Communication systems and methods

• US 7,912,488 B1
• Filed: 08/10/2010
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Smith Micro Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Core Mobility (Smith Micro Software Incorporated)
• Inventors: El-Fishawy, Sani
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Duc
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jain; Ankur
• Application Number:
  US12/853,816
• Time in Patent Office: 224 Days
• Field of Search: 455/517, 455/518
• US Class Current: 455/518
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/08 Trunked mobile radio systems

Abstract

The floor in a network-based instant connect communication session is managed such that a mobile device user can cause voice data to be transmitted to a remote party without the remote party giving consent to relinquishing the floor. After the network-based instant connect communication session is established, and as the remote party holds the floor, the mobile device user presses a talk button on the mobile device or otherwise provides input. The input causes the network-based instant connect communication session to transition from the original half-duplex communication to full-duplex communication. The mobile device user can then cause voice data to be sent to the remote device. In this manner, the mobile device user can interrupt or spontaneously respond to the remote party without waiting for the remote party to relinquish the floor. This facilitates comfortable two-way communication in a network-based instant connect communication session.

Claims

1. In a communication system, a method comprising:

receiving first audio data, which a first mobile telephone sent in response to a press-and-hold of a talk button of the first mobile telephone;

sending a first portion of the first audio, which the first mobile telephone sent in response to the press-and-hold of the talk button of the first mobile telephone, to a second mobile telephone configured to receive and automatically play the first portion of the first audio as part of a half-duplex communication between the first and second mobile telephones;

receiving second audio data, which the second mobile telephone sent in response to a press-and-hold of a talk button of the second mobile telephone; and

as part of a full-duplex communication between the first and second mobile telephones;

sending a second portion of the first audio, which the first mobile telephone sent in response to the press-and-hold of the talk button of the first mobile telephone, to the second mobile telephone, wherein the second mobile telephone is configured to receive and automatically play the second portion of the first audio as part of the full-duplex communication between the first and second mobile telephones; and

while sending the second portion of the first audio to the second mobile telephone, sending the second audio, which the second mobile telephone sent in response to the press-and-hold of the talk button of the second mobile telephone, to the first mobile telephone, wherein the first mobile telephone is configured to receive and automatically play the second audio as part of the full-duplex communication between the first and second mobile telephones.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the half-duplex communication between the first and second mobile telephones is a network-based instant connect communication session.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein the half-duplex communication between the first and second mobile telephones is a network-based instant connect communication session;

and

wherein the press-and-hold of a talk button of the first mobile telephone successfully requested a floor of the network-based instant connect communication session.

4. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

after the talk button of the first mobile telephone is released, continuing to send audio from the first mobile telephone to the second mobile telephone as part of the full-duplex communication between the first and second mobile telephones; and

after the talk button of the second mobile telephone is released, continuing to send audio from the second mobile telephone to the first mobile telephone as part of the full-duplex communication between the first and second mobile communications.

5. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

after the talk button of the first mobile telephone is released, continuing to send additional audio from the first mobile telephone to the second mobile telephone as part of the full-duplex communication between the first and second mobile telephones.

6. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

after the talk button of the second mobile telephone is released, continuing to send audio from the second mobile telephone to the first mobile telephone as part of the full-duplex communication between the first and second mobile telephones.

7. A system comprising:

a network configured to perform a method, the method comprising;

receiving first audio data, which a first mobile telephone sent in response to a press-and-hold of a talk button of the first mobile telephone;

sending a first portion of the first audio, which the first mobile telephone sent in response to the press-and-hold of the talk button of the first mobile telephone, to a second mobile telephone configured to receive and automatically play the first portion of the first audio as part of a half-duplex communication between the first and second mobile telephones;

receiving second audio data, which the second mobile telephone sent in response to a press-and-hold of a talk button of the second mobile telephone; and

as part of a full-duplex communication between the first and second mobile telephones;

sending a second portion of the first audio, which the first mobile telephone sent in response to the press-and-hold of the talk button of the first mobile telephone, to the second mobile telephone, wherein the second mobile telephone is configured to receive and automatically play the second portion of the first audio as part of the full-duplex communication between the first and second mobile telephones; and

while sending the second portion of the first audio to the second mobile telephone, sending the second audio, which the second mobile telephone sent in response to the press-and-hold of the talk button of the second mobile telephone, to the first mobile telephone, wherein the first mobile telephone is configured to receive and automatically play the second audio as part of the full-duplex communication between the first and second mobile telephones.

8. The system as in claim 7, wherein the half-duplex communication between the first and second mobile telephones is a network-based instant connect communication session.

9. The system as in claim 7, wherein the half-duplex communication between the first and second mobile telephones is a network-based instant connect communication session;

and

wherein the press-and-hold of a talk button of the first mobile telephone successfully requested a floor of the network-based instant connect communication session.

10. The system as in claim 7, wherein the method, which the network is configured to perform, further comprises:

after the talk button of the first mobile telephone is released, continuing to send audio from the first mobile telephone to the second mobile telephone as part of the full-duplex communication between the first and second mobile telephones; and

after the talk button of the second mobile telephone is released, continuing to send audio from the second mobile telephone to the first mobile telephone as part of the full-duplex communication between the first and second mobile telephones.

11. The system as in claim 7, wherein the method, which the network is configured to perform, further comprises:

after the talk button of the first mobile telephone is released, continuing to send additional audio from the first mobile telephone to the second mobile telephone as part of the full-duplex communication between the first and second mobile telephones.

12. The system as in claim 7, wherein the method, which the network is configured to perform, further comprises:

after the talk button of the second mobile telephone is released, continuing to send audio from the second mobile telephone to the first mobile telephone as part of the full-duplex communication between the first and second mobile telephones.