Apparatus, and associated method, for facilitating formation of an apparent push-to-talk communication connection

• US 8,073,403 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2007
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Lazaridis, Mihal
• Primary Examiner(s): TRINH, TAN H
• Application Number:
  US11/837,806
• Publication Number:
  US 20080026701A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,576 Days
• Field of Search: 455/517, 455/500, 455/510, 455/90.2, 455/519, 455/116, 455/514, 455/72, 455/74, 455/78, 455/462, 455/422.1, 455/522.1, 455/401, 455/445, 455/521, 370/335, 370/337, 370/342
• US Class Current: 455/90.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/44 Transmit/receive switching
• 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

Apparatus, and an associated method, for facilitating formation of an apparent push-to-talk communication session connection at a mobile station operable in a conventional cellular communication system. Upon initiation of push-to-talk operation, a user of the mobile station immediately commences voice communications. During call connection procedures, voice data is buffered at a buffer of the mobile station. When a communication connection is formed, the buffered data is played out. Thereafter, additional communications commence.

Claims

1. A method of a mobile station, the method comprising:

initiating a communication session between a calling mobile station and a correspondent node via a cellular communication system;

buffering voice data at the calling mobile station at least during the period over which the communication session is formed;

playing out and transmitting the buffered voice data from the calling mobile station when the communication session is formed;

determining when the playing out of buffered voice data has been completed; and

enabling direct transmission of voice data at the calling mobile station in response to the playing out completion determination.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising playing out the voice data from the buffer of the calling mobile station after the communication session is created.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication session is a call.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the call is a circuit-switched phone call.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a dialing number associated with the correspondent node.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication session is one of full duplex, half duplex, and simplex.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising buffering voice data during setup procedures of the communication session.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the buffer accepts voice signals and stores voice data during setup procedures of the communication session.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising preventing communication of voice data generated at the correspondent node when the buffered voice data from the calling mobile station is being transmitted.

10. A mobile station apparatus, comprising:

a user interface and controller at the mobile station apparatus that, upon actuation of said user interface, initiates a communication session as a calling mobile station with a correspondent node via a cellular communication system;

a buffer, responsive to said controller and coupled to an acoustic transducer, that accepts voice signals and stores voice data as the calling mobile station, at least during the period over which the communication session is formed; and

a transmitter, switchably coupled to the buffer and the acoustic transducer, that transmits the stored voice data from the buffer of the calling mobile station to the correspondent node when a connection for the communication session is formed and that transmits voice data from acoustic-transducer transduced voice signals when the stored voice data from the buffer of the calling mobile station has been played out.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said buffer is switchably coupled to said transmit circuitry to play out the voice data from the buffer of the calling mobile station after the communication session is created.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the communication session is a call.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the call is a circuit-switched phone call.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a display that enables a user to select a dialing number associated with the correspondent node.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the communication session is one of full duplex, half duplex, and simplex.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the mobile station apparatus further comprises the controller that prevents communication of voice data generated when the mobile station is in a correspondent node mode and when the buffered voice data from a calling mobile station is being transmitted.