Method and apparatus for delivering IPP2T (IP-push-to-talk) wireless LAN mobile radio service

• US 7,948,923 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2007
• Issued: 05/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rice, Christopher W., Murray, John F., Miller, Robert Raymond II, Chow, Albert T.
• Primary Examiner(s): HSU, ALPUS
• Application Number:
  US11/857,644
• Publication Number:
  US 20080043691A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,343 Days
• Field of Search: 370/259, 370/338, 370/390, 370/401, 370/432, 379/88.17, 379/93.07, 379/201.01, 455/414.1, 455/432.1, 455/435.1, 455/518
• US Class Current: 370/259
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4061 Push-to services, e.g. push-to-talk or push-to-video
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/08 Trunked mobile radio systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A wireless subscriber terminal (ST) for use with IP push-to-talk (PP2T) service using a wireless local area network (WLAN) operating in a plurality of modes, including a mobile terminal having an ability to communicate over the air to a wireless Access Point (AP), the mobile terminal further programmable to use conventional WLAN protocols, and a method for operating the wireless terminal are described.

Claims

1. A method of operating an emulated push-to-talk device comprising:

scrolling through multicast channels, the multicast channels corresponding to available internet protocol push-to-talk user groups;

selecting a user group from the available internet protocol push-to-talk user groups; and

joining the selected user group by one of;

depressing a push-to-talk key and voice activation, to add a subscriber'"'"'s voice to a conversation of the selected user group, wherein one or more members are able to join the selected user group at any time via a registration process via a wireless local area network mobile radio service controller and via a broadband access transport network.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein only one user is permitted to talk at a given time by an internet protocol push-to-talk system.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein membership in an internet protocol push-to-talk user group is dynamic.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the broadband access transport network is a host for more than one internet protocol push-to-talk user group.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of wireless local area network mobile radio service controllers is employed in an internet protocol push-to-talk network and the plurality of wireless local area network mobile radio service controllers is capable of communicating with each other via transmission control protocol/internet protocol in order to support internet protocol push-to-talk subscriber roaming, member authentication, registration, de-registration and subscriber database and profile management processes.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein at an application level a multicast address supports multiple data streams.

7. A method of operating an emulated push-to-talk device comprising:

scrolling through multicast channels, the multicast channels corresponding to available internet protocol push-to-talk user groups;

selecting an available a user group from the available internet protocol push-to-talk user groups; and

joining the selected user group by one of;

depressing a push-to-talk key and voice activation, to add a subscriber'"'"'s voice to a conversation of the selected user group, wherein members are able to leave the selected user group at any time via a de-registration process via a wireless local area network mobile radio service controller and via a broadband access network terminal.