Systems and methods of call setup

• US 8,400,953 B1
• Filed: 05/21/2007
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nextel Communications (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Nextel Communications (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Gunasekara, Don, Langlois, Peter R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): KHIRODHAR, MAHARISHI V
• Application Number:
  US11/751,287
• Time in Patent Office: 2,129 Days
• Field of Search: 370/296, 370/236, 370/261, 370/260, 370/262, 370/263, 370/270, 370/913
• US Class Current: 370/296
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4061 Push-to services, e.g. push-to-talk or push-to-video
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services

Abstract

Systems and methods of call setup and information delivery are provided. Calls can be setup between communication units supported by a local area network and those supported by a wide area network using presence information of either or both of the wide area and local area networks.

Claims

1. A method of connecting a call between a local area network and a wide area network, the method comprising the acts of:

receiving a call request by a network element of the local area network from a communication unit in the local area network;

determining, by the network element of the local area network, that the call request includes an identification of a communication unit supported by the wide area network;

accessing in response to the received call request, by the network element of the local area network via a proxy server of the local area network and a gateway of the wide area network, presence information for the communication unit supported by the wide area network from a network element of the wide area network; and

establishing the call by the network element of the local area network between the communication unit supported by the local area network and the communication unit supported by the wide area network according to the presence information accessed in response to the received call request, wherein the proxy server of the local area network maps a first call control protocol of the local area network with a second call control protocol of the wide area network, and wherein the established call is a half-duplex push-to-talk call.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication unit supported by the wide area network communicates in the call using Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PoC) push-to-talk technology.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein when the call request includes an identification of another communication unit supported by the wide area network, and accessed presence information indicates that the another communication unit is unavailable, a call requester is notified of the unavailability.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein when the call request includes an identification of another communication unit supported by the wide area network, and accessed presence information indicates that the another communication unit is available, the another communication unit is included in the call.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the call request is digitized voice identifying a talk group.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the network element of the local area network, that the call request includes an identification of a communication unit supported by the wide area network, wherein the communication unit supported by the wide area network is registered with the network element of the local area network via the gateway of the wide area network and the proxy server of the local area network.

7. A communication server of a local area network, comprising:

a processor, coupled to the memory, wherein the processor includes;

logic for receiving a call request from a communication unit of the local area network;

logic for determining that the call request includes an identification of a communication unit supported by a wide area network;

logic for accessing in response to the received call request, via a proxy server of the local area network and a gateway of the wide area network, presence information for the communication unit supported by the wide area network from a network element of the wide area network; and

logic for establishing the call between the communication unit supported by the local area network and the communication unit supported by the wide area network according to the presence information accessed in response to the received call request, wherein the proxy server of the local area network maps a first call control protocol of the local area network with a second call control protocol of the wide area network; and

a coupling to the proxy server,

wherein the established call is a half-duplex push-to-talk call, and

wherein the processor is a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

8. The communication server of claim 7, wherein the communication unit supported by the wide area network communicates in the call using Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PoC) push-to-talk technology.

9. The communication server of claim 7, wherein when the call request includes an identification of another communication unit supported by the wide area network, and accessed presence information indicates that the another communication unit is unavailable, a call requester is notified of the unavailability.

10. The communication server of claim 7, wherein when the call request includes an identification of another communication unit supported by the wide area network, and accessed presence information indicates that the another communication unit is available, the another communication unit is included in the call.

11. The communication server of claim 7, wherein the call request is digitized voice identifying a talk group.

12. A communication server of a local area network, comprising:

a memory that stores processor-executable code, including;

logic for receiving a call request from a communication unit of the local area network;

logic for determining that the call request includes an identification of a communication unit supported by a wide area network;

logic for accessing in response to the received call request, via a proxy server of the local area network and a gateway of the wide area network, presence information for the communication unit supported by the wide area network from a network element of the wide area network; and

logic for establishing the call between the communication unit supported by the local area network and the communication unit supported by the wide area network according to the presence information accessed in response to the received call request, wherein the proxy server of the local area network maps a first call control protocol of the local area network with a second call control protocol of the wide area network; and

a microprocessor, coupled to the memory, that executes the code stored in the memory.

13. The communication server of claim 12, wherein the communication unit supported by the wide area network communicates in the call using Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PoC) push-to-talk technology.

14. The communication server of claim 12, wherein when the call request includes an identification of another communication unit supported by the wide area network, and accessed presence information indicates that the another communication unit is unavailable, a call requester is notified of the unavailability.

15. The communication server of claim 12, wherein when the call request includes an identification of another communication unit supported by the wide area network, and accessed presence information indicates that the another communication unit is available, the another communication unit is included in the call.

16. The communication server of claim 12, wherein the call request is digitized voice identifying a talk group.