Uninterruptable group communication sessions within a wireless communications system

• US 8,938,498 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2010
• Issued: 01/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Brewer, Beth A., Bhaskaran, Hamsini, Aggarwal, Ashutosh
• Primary Examiner(s): Fan, Hua
• Application Number:
  US12/751,565
• Publication Number:
  US 20100257461A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,756 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/566 relating to a participants right to speak arrangements for multi-party communication with floor control, e.g. for conferences, H04L65/4038, H04L65/4046, H04L65/4053
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

A call request message is sent from an access terminal to an application server in order to request initiation of a group communication session to a communication group and to request that an allocation of the floor to the given access terminal for the duration of the given group communication session remain uninterrupted by call targets of the session. The application server announces the session, and sends a floor-grant to the access terminal after the session is accepted by at least one target. The access terminal forwards media to the application server which is then forwarded to the at least one target. The floor is not transferred away from the access terminal during the session. For example, floor requests are suppressed at the at least one target, or floor requests are sent by the at least one target but are then ignored or denied by the application server.

Claims

1. A method of conducting a group communication session arbitrated by an application server within a wireless communications system, comprising:

configuring a preemption rank for each of a plurality of group members of a given communication group, wherein the preemption rank is at least used to determine whether a non-floor-holder group member among the plurality of group members can obtain a floor for an active group communication session from a current floor-holder group member;

determining whether to grant an uninterruptable group communication session privilege to at least one of the plurality of group members; and

setting an uninterruptable session privilege parameter for the at least one of the plurality of group members when it is determined to grant the uninterruptable group communication session privilege to the at least one of the plurality of group members,

wherein the uninterruptable group communication session privilege enables the at least one group member to originate a given group communication session that allocates the floor to the at least one group member for an entire duration of the given group communication session and for which the floor will not be transferred to another group member of the plurality of group members during the given group communication session irrespective of the preemption rank of the another group member of the plurality of group members or one or more rules defined by an operator.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a notification to the at least one group member indicating that the at least one group member may originate the uninterruptable group communication session privilege.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein setting an uninterruptable session privilege parameter for the at least one of the plurality of group members when it is determined to grant the uninterruptable group communication session privilege enables the at least one group member to initiate at least one of an interruptible group communication session and an uninterruptable group communication session.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising selecting the at least one group member to initiate the uninterruptable group communication session.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a call request message for an uninterruptable group communication session from the at least one group member, wherein the uninterruptable session privilege parameter is set for the at least one group member; and

setting up the uninterruptable group communication session in response to receiving the call request message from the at least one group member.

6. A method of obtaining information related to a group communication session arbitrated by an application server within a wireless communications system, comprising:

receiving, at a given access terminal from the application server, a notification that the given access terminal has been granted an uninterruptable group communication session privilege, wherein;

the given access terminal is associated with a first group member among a plurality of group members of a given communication group, each group member in the plurality of group members of the given communication group having a preemption rank configured by the application server, and

the uninterruptable group communication session privilege enables the given access terminal to originate a given group communication session that allocates a floor to the given access terminal for an entire duration of the given group communication session and for which the floor will not be transferred to another group member among the plurality of group members of the given communication group during the given group communication session irrespective of the preemption rank of the another group member among the plurality of group members of the given communication group or one or more rules defined by an operator,

wherein the preemption rank of each of the plurality of group members of the given communication group is at least used to determine whether a non-floor-holder group member among the plurality of group members of the given communication group can obtain the floor for an active group communication session from a current floor-holder group member among the plurality of group members of the given communication group; and

setting an uninterruptable session privilege parameter on the given access terminal in response to receiving the notification granting the uninterruptable group communication session privilege.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein setting the uninterruptable session privilege parameter enables the given access terminal to initiate an uninterruptable group communication session.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising selecting to initiate the uninterruptable group communication session.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining whether the uninterruptable session privilege parameter is set;

configuring a call request message to request initiation of an uninterruptable group communication session when it is determined that the uninterruptable session privilege parameter is set; and

transmitting the call request message to the application server.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by an application server cause a processor of the application server to perform operations for arbitrating a group communication session within a wireless communications system, the operations comprising:

configuring a preemption rank for each of a plurality of group members of a given communication group, wherein the preemption rank is at least used to determine whether a non-floor-holder group member among the plurality of group members can obtain a floor for an active group communication session from a current floor-holder;

determining whether to grant an uninterruptable group communication session privilege to at least one of the plurality of group members; and

setting an uninterruptable session privilege parameter for the at least one of the plurality of group members when it is determined to grant the uninterruptable group communication session privilege to the at least one of the plurality of group members,

wherein the uninterruptable group communication session privilege enables the at least one group member to originate a given group communication session that allocates the floor to the at least one group member for an entire duration of the given group communication session and for which the floor will not be transferred to another group member of the plurality of group members during the given group communication session irrespective of the preemption rank of the another group member of the plurality of group members or one or more rules defined by an operator.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the stored instructions are configured to cause the processor to perform operations further comprising sending a notification to the at least one group member indicating that the at least one group member may originate the uninterruptable group communication session privilege.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the stored instructions are configured to cause the processor to perform operations such that setting an uninterruptable session privilege parameter for the at least one of the plurality of group members when it is determined to grant the uninterruptable group communication session privilege enables the at least one group member to initiate at least one of an interruptible group communication session and an uninterruptable group communication session.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the stored instructions are configured to cause the processor to perform operations further comprising selecting the at least one group member to initiate the uninterruptable group communication session.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the stored instructions are configured to cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

receiving a call request message for an uninterruptable group communication session from the at least one group member, wherein the uninterruptable session privilege parameter is set for the at least one group member; and

setting up the uninterruptable group communication session in response to receiving the call request message from the at least one group member.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by an access terminal cause a processor of the access terminal to perform operations for obtaining information related to a group communication session arbitrated by an application server within a wireless communications system, the operations comprising:

receiving, from the application server, a notification that the access terminal has been granted an uninterruptable group communication session privilege, wherein;

the access terminal is associated with a first group member among a plurality of group members of a given communication group, each group member in the plurality of group members of the given communication group having a preemption rank configured by the application server, and

the uninterruptable group communication session privilege enables the access terminal to originate a given group communication session that allocates a floor to the access terminal for an entire duration of the given group communication session and for which the floor will not be transferred to another group member among the plurality of group members of the given communication group during the given group communication session irrespective of the preemption rank of the another group member among the plurality of group members of the given communication group or one or more rules defined by an operator,

wherein the preemption rank of each of the plurality of group members of the given communication group is at least used to determine whether a non-floor-holder group member among the plurality of group members of the given communication group can obtain the floor for an active group communication session from a current floor-holder group member among the plurality of group members of the given communication group; and

setting an uninterruptable session privilege parameter on the access terminal in response to receiving the notification granting the uninterruptable group communication session privilege.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the stored instructions are configured to cause the processor to perform operations such that setting the uninterruptable session privilege parameter enables the access terminal to initiate an uninterruptable group communication session.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the stored instructions are configured to cause the processor to perform operations further comprising selecting to initiate the uninterruptable group communication session.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the stored instructions are configured to cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

determining whether the uninterruptable session privilege parameter is set;

configuring a call request message to request initiation of an uninterruptable group communication session when it is determined that the uninterruptable session privilege parameter is set; and

transmitting the call request message to the application server.

19. An application server configured to arbitrate a group communication session within a wireless communications system, comprising:

a processor configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising;

configuring a preemption rank for each of a plurality of group members of a given communication group, wherein the preemption rank is at least used to determine whether a non-floor-holder group member among the plurality of group members can obtain a floor for an active group communication session from a current floor-holder group member;

determining whether to grant an uninterruptable group communication session privilege to at least one of the plurality of group members; and

setting an uninterruptable session privilege parameter for the at least one of the plurality of group members when it is determined to grant the uninterruptable group communication session privilege to the at least one of the plurality of group members,

wherein the uninterruptable group communication session privilege enables the at least one group member to originate a given group communication session that allocates the floor to the at least one group member for an entire duration of the given group communication session and for which the floor will not be transferred to another group member of the plurality of group members during the given group communication session irrespective of the preemption rank of the another group member of the plurality of group members or one or more rules defined by an operator.

20. The application server of claim 19, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising sending a notification to the at least one group member indicating that the at least one group member may originate the uninterruptable group communication session privilege.

21. The application server of claim 19, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that setting an uninterruptable session privilege parameter for the at least one of the plurality of group members when it is determined to grant the uninterruptable group communication session privilege enables the at least one group member to initiate at least one of an interruptible group communication session and an uninterruptable group communication session.

22. The application server of claim 21, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising selecting the at least one group member to initiate the uninterruptable group communication session.

23. The application server of claim 19, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising:

receiving a call request message for an uninterruptable group communication session from the at least one group member, wherein the uninterruptable session privilege parameter is set for the at least one group member; and

setting up the uninterruptable group communication session in response to receiving the call request message from the at least one group member.

24. An access terminal configured to obtain information related to a group communication session arbitrated by an application server within a wireless communications system, comprising:

a processor configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising;

receiving, at the access terminal from the application server, a notification that the access terminal has been granted an uninterruptable group communication session privilege, wherein;

the access terminal is associated with a first group member among a plurality of group members of a given communication group, each group member in the plurality of group members of the given communication group having a preemption rank configured by the application server, and

the uninterruptable group communication session privilege enables the access terminal to originate a given group communication session that allocates a floor to the access terminal for an entire duration of the given group communication session and for which the floor will not be transferred to another group member among the plurality of group members of the given communication group during the given group communication session irrespective of a the preemption rank of the another group member among the plurality of group members of the given communication group or one or more rules defined by an operator,

wherein the preemption rank of each of the plurality of group members of the given communication group is at least used to determine whether a non-floor-holder group member among a the plurality of group members of the given communication group can obtain the floor for an active group communication session from a current floor-holder group member among the plurality of group members of the given communication group; and

setting an uninterruptable session privilege parameter on the access terminal in response to receiving the notification granting the uninterruptable group communication session privilege.

25. The access terminal of claim 24, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that setting the uninterruptable session privilege parameter enables the access terminal to initiate an uninterruptable group communication session.

26. The access terminal of claim 25, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising selecting to initiate the uninterruptable group communication session.

27. The access terminal of claim 24, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising:

determining whether the uninterruptable session privilege parameter is set;

configuring a call request message to request initiation of an uninterruptable group communication session when it is determined that the uninterruptable session privilege parameter is set; and

transmitting the call request message to the application server.