Method for maintaining audience continuity of a communication group call

• US 5,491,835 A
• Filed: 02/18/1994
• Issued: 02/13/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wolfe, John A., Sasuta, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne D.
• Application Number:
  US08/198,932
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 455/17, 455/34.1, 455/34.2, 455/54.1
• US Class Current: 455/509
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/30 Connection release
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

In a multi-site communication system (100), audience continuity of an established communication group call can be maintained by a central controller (116) in the following manner. Upon initial establishment of the call, the central controller (116) allocates a communication resource (105-108) of each site in a first set of sites (101-104) to the communication group and establishes an audience list of active communication units (111-115). The audience list is continually updated with information on newly transmitting communication units and relocation information of communication units already in the list throughout the group call. When the group call ends, the audience list is maintained for a predetermined period of time. If during this predetermined period of time, a subsequent group call is requested for the same communication group, the group call can be re-established based on the information contained in the audience list.

Claims

1. A method for maintaining audience continuity of a communication group call, the method comprises the steps of:

a) allocating a communication resource in each site of a first set of sites to establish a communication group call for a particular communication group;

b) generating an audience list to include identity of at least two communication units of the particular communication group and site location of the at least two communication units;

c) modifying the audience list with a new site location for one of the at least two communication units when the one of the at least two communication units relocates into a new site that is not within the first set of sites;

d) modifying the audience list with an identity of another communication unit and a site location for the another communication unit when the another communication unit initiates a transmit operation;

e) reclaiming the each communication resource in each site of the first set of sites when another transmit operation is not initiated by a member of the particular communication group before a first time period expires; and

f) allocating a communication resource in each site that is identified as the site location for a communication unit in the audience list when a member of the particular communication group initiates the another transmit operation after the first time period has elapsed but prior to expiration of a second time period, such that, for the duration of the second time period, audience continuity is maintained for the particular communication group.

2. In the method of claim 1, step (c) further comprises allocating a communication resource in the new site, when the communication resource is available.

3. In the method of claim 2, step (c) further comprises reclaiming an allocated communication resource in the new site from a second communication group call to produce a reclaimed communication resource and allocating the reclaimed communication resource to the particular communication group, when the communication resource is not available.

4. In the method of claim 1, step (d) further comprises allocating a communication resource in another site identified as the site location for the another communication unit, when the another site does not presently have a communication resource allocated to the particular communication group.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprises deleting the audience list after the expiration of the second time period.

6. A method for maintaining audience continuity of a communication group call, the method comprising the steps of:

a) allocating a communication resource in each site of a first set of predetermined sites to the particular communication group;

b) generating an audience list to include identity of at least two communication units of the particular communication group and site location of the at least two communication units;

c) modifying the audience list with a new site location for one of the at least two communication units when the one of the at least two communication units relocates into a new site that is not within the first set of sites, or modifying the audience list with an identity of another communication unit and a site location for the another communication unit when the another communication unit initiates a transmit operation; and

d) prior to expiration of a predetermined period of time, utilizing the audience list to re-establish the communication group call for the particular communication group by allocating a communication resource in each site identified as a site location for each communication unit listed in the audience list, when the communication resources allocated to the particular communication group have been reclaimed.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprises deleting the audience list after the predetermined period of time elapses.

8. A method for maintaining audience continuity of a communication group call, the method comprising the steps of:

a) establishing a group call for a particular communication group;

b) generating an audience list of site locations of each communication unit that transmits during the group call, wherein the audience list includes a list of sites that have affiliated therewith, a communication unit that has transmitted during the group call;

c) reclaiming the communication resources allocated to the particular communication group when another transmit operation is not initiated by a member of the particular communication group before a first time period expires; and

d) when the member of the particular communication group initiates the transmit operation after expiration of the first time period but prior to expiration of a second time period, re-establishing the communication group call for the particular communication group in the each site listed in the audience list, such that, for the duration of the second time period, audience continuity is maintained for the particular communication group.

9. In the method of claim 8, step (a) further comprises storing the audience to produce stored site information.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprises deleting the stored site information when the second time period expires.

11. In the method of claim 8, step (d) further comprises re-establishing the communication group call with at least one site that is not listed in the audience list when the at least one site has a key communication unit affiliated therewith.