Method and framework to detect service users in an insufficient wireless radio coverage network and to improve a service delivery experience by guaranteed presence

• US 9,137,646 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2013
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kodiak Networks (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kodiak Networks (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kundu, Gorachand, Patel, Krishnakant M., Negalaguli, Harisha Mahabaleshwara, Ramu, Kandula, Ayyasamy, Ravi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ferguson, Keith
• Application Number:
  US14/093,240
• Publication Number:
  US 20140148210A1
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 455/518, 455/519, 455/520, 455/521, 455/507, 455/500, 455/517, 455/445, 455/511, 455/550.1, 455/403, 455/416, 455/422.1, 455/426.1, 455/426.2, 4554141-4144, 455/560, 370/259, 370/261, 370/262, 370/265, 370/328, 370/329, 370/343, 370/310
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/00 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

A system and method for providing advanced voice services in a wireless communications network. The system includes at least one server that exchanges messages with mobile units, in order to indicate that a user is neither online or offline, but is temporarily unreachable or unavailable. The user may be temporarily unreachable or unavailable due to connectivity issues with the user'"'"'s mobile unit in the wireless communications network. Presence information for the user is distributed from the server to watchers, wherein the presence information indicates that the user is offline when the user is temporarily unreachable or unavailable. Various techniques may be implemented to determine how long the user'"'"'s mobile unit must remain connected to the wireless communications network, before the presence information indicates that the user is online.

Claims

1. A system for providing advanced voice services in one or more wireless communications networks, comprising:

one or more servers that interface to the wireless communications networks to perform advanced voice services for one or more mobile units in the wireless communications networks, wherein the advanced voice services include an instant two-way half-duplex voice call within a group of the mobile units comprising a Push-to-Talk-over-Cellular (PoC) call session;

wherein both the servers and the mobile units that use the advanced group services communicate with each other using control messages within the wireless communications networks, and at least one of the servers switches voice messages for the advanced group services between the mobile units across the wireless communications networks;

wherein at least one of the servers manages the PoC call session by acting as an arbitrator for the PoC call session and controls the sending of the control messages and the voice messages to and from the mobile units; and

wherein at least one of the servers exchanges messages with the mobile units, in order to indicate that a user is neither online or offline, but is temporarily unreachable or unavailable.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the user that is temporarily unreachable or unavailable has an internal presence state called a “

Temporary Unreachable”

(TU) state.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the user is temporarily unreachable or unavailable due to connectivity issues with the user'"'"'s mobile unit in the wireless communications networks.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein presence information for the user is distributed from at least one of the servers to one or more watchers.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the presence information for the user distributed to the watchers indicates that the user is offline when the user is temporarily unreachable or unavailable.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the user'"'"'s mobile unit detects that the user is temporarily unreachable or unavailable.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the user'"'"'s mobile unit sends one or more messages to at least one of the servers to indicate that the user is online, after the user has been temporarily unreachable or unavailable.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the messages comprise a presence publication, a call origination, or an alert origination.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more timers are implemented to determine how long the user'"'"'s mobile unit must remain connected to the wireless communications networks, before the user'"'"'s mobile sends a message to at least one of the servers to indicate that the user is online.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the servers detects that the user is temporarily unreachable or unavailable.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the servers unsuccessfully communicates messages with the user'"'"'s mobile unit for a configured number of times at configured intervals, before it determines that the user is temporarily unreachable or unavailable.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the messages comprise a presence notification, a call termination, or an alert termination.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the servers successfully communicates messages with the user'"'"'s mobile unit for a configured number of times at configured intervals, before it determines that the user is online, after the user has been temporarily unreachable or unavailable.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the messages comprise a presence notification, a call termination, or an alert termination.

15. A method of providing advanced voice services in one or more wireless communications networks, comprising:

interfacing one or more servers to the wireless communications networks to perform advanced voice services for one or more mobile units in the wireless communications networks, wherein the advanced voice services include an instant two-way half-duplex voice call within a group of the mobile units comprising a Push-to-Talk-over-Cellular (PoC) call session;

wherein both the servers and the mobile units that use the advanced group services communicate with each other using control messages within the wireless communications networks, and at least one of the servers switches voice messages for the advanced group services between the mobile units across the wireless communications networks;

wherein at least one of the servers manages the PoC call session by acting as an arbitrator for the PoC call session and controls the sending of the control messages and the voice messages to and from the mobile units; and

wherein at least one of the servers exchanges messages with the mobile units, in order to indicate that a user is neither online or offline, but is temporarily unreachable or unavailable.