Multiple PTT functionality

• US 8,103,298 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2008
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Ong, Choon Gim, Ooi, Pey Hann, Cheah, Ui Ping, Ang, Kah Soon
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc M
• Application Number:
  US12/125,207
• Publication Number:
  US 20090291646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,342 Days
• Field of Search: 455/518, 455/519, 455/521, 455/516, 455/63.3
• 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 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

A communication device and method are presented. The device is in a network of devices of different groups. The device contains a push-to-talk (PTT) button, a channel selector, and a keyboard containing hard or soft keys. The channel selector selects an initial frequency at which to receive and transmit, dependent on the group to which the device belongs. The device transmits when the PTT button is pressed. If a multiple PTT function is activated by software in the device, at least some of the keys are used to select a new transmission frequency. The device receives at the initial frequency independent of the transmission frequency. The multiple PTT function can be activated by a dedicated soft or hard key or a key on the keyboard that serves multiple functions. The frequency selection provided by the keys is dependent on the channel and the device group.

Claims

1. A push-to-talk (PTT) device comprising:

a channel selector that selects a first frequency on which to receive and transmit in accordance with a state of a PTT button;

the PTT button configured to activates transmission of a first PTT signal from the device on the first frequency when pressed and to activate reception of a second PTT signal on the first frequency when not pressed;

a multiple PTT key, different from the PTT button, that when pressed activates a multiple PTT function that selects a new transmission frequency on which to transmit, different from the first transmit frequency, while the reception frequency of the device remains at the first frequency; and

a keypad containing a plurality of keys that, when the multiple PTT function is activated by the multiple PTT key, determine a new transmission frequency of the device on which to transmit, different from the first transmit frequency, dependent on a particular selection of one of more of the plurality of keys.

2. The PTT device of claim 1, wherein the multiple PTT key comprises a soft key.

3. The PTT device of claim 1, wherein the multiple PTT key comprises a hard key.

4. The PTT device of claim 1, wherein the multiple PTT key comprises a combination of two or more keys on the keypad.

5. The PTT device of claim 1, wherein the PTT key comprises a key that is separate from the keypad.

6. The PTT device of claim 1, further comprising a locking mechanism that locks the multiple PTT key when pressed such that when the multiple PTT key is pressed, the multiple PTT function remains active until the multiple PTT key is subsequently pressed again.

7. The PTT device of claim 1, further comprising a separate end multiple PTT key that, when pressed and the multiple PTT function is active, terminates the multiple PTT function.

8. The PTT device of claim 1, further comprising a display and a touch panel.

9. The PTT device of claim 1, wherein at least some of the keys act as alpha-numeric keys for non-PTT functions when the multiple PTT function is not activated.

10. The PTT device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of keys is associated with a pre-programmed alternative transmit frequency, and activation of one of the plurality of keys selects the corresponding alternative transmit frequency as the new transmission frequency of the device when the multiple PTT function is active.

11. A push-to-talk (PTT) network comprising a plurality of PTT devices, each of the PTT devices capable of belonging to a plurality of groups and comprising:

a channel selector that selects a first frequency on which to receive and transmit in accordance with a state of a PTT button dependent on a group to which the PTT device belongs;

the PTT button configured to activates transmission of a first PTT signal from the device on the first frequency when pressed and to activate reception of a second PTT signal on the first frequency when not pressed;

a multiple PTT key, different from the PTT button, that when pressed activates a multiple PTT function that selects a new transmission frequency on which to transmit, different from the first transmit frequency, while the reception frequency of the device remains at the first frequency; and

an input having a plurality of different input states that, when the multiple PTT function is activated by the multiple PTT key, determines a new transmission frequency of the device on which to transmit, different from the first transmit frequency, dependent on a particular input state selected.

12. The PTT network of claim 11, wherein in at least one of the PIT devices the multiple PTT key comprises a combination keys on a keypad.

13. The PTT network of claim 11, wherein in at least one of the PTT devices the multiple PTT key is a key that is separate from a keypad.

14. The PTT network of claim 11, wherein the input is one or more keys on a keypad.

15. The PTT network of claim 11, wherein:

selection of the same channel by PTT devices belonging to different groups results in different initial frequencies of both reception and transmission between the PTT devices belonging to the different groups,

the multiple PTT function shifts the transmission frequency such that the PTT devices belonging to the different groups and having the same channel selected are in communication when the multiple PTT function is active in at least one of the PTT devices belonging to the different groups and multiple PTT function is not active in at least one other of the PTT devices belonging to the different groups, and

not all of the PTT devices in communication belong to the same group.

16. A method of communicating with a plurality of push-to-talk (PTT) devices in a PTT network, the method comprising, on at least one of the devices:

selecting a first frequency to receive and transmit via a channel selector;

receiving a first PTT signal on the first frequency while a PTT button is not pressed;

transmitting a second PTT signal from the device on the first frequency while the PTT button is pressed;

detecting activation of a multiple PTT function via a multiple PTT key, different from the PTT button;

responsively selecting a new transmission frequency on which to transmit but not a new reception frequency when the multiple PTT function is activated by the multiple PTT key, the new transmission frequency being selected as a function of a particular selection of one or more of a plurality of input keys on a keypad; and

detecting deactivation of the multiple PTT function via the multiple PTT key, and responsively reverting to the first frequency for reception and transmission when the multiple PTT function is not active.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the multiple PTT function is able to be activated only before the transmission is active.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the multiple PTT function is only able to be activated when the transmission is active.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising setting at least some alpha-numeric inputs for non-PTT functions when the multiple PTT function is not activated.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein selecting the new transmission frequency as a function of the particular selection of one or more of the plurality of input keys comprises associating each of the plurality of keys with a pre-programmed alternative transmit frequency, and activating of one of the plurality of keys to select the corresponding alternative transmit frequency as the new transmission frequency of the device when the multiple PTT function is active.