Reserved virtual radio conference calling
First Claim
1. In a two-way radio frequency (RF) communications system having a plurality of base stations (BSs), one or more RF channels, and a plurality of subscriber units, a method comprising, at a first device:
- receiving, from a first subscriber unit out of the plurality of the subscriber units, a virtual radio conferencing call request identifying (i) a plurality of other subscriber units out of the plurality of the subscriber units requested to be a party to the virtual radio conference call and (ii) a conference time period including a start time and one of an end time and a duration of the virtual radio conference call;
identifying the plurality of the BSs in the RF communications system, each BS associated with at least one of the first subscriber unit and the subscriber units requested to be a party to the virtual radio conference call;
prior to the start time, reserving an RF channel at each of the plurality of identified BSs for the conference time period by storing an indication of each reserved RF channel and associated BS so as to refrain from indicating availability of the each reserved RF channel for the conference time period to future virtual radio conference call requestors; and
subsequently and substantially at a beginning of the conference time period, causing a virtual radio conference call start message to be transmitted, via corresponding the each of the plurality of the identified BSs, to the first subscriber unit and each of the plurality of the other subscriber units instructing the subscriber units to join the virtual radio conference call via the reserved RF channels at their respective BSs.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is a two-way radio frequency (RF) communications system including a first device that receives, from a first subscriber unit, a virtual radio conferencing call (VRC) request identifying a plurality of other subscriber units to be partied to the VRC call and a conference time period during which to conduct the VRC call. The device reserves RF resources at one or more corresponding radio sites associated with the subscriber units partied to the VRC call for the conference time period. At a beginning of the conference time period, the device causes a virtual radio conference call start message to be transmitted to the subscriber units partied to the call instructing the subscriber units to join the VRC call via the reserved RF resources at their respective radio sites.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. In a two-way radio frequency (RF) communications system having a plurality of base stations (BSs), one or more RF channels, and a plurality of subscriber units, a method comprising, at a first device:
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receiving, from a first subscriber unit out of the plurality of the subscriber units, a virtual radio conferencing call request identifying (i) a plurality of other subscriber units out of the plurality of the subscriber units requested to be a party to the virtual radio conference call and (ii) a conference time period including a start time and one of an end time and a duration of the virtual radio conference call; identifying the plurality of the BSs in the RF communications system, each BS associated with at least one of the first subscriber unit and the subscriber units requested to be a party to the virtual radio conference call; prior to the start time, reserving an RF channel at each of the plurality of identified BSs for the conference time period by storing an indication of each reserved RF channel and associated BS so as to refrain from indicating availability of the each reserved RF channel for the conference time period to future virtual radio conference call requestors; and subsequently and substantially at a beginning of the conference time period, causing a virtual radio conference call start message to be transmitted, via corresponding the each of the plurality of the identified BSs, to the first subscriber unit and each of the plurality of the other subscriber units instructing the subscriber units to join the virtual radio conference call via the reserved RF channels at their respective BSs. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. In a two-way radio frequency (RF) communications system having a plurality of base stations (BSs), one or more RF channels, and a plurality of subscriber units, a schedule controller device configured to:
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receive, from a first subscriber unit out of the plurality of the subscriber units, a virtual radio conferencing call request identifying (i) plurality of other subscriber units out of the plurality of the subscriber units requested to be a party to the virtual radio conference call and (ii) a conference time period including a start time and one of an end time and a duration of the virtual radio conference call; identify the plurality of the BSs in the RF communications system, each BS associated with at least one of the first subscriber unit and subscriber units requested to be a party to the virtual radio conference call; prior to the start time, reserve an RF channel at each of the plurality of identified BSs for the conference time period by storing an indication of each reserved RF channel and associated BS so as to refrain from indicating availability of each reserved RF channel for the conference time period to future virtual radio conference call requestors; and subsequently and substantially at a beginning of the conference time period, cause a virtual radio conference call start message to be transmitted, via a transmitter and corresponding the each of the plurality of the identified BSs, to the first subscriber unit and each of the plurality of the other subscriber units instructing the subscriber units to join the virtual radio conference call via the reserved RF channels at their respective BSs. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. In a two-way radio frequency (RF) communications system having a plurality of base stations (BSs), one or more RF channels, and a plurality of subscriber units, a first subscriber unit configured to:
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transmit a new virtual radio conference call request message identifying a plurality of participating subscriber units and a conference time period; at substantially a beginning of the conference time period, receive a virtual radio conference call start message and responsively join the conference on a reserved RF channel of an associated BS indicated in the virtual radio conference call start message; during the virtual radio conference call, ignore an uplink busy indication received on a downlink channel of the reserved RF channel to keep other subscriber units not participating in the conference from keying up, and responsive to detecting a user actuation of a push to talk (PTT) button, request transmit authorization and subsequently transmit traffic on the uplink to the other subscriber units participating in the virtual radio conference call; and responsive to detecting an end call trigger, ends participation in the virtual radio conference call. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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Specification