Method and system for providing an indication of a communication

• US 8,570,909 B1
• Filed: 10/17/2006
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shaffer, Shmuel, Christenson, Steven L., Metzger, Larry R., Chatterton, Deon J., Vuong, Chanh N., Stevens, Byron G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOPKINS, MATTHEW A
• Application Number:
  US11/550,234
• Time in Patent Office: 2,569 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370/260, 455/154.1, 455/154.2, 455/158.2, 455/159.2
• US Class Current: 370/260
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/20 the monitoring system or the monitored elements being virtualised, abstracted or software-defined entities, e.g. SDN or NFV
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

A method for providing an indication of a communication includes facilitating communications between a plurality of endpoints within each of a plurality of virtual talk groups. The method also includes monitoring the communications between the plurality of endpoints within each of the plurality of virtual talk groups. The method further includes, upon detecting a first communication within a first virtual talk group of the plurality of virtual talk groups, activating a first indicator. The first indicator indicates the detection of the first communication. The method also includes, upon the occurrence of a first deactivating event, deactivating the first indicator.

Claims

1. A method for providing an indication of a communication, comprising:

facilitating communications between a plurality of endpoints within each of a plurality of virtual talk groups via an interoperability system separate from the plurality of endpoints and comprising a hardware interface configured to receive and transmit communications among the plurality of endpoints within each of the plurality of virtual talk groups, facilitating communications comprising;

receiving a first communication from a first endpoint of at least one virtual talk group; and

relaying the first communication to a second endpoint within the at least one virtual talk group, the second endpoint unable to receive the first communication directly from the first endpoint;

monitoring the communications between the plurality of endpoints within each of the plurality of virtual talk groups;

upon detecting the first communication within a first virtual talk group of the plurality of virtual talk groups, activating a first indicator, the first indicator indicating the detection of the first communication;

changing at least one feature of the first indicator after activating the first indicator and before deactivating the first indicator, the change to the first indicator indicative of a status of communications within the first virtual talk group; and

upon the occurrence of a first deactivating event, deactivating the first indicator.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first indicator is associated with the first virtual talk group and indicates the first virtual talk group as the source of the first communication.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising, upon detecting a second communication within a second virtual talk group of the plurality of virtual talk groups, activating a second indicator associated with the second virtual talk group, the second indicator indicating the second virtual talk group as the source of the second communication.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the occurrence of the first deactivating event comprises receiving an acknowledgement from a user indicating the user is aware of the detected first communication.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the occurrence of the first deactivating event comprises an expiration of a first amount of activation time.

6. The method of claim 1:

wherein the occurrence of the first deactivating event comprises detecting a second communication within a second virtual talk group of the plurality of virtual talk groups; and

further comprising, upon detecting the second communication within the second virtual talk group, activating a second indicator, the second indicator indicating the second communication detected was from the second virtual talk group.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, upon detecting the first communication within the first virtual talk group of the plurality of virtual talk groups, incrementing a counter to count the number of communications detected.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising starting a first timer at the end of the detected first communication to indicate elapsed time since the end of the detected first communication.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising starting a second timer at the beginning of the detected first communication to indicate elapsed time since the beginning of the detected first communication.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

starting a third timer at the beginning of the detected first communication; and

stopping the third timer at the end of the detected first communication to indicate elapsed time of the first communication.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first indicator associated with the first virtual talk group comprises an indicator selected from the group consisting of:

an audible indicator, an illuminated indicator, an icon, a flashing indicator, and a decaying indicator.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein deactivating the first indicator comprises an action selected from the group consisting of:

turning off the first indicator, changing the color of the first indicator, causing the first indicator to flash, causing the first indicator to remain solid, causing the first indicator to decay in brightness, and causing the first indicator to decay in size.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request to initiate the indication of the detection of communications within the plurality of virtual talk groups, the request indicating that the first indicator should be activated upon detecting a first communication within a first virtual talk group of the plurality of virtual talk groups.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to activate an away mode; and

upon detecting a second communication within the first virtual talk group of the plurality of virtual talk groups after receiving the request to activate the away mode, activating a second indicator indicating the detection of the second communication, the second indicator different than the first indicator.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the status of communications within the first virtual talk group is selected from the group consisting of currently transmitting, currently receiving and previously received.

16. The method of claim 1, the status of communications within the first virtual talk group is based on an elapsed amount of time since a communication was last detected within the first virtual talk group.

17. A system for providing an indication of a communication, comprising:

a processor operable to facilitate communications between a plurality of endpoints within each of a plurality of virtual talk groups; and

an interface coupled to the processor and operable to;

receive a first communication from a first endpoint of at least one virtual talk group;

relay the first communication to a second endpoint within the at least one virtual talk group, the second endpoint unable to receive the first communication directly from the first endpoint; and

monitor the communications between the plurality of endpoints within each of the plurality of virtual talk groups; and

the processor further operable to;

upon detection by the interface of the first communication within a first virtual talk group of the plurality of virtual talk groups, activate a first indicator, the first indicator indicating the detection of the first communication;

change at least one feature of the first indicator after activating the first indicator and before deactivating the first indicator, the change to the first indicator indicative of a status of communications within the first virtual talk group; and

upon the occurrence of a first deactivating event, deactivate the first indicator.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first indicator is associated with the first virtual talk group and indicates the first virtual talk group as the source of the first communication.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor is further operable to, upon detection by the interface of a second communication within a second virtual talk group of the plurality of virtual talk groups, activate a second indicator associated with the second virtual talk group, the second indicator indicating the second virtual talk group as the source of the second communication.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein:

the interface is further operable to receive an acknowledgement from a user indicating the user is aware of the detected first communication; and

the processor operable to deactivate the first indicator upon the occurrence of the first deactivating event comprises a processor operable to deactivate the first indicator upon receipt by the interface of the acknowledgement from the user indicating the user is aware of the detected first communication.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the occurrence of the first deactivating event comprises an expiration of a first amount of activation time.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein:

the interface is further operable to detect a second communication within a second virtual talk group of the plurality of virtual talk groups;

the processor operable to deactivate the first indicator upon the occurrence of the first deactivating event comprises a processor operable to deactivate the first indicator upon detection by the interface of the second communication within the second virtual talk group of the plurality of virtual talk groups; and

the processor is further operable to, upon detection by the interface of the second communication within the second virtual talk group, activate a second indicator, the second indicator indicating the second communication detected by the interface was from the second virtual talk group.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the processor is further operable to, upon detection by the interface of the first communication within the first virtual talk group of the plurality of virtual talk groups, increment a counter to count the number of communications detected.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the processor is further operable to start a first timer at the end of the detected first communication to indicate elapsed time since the end of the detected first communication.

25. The system of claim 17, wherein the processor is further operable to start a second timer at the beginning of the detected first communication to indicate elapsed time since the beginning of the detected first communication.

26. The system of claim 17, wherein the processor is further operable to:

start a third timer at the beginning of the detected first communication; and

stop the third timer at the end of the detected first communication to indicate elapsed time of the first communication.

27. The system of claim 17, wherein the first indicator associated with the first virtual talk group comprises an indicator selected from the group consisting of:

an audible indicator, an illuminated indicator, an icon, a flashing indicator, and a decaying indicator.

28. The system of claim 17, wherein the processor operable to deactivate the first indicator comprises a processor selected from the group consisting of:

a processor operable to turn off the first indicator, a processor operable to change the color of the first indicator, a processor operable to cause the first indicator to flash, a processor operable to cause the first indicator to remain solid, a processor operable to cause the first indicator to decay in brightness, and a processor operable to cause the first indicator to decay in size.

29. The system of claim 17, wherein the interface is further operable to receive a request to initiate the indication of the detection of communications within the plurality of virtual talk groups, the request indicating that the processor should activate the first indicator upon detection by the interface of the first communication within the first virtual talk group of the plurality of virtual talk groups.

30. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising code operable to:

facilitate communications between a plurality of endpoints within each of a plurality of virtual talk groups, the code operable to facilitate communications comprises code operable to;

receive a first communication from a first endpoint of at least one virtual talk group; and

relay the first communication to a second endpoint within the at least one virtual talk group, the second endpoint unable to receive the first communication directly from the first endpoint;

monitor the communications between the plurality of endpoints within each of the plurality of virtual talk groups;

upon detection of the first communication within a first virtual talk group of the plurality of virtual talk groups, activate a first indicator, the first indicator indicating the detection of the first communication;

change at least one feature of the first indicator after activating the first indicator and before deactivating the first indicator, the change to the first indicator indicative of a status of communications within the first virtual talk group; and

upon the occurrence of a first deactivating event, deactivate the first indicator.

31. The medium of claim 30, wherein the first indicator is associated with the first virtual talk group and indicates the first virtual talk group as the source of the first communication.

32. The medium of claim 31, wherein the code is further operable to, upon detection of a second communication within a second virtual talk group of the plurality of virtual talk groups, activate a second indicator associated with the second virtual talk group, the second indicator indicating the second virtual talk group as the source of the second communication.

33. The medium of claim 30, wherein:

the code is further operable to receive an acknowledgement from a user indicating the user is aware of the detected first communication; and

the code operable to deactivate the first indicator upon the occurrence of the first deactivating event comprises code operable to deactivate the first indicator upon receipt of the acknowledgement from the user indicating the user is aware of the detected first communication.

34. The medium of claim 30, wherein the occurrence of the first deactivating event comprises an expiration of a first amount of activation time.

35. The medium of claim 30, wherein:

the code is further operable to detect a second communication within a second virtual talk group of the plurality of virtual talk groups;

the code operable to deactivate the first indicator upon the occurrence of a first deactivating event comprise code operable to detect a second communication within a second virtual talk group of the plurality of virtual talk groups; and

the code is further operable to, upon detection of the second communication within the second virtual talk group, activate a second indicator, the second indicator indicating the second communication detected was from the second virtual talk group.

36. The medium of claim 30, wherein the code is further operable to, upon detection of the first communication within the first virtual talk group of the plurality of virtual talk groups, increment a counter to count the number of communications detected.

37. The medium of claim 30, wherein the code is further operable to start a first timer at the end of the detected first communication to indicate elapsed time since the end of the detected first communication.

38. The medium of claim 30, wherein the code is further operable to start a second timer at the beginning of the detected first communication to indicate elapsed time since the beginning of the detected first communication.

39. The medium of claim 30, wherein the code is further operable to:

start a third timer at the beginning of the detected first communication; and

stop the third timer at the end of the detected first communication to indicate elapsed time of the first communication.

40. The medium of claim 30, wherein the first indicator associated with the first virtual talk group comprises an indicator selected from the group consisting of:

an audible indicator, an illuminated indicator, an icon, a flashing indicator, and a decaying indicator.

41. The medium of claim 30, wherein the code operable to deactivate the first indicator comprises code operable to perform an action selected from the group consisting of:

turning off the first indicator, changing the color of the first indicator, causing the first indicator to flash, causing the first indicator to remain solid, causing the first indicator to decay in brightness, and causing the first indicator to decay in size.

42. The medium of claim 30, wherein the code is further operable to receive a request to initiate the indication of the detection of communications within the plurality of virtual talk groups, the request indicating that the first indicator should be activated upon detection of the first communication within the first virtual talk group of the plurality of virtual talk groups.