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

• US 7,983,198 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2007
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I 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:
  US11/857,640
• Publication Number:
  US 20080043690A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,399 Days
• Field of Search: 370/259, 370/338, 370/352, 370/395.52, 370/401, 379/88.17, 379/201.01, 455/90.2, 455/414.1, 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 wireless subscriber terminal for use with an internet protocol push-to-talk service using a wireless local area network, comprising;

a mobile terminal configured to;

communicate over the air to a wireless access point using a wireless local area network protocol; and

operate in a plurality of modes comprising;

an internet protocol push-to-talk service only mode;

a voice over internet protocol terminal service only mode; and

a combination mode, wherein an internet protocol push-to-talk service mode is a default mode which is capable of being preempted by a voice over internet protocol service call, wherein the internet protocol push-to-talk service mode is restored as the default mode when the voice over internet protocol service is ended.

2. The wireless subscriber terminal according to claim 1, wherein the wireless local area network protocol comprises a voice over internet protocol.

3. The wireless subscriber terminal according to claim 2, wherein the voice over internet protocol supports a session initiation protocol and a media gateway control protocol.

4. The wireless subscriber terminal according to claim 1, wherein the wireless subscriber terminal operates with a software private branch exchange.

5. An apparatus for use with an internet protocol push-to-talk service, the internet protocol push to talk service using a wireless local area network, comprising:

a device configured to;

emulate a push-to-talk radio;

operate in a plurality of modes comprising;

an internet protocol push-to-talk only mode;

a voice over internet protocol terminal only mode; and

a combination mode, wherein an internet protocol push-to-talk mode is a default mode which is capable of being preempted by a voice over internet protocol call, wherein the internet protocol push-to-talk service mode is restored as the default mode when the voice over internet protocol service is ended; and

communicate over an air interface to the wireless local area network using a wireless local area network protocol.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of modes further comprises a registration mode.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein communication to the wireless local area network is to a plurality of access points and one of the plurality of access points receives the communication and handles the communication based on one of:

a channel quality metric and a radio resource availability.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the device is further configured to receive and output a multicast stream comprising all speech of current transmitting subscribers within a currently active group of which a particular subscriber using the device is a member.

9. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the device supports multicasting.