Method and apparatus for dynamic talk group formation as a function of subscriber unit movement relative to a defined incident location

• US 9,978,283 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2014
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Jedrzejewski, Tomasz Jakub, Tutaj, Lukasz Wojciech
• Primary Examiner(s): Ferguson, Keith
• Application Number:
  US15/506,890
• Publication Number:
  US 20170294131A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,253 Days
• Field of Search: 455518, 455519, 455500, 455517, 455416, 4554041, 4554042, 455521, 455445, 4554221, 455403, 455509, 455507, 455508, 455450, 4555501, 4554261, 4554262, 4554561-457, 4554141-4144, 370310, 370260, 370261, 370312, 370328, 370329, 370343
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/207 with respect to certain areas, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas with possible alerting when inside or outside boundaries
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• 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 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

A process for dynamic talk group formation in a wireless communication system as a function of subscriber unit movement relative to a defined incident location includes receiving, at an infrastructure controller device from one of a third subscriber unit and a dispatch console, a request for forming a new talk group relative to a defined incident location. The infrastructure controller device determines a direction of movement of a plurality of subscriber units relative to the defined incident location. The infrastructure controller device then forms a talk group including a first subscriber unit from the plurality of subscriber units determined to be moving towards the defined incident location and not including a second subscriber unit from the plurality of subscriber units determined to not be moving towards the defined incident location.

Claims

1. A method for dynamic talk group formation in a wireless communication system as a function of subscriber unit movement relative to a defined geographic incident location, the method comprising:

receiving, at an infrastructure controller device from one of a second subscriber unit and a dispatch console, a request for forming a new talk group relative to a defined geographic incident location requiring a first responder response at the defined geographic incident location;

determining, by the infrastructure controller device, a direction of movement for each of a plurality of first responder subscriber units relative to the defined geographic incident location; and

forming, by the infrastructure controller device, a talk group including a first set of each first responder subscriber unit from the plurality of first responder subscriber units determined to have the direction of movement towards the defined geographic incident location and not including a second set of each first responder subscriber unit from the plurality of first responder subscriber units determined to not have the direction of movement towards the defined geographic incident location, the formed talk group providing for audio or data transmitted by any one first responder subscriber unit of the first set of first responder subscriber units to be provided to all other first responder subscriber units in the first set.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of forming the talk group further comprises including the first responder subscriber units determined to have the direction of movement towards the defined geographic incident location responsive to determining that the first responder subscriber units also meets an additional inclusion threshold rule.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the additional inclusion threshold rule comprises a current location of the first responder subscriber units that is within a maximum distance from the defined geographic incident location.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the additional inclusion threshold rule comprises a type of responder of the first responder subscriber units.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the additional inclusion threshold rule comprises an estimated time to arrive at the defined geographic incident location for the first responder subscriber units.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the first set of first responder subscriber units are moving towards the defined geographic incident location comprises tracking a plurality of prior locations for each first responder subscriber unit, determining an average cardinal direction of each first responder subscriber unit travel using the plurality of prior locations, and determining that the average cardinal direction of travel intersects a threshold area surrounding the defined geographic incident location.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the threshold area surrounding the defined geographic incident location is a circle having a pre-configured radius distance from the defined geographic incident location.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the threshold area surrounding the defined geographic incident location is a geo-fence defined at a dispatch console and surrounding the defined geographic incident location.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the first set of first responder subscriber units each have the direction of movement towards the defined geographic incident location comprises tracking a plurality of prior locations for each first responder subscriber unit, accessing a cartographic database of available paths and identifying a limited number of shortest or fastest paths from one of the prior locations to the defined geographic incident location, and determining from subsequent locations for each first responder subscriber unit in the first set that the first responder subscriber unit is traversing one of the limited number of shortest or fastest paths towards the defined geographic incident location.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising tracking, by the infrastructure controller device, locations of the plurality of first responder subscriber units over time.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the request comprises receiving, at the infrastructure controller device from the second subscriber unit, the request for forming the new talk group relative to the defined geographic incident location;

the method further comprising causing, by the infrastructure controller device, one or more of audio and data transmitted by the second subscriber unit to be provided to first responder subscriber units in the formed talk group.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein causing the one or more of audio and data transmitted by the second subscriber unit to be provided to first responder subscriber units in the formed talk group comprises the second subscriber unit transmitting the one or more of audio and data with a formed talk group identifier associated with the formed talk group, the subscriber units in the formed talk group directly receiving the one or more of audio and data transmitted by the third subscriber unit, and the subscriber units in the formed talk group playing back the received one or more of audio and data.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein causing the one or more of audio and data transmitted by the second subscriber unit to be provided to the first responder subscriber units in the formed talk group comprises receiving the one or more of audio and data transmitted by the second subscriber unit at one of a push-to-talk (PTT) server and a repeater, and forwarding, via the one of the PTT server and the repeater, the one or more of audio and data transmitted by the second subscriber unit to the first responder subscriber units in the formed talk group.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing, by the infrastructure controller device, one of an assigned talk group identifier associated with the formed talk group and a list of first responder subscriber units in the formed talk group to be provided to the one of the second subscriber unit and the dispatch console.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising causing, by the infrastructure controller device, one of the assigned talk group identifier associated with the formed talk group and the list of first responder subscriber units in the formed talk group to be provided to each of the first responder subscriber units in the formed talk group.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after forming the talk group including the first set of first responder subscriber units:

receiving further location updates of the first set of first responder subscriber units;

determining, from the further location updates, that a particular first responder subscriber unit of the first set of first responder subscriber units is no longer moving towards the defined geographic incident location; and

removing the particular first responder subscriber unit from the formed talk group.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein a first direction of movement relative to the defined geographic incident location for a first particular first responder subscriber unit in the first set is different from a second direction of movement relative to the defined geographic incident location for a second particular first responder subscriber unit in the first set.

18. An infrastructure controller device for dynamic talk group formation in a wireless communication system as a function of a subscriber unit movement relative to a defined geographic incident location, the device comprising:

a transceiver;

a data store; and

one or more processors configured to;

receive, via the transceiver, from one of a second subscriber unit and a dispatch console, a request for forming a new talk group relative to a defined geographic incident location requiring a first responder response at the defined geographic incident location;

determine a direction of movement for each of a plurality of first responder subscriber units relative to the defined geographic incident location; and

form a talk group including a first set of each first responder subscriber unit from the plurality of first responder subscriber units determined to have the direction of movement towards the defined geographic incident location and not including a second set of each first responder subscriber unit from the plurality of first responder subscriber units determined to not have the direction of movement towards the defined geographic incident location, the formed talk group providing for audio or data transmitted by any one first responder subscriber unit of the first set of first responder subscriber units to be provided to all other first responder subscriber units in the first set.

19. The infrastructure controller device of claim 18, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause, via the transceiver, one of an assigned talk group identifier associated with the formed talk group and a list of first responder subscriber units in the formed talk group to be provided to the one of the second subscriber unit and the dispatch console.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processing device, perform a set of functions, the set of functions comprising:

receiving, at the processing device from one of a second subscriber unit and a dispatch console, a request for forming a new talk group relative to a defined geographic incident location requiring a first responder response at the defined geographic incident location;

determining, by the processing device, a direction of movement for each of a plurality of first responder subscriber units relative to the defined geographic incident location; and

forming, by the processing device, a talk group including a first set of each first responder subscriber unit from the plurality of first responder subscriber units determined to have the direction of movement towards the defined geographic incident location and not including a second set of each first responder subscriber unit from the plurality of first responder subscriber units determined to not have the direction of movement towards the defined geographic incident location, the formed talk group providing for audio or data transmitted by any one first responder subscriber unit of the first set of first responder subscriber units to be provided to all other first responder subscriber units in the first set.