Method and system for simultaneously sharing wireless communications among multiple wireless handsets

• US 6,522,886 B1
• Filed: 11/22/1999
• Issued: 02/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nabkel, Jafar, Gillespie, Donald E., Youngs, Edward A., Siegel-Jacobs, Karen, Benson, Harvey J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thanh Cong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harry, Andrew T
• Application Number:
  US09/447,137
• Time in Patent Office: 1,184 Days
• Field of Search: 455/450, 455/416, 455/464, 455/509, 455/517, 455/518, 455/519, 370/263, 370/322, 370/329, 370/341, 370/342, 370/343, 370/345
• US Class Current: 455/450
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services

Abstract

A method and system for simultaneously sharing wireless communications among multiple wireless handsets deployed in a wireless network having at least one cell site associated therewith includes a first and second wireless handset for transmitting a request for the same wireless communication. The wireless network then assigns a first wireless receive channel to the first wireless handset and the second wireless handset and simultaneously transmits the requested wireless communication to the first and second wireless handsets for receipt by the first wireless receive channel. If the requested wireless communication originates from a source handset, and the first and second handsets are located in direct communication proximity to the source handset, the source handset itself negotiates the common wireless receive channel for receiving the requested wireless communication.

Claims

1. A method for simultaneously sharing wireless communications among multiple wireless handsets deployed in a wireless network having at least one cell site coverage area associated therewith, the method comprising:

receiving a request for the same wireless communication from a first and second wireless handset;

assigning a first wireless receive channel to the first wireless handset and the second wireless handset; and

simultaneously transmitting the requested wireless communication via the first wireless receive channel for receipt by the first and second wireless handset;

wherein receiving the request includes receiving a command signal selecting one of a plurality of pre-established communication choices.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the command signal is a predetermined number entered by a subscriber of one of the first and second wireless handsets.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the command signal is a number key depression made by a subscriber of one of the first and second wireless handsets as prompted by the one of the first and second wireless handsets.

4. A system for simultaneously sharing wireless communications among multiple wireless handsets deployed in a wireless network having at least one cell site coverage area associated therewith, the system comprising:

a first and second wireless handset each for transmitting a request for the same wireless communication; and

the wireless network for assigning a first wireless receive channel to the first wireless handset and the second wireless handset and simultaneously transmitting the requested wireless communication via the first wireless receive channel for receipt by the first and second wireless handsets;

wherein each of the first and second wireless handsets are further operative to transmit a command signal selecting one of a plurality of pre-established communication choices.

5. The system as recited in claim 4 wherein the command signal is a predetermined number entered by a subscriber of one of the first and second wireless handsets.

6. The system as recited in claim 4 wherein the command signal is a number key depression made by a subscriber of one of the first and second wireless handsets as prompted by the one of the first and second wireless handsets.

7. A method for simultaneously sharing wireless communications among multiple wireless handsets deployed in a wireless network having at least one cell site coverage area associated therewith, wherein the wireless communications originates from a source handset, the method comprising:

receiving a request at the source handset for the same wireless communication from a first and second wireless handset located within direct communication proximity to the source handset;

assigning a first wireless receive channel to the first and second wireless handsets in response to the request; and

simultaneously transmitting the requested wireless communication via the first wireless channel for receipt by the first and second wireless handsets.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein simultaneously transmitting the requested wireless communication further includes simultaneously transmitting the requested wireless communication at a power level based on the location of the first and second wireless handsets.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 further comprising receiving the simultaneously transmitted wireless communication at the first and second wireless handsets at varying levels of receive signal strength.

10. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein receiving the request includes receiving a command signal selecting one of a plurality of pre-established communication choices.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein the command signal is a predetermined number entered by a subscriber of one of the first and second wireless handsets.

12. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein the command signal is a number key depression made by a subscriber of one of the first and second wireless handsets as prompted by the one of the first and second wireless handsets.

13. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein each of the first and second wireless handsets has wireless transmit channel for transmitting communications and the method further comprising dynamically muting the wireless transmit channels of each of the first and second wireless handsets so as to restrict conversation during the simultaneous transmission of the wireless communication.

14. The method as recited in claim 7 further comprising:

receiving a request from the first and second wireless handsets to participate in a multi-party communication while assigned the first wireless receive channel; and

assigning a first wireless transmit channel to the first and second wireless handsets so as to allow multi-party communication between the source handset and the first and second wireless handsets while simultaneously receiving the same wireless communication.

15. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein the source handset is located in a first cell site coverage area and the wherein the wireless network further includes a second cell cite coverage area, the method further comprising:

receiving a request for the same wireless communication at the wireless network from a third wireless handset located in one of the first cell site coverage area outside direct communication proximity to the source handset and a second cell site coverage area different from the first cell site coverage area;

assigning a second wireless receive channel to the third wireless handset; and

simultaneously transmitting the requested wireless communication via the first wireless receive channel for receipt by the first and second wireless handsets and via the second wireless receive channel for receipt by the third wireless handset.

16. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein the first and second wireless receive channels are the same.

17. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein the first and second wireless receive channels are different.

18. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein the third wireless handset has a wireless transmit channel for transmitting communications, the method further comprising:

receiving a request from a least one of the first, second and third wireless handsets to participate in a multi-party communication while assigned the first and second wireless receive channels, respectively; and

assigning a first wireless transmit channel to the first and second wireless handsets and a second wireless transmit channel to the third wireless handset so as to allow multi-party communication between the first, second and third wireless handsets while simultaneously receiving the same wireless communication.

19. The method as recited in claim 18 wherein the first and second wireless transmit channels are the same.

20. The method a recited in claim 18 wherein the first and second wireless transmit channels are different.

21. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein the wireless communication includes at least one of an audio, video, and data communication.

22. A system for simultaneously sharing wireless communications among multiple wireless handsets deployed in a wireless network having at least one cell site coverage area associated therewith, wherein the wireless communications originates from a source handset, the system comprising:

a first and second wireless handset located within direct communication proximity to the source handset in a first cell site coverage area for transmitting a request for the same wireless communication; and

the source handset for assigning a first wireless receive channel to the first and second wireless handsets in response to the request and simultaneously transmitting the requested wireless communication via the first wireless receive channel for receipt by the first and second wireless handsets.

23. The system as recited in claim 22 wherein the source handset, in simultaneously transmitting the requested wireless communication, is further operative to simultaneously transmit the requested wireless communication at a power level based on the location of the first and second wireless handsets.

24. The system as recited in claim 23 wherein the first and second wireless handsets are further operative to receive the simultaneously transmitted wireless communication at varying levels of receive signal strength.

25. The system as recited in claim 22 wherein each of the first and second wireless handsets are further operative to transmit a command signal selecting one of a plurality of pre-established communication choices.

26. The system as recited in claim 25 wherein the command signal is a predetermined number entered by a subscriber of one of the first and second wireless handsets.

27. The system as recited in claim 25 wherein the command signal is a number key depression made by a subscriber of one of the first and second wireless handsets as prompted by the one of the first and second wireless handsets.

28. The system as recited in claim 22 wherein each of the first and second wireless handsets has a wireless transmit channel for transmitting communications and wherein the source handset is further operative to dynamically mute the wireless transmit channels of each of the first and second wireless handsets so as to restrict conversation during the simultaneous transmission of the wireless communication.

29. The system as recited in claim 22 wherein each of the first and second wireless handsets are further operative to transmit a request to participate in a multi-party communication while assigned the first wireless receive channel, and wherein the source handset is further operative to assign a first wireless transmit channel to the first and second wireless handsets so as to allow multi-party communication between the source handset and the first and second wireless handsets while they are simultaneously receiving the same wireless communication.

30. The system as recited in claim 22 wherein the source handset is located in a first cell site coverage area and wherein the wireless network further includes a second cell site coverage area, the method further comprising:

a third wireless handset located in one of the first cell site coverage area outside direct communication proximity to the source handset and a second cell site coverage area different from the first cell site coverage area for transmitting a request for the same wireless communication; and

the wireless network for receiving the request from the third wireless, assigning a second wireless receive channel to the third wireless handset, and simultaneously transmitting the requested wireless communication via the second wireless receive channel for receipt by the third wireless handset.

31. The system as recited in claim 30 wherein the first and second wireless receive channels are the same.

32. The system as recited in claim 30 wherein the first and second wireless receive channels are different.

33. The system as recited in claim 30 wherein the third wireless handset further includes a wireless transmit channel for transmitting communications, the system further comprising:

at least one of the first, second and third wireless handsets transmitting a request to participate in a multi-party communication while assigned the first and second wireless receive channels, respectively;

the source handset for assigning a first wireless transmit channel to the first and second wireless handsets; and

the wireless network for assigning a second wireless transmit channel to the third wireless handset so as to allow multi-party communication between the first, second and third wireless handsets while simultaneously receiving the same wireless communication.

34. The system as recited in claim 33 wherein the first and second wireless transmit channels are the same.

35. The system as recited in claim 33 wherein the first and second wireless transmit channels are different.

36. The system as recited in claim 22 wherein the wireless communication includes at least one of an audio, video, and data communication.