System and method for MBMS support

• US 9,231,776 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2012
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Agulnik, Anatoly, Drozt, Peter M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weidner, Timothy J
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLUST, JANA M
• Application Number:
  US13/670,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20140126452A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,154 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 65/1093 by adding participants; by removing participants
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4061 Push-to services, e.g. push-to-talk or push-to-video
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• 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 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

A system and method handles a group session of a communication group. The method includes determining server association data and access network association data for each mobile unit in a communication group. The server association data indicates a first association with a Push-To-Talk (PTT) server. The access network association data indicates a second association with an operating area respective to the PTT servers. The method includes determining a first MU of the MUs in the communication group being associated with a first PTT server and associated with a MBMS operating area of a second PTT server, the first PTT server controlling the group session. When none of the MUs participating in the group session is associated with the second PTT server, the method includes inviting the second PTT server to join the group session of the communication group.

Claims

1. A method for handling a group session of a communication group, comprising:

determining server association data for each mobile computing unit (MU) of a plurality of mobile computing units (MUs) in the communication group, wherein the server association data is indicative of a Push-To-Talk (PTT) server of a plurality of PTT servers to which the MU belongs;

determining access network association data for each MU of the plurality of MUs, wherein the access network association data is indicative of an operating area respective to a PTT server of the plurality of PTT servers which the MU is currently operating in;

determining, as a function of the server association data, a first MU of the plurality of MUs in the communication group that belongs to a first PTT server of the plurality of PTT servers and, as a function of the access network association data, that is currently operating in an operating area of a second PTT server of the plurality of PTT servers, wherein the first PTT server is a controlling PTT server for the group session of the communication group; and

determining, based on the server association data, that none of the plurality of MUs participating in the group session belongs to the second PTT server and, in response, transmitting invitation data from the first PTT server to the second PTT server to invite the second PTT server to join the group session of the communication group.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, from the first PTT server to the second PTT server, a request to activate Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Services (MBMS) services in at least one Multicast Broadcast Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) area of the operating area of the second PTT server; and

activating the MBMS services in the at least one MBSFN area of the operating area of the second PTT server so that the first MU receives media data from the first PTT server utilizing the MBMS services of the second PTT server.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, as a function of the server association data, at least one second MU of the plurality of MUs that is associated with the first PTT server and, as a function of the access network association data, that is operating in the operating area of the second PTT server; and

in response to determining the at least one second MU, determining whether to transmit, from the first PTT server to the second PTT server, a request to activate Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Services (MBMS) services in at least one Multicast Broadcast Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) area of the operating area of the second PTT server.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining as a function of the server association data and the access network association data, a number of MUs that are associated with the first PTT server and that are operate in one of the at least one MBSFN area of the operating area of the second PTT server; and

transmitting an indication of the number of MUs in the MBMSFN area to the second PTT server.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first PTT server has a first predetermined threshold indicating whether MBMS services should be activated in the one of the at least one MBSFN area of the MBMS operating area of the second PTT server.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining, by the first PTT server, whether the number of MUs is greater than the first predetermined threshold; and

in response to determining that the number of MUs is greater than the first predetermined threshold, transmitting, by the first PTT server to the second PTT server, a request to activate the MBMS services in the one of the at least one MBSFN area of the MBMS operating area of the second PTT server.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the second PTT server has a second predetermined threshold indicating whether MBMS services should be activated in the one of the at least one MBSFN area of the MBMS operating area of the second PTT server.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining, by the second PTT server, whether the number of MUs is greater than the second predetermined threshold; and

transmitting, by the second PTT server, an affirmative response to the request to activate the MBMS services in the one of the at least one MBSFN area of the MBMS operating area of the second PTT server when the number of MUs is greater than the second predetermined threshold.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising transmitting, by the second PTT server, a negative response to the request to activate the MBMS services in the one of the at least one MBSFN area of the MBMS operating area of the second PTT server when a total number of MUs is less than the second predetermined threshold.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein the number of MUs is a first number of MUs and further comprising:

determining, by the first PTT server and as a function of the server association data and the access network association data, a second number of MUs that are associated with the first PTT server and that operate in the one of the at least one MBSFN area of the MBMS operating area of the second PTT server, the second number of MUs being different than the first number of MUs; and

transmitting an indication of the second number of MUs to the second PTT server.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the first PTT server has a first predetermined threshold indicating whether MBMS services should be activated in the one of the at least one MBSFN area of the MBMS operating area of the second PTT server and wherein the first PTT server transmits the request to activate the MBMS services in the one of the MBSFN area of the MBMS operating area of the second PTT server when the second number of MUs is greater than the first predetermined threshold.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the second PTT server has a second predetermined threshold indicating whether MBMS services should be activated in the one of the at least one MBSFN area of the MBMS operating area of the second PTT server and wherein the second PTT server transmits an affirmative response to the request to activate the MBMS services in the one of the MBSFN area of the MBMS operating area of the second PTT server when the second number of MUs is greater than the second predetermined threshold and wherein the second PTT server transmits a notification indicative of the MBMS services being deactivated in the one of the MBSFN area of the MBMS operating area of the second PTT server when the second number of MUs is less than the second predetermined threshold.

13. A system, comprising:

a plurality of mobile computing units (MUs) in a group session of a communication group; and

a first Push-To-Talk (PTT) server controlling the group session of the communication group, the first PTT server configured to;

determine server association data for each mobile computing unit (MU) of the plurality of MUs, wherein the server association data is indicative of a PTT server, of the first PTT server and a second PTT server, to which the MU belongs;

determine access network association data for each MU of the plurality of MUs, the access network association data being indicative of an operating area respective to a PTT server, of the first PTT server and the second PTT server, which the MU is operating in;

determine, as a function of the server association data, a first MU of the plurality of MUs that belongs to the first PTT server and, as a function of the access network association data, that operates in an operating area of the second PTT server; and

determine, based on the server association data, that none of the plurality of MUs belongs to the second PTT server and, in response, transmit invitation data to the second PTT server to invite the second PTT server to join a group session of the communication group.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first PTT server is configured to transmit a request to the second PTT server to activate MBMS services in at least one MBSFN area of the operating area of the second PTT server so that when the MBMS services are activated in the at least one MBSFN area of the operating area of the second PTT server, the first MU receives media data from the first PTT server utilizing the MBMS services of the second PTT server.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the first PTT server is configured to determine, as a function of the server association data, at least one second MU of the plurality of MUs that is associated with the first PTT server and, as a function of the access network association data, that operates in the operating area of the second PTT server, and in response to determining the at least one second MU, determine whether to transmit, from the first PTT server to the second PTT server, a request to activate Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Services (MBMS) services in at least one Multicast Broadcast Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) area of the operating area of the second PTT server.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the first PTT server is configured to determine, as a function of the server association data and the access network association data, a number of MUs that are associated with the first PTT server and that operate in one of the at least one MBSFN area of the operating area of the second PTT server and to transmit an indication of the number of MUs to the second PTT server.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the first PTT server has a first predetermined threshold indicating whether MBMS services should be activated in the one of the at least one MBSFN area of the operating area of the second PTT server, and wherein the first PTT server is configured to determine whether the number of MUs is greater than the first predetermined threshold and, in response to determining that the number of MUs is greater than the first predetermined threshold, transmit, to the second PTT server, a request to activate the MBMS services in the one of the at least one MBSFN area of the operating area of the second PTT server.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising the second PTT server, wherein the second PTT server has a second predetermined threshold indicating whether MBMS services should be activated in the one of the at least one MBSFN area of the operating area of the second PTT server and wherein the second PTT server is configured to determine whether the number of MUs is greater than the second predetermined threshold and, when the number of MUs is greater than the second predetermined threshold, transmit an affirmative response to the request to activate the MBMS services in the one of the at least one MBSFN area of the operating area of the second PTT server.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the second PTT server is configured to transmit a negative response to the request to activate the MBMS services in the one of the at least one MBSFN area of the operating area of the second PTT server when the number of MUs is less than the second predetermined threshold.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the first PTT server is configured to determine, as a function of the server association data and the access network association data, a second number of MUs that are associated with the first PTT server and that operate in the one of the at least one MBSFN area of the MBMS operating area of the second PTT server, the second number of MUs being different than the first number of MUs, and to transmit an indication of the second number of MUs to the second PTT server.

21. A controlling Push-To-Talk (PTT) server homing a communication group and handling a group session of the communication group, the PTT server comprising:

a processor configured to determine server association data for a plurality of mobile computing units (MUs) in the communication group, wherein the server association data is indicative of a PTT server, of the controlling PTT server and a participating PTT server, to which each mobile computing unit (MU) of the plurality of MUs belongs, the processor further configured to determine access network association data for the plurality of MUs, wherein the access network association data is indicative of an operating area respective to one of the PTT servers of the controlling PTT server and a participating PTT server in which each MU of the plurality of MUs operates; and

an at least one memory device configured to store the server association data and the access network association data;

wherein the processor is configured to determine, as a function of the server association data, a first MU of the MUs in the communication group that belongs to the controlling PTT server and, as a function of the access network association data, that operates in an operating area of the participating PTT server; and

wherein the processor is configured to determine, based on the server association data, that none of the plurality of MUs belongs to the participating PTT server and, in response, to transmit invitation data to the participating PTT server to invite the participating PTT server to join the group session of the communication group.