Method and system for providing interoperable communications with dynamic event area allocation

• US 8,260,338 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2006
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STA Group, LLC
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shaffer, Shmuel, Talukder, Shah, Nagesh, Kittur V., Hall, Douglas J., Kalley, Yogesh, Metzger, Larry R.
• Primary Examiner(s): DEAN, RAYMOND S
• Application Number:
  US11/365,113
• Publication Number:
  US 20070202908A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,380 Days
• Field of Search: 455517-521
• US Class Current: 455/518
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/08 Trunked mobile radio systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A method for providing interoperable communications with dynamic event area allocation includes facilitating communications of a plurality of virtual talk groups, each virtual talk group including a plurality of endpoints of different communication networks communicating using a respective communication protocol. The method includes receiving notice of an event comprising an event location and creating an event area based on the event location. The method also includes associating an event virtual talk group with the event for communications regarding the event. The method also includes modifying the event area based on at least one location parameter associated with the event.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for interoperable communications with a dynamic event area executable on a processor, comprising:

facilitating communications of a plurality of virtual talk groups, each virtual talk group comprising a plurality of endpoints of different communication networks communicating using a respective communication protocol;

receiving notice of an event comprising an event location, the event associated with a subject at a first location;

creating an event area based on the event location;

associating an event virtual talk group with the event for communications regarding the event;

receiving updated location information associated with the subject;

associating a roadway with the event area based on the updated location information associated with the subject; and

automatically modifying the event area based at least on speed limit information of the roadway, wherein automatically modifying the event area based at least on speed limit information of the roadway comprises automatically modifying the event area based on speed limit information irrespective of a speed of the subject.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically modifying the event area based at least on speed information of the roadway comprises uniformly expanding the event area outward based at least on speed information of the roadway.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically modifying the event area based at least on speed information of the roadway comprises expanding the event area outward in a non-uniform manner based at least on speed information of the roadway.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating an update channel for providing endpoints within the event virtual talk group with information relating to the event and the subject of the event.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a notice updating a location of the subject of the event; and

modifying the event area based on the updated location of the subject of the event.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying endpoints within the event area that they are within the event area.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding endpoints within the modified event area to the event virtual talk group.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing endpoints from the event virtual talk group not within the modified event area.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding endpoints of a first virtual talk group, of the plurality of virtual talk groups, to the event virtual talk group.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding capacity to the event virtual talk group based on the modified event area.

11. A system for interoperable communications with a dynamic event area, comprising:

an interface operable to;

facilitate communications of a plurality of virtual talk groups, each virtual talk group comprising a plurality of endpoints of different communication networks communicating using a respective communication protocol; and

receive notice of an event comprising an event location, the event associated with a subject at a first location; and

a processor coupled to the interface and operable to;

create an event area based on the event location;

associate an event virtual talk group with the event for communications regarding the event;

receive updated location information associated with the subject

associate a roadway with the event area based on the updated location information associated with the subject; and

automatically modify the event area based at least on speed limit information of the roadway.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor operable to automatically modify the event area based at least on speed information of the roadway comprises a processor operable to uniformly expanding the event area outward based at least on speed information of the roadway, wherein automatically modifying the event area based at least on speed limit information of the roadway comprises automatically modifying the event area based on speed limit information irrespective of a speed of the subject.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor operable to automatically modify the event area based at least on speed information of the roadway comprises a processor operable to expand the event area outward in a non-uniform manner based at least on speed information of the roadway.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further operable to create an update channel for providing endpoints within the event virtual talk group with information relating to the event and the subject of the event.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the interface is further operable to receive a notice updating a location of the subject of the event; and

the processor is further operable to modify the event area based on the updated location of the subject of the event.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the interface is further operable to notify endpoints within the event area that they are within the event area.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further operable to add endpoints within the modified event area to the event virtual talk group.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further operable to remove endpoints from the event virtual talk group not within the modified event area.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further operable to add endpoints of a first virtual talk group, of the plurality of virtual talk groups, to the event virtual talk group.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further operable to add capacity to the event virtual talk group based on the modified event area.

21. Logic embodied in a computer readable medium, the computer readable medium comprising code operable to:

facilitate communications of a plurality of virtual talk groups, each virtual talk group comprising a plurality of endpoints of different communication networks communicating using a respective communication protocol;

receive notice of an event comprising an event location, the event associated with a subject at a first location;

create an event area based on the event location;

associate an event virtual talk group with the event for communications regarding the event;

receive updated location information associated with the subject

associate a roadway with the event area based on the updated location information associated with the subject; and

automatically modify the event area based at least on speed limit information of the roadway.

22. The medium of claim 21, wherein the code operable to automatically modify the event area based at least on speed information of the roadway comprises code operable to uniformly expand the event area outward based at least on speed information of the roadway.

23. The medium of claim 21, wherein the code operable to automatically modify the event area based at least on speed information of the roadway comprises code operable to expand the event area outward in a non-uniform manner based at least on speed information of the roadway, wherein automatically modifying the event area based at least on speed limit information of the roadway comprises automatically modifying the event area based on speed limit information irrespective of a speed of the subject.

24. The medium of claim 21, further comprising code operable to create an update channel for providing endpoints within the event virtual talk group with information relating to the event and the subject of the event.

25. The medium of claim 21, further comprising code operable to:

receive a notice updating a location of the subject of the event; and

modify the event area based on the updated location of the subject of the event.

26. The medium of claim 21, further comprising code operable to notify endpoints within the event area that they are within the event area.

27. The medium of claim 21, further comprising code operable to add endpoints within the modified event area to the event virtual talk group.

28. The medium of claim 21, further comprising code operable to remove endpoints from the event virtual talk group not within the modified event area.

29. The medium of claim 21, further comprising code operable to add endpoints of a first virtual talk group, of the plurality of virtual talk groups, to the event virtual talk group.

30. The medium of claim 21, further comprising code operable to add capacity to the event virtual talk group based on the modified event area.

31. A system for interoperable communications with a dynamic event area, comprising:

means for facilitating communications of a plurality of virtual talk groups, each virtual talk group comprising a plurality of endpoints of different communication networks communicating using a respective communication protocol;

means for receiving notice of an event comprising an event location, the event associated with a subject at a first location;

means for creating an event area based on the event location;

means for associating an event virtual talk group with the event for communications regarding the event;

means for receiving updated location information associated with the subject;

means for associating a roadway with the event area based on the updated location information associated with the subject; and

means for automatically modifying the event area based at least on speed limit information of the roadway, wherein automatically modifying the event area based at least on speed limit information of the roadway comprises automatically modifying the event area based on speed limit information irrespective of a speed of the subject.