Server apparatus, communication apparatus, and communication method

• US 9,609,491 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2016
• Issued: 03/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Kashiwase, Susumu
• Primary Examiner(s): REGO, DOMINIC E
• Application Number:
  US15/230,778
• Publication Number:
  US 20160345142A1
• Time in Patent Office: 232 Days
• Field of Search: 455517-520, 455/553.1, 455/90.2, 455/78, 455/79, 455/500, 455/426.1, 455/412.1, 455/414.1, 455/416, 455/420, 370/352, 370/389, 370/338, 370/328
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

A server apparatus, a communication apparatus, and a communication method are disclosed. Communication terminals forming a group are capable of performing push-to-talk group communication through the server apparatus. In reception of a call setting request from a first communication terminal of the group by the receiver, when the group includes a second communication terminal to which call setting fails, the transmitter transmits, to a communication terminal of the group, an instruction to execute a discovery processing of discovering a communication partner terminal capable of performing a direct communication with the communication terminal without passing through the server apparatus. When a result of the discovery processing reveals that a third communication terminal that has received the instruction from the server apparatus is capable of performing the direct communication with the second communication terminal, call setting between the server apparatus and the second communication terminal is performed through the third communication terminal.

Claims

1. A server apparatus that controls a communication terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver; and

a transmitter,

wherein

a plurality of communication terminals forming a group are capable of performing a push-to-talk group communication through the server apparatus,

in reception of a call setting request from a first communication terminal included in the group by the receiver, when the group includes a second communication terminal to which call setting fails, the transmitter transmits, to a communication terminal included in the group, an instruction to execute a discovery processing of discovering a communication partner terminal capable of performing a direct communication with the communication terminal without passing through the server apparatus, and

when a result of the discovery processing reveals that a third communication terminal that has received the instruction from the server apparatus is capable of performing the direct communication with the second communication terminal, call setting between the server apparatus and the second communication terminal is performed through the third communication terminal.

2. The server apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

at least one processor configured to determine on its own to provide the communication terminal included in the group with the instruction when the group includes the second communication terminal.

3. The server apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter transmits the instruction to each of the communication terminals of the group when the group includes the second communication terminal.

4. The server apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the transmitter communicates with a communication terminal through a base station, and

when the group includes the second communication terminal, the transmitter transmits the instruction to only a communication terminal communicable with a base station with which the second communication terminal communicated last in the group.

5. A communication apparatus that is a communication terminal of a plurality of communication terminals that communicate with a server apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a transmitter; and

a receiver,

wherein

the communication apparatus forms, together with another communication terminal, a group capable of performing a push-to-talk group communication through the server apparatus,

in transmission of a call setting request to the server apparatus from a first communication terminal included in the group, when the group includes a second communication terminal to which call setting fails, the server apparatus transmits, to a communication terminal included in the group, an instruction to execute a discovery processing of discovering a communication partner terminal capable of performing a direct communication with the communication terminal without passing through the server apparatus, and

when a result of the discovery processing reveals that the communication apparatus in which the receiver has received the instruction from the server apparatus is capable of performing the direct communication with the second communication terminal, call setting between the server apparatus and the second communication terminal is performed through the communication apparatus.

6. A communication apparatus that is a communication terminal of a plurality of communication terminals that communicate with a server apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a transmitter; and

a receiver;

wherein

the communication apparatus forms, together with another communication terminal, a group capable of performing a push-to-talk group communication through the server apparatus,

in transmission of a call setting request to the server apparatus from the transmitter, when the group includes a first communication terminal to which call setting fails, the server apparatus notifies the communication apparatus that the group includes a communication terminal to which call setting fails,

the communication apparatus further comprises at least one processor configured to determine, when the server apparatus notifies the receiver that the group includes the communication terminal to which call setting fails, to provide a communication terminal included in the group with an instruction to execute a discovery processing of discovering a communication partner terminal capable of performing a direct communication with the communication terminal without passing through the server apparatus,

when the at least one processor determines the instruction, the server apparatus provides the communication terminal included in the group with the instruction, and

when a result of the discovery processing reveals that a second communication terminal that has received the instruction from the server apparatus is capable of performing the direct communication with the first communication terminal, call setting between the server apparatus and the first communication terminal is performed through the second communication terminal.

7. A communication apparatus that is a communication terminal of a plurality of communication terminals that communicate with a server apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a transmitter; and

a receiver,

wherein

the communication apparatus forms, together with another communication terminal, a group capable of performing a push-to-talk group communication through the server apparatus,

in transmission of a call setting request to the server apparatus from a first communication terminal included in the group, when call setting to the communication apparatus fails, the server apparatus transmits, to a communication terminal included in the group, an instruction to execute a discovery processing of discovering a communication partner terminal capable of performing a direct communication with the communication terminal without passing through the server apparatus, and

when a result of the discovery processing reveals that a second communication terminal that has received the instruction from the server apparatus is capable of performing the direct communication with the communication apparatus, call setting between the server apparatus and the communication apparatus is performed through the second communication terminal.

8. A communication method for use in a push-to-talk group communication by a plurality of communication terminals forming a group through a server apparatus, the method comprising:

(a) transmitting a call setting request by a first communication terminal included in the group;

(b) after the step (a), when the group includes a second communication terminal to which call setting fails, receiving, by a third communication terminal included in the group, from the server apparatus an instruction to execute a discovery processing of discovering a communication terminal capable of performing a direct communication with the third communication terminal without passing through the server apparatus; and

(c) when a result of the discovery processing reveals that the third communication terminal that has received the instruction is capable of performing the direct communication with the second communication terminal, performing call setting between the server apparatus and the second communication terminal through the third communication terminal.