Push-to-talk telecommunications system utilizing an voice-over-IP network

• US 9,014,742 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2014
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Denman, Robert E., Parameswar, Sriram, Derryberry, Barbara
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh, Tran
• Application Number:
  US14/246,595
• Publication Number:
  US 20140221035A1
• Time in Patent Office: 379 Days
• Field of Search: 455/518, 455/519, 455/456.2, 455/520, 455/426, 455/447, 455/450, 455/422, 455/445, 455/560, 455/554.1, 455/90.2, 455/426.1, 455/553.1, 455/415, 455/566, 455/435.1, 370/261, 370/329, 370/462
• US Class Current: 455/518
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/60 Types of network addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4061 Push-to services, e.g. push-to-talk or push-to-video
• 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 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/10 adapted for application session management, e.g. SIP [Session Initiation Protocol] connection management H04W76/00; arrangements for session management H04L67/14

Abstract

A method and system to provide ad-hoc push-to-talk calls between a plurality of users in a wireless packet data telecommunications network are described. The system may include: a wireless communication network including push-to-talk (PTT) functionality, with a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Proxy Server; a SIP Registrar and Location Server operable to store contact addresses of active mobile devices; a Realtime Transport Protocol (RTP) Media Gateway (PTT Server) operable to function as a call endpoint for each of a plurality of mobile devices wherein the plurality of mobile devices may be segmented into membership groups, the PTT Server further operable to multicast a communication from one member of the group to the other members of the group; and an Internet Protocol (IP) network interconnecting the SIP Proxy server, the SIP Registrar and Location Server, and the PTT Server.

Claims

1. A method for establishing an ad-hoc push-to-talk (PTT) call between users in a wireless communications network, the method comprising:

by a push-to-talk (PTT) server;

receiving, via a session initiation protocol (SIP) server, a first SIP INVITE request from a mobile communication device, the first SIP INVITE request comprising one or more addresses of one or more parties invited to participate in the PTT call, wherein the one or more addresses comprise a first address of a first party;

sending a second SIP INVITE request to the SIP server in response to the receiving the first SIP INVITE request, wherein the second SIP INVITE request is addressed to the first party, wherein the second SIP INVITE request is forwarded to the first party;

receiving, via the SIP server, a first SIP 200 OK response from the first party, wherein the SIP 200 OK response is responsive to the second SIP INVITE request;

sending a second SIP 200 OK response to the SIP server in response to the receiving the first SIP 200 OK response, wherein the second SIP 200 OK response indicates that at least one of the one or more parties invited to participate in the PTT call has accepted the invitation, wherein the second SIP 200 OK response is forwarded to the mobile communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first SIP INVITE request comprises a Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension (MIME) message, wherein the body of the MIME message comprises a plurality of addresses of a plurality of parties invited to participate in the PTT call, wherein the plurality of addresses comprises the first address of the first party and a second address of a second party.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

sending a third SIP INVITE request to the SIP server in response to the receiving the first SIP INVITE request, wherein the third SIP INVITE request is addressed to the second party, wherein the third SIP INVITE request is forwarded to the first party.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, via the SIP server, a SIP ACK message from the mobile communication device, the SIP ACK message responsive to the second SIP 200 OK response.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the forwarding the second SIP INVITE request to the first party comprises forwarding the second SIP INVITE request to a separate network.

6. A non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium storing program instructions for establishing an ad-hoc push-to-talk (PTT) call between users in a wireless communications network, wherein the program instructions are executable to cause a processor to:

receive, via a session initiation protocol (SIP) server, a first SIP INVITE request from a mobile communication device, the first SIP INVITE request comprising one or more addresses of one or more parties invited to participate in the PTT call, wherein the one or more addresses comprise a first address of a first party;

send a second SIP INVITE request to the SIP server in response to the receiving the first SIP INVITE request, wherein the second SIP INVITE request is addressed to the first party, wherein the second SIP INVITE request is forwarded to the first party;

receive, via the SIP server, a first response message from the first party, wherein the first response message is responsive to the second SIP INVITE request;

in response to the receiving the first response message, exchange messages with the SIP server and the mobile communication device to indicate to the mobile communication device that that at least one of the one or more parties invited to participate in the PTT call has accepted the invitation.

7. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 6, wherein, to exchange the messages with the distribution server and the mobile communication device, the program instructions are executable to cause a processor to:

send a second response message to the SIP server, wherein the second response message indicates that at least one of the one or more parties invited to participate in the PTT call has accepted the invitation, wherein the second response message is forwarded to the mobile communication device.

8. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 7, wherein the first and second response messages each comprise a SIP 200 OK response.

9. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 8, wherein the program instructions are further executable to cause the processor to:

receive, via the SIP server, a SIP ACK message from the mobile communication device, the SIP ACK message responsive to the second response message.

10. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 6, wherein the first SIP INVITE request comprises a Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension (MIME) message, wherein the body of the MIME message comprises a plurality of addresses of a plurality of parties invited to participate in the PTT call, wherein the plurality of addresses comprises the first address of the first party and a second address of a second party.

11. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 10, wherein the program instructions are further executable to cause the processor to:

send a third SIP INVITE request to the SIP server in response to the receiving the first SIP INVITE request, wherein the third SIP INVITE request is addressed to the second party, wherein the third SIP INVITE request is forwarded to the second party.

12. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 6, wherein the forwarding the second SIP INVITE request to the first party comprises forwarding the second SIP INVITE request to a separate network.

13. An apparatus for establishing an ad-hoc push-to-talk (PTT) call between users in a wireless communications network, the apparatus comprising:

a network interface and a processor;

wherein the network interface and the processor are configured to;

receive, via a session initiation protocol (SIP) server, a first SIP INVITE request from a mobile communication device, the first SIP INVITE request comprising one or more addresses of one or more parties invited to participate in the PTT call, wherein the one or more addresses comprise a first address of a first party;

in response to the receiving the first SIP INVITE request, exchange invitation messages with the first party, via the SIP server, wherein at least one of the messages comprises an invitation to the first party to participate in the PTT call;

receive, via the SIP server, a first response message from the first party, wherein the first response message is responsive to the invitation to the first party;

in response to the receiving the first response message, exchange additional response messages with the mobile communication device, via the SIP server, to indicate to the mobile communication device that at least one of the one or more parties invited to participate in the PTT call has accepted the invitation.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein, to exchange the invitation messages with the first party, the network interface and the processor are further configured to:

send a second SIP INVITE request to the SIP server in response to the first SIP INVITE request, wherein the second SIP INVITE request is addressed to the first party, wherein the second SIP INVITE request is forwarded to the first party.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first SIP INVITE request comprises a Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension (MIME) message, wherein the body of the MIME message comprises a plurality of addresses of a plurality of parties invited to participate in the PTT call, wherein the plurality of addresses comprises the first address of the first party and a second address of a second party.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the network interface and the processor are further configured to:

send a third SIP INVITE request to the SIP server in response to the receiving the first SIP INVITE request, wherein the third SIP INVITE request is addressed to the second party, wherein the third SIP INVITE request is forwarded to the second party.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the forwarding the second SIP INVITE request to the first party comprises forwarding the second SIP INVITE request to a separate network.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first response message comprises a first SIP 200 OK response, and wherein, to exchange the additional messages with the mobile communication device, the network interface and the processor are further configured to:

send a second SIP 200 OK response to the SIP server, wherein the second SIP 200 OK response indicates that at least one of the one or more parties invited to participate in the PTT call has accepted the invitation, wherein the second SIP 200 OK response is forwarded to the mobile communication device.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the network interface and the processor are further configured to:

receive, via the SIP server, a SIP ACK message from the mobile communication device, the SIP ACK message responsive to the second SIP 200 OK response.