Method and apparatus for interworking between push-to-talk over cellular (PoC) systems and instant messaging (IM) systems

• US 20060212525A1
• Filed: 01/26/2006
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Subramanian, Ramachandran, Atarius, Roozbeh
• Granted Patent: US 8,315,190 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4061 Push-to services, e.g. push-to-talk or push-to-video

Abstract

A method and apparatus for interworking between push-to-talk over cellular (PoC) systems and instant messagaing (IM) systems is provided. An interworking entity that behaves like a PoC client to a PoC server and as an IM client to the IM server is provided. The interworking entity may be implemented as part of the PoC server or the IM server. The interworking entity listens to talk bursts from the PoC server and when it receives a talk burst the interworking entity sends the message to the IM client via the IM server. In an embodiment, the interworking entity listens to talk bursts or audio clips from the IM server and when it receives them, stores them in a temporary storage memory and converts them to a streaming format. The interworking entity then requests the floor from the PoC server, and, once the floor is granted, streams the stored audio clip or talk burst to the PoC server. The PoC server then distributes the clips to the PoC clients.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting a message, the method comprising:

generating a message in a first communication system;

sending the message to a server in the first communication system;

sending the message to an interworking entity;

storing the message;

converting the message to a streaming format;

requesting a floor from a second communication system;

streaming the message to a server in the second communication system; and

distributing the message to a terminal in the second communications system.

2. The method of claim 1 where the first communication system is an instant messaging (IM) system.

3. The method of claim 2 where the second communication system is a push-to-talk over cellular (PoC) system.

7. The method of claim 1, where the interworking entity is implemented in the instant messaging (IM) server.

8. The method of claim 1, where the interworking entity is implemented in the push-to-talk (PoC) server.

9. The method of claim 1, where the interworking entity is implemented as a separate entity in communication with both the instant messaging (IM) server and the push-to-talk over cellular (PoC) server.

4. A method of transmitting a message, the method comprising:

generating a message in a first communication system;

sending the message to a server in the first communication system;

sending the message to an interworking entity;

storing the message;

converting the message to a streaming format;

requesting a floor by the interworking entity from a second communication system;

streaming the message to a server in the second communication system; and

distributing the message to a terminal in the second communication system.

5. The method of claim 4, where the first communication system is an instant messaging (IM) system.

6. The method of claim 5, where the second communication system is a push-to-talk over cellular (PoC) system.

10. The method of claim 4, where converting the message to a streaming format is performed in parallel with streaming the message to a server in the second communication system.

11. The method of claim 4, where converting the at least one additional message to a streaming format is performed in parallel with streaming the at least one additional message to a server in the second communication system.

12. A method of transmitting a message, the method comprising:

generating a message in a first communication system;

sending the message to a server in the first communication system;

sending the message to an interworking entity;

requesting a floor from a second communication system;

queing the message if the floor is not granted;

converting the message to a streaming format;

streaming the message to a server in the second communication system when the floor is granted; and

distributing the message to a terminal in the second communications system.

13. The method of claim 12, where the second communication system is an instant messaging (IM) system.

14. An apparatus for transmitting a message, the apparatus comprising:

means for generating a message in a first communication system;

means for sending the message to a server in the first communication system;

means for sending the message to an interworking entity;

means for storing the message;

means for converting the message to a streaming format;

means for requesting a floor from a second communication system;

means for streaming the message to a server in the second communication system; and

means for distributing the message to a terminal in the second communications system.

15. An apparatus for transmitting a message, the apparatus comprising:

means for generating a message in a first communication system;

means for sending the message to a server in the first communication system;

means for sending the message to an interworking entity;

means for storing the message;

means for converting the message to a streaming format;

means for generating at least one additional message in the first communication system;

means for sending the at least one additional message to the server in the first communication system;

means for sending the at least one additional message to the interworking entity;

means for storing the at least one additional message;

means for converting the at least one additional message to the streaming format;

means for placing the message and the at least one additional message in a queue;

means for requesting the floor from a second communication system;

means for streaming the message to a server in the second communication system;

means for distributing the message to at least one terminal in the second communication system;

means for determining if the queue contains at least one additional message;

means for requesting the floor if the queue contains at least one additional message;

means for streaming the at least one additional message to the server in the second communications system; and

means for distributing the at least one additional message to at least one terminal in the second communication system.

16. A computer-readable medium including computer-executable instructions comprising:

generating a message in a first communication system;

sending the message to a server in the first communication system;

sending the message to an interworking entity;

storing the message;

converting the message to a streaming format;

requesting a floor from a second communication system;

streaming the message to a server in the second communication system; and

distributing the message to a terminal in the second communications system.

17. A computer-readable medium including computer-executable instructions comprising:

generating a message in a first communication system;

sending the message to a server in the first communication system;

sending the message to an interworking entity;

storing the message;

converting the message to a streaming format;

requesting a floor from a second communication system;

streaming the message to a server in the second communication system; and

distributing the message to a terminal in the second communications system.