Continuous interface maintenance for group communications to a wireless communications device group

• US 8,761,822 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2008
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Song, Bongyong, Gill, Harleen
• Primary Examiner(s): DEAN, RAYMOND S
• Application Number:
  US12/212,532
• Publication Number:
  US 20090082048A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,106 Days
• Field of Search: 455518-521, 370/329
• US Class Current: 455/518
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

A system, method, and computer device that selectively maintain an open interface to a communication control device that is controlling wireless communication to at least one of a plurality of wireless communication devices that are in a communication group, such as a push-to-talk (PTT) group. In one embodiment, the wireless communication device registers at the communication control device, such as a base station controller, and at least one interface is established between the communication control device and another computer device on the wireless communication network, such as a broadcast A10 interface with a broadcast serving node (BSN). The communication control device will then maintain the interface while the at least one wireless communication device, or at least one member device of the communication group, is registered such that group communications can more rapidly be delivered to the wireless communication device.

Claims

1. A method for selectively maintaining an open multicast interface to a communication computer device that is controlling wireless communication to at least one of a plurality of wireless communication devices that are in a communication group, the method comprising:

registering at least one wireless communication device that is a member of the communication group at the communication computer device, the at least one wireless communication device configured to receive group-directed communications for the communication group, wherein the at least one wireless communication device is configured to selectively unregister itself from the communication computer device;

maintaining with the communication computer device a list of currently registered wireless communication devices that are members of the communication group, wherein maintaining the list comprises removing any wireless communication device that selectively unregisters itself;

establishing at least one multicast interface, wherein said at least one multicast interface comprises a broadcast A10 interface, between the communication computer device and another computer device on a wireless communication network, the at least one multicast interface permitting delivery of the group-directed communications to the at least one wireless communication device;

determining, via the maintained list, whether any wireless communication devices remain registered as members of the communication group; and

in response to the determining, maintaining the at least one multicast interface so long as any wireless communication device remains registered with the communication computer device as a member of the communication group after the group-directed communications have ended,

wherein the communication group comprises a group of wireless communication devices registered to conduct group communications among each other.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising releasing the at least one multicast interface upon all wireless communication devices that were previously registered as members of the communication group becoming unregistered.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the list of registered wireless communication devices is updated upon a registration from at least one other wireless communication device being received at the communication computer device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the establishing at least one multicast interface comprises establishing at least one multicast interface for the communication group.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the establishing at least one multicast interface comprises establishing at least one multicast interface for each registered wireless communication device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the communication group for a registered wireless communication device is on the list of registered wireless communication devices.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the group-directed communications to the at least one wireless communication device comprise a PTT group call announcement to at least one PTT group member.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one multicast interface comprises a Broadcast-Multicast Service (BCMCS) interface.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one multicast interface comprises a delay-sensitive, low-bandwidth call setup interface.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein the multicast interface comprises an A10 interface.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein the registering comprises receiving a BCMCS registration request from the at least one wireless communication device.

33. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

releasing the at least one multicast interface in response to determining, based on the list of currently registered wireless communication devices that are members of the communication group, that no wireless communication device remains registered with the communication computer device as a member of the communication group.

8. A system for selectively maintaining an open multicast interface to at least one of a plurality of wireless communication devices that are in a communication group, the at least one wireless communication device configured to receive group-directed communications for the communication group, the system comprising:

a memory storing instructions; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions, the instructions causing the processor to perform operations comprising;

registering the at least one wireless communication device;

establishing at least one multicast interface wherein said at least one multicast interface comprises a broadcast A10 interface, between a communication computer device and another computer device on a wireless communication network to permit delivery of the group-directed communications to registered wireless communication devices; and

maintaining a list of currently registered wireless communication devices that are members of the communication group, wherein maintaining the list comprises removing any wireless communication device that selectively unregisters itself, wherein the communication group comprises a group of wireless communication devices registered to conduct group communications among each other;

determining, using the list, whether any wireless communication devices remain registered as members of the communication group; and

maintaining, in response to the determining, the at least one multicast interface while any wireless communication device remains registered with the communication computer device as a member of the communication group after the group-directed communications have ended.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise releasing the at least one multicast interface upon all wireless communication devices that were previously registered members of the communication group becoming unregistered.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise updating the list upon a registration from at least one other wireless communication device being received at the communication computer device.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations establish the at least one multicast interface for the communication group.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations establish the at least one multicast interface for each registered wireless communication device.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further determining whether the communication group for a registered wireless communication device is on the list of registered wireless communication devices.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the group-directed communications to the at least one wireless communication device comprise a PTT group call announcement to at least one PTT group member.

15. A communication computer device resident on a wireless communication network and configured to selectively control wireless communications for wireless communication devices that are registered therewith, with at least one wireless communication device being a member of a communication group of wireless communication devices and configured to receive a group-directed communication for the communication group, the communication computer device comprising:

means for registering the at least one wireless communication device that is a member of the communication group of wireless communication devices;

means for maintaining a list of registered wireless communication devices;

means for removing from the list any wireless communication device that selectively unregisters itself;

means for establishing one or more multicast interfaces wherein said one or more multicast interfaces comprise a broadcast A10 interface, between the communication computer device and another computer device on the wireless communication network for group communications directed to the registered wireless communication devices;

means for determining, using the list, whether there is any remaining registered member of the communication group; and

means for maintaining, in response to the determining, at least one multicast interface while any wireless communication device remains registered with the communication computer device as a member of the communication group after the group-directed communication has ended,

wherein the communication group comprises a group of wireless communication devices registered to conduct group communications among each other.

16. The communication computer device of claim 15, further comprising:

means for updating the list upon a registration from at least one other wireless communication device being received at the communication computer device.

17. The communication computer device of claim 15, further comprising:

means for releasing the at least one multicast interface upon all wireless communication devices that were previously registered as members of the communcation group becoming unregistered.

18. The communication computer device of claim 15, further comprising:

means for establishing at least one multicast interface for the communication group.

19. The communication computer device of claim 15, further comprising:

means for establishing at least one multicast interface for each registered wireless communication device.

20. The communication computer device of claim 15, wherein the group-directed communication to the at least one wireless communication device comprises a PTT group call announcement to at least one PTT group member.

22. The communication computer device of claim 15, further comprising:

means for determining whether the communication group for a registered wireless communication device is on the list of registered wireless communication devices.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon processor-executable instructions configured to cause a processor to perform operations for selectively maintaining an open multicast interface to a communication computer device, the operations comprising:

selectively registering at least one wireless communication device that is a member of a communication group of wireless communication devices at the communication computer device, the at least one wireless communication device configured to receive a group-directed communication for the communication group, and to selectively unregister itself from the communication computer device;

maintaining with the communication computer device a list of currently registered wireless communication devices that are members of the communication group, wherein maintaining the list comprises removing any wireless communication device that selectively unregisters itself;

establishing at least one multicast interface wherein said at least one multicast interface comprises a broadcast A10 interface, between the communication computer device and another computer device on a wireless communication network, the communication computer device controlling wireless communications for wireless communication devices registered therewith, and the at least one multicast interface permitting delivery of the group-directed communication to the at least one wireless communication device;

determining, via the maintained list, whether any wireless communication devices remain registered as members of the communication group; and

maintaining, in response to the determining, the at least one multicast interface so long as any wireless communication device remains registered with the communication computer device as a member of the communication group after the group-directed communication has ended,

wherein the communication group comprises a group of wireless communication devices registered to conduct group communications among each other.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause the processor to perform operations further comprising releasing the at least one multicast interface upon all wireless communication devices that were previously registered as members of the communication group becoming unregistered.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause the processor to perform operations such that the list of registered wireless communication devices is updated when a registration is received at the communication computer device from at least one other wireless communication device.

25. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause the processor to perform operations such that the establishing at least one multicast interface comprises establishing at least one multicast interface for the communication group.

26. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause the processor to perform operations such that the establishing at least one multicast interface comprises establishing at least one multicast interface for each registered wireless communication device.

27. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

determining whether communication group for a registered wireless communication device is on the list of registered wireless communication devices.

28. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the group-directed communication to the at least one wireless communication device comprises a PTT group call announcement to at least one PTT group member.