Method and apparatus for dual/multi-watch for group PTT services

• US 8,676,243 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2008
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Blanco, Alejandro G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Safaipour, Bobbak
• Application Number:
  US12/327,584
• Publication Number:
  US 20100137015A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,931 Days
• Field of Search: 455/517, 455/518, 455/519
• US Class Current: 455/518
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/08 Trunked mobile radio systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A communication system (100) provides dual-watch and multi-watch capability for group PTT services. Incoming PTT calls are prioritized and played out in accordance with prioritized devices (130). A user of multiple communication devices can hear received audio traffic being played out in accordance with the priority assigned to the group call and the priority assigned to the communication device. Numerous calls can be simultaneously received and managed.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising;

first and second communication devices that have speakers, one of the two devices being a push-to-talk (PTT) device, the first and second communication devices under the control of a single user and being operatively coupled over a personal area network (PAN);

the first and second communication devices utilizing the PAN to provide a dual/multi-watch of incoming calls; and

wherein one or more of the first and second communication devices implements a call management function that coordinates a simultaneous playing out, at different communication devices of the first and second communication devices, of audio traffic associated with different group calls based on a predetermined assigned priority between the first and second communication devices as well as a predetermined call priority.

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the call management function comprises a PTT voice over internet protocol (VoIP) client, wherein the first communication device is a radio and the second communication device is a phone, the radio having the PTT VoIP client running therein, the radio using the phone as a data modem and call processing being handled in the radio.

3. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the call management function comprises a PTT voice over internet protocol (VoIP) client, wherein one of the first communication device is a radio and the second communication device is a phone, the phone having the PTT VoIP client therein such that the phone forwards audio over a PAN link to the radio and call processing is handled in the phone.

4. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the call management function comprises a PTT voice over internet protocol (VoIP) client, wherein the first communication device is a radio and the second communication device is a phone, both the radio and the phone having the PTT VoIP client.

5. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the first device is designated as a priority device for playing out calls, wherein audio traffic playing on the first device is moved to the second device when a higher priority group call is determined to have activity, and wherein the first device then plays out audio traffic associated with the higher priority group call.

6. The communication system of claim 5, wherein the audio traffic starts and stops and the audio traffic is allowed to play through until it stops and is then moved to the second device.

7. The communication system of claim 1, wherein as audio traffic changes, a current transmission plays out on the first communication device before moving subsequent transmissions to the second communication device in response to a higher priority incoming call.

8. The communication system of claim 1, further comprising additional communication devices under the control of the single user, the additional communication devices providing audio sinks through which a plurality of audio streams are played out in accordance with the predetermined assigned priority and predetermined call priority.

9. The communication system of claim 1, wherein two or more call audio streams are summed to an audio sink.

10. The communication system of claim 1, further comprising additional communication devices used by the single user within a vehicle, the additional communication devices being prioritized for multi-watch over incoming calls, wherein a plurality of incoming calls are prioritized and played out over at least three of car speakers, land mobile radio speakers, portable radio speaker, phone speaker, and an audio earpiece.

11. A communication system comprising:

a plurality of audio communication devices under the control of a single user the plurality of communication devices utilizing a personal area network (PAN) for providing multi-watch for a plurality of incoming calls originating from a plurality of push-to-talk (PTT) sources, one of the plurality of communication devices coordinating play-out of the plurality of incoming calls on the plurality of audio communication devices based on a predetermined speaker priority assignment of the plurality of communication devices and a predetermined call priority.

12. The communication system of claim 11, wherein the communication device that determines the play-out of the plurality of incoming calls comprises a two-way radio.

13. The communication system of claim 12, wherein the two-way radio plays out the incoming calls on at least three of:

the two-way radio itself, a cell phone, a mobile radio, an earpiece, and a remote speaker microphone.

14. The communication system of claim 12, wherein the two-way radio uses a stored scan list which contains priority assignments for the plurality of audio communication devices and the predetermined call priority.

15. The communication system of claim 11, wherein the predetermined call priority is based on channel origination of the plurality of incoming calls.

16. The communication system of claim 11, wherein the predetermined call priority is based on type of incoming call.

17. The communication system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of communication devices communicate with each other over a PAN network and at least one of the plurality of communication devices has a VoIP client.

18. The communication system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of audio communication devices are being operated within a vehicle.

19. The communication system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of audio communication devices include radio and non-radio devices.

20. The communication system of claim 11, wherein a first device of the plurality of communication devices is designated as a priority device for playing out calls, wherein audio traffic playing on the first device is moved to a second device of the plurality of communication devices when a higher priority group call is determined to have activity, and wherein the first device then plays out audio traffic associated with the higher priority group call.