Systems and methods for supporting dispatch communications

• US 8,254,876 B1
• Filed: 01/04/2006
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nextel Communications Inc (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Nextel Communications Inc (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Choksi, Ojas T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): Iqbal, Khawar
• Application Number:
  US11/324,239
• Time in Patent Office: 2,428 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 455/435.1, 455/432.1, 455/456.1, 455/518, 455/90.2, 370/327, 370/331, 370/335, 370/337, 370/340, 370/342, 370/441
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

Systems and methods for a wireless communication network to support dispatch communications with a dispatch communication client located outside of the wireless communication network are provided. The dispatch communication network includes one or more application services gateways (ASGs) for supporting dispatch communication clients located outside of the wireless communication network. Systems and methods for registering, and tracking the location of, dispatch communication clients, located outside of a wireless communication network, with the wireless communication network are provided. Additionally, systems and methods for selecting a dispatch communication gateway, and for allowing a dispatch communication client, located in a private network, to perform voice dispatch communication with a wireless communication network are also provided.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a first dispatch communication gateway coupled to a dispatch communication client located in a first network;

a second dispatch communication gateway;

a centralized location server, coupled to the first dispatch communication gateway and the second dispatch communication gateway, which stores information regarding a location of a subscriber operating the dispatch communication client; and

a centralized database, coupled to the first dispatch communication gateway and the second dispatch communication gateway, which stores subscriber registration information for the dispatch communication client,

wherein the centralized location server and the centralized database are disposed in a wireless core network that provides the information regarding the location of the subscriber and the subscriber registration information to the first dispatch communication gateway and the second dispatch communication gateway,

wherein the first dispatch communication gateway, the centralized location server and the centralized database are components of a second network, the second network being a wireless communication network,

wherein the first network is a wireless communication network operating using a different air-interface protocol than that of the second network, and

wherein when the first dispatch communication gateway receives a registration request from a dispatch client in the first network, the first dispatch communication gateway sends a registration request to the location server, and the location server obtains registration information from the database.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first network is a wired communication network.

3. A method for registering a dispatch communication subscriber with a dispatch communication network, the method comprising the acts of:

receiving, by a first dispatch communication gateway, a registration request from the dispatch communication subscriber;

determining that the dispatch communication subscriber is registering from a first dispatch client;

determining that the dispatch communication subscriber previously registered from a second dispatch client;

deregistering the dispatch communication subscriber from the second dispatch client; and

registering the dispatch communication subscriber with the first dispatch client,

wherein the determination that the dispatch communication subscriber previously registered from the second dispatch client comprises the acts of;

sending, by the first dispatch communication gateway to a location server, a registration message;

sending, by the location server to a subscriber database, a query; and

receiving, by the location server from the subscriber database, a response indicating a new challenge from the dispatch communication subscriber is required for registration and an identification of a dispatch communication gateway which the subscriber is currently registered with.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first dispatch communication client is located in a first network and the first dispatch communication gateway communicates with a location server that is located in a second network.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first network is a wireless communication network operating using a different air-interface protocol than that used by the second network.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first dispatch communication client is a mobile station.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the first network is a wired data communication network.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first dispatch communication client is a computer coupled to the wired data communication network.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the wired data communication network is an internet protocol (IP) network.

10. A method for registering a dispatch communication subscriber with a dispatch communication network, the method comprising the acts of:

receiving, by a first dispatch communication gateway, a registration request from the dispatch communication subscriber;

determining that the dispatch communication subscriber is registering from a first dispatch client;

determining that the dispatch communication subscriber previously registered from a second dispatch client;

deregistering the dispatch communication subscriber from the second dispatch client; and

registering the dispatch communication subscriber with the first dispatch client,

wherein the act of deregistering the second dispatch client comprises the acts of;

sending, by a location server to a second dispatch communication gateway, a notification that the dispatch communication subscriber has registered from the first dispatch client; and

sending, by the second dispatch communication gateway to the second dispatch client, a deregistration message.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the notification identifies the first dispatch communication gateway.

12. A method for registering a dispatch communication client, the method comprising the acts of:

sending, to a server, a request for identification of a dispatch communication gateway;

receiving, from the server, a response identifying a first dispatch communication gateway;

sending, by a dispatch communication client, a registration request to the first dispatch communication gateway; and

receiving a response to the registration request identifying a second dispatch communication gateway for the dispatch communication client to register with

wherein the response identifying the second dispatch communication gateway also identifies a third dispatch communication gateway.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the acts of:

sending, from the location server to the subscriber database, a request for information on a subscriber associated with the dispatch communication client; and

receiving, by the location server from the subscriber database, a response including the information on the subscriber associated with the dispatch communication client.

14. A method for registering a dispatch communication client, the method comprising the acts of:

sending, to a server, a request for identification of a dispatch communication gateway;

receiving, from the server, a response identifying a first dispatch communication gateway;

sending, by a dispatch communication client, a registration request to the first dispatch communication gateway;

receiving a response to the registration request identifying a second dispatch communication gateway for the dispatch communication client to register with;

sending a registration request to the second dispatch communication gateway; and

receiving a registration acceptance from the second dispatch communication gateway.

15. A method for dispatch communications, the method comprising the acts of:

receiving a dispatch communication registration request by a proxy server on a first port from a dispatch communication client;

replacing a first address in the dispatch communication registration request with a second address in the dispatch communication registration request;

forwarding the dispatch communication registration request on a second port to a dispatch communication gateway;

storing a relationship between the first address and port and the second address and port;

receiving a dispatch communication message by a proxy server on the second port from the dispatch communication gateway; and

forwarding the dispatch communication message to the dispatch communication client based on the stored relationship.