Method and apparatus for updating and using updated group aliases and incident IDs

• US 8,996,053 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2014
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Wiatrowski, David G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Safaipour, Bobbak
• Application Number:
  US14/229,928
• Publication Number:
  US 20140213225A1
• Time in Patent Office: 366 Days
• Field of Search: 455/500, 455/3.01, 455517-521, 455/556.1, 709/203
• US Class Current: 455/517
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5069 for group communication, multicast communication or broadcast communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2044 Group features, e.g. closed user group
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/00 Automatic or semi-automatic exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data

Abstract

An updated group alias, based on one or more of a location, function, and purpose of a group, is transmitted to a subscriber unit (SU) and displayed at the SU, in place of a previously provisioned group ID or group alias associated with the group, during communications with, or when the SU is tuned to, the group. An incident ID, associated with one or more groups and identifying an incident, is received and stored at a SU. The SU embeds the stored incident ID in all future communications with the one or more groups and, upon request, scans a set of groups and/or channels for communications having the incident ID embedded therein. An incident ID alias described one or more of a name, location, function, or purpose of the incident, may also be received and associated with the incident ID.

Claims

1. In a two-way radio frequency (RF) communications system having at least one fixed terminal, one or more channels, and a plurality of subscriber units, the method comprising, at a first subscriber unit:

monitoring, on a first channel, for communications of a first group associated with a first group ID stored at the first subscriber unit to which the first subscriber unit is subscribed;

receiving an updated group alias assign message, addressed to the first group and including the first group ID, that maps the first group ID to an updated text-based group alias included in the updated group alias assign message, wherein the updated text-based group alias describes one or more of a location, purpose, and function of the first group and associated first group ID for a temporary period of time; and

displaying, on a display of the first subscriber unit, the updated text-based group alias, instead of the first group ID or a first group alias associated with the first group ID and stored at the first subscriber unit, during subsequent communications with the first group, the subsequent communications including the first group ID.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising responsive to one of a detected user input, received group alias un-assign message, and a first subscriber unit detected trigger, reverting to the stored first group ID and during further subsequent communications, at the first subscriber unit, with the first group, refraining from displaying the updated text-based group alias.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the reverting to the stored first group ID is responsive to the first subscriber unit detecting a trigger, the trigger comprising a lapse of a predetermined period of time since receiving the updated group alias assign message without receiving another subsequent updated group alias assign or renewal message.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the predetermined period of time is between 1 and 30 minutes.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the reverting to the stored first group ID is responsive to receiving an updated group alias un-assign message addressed to the first group and including the first group ID.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the two-way RF communications system is a conventional radio system and the first channel is a conventional channel.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the two-way RF communications system is a trunked radio system, and the first channel a control channel on which subscriber units idle and monitor for new call notifications.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first subscriber unit is subscribed to a plurality of groups, the method further comprising, at the first subscriber unit:

receiving the updated group alias assign message, addressed to the first group and including a plurality of group IDs including the first group ID, that maps each of the plurality of group IDs to a plurality of corresponding updated group aliases included in the updated group alias assign message that describe one or more of a location, purpose, and function of a respective one of the plurality of groups and associated group IDs; and

displaying, on a display of the first subscriber unit, a corresponding one of the plurality of updated text-based group aliases, instead of a corresponding locally stored one of the plurality of group IDs, during a subsequent receiving or transmitting of communications with the corresponding one of the plurality of groups.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

responsive to one of a detected user input, received updated group alias un-assign message, and a first subscriber unit detected trigger, reverting to the locally stored plurality of group IDs and refraining from displaying the corresponding one of the plurality of updated text-based group aliases for further subsequent communications with the plurality of groups.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising retaining, and not overwriting or deleting, the stored first group ID or the stored first group alias associated with the first group ID during a period of time between receiving the updated group alias assign message and reverting to the stored first group ID.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting one of a voice and data communication to the fixed terminal and embedding the updated text-based group alias in the communication.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the updated group alias assign message comprises at least one of (i) a header having a PDU type field set to a value reserved to indicate an updated group alias assign instruction and (ii) a data burst having an information element (IE) field set to a value reserved to indicate an updated group alias assign instruction.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising continuing to communicate with the first group using the first group ID while displaying the updated text-based group alias.

14. In a two-way radio frequency (RF) communications system having at least one fixed terminal, one or more channels, and a plurality of subscriber units, the method comprising, a first subscriber unit configured to:

monitor, on a first channel, for communications of a first group associated with a first group ID stored at the first subscriber unit to which the first subscriber unit is subscribed;

receive an updated group alias assign message, addressed to the first group and including the first group ID, that maps the first group ID to an updated text-based group alias included in the updated group alias assign message, wherein the updated text-based group alias describes one or more of a location, purpose, and function of the first group and associated first group ID for a temporary period of time; and

display, on a display of the first subscriber unit, the updated text-based group alias, instead of the first group ID or a first group alias associated with the first group ID and stored at the first subscriber unit, during subsequent communications with the first group, the subsequent communications including the first group ID.

15. The first subscriber unit of claim 14, further configured to:

responsive to one of a detected user input, received updated group alias un-assign message, and a first subscriber unit detected trigger, revert to the stored first group ID and during further subsequent communications, at the first subscriber unit, with the first group, refrain from displaying the updated text-based group alias.

16. The first subscriber unit of claim 14, further configured to:

continue to communicate with the first group using the first group ID while displaying the updated text-based group alias.

17. In a two-way radio frequency (RF) communications system having at least one fixed terminal, a plurality of channels, an infrastructure device, and a plurality of subscriber units, the method comprising the steps of, at the infrastructure device:

receiving an association that maps a first group ID, associated with a first group, to a corresponding updated text-based group alias that describes one of a purpose and function of the first group and associated first group ID for a temporary period of time; and

responsive to receiving the association, transmitting an instruction addressed to the first group and including the first group ID that all subscriber units that are currently subscribed to the first group are to temporarily associate the specified updated text-based group alias with the first group ID and to display the specified updated text-based group alias during subsequent communications with the first group, but to retain the first group ID in storage and continue to use the first group ID in the subsequent communications with the first group.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of, at the infrastructure device:

responsive to one of a detected user input, received updated group alias un-assign message, and an infrastructure device detected trigger, responsively transmitting an instruction addressed to the first group and including the first group ID that all subscriber units that are currently subscribed to the first group are to disassociate the specified updated text-based group alias with the first group ID, revert to the stored first group ID, and during further subsequent communications with the first group to refrain from displaying the updated text-based group alias.