Methods and apparatus for managing group membership for group communications
First Claim
1. A method for communications, comprising:
- generating, at a standard group membership client module in a mobile wireless terminal, signaling that does not enable an access node to maintain a group membership list;
generating, at a group communication module in the mobile wireless terminal, a group membership information change request signal based on the signaling, wherein the group membership information change request signal enables the access node to maintain the group membership list; and
transmitting the group membership information change request signal to the access node to request a change in group membership.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Improved group communications methods which are well suited for a wireless environment are described. End nodes request that access nodes make changes in group membership information maintained at the access node. The access node responds to the requests by a response signal indicating a grant or denial of the request. Requests may be to add or remove the end node, e.g., a mobile wireless terminal, from a particular group membership list identified in the request signal. The access node maintains a detailed list of group members and uses the information to control how signals, e.g., packets, are transmitted to the group members. Group membership information may be updated at the access node at the time of handoff and/or an end node enters the cell or otherwise changes its point of network attachment.
163 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A method for communications, comprising:
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generating, at a standard group membership client module in a mobile wireless terminal, signaling that does not enable an access node to maintain a group membership list; generating, at a group communication module in the mobile wireless terminal, a group membership information change request signal based on the signaling, wherein the group membership information change request signal enables the access node to maintain the group membership list; and transmitting the group membership information change request signal to the access node to request a change in group membership. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An apparatus for communications, comprising:
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a standard group membership client module in a mobile wireless terminal, the standard group membership client module being enabled to generate signaling that does not enable an access node to maintain a group membership list; a group communication module in the mobile wireless terminal, the group communication module being enabled to generate a group membership information change request signal based on the signaling, wherein the group membership information change request signal enables the access node to maintain the group membership list; and a transmitter module enabled to transmit the group membership information change request signal to the access node to request a change in group membership. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An apparatus for communications, comprising:
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means for generating, in a mobile wireless terminal, signaling that does not enable an access node to maintain a group membership list; means for generating, in the mobile wireless terminal, a group membership information change request signal based on the signaling, wherein the group membership information change request signal enables the access node to maintain the group membership list; and means for transmitting the group membership information change request signal to the access node to request a change in group membership. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising:
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instructions for generating, at a standard group membership client module in a mobile wireless terminal, signaling that does not enable an access node to maintain a group membership list; instructions for generating, at a group communication module in the mobile wireless terminal, a group membership information change request signal based on the signaling, wherein the group membership information change request signal enables the access node to maintain the group membership list; and instructions for transmitting the group membership information change request signal to the access node to request a change in group membership. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification