Method of buffering to reduce media latency in group communications on a wireless communication network

• US 8,284,737 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2009
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Rosen, Eric C., Maggenti, Mark A., Crockett, Douglas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hsiung, Hai-Chang
• Application Number:
  US12/552,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20100011122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,133 Days
• Field of Search: 370/335
• US Class Current: 370/335
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

A system and method for minimizing latency for direct group communications, such as push-to-talk (PTT) calls, among a group of wireless telecommunication devices on a wireless telecommunication network. The wireless telecommunication device has a dormant state without an open dedicated traffic channel for communications therefrom and an active state in which the wireless devices opens a dedicated traffic channel for an outgoing communication from the wireless telecommunication device, to include a direct communication stream. Either the wireless telecommunication device or an intermittent communication server for group communication streams can buffer the initial communication data of a group communication stream while the sending and/or receiving wireless telecommunication device changes from a dormant state to an active state with an open dedicated traffic channel.

Claims

1. A method for buffering at a group communication server, the method comprising:

receiving communication data from a first device, wherein the first device is a wireless device in communication with the group communication server;

buffering the communication data in a buffer before a determination that a communication path is available to a second device; and

streaming the communication data from the buffer upon determining that the second device has switched from a dormant state to an active state and the communication path is available to the second device, wherein the second device is a wireless device in communication with the group communication server.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request for a group communication from the first device; and

granting permission for the first device to send the communication data.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

detecting the group communication from the first device is completed;

streaming the communication data remaining in the buffer to the second device responsive to the detection; and

ending the group communication.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device initiates a group communication.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein buffering comprises:

storing the communication data at a data store.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the active state includes the second device having an active traffic channel.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second device is a member of a group of target wireless devices, and wherein the communication data is streamed from the buffer to the target wireless devices.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein streaming the communication data from the buffer ceases upon interruption of the group communication.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the group communication server is responsible for arbitrating a group communication session at least between the first and second devices.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the communication data corresponds to media to be exchanged between the first and second devices in association with the group communication session.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving step receives the communication data from the first device at the group communication server via a serving base station of the first device that is separate from the group communication server.

12. A group communication server comprising:

a buffer configured to receive and buffer communication data from a first device, before a determination that a communication path is available to a second device wherein the first device is a wireless device in communication with the group communication server; and

a communication portal to stream the communication data from the buffer upon determining that the second device has switched from a dormant state to an active state and the communication path is available to the second device, wherein the second device is a wireless device in communication with the group communication server.

13. The group communication server of claim 12, wherein the group communication server is configured to:

receive a request for a group communication from the first device; and

grant permission for the first device to send the communication data.

14. The group communication server of claim 13, wherein the group communication server is configured to:

detect the group communication from the first device is completed;

stream the communication data remaining in the buffer to the second device responsive to the detection; and

end the group communication.

15. The group communication server of claim 12, wherein the first device initiates a group communication.

16. The group communication server of claim 12, wherein the buffer comprises a data store.

17. The group communication server of claim 12, wherein the active state includes the second device having an active traffic channel.

18. The group communication server of claim 12, wherein the second device is a member of a group of target wireless devices, and wherein the communication data is streamed to the target wireless devices.

19. The group communication server of claim 12, wherein the communication portal is a network connection to a wireless communication network.

20. A group communication server comprising:

means for receiving communication data from a first device, wherein the first device is a wireless device in communication with the group communication server;

means for buffering the communication data before a determination that a communication path is available to a second device; and

means for streaming the communication data from the means for buffering upon determining that the second device has switched from a dormant state to an active state and the communication path is available to the second device, wherein the second device is a wireless device in communication with the group communication server.

21. The group communication server of claim 20, further comprising:

means for receiving a request for a group communication from the first device; and

means for granting permission for the first device to send the communication data.

22. The group communication server of claim 20, wherein the first device initiates a group communication.

23. The group communication server of claim 20, wherein the means for buffering comprises a data store.

24. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by a group communication server causes the server to perform the steps of:

receiving communication data from a first device, wherein the first device is a wireless device in communication with the group communication server;

buffering the communication data in a buffer before a determination that a communication path is available to a second device; and

streaming the communication data from the buffer upon determining that the second device has switched from a dormant state to an active state and the communication path is available to the second device, wherein the second device is a wireless device in communication with the group communication server.