Methods and apparatus for providing PTT data buffering support indications from mobile devices and PTT data buffering control by wireless networks

• US 20070021138A1
• Filed: 07/07/2006
• Published: 01/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Allen, Andrew, Zhao, Wen, Jin, Xin
• Granted Patent: US 7,813,747 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/518
• 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

In one illustrative example of the present disclosure, a mobile communication device has one or more processors and a wireless transceiver adapted to provide communications through a wireless communication network. The one or more processors are operative to produce a mobile device indication message which indicates whether the mobile device supports buffering of Push-To-Talk (PTT) communications from the mobile device. This message is transmitted by the wireless transceiver to a PTT service entity through the wireless network. The one or more processors may be further operative to receive, from the PTT service entity through the wireless network, a network indication message which instructs the mobile device whether to use buffering for the PTT communications from the mobile device (assuming a buffer memory for PTT buffering is available in the mobile device). The mobile device may use the buffer memory for the buffering of the PTT communication based on the network indication message from the PTT service entity.

Claims

1. A method in a mobile communication device for providing data buffering for Push-To-Talk (PTT) communications, the method comprising the acts of:

producing a mobile device indication message which indicates whether support exists for buffering a PTT communication in the mobile communication device with use of a buffer memory; and

transmitting the mobile device indication message to a PTT service entity through a wireless communication network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the buffer memory for use in buffering the PTT communication from the mobile communication device.

3. The method of claim 2, when the buffer memory of the mobile communication device is used for the buffering of the PTT communication, further comprising the acts of:

saving, in the buffer memory, digital data corresponding to input signals at the mobile communication device;

making a request for the PTT communication through the wireless communication network;

identifying that a floor grant has been received through the wireless communication network in response to the request; and

after identifying the floor grant, retrieving the digital data from the buffer memory and transmitting the digital data to the wireless communication network for the PTT communication.

4. The method of claim 2, when the buffer memory of the mobile communication device is used for the buffering of the PTT communication, further comprising the acts of:

identifying a user actuation of a PTT switch for initiating the PTT communication;

in response to identifying the user actuation of the PTT switch;

saving, in the buffer memory, digital data corresponding to input signals at the mobile communication device;

making a request for the PTT communication through the wireless communication network;

identifying that a floor grant has been received through the wireless communication network in response to the request; and

after identifying the floor grant, retrieving the digital data from the buffer memory and transmitting the digital data to the wireless communication network for the PTT communication.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device indication message further indicates a buffer size of the buffer memory used for the buffering of the PTT communication.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication device has a first buffer size of the buffer memory for a first media type and a second buffer size of the buffer memory for a second media type, and the mobile device indication message further indicates one of the first buffer size and the second buffer size used for the buffering of the PTT communication.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device indication message further indicates a buffer size of the buffer memory used for the buffering of the PTT communication, the method further comprising the acts of:

producing a subsequent message which indicates an updated buffer size of the buffer memory; and

transmitting the subsequent message which indicates the updated buffer size to the PTT service entity through the wireless communication network.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the PTT service entity through the wireless communication network, a network indication message which controls use of the buffering for the PTT communication; and

using the buffer memory for the buffering of the PTT communication based on the network indication message from the PTT service entity.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the PTT service entity through the wireless communication network, a network indication message which indicates a buffer size; and

using the buffer size of the buffer memory for the buffering of the PTT communication based on the network indication message from the PTT service entity.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to or during PTT communication session establishment;

receiving, from the PTT service entity through the wireless communication network, a network indication message which controls use of the buffering for the PTT communication; and

using the buffer memory for the buffering of the PTT communication based on the network indication message from the PTT service entity.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device indication message comprises one of a Session Description Protocol (SDP) message and a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device indication message further indicates that the mobile communication device supports a real-time control of the use of buffering at the mobile communication device by the PTT service entity during operation of the mobile communication device.

13. A mobile communication device, comprising:

one or more processors;

a wireless transceiver coupled to the one or more processors and adapted to provide communications through a wireless communication network;

the one or more processors being operative to;

produce a mobile device indication message which indicates whether support exists for buffering of a PTT communication from the mobile communication device with use of a buffer memory; and

transmit the mobile device indication message by the wireless transceiver to a PTT service entity through the wireless communication network.

14. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the mobile communication device includes the buffer memory for use in buffering PTT communications.

15. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the mobile communication devices fails to include the buffer memory for use in buffering PTT communications.

16. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the mobile device indication message further indicates a buffer size of the buffer memory used for the buffering of the PTT communication.

17. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the mobile communication device has a first buffer size of the buffer memory for a first media type and a second buffer size of the buffer memory for a second media type, and the mobile device indication message further indicates one of the first buffer size and the second buffer size used for the buffering of the PTT communication.

18. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the mobile device indication message further indicates a buffer size of the buffer memory used for the buffering of the PTT communication, and the one or more processors are further operative to:

produce a subsequent message which indicates an updated buffer size of the buffer memory; and

cause the subsequent message which indicates the updated buffer size to be transmitted to the PTT service entity through the wireless communication network.

19. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to:

receive, from the PTT service entity through the wireless communication network, a network indication message which controls use of the buffering for the PTT communication; and

use the buffer memory for the buffering of the PTT communication based on the network indication message from the PTT service entity.

20. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to:

prior to or during PTT communication session establishment;

receive, from the PTT service entity through the wireless communication network, a network indication message which controls use of the buffering for the PTT communication; and

use the buffer memory for the buffering of the PTT communication based on the network indication message from the PTT service entity.

21. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to:

receive, from the PTT service entity through the wireless communication network, a network indication message which indicates a buffer size of the buffer memory; and

use the buffer size of the buffer memory for the buffering of the PTT communication based on the network indication message from the PTT service entity.

22. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the mobile device indication message comprises one of a Session Description Protocol (SDP) message and a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message.

23. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the mobile device indication message further indicates that the mobile communication device supports a real-time control of the buffering at the mobile communication device by the PTT service entity during operation of the mobile communication device.

24. A method in a Push-To-Talk (PTT) server for providing PTT communications for a mobile communication device, the method comprising the acts of:

producing a network indication message which controls use of a buffer memory of the mobile communication device, the buffer memory used for buffering a PTT communication from the mobile communication device; and

transmitting the network indication message to the mobile communication device through a wireless communication network.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the network indication message further indicates a buffer size of the buffer memory for the buffering of the PTT communication.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the mobile communication device has a first buffer size of the buffer memory for a first media type and a second buffer size of the buffer memory for a second media type, and the network indication message further indicates one of the first buffer size and the second buffer size, used for the buffering of the PTT communication.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising the acts of:

producing a subsequent message which indicates an updated buffer size for the buffer memory; and

transmitting the subsequent message which indicates the updated buffer size to the mobile communication device through the wireless communication network.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the act of transmitting the network indication message is performed prior to or during PTT communication session establishment.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein the network indication message comprises one of a Session Description Protocol (SDP) message and a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message.

30. A Push-To-Talk (PTT) server which is adapted to produce a network indication message which controls use of a buffer memory of a mobile communication device which is used for buffering a PTT communication from the mobile communication device, and cause the network indication message to be transmitted to the mobile communication device through a wireless communication network.

31. The PTT server of claim 30, wherein the network indication message further indicates a buffer size of the buffer memory for the buffering of the PTT communication.

32. The PTT server of claim 30, wherein the mobile communication device has a first buffer size of the buffer memory for a first media type and a second buffer size of the buffer memory for a second media type, and the network indication message further indicates one of the first buffer size and the second buffer size used for the buffering of the PTT communication.

33. The PTT server of claim 30, wherein the network indication message further indicates a buffer size of the buffer memory used in the buffering for the PTT communication, and the PTT server is further adapted to produce a subsequent message which indicates an updated buffer size for the buffer memory, and cause the subsequent message which indicates the updated buffer size to be transmitted to the mobile communication device through the wireless communication network.

34. The PTT server of claim 30, wherein the PTT server is further adapted to cause the network indication message to be transmitted prior to or during PTT communication session establishment.

35. The PTT server of claim 30, wherein the network indication message comprises one of a Session Description Protocol (SDP) message and a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message.

36. A wireless communication system, comprising:

a wireless communication network;

a Push-To-Talk (PTT) service entity which communicates with the wireless communication network;

one or more mobile communication devices, each mobile communication device being adapted to operate in the wireless communication network and including;

one or more processors;

a wireless transceiver coupled to the one or more processors and being adapted to provide communications through the wireless communication network;

the one or more processors being operative to;

produce a mobile device indication message which indicates whether the mobile communication device supports buffering of a PTT communication with use of a buffer memory; and

cause the mobile device indication message to be transmitted by the wireless transceiver to the PTT service entity through the wireless communication network.

37. The wireless communication system of claim 36, further comprising:

the PTT service entity being adapted to produce a network indication message which controls use of the buffer memory of the mobile communication device for the buffering of the PTT communication from the mobile communication device, and to cause the network indication message to be transmitted to the mobile communication device through the wireless communication network.

38. The wireless communication system of claim 36, wherein at least one mobile communication device includes the buffer memory for use in buffering PTT communications.

39. The wireless communication system of claim 36, wherein the mobile device indication message comprises one of a Session Description Protocol (SDP) message and a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message.

40. A method in a mobile communication device operating in a wireless communication network for providing Push-To-Talk (PTT) communications, the method comprising the acts of:

receiving presence information associated with at least one other mobile communication device from a presence server;

identifying, from the presence information, a current availability or capability indication of the at least one other mobile communication device;

determining whether to buffer a PTT communication for the PTT communication session based on the current availability or capability indication;

buffering the PTT communication based on determining that the PTT communication should be buffered; and

engaging in the PTT communication session through the wireless communication network with use of the current availability or capability indication of the at least one mobile communication device.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the current availability or capability indication comprises a current availability indication of the at least one mobile communication device.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein the current availability or capability indication comprises a manually-set availability indication of the at least one mobile communication device.

43. The method of claim 40, wherein the current availability or capability indication comprises an automatic answering indication of the at least one mobile communication device for PTT communication sessions.

44. The method of claim 40, wherein the current availability or capability indication comprises a media capability indication of the at least one mobile communication device.

45. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

refraining from buffering the PTT communication based on determining that the PTT communication should not be buffered.

46. A mobile communication device, comprising:

one or more processors;

a wireless transceiver coupled to the one or more processors and adapted to provide communications through a wireless communication network;

the one or more processors being operative to;

receive, through the wireless transceiver, presence information associated with at least one other mobile communication device from a presence server;

identify, from the presence information, a current availability or capability indication of the at least one other mobile communication device; and

engage in a PTT communication session through a wireless communication network with use of the current availability or capability indication of the at least one mobile communication device.

47. The mobile communication device of claim 46, wherein the current availability or capability indication comprises a current availability indication of the at least one mobile communication device.

48. The mobile communication device of claim 46, wherein the current availability or capability indication comprises a manually-set availability indication of the at least one mobile communication device.

49. The mobile communication device of claim 46, wherein the current availability or capability indication comprises an automatic answering indication of the at least one mobile communication device for PTT communication sessions.

50. The mobile communication device of claim 46, wherein the current availability or capability indication comprises a media capability indication of the at least one mobile communication device.

51. The mobile communication device of claim 46, wherein the act of engaging in the PTT communication session with use of the current availability or capability indication of the at least one mobile communication device comprises the further act of:

determining whether to buffer a PTT communication for the PTT communication session based on the current availability or capability indication;

buffering the PTT communication based on determining that the PTT communication should be buffered; and

refraining from buffering the PTT communication based on determining that the PTT communication should not be buffered.

52. A Push-To-Talk (PTT) server which is adapted to provide presence information associated with mobile communication devices including automatic answering indications of the mobile communication device for PTT communication sessions, and cause the capability indications to be transmitted to a mobile communication device through a wireless communication network for the PTT communication sessions.