SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MULTIPLE SIMULTANEOUS COMMUNICATION GROUPS IN A WIRELESS SYSTEM

• US 20130165174A1
• Filed: 02/20/2013
• Published: 06/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Crockett, Douglas M., Reich, Jason A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,700,080 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/519
• 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
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/08 Trunked mobile radio systems

Abstract

A system and method enable a wireless device to support simultaneously multiple push-to-talk (PTT) communications and interrupt certain PTT communication with higher priority ones. A user subscribes to multiple PTT communication groups and designates one of the groups as the primary group. The wireless device receives and plays PTT communications from the multiple PTT communication groups and interrupts playing of a PTT communication from a non-primary group if a PTT communication is received from the primary PTT communication group.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring multiple group communications at a wireless device having an audio device on a wireless network, comprising:

subscribing to multiple group communication groups, each group composed of a plurality of wireless devices capable of communicating with each other member device of the group;

monitoring, for a group communication session with a first of the multiple group communication groups, a fixed media connection between the wireless device and a group communication server, the fixed media connection configured to carry group communication media associated with a single group communication group at a time;

receiving non-media control information associated with one or more of the multiple group communication groups from the group communication server without establishing another media connection with the group communication server; and

receiving group communication media over the fixed media connection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the received non-media control information is received over a control connection between the wireless device and the group communication server that is separate from the fixed media connection.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the received non-media control information includes information associated with a second of the multiple group communication groups, further comprising:

displaying the received information on the wireless device,

wherein the receiving group communication media step continues to receive group communication media over the fixed media connection that is associated with the first group communication group during the displaying step.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the received information is sent in lieu of the receiving group communication media step transitioning to the second group communication group based on a recognition, at the group communication server, that the first group communication group has a higher priority than the second group communication group for the wireless device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving step transitions from (i) receiving group communication media over the fixed media connection that is associated with the first group communication group to (ii) receiving group communication media over the fixed media connection that is associated with a second group communication group, such that audio playback of the group communication media for the first communication group is interrupted.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the transition of group communication media from the first group communication group to the second group communication group is implemented at the group communication server based on the second group communication group having a higher priority than the first group communication group for the wireless device.

7. A method of supporting multiple group communications at a group communication server for a wireless device having an audio device on a wireless network, comprising:

determining, for a group communication session with a first of multiple group communication groups, a fixed media connection between the group communication server and the wireless device, the fixed media connection configured to carry group communication media associated a single group communication group at a time;

transmitting non-media control information associated with one or more of the multiple group communication groups to the wireless device; and

transmitting group communication media to the wireless device over the fixed media connection.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the transmitted non-media control information is transmitted over a control connection between the wireless device and the group communication server that is separate from the fixed media connection.

9. The method of claim 7,

wherein the non-media control information includes information associated with a second of the multiple group communication groups, and

wherein the transmitting group communication media step continues to transmit group communication media over the fixed media connection that is associated with the first group communication group while the transmitting non-media control information step is transmitting the information associated with the second of the multiple group communication groups.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the transmitting non-media control information step transmits the information associated with the second of the multiple group communication groups in lieu of the transmitting group communication media step transitioning to the second group communication group based on a recognition, at the group communication server, that the first group communication group has a higher priority than the second group communication group for the wireless device.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the transmitting group communication media step transitions from (i) transmitting group communication media over the fixed media connection that is associated with the first group communication group to (ii) transmitting group communication media over the fixed media connection that is associated with a second group communication group.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the transition of group communication media from the first group communication group to the second group communication group is implemented at the group communication server based on the second group communication group having a higher priority than the first group communication group for the wireless device.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving group communication media associated with a second of the multiple group communication groups while the transmitting group communication media step is transmitting the group communication media associated with the first group communication group;

determining that the second group communication group has a higher priority than the first group communication group;

mixing the group communication media associated with the first and second group communication groups such that the mixed group communication media is configured to be played by the wireless device with the group communication media associated with the second group communication group having a higher volume than the group communication media associated with the first group communication group;

continuing the transmitting group communication media step by transmitting the mixed group communication media to the wireless device over the fixed media connection.

14. A wireless device having an audio device and configured to monitor multiple group communications on a wireless network, comprising:

means for subscribing to multiple group communication groups, each group composed of a plurality of wireless devices capable of communicating with each other member device of the group;

means for monitoring, for a group communication session with a first of the multiple group communication groups, a fixed media connection between the wireless device and a group communication server, the fixed media connection configured to carry group communication media associated with a single group communication group at a time;

means for receiving non-media control information associated with one or more of the multiple group communication groups from the group communication server without establishing another media connection with the group communication server; and

means for receiving group communication media over the fixed media connection.

15. A group communication server configured to support multiple group communications for a wireless device having an audio device on a wireless network, comprising:

means for determining, for a group communication session with a first of multiple group communication groups, a fixed media connection between the group communication server and the wireless device, the fixed media connection configured to carry group communication media associated a single group communication group at a time;

means for transmitting non-media control information associated with one or more of the multiple group communication groups to the wireless device; and

means for transmitting group communication media to the wireless device over the fixed media connection.

16. A wireless device having an audio device and configured to monitor multiple group communications on a wireless network, comprising:

a controller configured to subscribe to multiple group communication groups, each group composed of a plurality of wireless devices capable of communicating with each other member device of the group, and to monitor, for a group communication session with a first of the multiple group communication groups, a fixed media connection between the wireless device and a group communication server, the fixed media connection configured to carry group communication media associated with a single group communication group at a time; and

a receiver configured to receive non-media control information associated with one or more of the multiple group communication groups from the group communication server without establishing another media connection with the group communication server and means for receiving group communication media over the fixed media connection.

17. A group communication server configured to support multiple group communications for a wireless device having an audio device on a wireless network, comprising:

a processor configured to determine, for a group communication session with a first of multiple group communication groups, a fixed media connection between the group communication server and the wireless device, the fixed media connection configured to carry group communication media associated a single group communication group at a time;

a transmitting configured to transmit non-media control information associated with one or more of the multiple group communication groups to the wireless device; and

a transmitter configured to transmit group communication media to the wireless device over the fixed media connection.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a wireless device having an audio device and configured to monitor multiple group communications on a wireless network, cause the wireless device to perform operations, the instructions comprising:

at least one instruction for causing the wireless device to subscribe to multiple group communication groups, each group composed of a plurality of wireless devices capable of communicating with each other member device of the group;

at least one instruction for causing the wireless device to monitor, for a group communication session with a first of the multiple group communication groups, a fixed media connection between the wireless device and a group communication server, the fixed media connection configured to carry group communication media associated with a single group communication group at a time;

at least one instruction for causing the wireless device to receive non-media control information associated with one or more of the multiple group communication groups from the group communication server without establishing another media connection with the group communication server; and

at least one instruction for causing the wireless device to receive group communication media over the fixed media connection.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a group communication server configured to support multiple group communications for a wireless device having an audio device on a wireless network, cause the group communication server to perform operations, the instructions comprising:

at least one instruction for causing the group communication server to determine, for a group communication session with a first of multiple group communication groups, a fixed media connection between the group communication server and the wireless device, the fixed media connection configured to carry group communication media associated a single group communication group at a time;

at least one instruction for causing the group communication server to transmit non-media control information associated with one or more of the multiple group communication groups to the wireless device; and

at least one instruction for causing the group communication server to transmit group communication media to the wireless device over the fixed media connection.