Method and system for providing information about a push-to-talk communication session

• US 7,809,390 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2006
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STA Group, LLC
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shaffer, Shmuel, Talukder, Shah, Zanone, Dean M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson; Matthew D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Aminzay; Shaima Q
• Application Number:
  US11/554,210
• Publication Number:
  US 20080102869A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,436 Days
• Field of Search: 455/518, 455/519, 455/416, 455/418, 455/41.2, 455/3.05, 455/90.2, 455/67.13, 455/509, 379/202.01, 379/88.19, 379/312, 370/260, 370/276, 370/395, 370/296, 370/352
• US Class Current: 455/518
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4061 Push-to services, e.g. push-to-talk or push-to-video
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• 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 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

A method for providing information about a push-to-talk communication session includes facilitating a push-to-talk communication session among a plurality of endpoints and receiving from a first endpoint of the plurality of endpoints a request for floor control comprising a request to transmit communications in the communication session. The method includes, in response to receiving the request for floor control, providing to the first endpoint a signal communication indicating a status message and that the first endpoint has been granted floor control in the push-to-talk communication session.

Claims

1. A method for providing information about a push-to-talk communication session, comprising:

facilitating a push-to-talk communication session among a plurality of endpoints;

receiving from a first endpoint of the plurality of endpoints a request for floor control comprising a request to transmit communications in the communication session; and

in response to receiving the request for floor control, providing to the first endpoint a signal communication indicating a status message comprising an indication that the communication session comprises at least one endpoint of a lower security level than the first endpoint and that the first endpoint has been granted floor control in the push-to-talk communication session.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the status message comprises an indication that upcoming communications from the first endpoint will be recorded.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the signal communication comprises a speech communication.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the speech communication comprises the prompt “

recording.”

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal communication comprises:

a first signal indicating the status message; and

a second signal indicating that the first endpoint has been granted floor control.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal communication comprises a speech communication.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the speech communication comprises the prompt “

unsecured.”

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of endpoints comprise endpoints of at least two different communication networks participating in a virtual talk group.

9. A system for providing information about a push-to-talk communication session, comprising:

a processor operable to facilitate a push-to-talk communication session among a plurality of endpoints;

an interface coupled to the processor and operable to receive from a first endpoint of the plurality of endpoints a request for floor control comprising a request to transmit communications in the communication session; and

the processor operable to, in response to receiving the request for floor control, provide to the first endpoint a signal communication indicating a status message comprising an indication that the communication session comprises at least one endpoint of a lower security level than the first endpoint and that the first endpoint has been granted floor control in the push-to-talk communication session.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the status message comprises an indication that upcoming communications from the first endpoint will be recorded.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the signal communication comprises a speech communication.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the speech communication comprises the prompt “

recording.”

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the signal communication comprises:

a first signal indicating the status message; and

a second signal indicating that the first endpoint has been granted floor control.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the signal communication comprises a speech communication.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the speech communication comprises the prompt “

unsecured.”

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of endpoints comprise endpoints of at least two different communication networks participating in a virtual talk group.

17. Logic embodied in a tangible and non-transitory computer readable medium, the tangible and non-transitory computer readable medium comprising code that when executed by a processor is configured to:

facilitate a push-to-talk communication session among a plurality of endpoints;

receive from a first endpoint of the plurality of endpoints a request for floor control comprising a request to transmit communications in the communication session; and

in response to receiving the request for floor control, provide to the first endpoint a signal communication indicating a status message comprising an indication that the communication session comprises at least one endpoint of a lower security level than the first endpoint and that the first endpoint has been granted floor control in the push-to-talk communication session.

18. The medium of claim 17, wherein the status message comprises an indication that upcoming communications from the first endpoint will be recorded.

19. The medium of claim 18, wherein the signal communication comprises a speech communication.

20. The medium of claim 19, wherein the speech communication comprises the prompt “

recording.”

21. The medium of claim 17, wherein the signal communication comprises:

a first signal indicating the status message; and

a second signal indicating that the first endpoint has been granted floor control.

22. The medium of claim 17, wherein the signal communication comprises a speech communication.

23. The medium of claim 22, wherein the speech communication comprises the prompt “

unsecured.”

24. The medium of claim 17, wherein the plurality of endpoints comprise endpoints of at least two different communication networks participating in a virtual talk group.

25. A system for providing information about a push-to-talk communication session, comprising:

means for facilitating a push-to-talk communication session among a plurality of endpoints;

means for receiving from a first endpoint of the plurality of endpoints a request for floor control comprising a request to transmit communications in the communication session; and

means for, in response to receiving the request for floor control, providing to the first endpoint a signal communication indicating a status message comprising an indication that the communication session comprises at least one endpoint of a lower security level than the first endpoint and that the first endpoint has been granted floor control in the push-to-talk communication session.

26. A method for providing information about a push-to-talk communication session, comprising:

facilitating a push-to-talk communication session among a plurality of endpoints;

providing floor control to a first endpoint of the plurality of endpoints to enable a user of the first endpoint to communicate in the communication session;

receiving from a second endpoint of the plurality of endpoints a request signal while the first endpoint has floor control; and

in response to receiving the request signal, providing to the second endpoint a response communication indicating information associated with the first endpoint, the information comprising at least an indication that the first endpoint is of a lower security level than the second endpoint.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the information associated with the first endpoint comprises an identity of a user of the first endpoint.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the response communication comprises a speech communication of a name of the user of the first endpoint.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the information associated with the first endpoint comprises an identity of a type of the first endpoint.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the request signal comprises a floor control request signal.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein the response communication comprises:

a first signal indicating the information associated with the first endpoint; and

a second signal indicating denial of floor control to the second endpoint.

32. A system for providing information about a push-to-talk communication session, comprising:

a processor operable to;

facilitate a push-to-talk communication session among a plurality of endpoints; and

provide floor control to a first endpoint of the plurality of endpoints to enable a user of the first endpoint to communicate in the communication session;

an interface coupled to the processor and operable to receive from a second endpoint of the plurality of endpoints a request signal while the first endpoint has floor control; and

a processor operable to, in response to receiving the request signal, provide to the second endpoint a response communication indicating information associated with the first endpoint, the information comprising at least an indication that the first endpoint is of a lower security level than the second endpoint.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the information associated with the first endpoint comprises an identity of a user of the first endpoint.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein the response communication comprises a speech communication of a name of the user of the first endpoint.

35. The system of claim 32, wherein the information associated with the first endpoint comprises an identity of a type of the first endpoint.

36. The system of claim 32, wherein the request signal comprises a floor control request signal.

37. The system of claim 32, wherein the response communication comprises:

a first signal indicating the information associated with the first endpoint; and

a second signal indicating denial of floor control to the second endpoint.

38. Logic embodied in a tangible and non-transitory computer readable medium, the tangible and non-transitory computer readable medium comprising code that when executed by a processor is configured to:

facilitate a push-to-talk communication session among a plurality of endpoints;

provide floor control to a first endpoint of the plurality of endpoints to enable a user of the first endpoint to communicate in the communication session;

receive from a second endpoint of the plurality of endpoints a request signal while the first endpoint has floor control; and

in response to receiving the request signal, provide to the second endpoint a response communication indicating information associated with the first endpoint, the information comprising at least an indication that the first endpoint is of a lower security level than the second endpoint.

39. A system for providing information about a push-to-talk communication session, comprising:

means for facilitating a push-to-talk communication session among a plurality of endpoints;

means for providing floor control to a first endpoint of the plurality of endpoints to enable a user of the first endpoint to communicate in the communication session;

means for receiving from a second endpoint of the plurality of endpoints a request signal while the first endpoint has floor control; and

means for, in response to receiving the request signal, providing to the second endpoint a response communication indicating information associated with the first endpoint, the information comprising at least an indication that the first endpoint is of a lower security level than the second endpoint.