A system for providing one or more virtual talk groups to an endpoint, comprising:

means for establishing one or more resources of a user endpoint used by a user, the one or more resources comprising a bandwidth of the endpoint;

means for estimating demand of virtual talk groups, the demand placed on the one or more resources;

means for determining whether the one or more resources are capable of satisfying the demand;

means for establishing at least a subset of the virtual talk groups that may be presented to the user endpoint if the one or more resources are not capable of satisfying the demand by presenting a recommendation to the user endpoint to reduce the demand and selecting the subset of the virtual talk groups according to a response from the user endpoint; and

means for providing at least the subset of the virtual talk groups to the user endpoint to allow the user to select a virtual talk group.

29. A method for providing one or more virtual talk groups to an endpoint, comprising:

establishing one or more resources of a user endpoint used by a user, the one or more resources comprising a bandwidth of the endpoint;

estimating demand of virtual talk groups, the demand placed on the one or more resources;

determining whether the one or more resources are capable of satisfying the demand;

establishing at least a subset of the virtual talk groups that may be presented to the user endpoint if the one or more resources are not capable of satisfying the demand by presenting a recommendation to the user endpoint to reduce the demand and selecting the subset of the virtual talk groups according to a response from the user endpoint, establishing at least the subset of the virtual talk groups further comprising;

presenting the virtual talk groups for selection;

receiving a selection of at least the subset of the virtual talk groups;

presenting one or more features of the virtual talk groups for selection;

receiving a selection of at least a subset of the one or more features;

sending a message requesting selection of a next user endpoint;

establishing that the next user endpoint has been selected;

presenting one or more options to the user endpoint to allow the user to select a virtual talk group and to a dispatcher for selection, selection of an option of the one or more options operable to reduce the demand or increase the one or more resources, the one or more options comprising selecting or deselecting at least one of the following;

a video option;

a recording option; and

a media processing codec option;

detecting an option considered by the user endpoint; and

presenting a recommendation of one or more next options for selection, selection of the one or more next options operable to increase the one or more resources to allow for the considered option; and

establishing at least the subset of the virtual talk groups according to one or more predetermined rules; and

providing at least the subset of the virtual talk groups to the user endpoint, providing at least the subset of the virtual talk groups to the user endpoint further comprising;

providing at least the subset of the virtual talk groups with at least the subset of the one or more features.