Method to identify voice over packet device capability and use it to make appropriate calls with other client devices

• US 7,944,896 B1
• Filed: 04/26/2005
• Issued: 05/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Rawat, Vikram Kumar, Bao, Derek Hongwei
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo; Ricky
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yuen; Kan
• Application Number:
  US11/114,187
• Time in Patent Office: 2,212 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/340, 370/341, 455/518, 455/519, 455/520, 455/521, 455/435.1, 455/507
• US Class Current: 370/338
• 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

A system provides push-to-talk (PTT) or similar communication service via a radio access network providing wireless mobile packet data communications for mobile stations. A server distributes packets of digitized audio received from a broadcasting mobile station to one or more client devices of other parties. The called client device(s), however, may not all have the same communications capabilities as the broadcasting mobile station. Signaling procedures are adapted to inform the broadcasting station of the capabilities of the other client device(s). This enables the broadcasting mobile station to configure its transmissions of digitized audio through the network for compatibility with the capabilities of the other client device(s). Proper configuration avoids loss of data at the destination, particularly at the start of a PTT transmission, due to transmission in a form or configuration that may be incompatible with one or more of the receiving stations.

Claims

1. A call processing method, for set-up of a voice over packet communication via a radio access network between a mobile station and one of a plurality of client devices, at least some of the client devices having a plurality of different communication capabilities, the method comprising steps of:

receiving registration information from the one client device;

receiving and forwarding encoded voice packet information between the mobile station and the one client device, which has been communicated through the radio access network in a manner that is compatible with a default communication capability;

in response to the received registration information, identifying a communication capability of the one client device from among the different communication capabilities;

communicating information as to the identified communication capability of the one client device, to the mobile station, through the radio access network, wherein the communication of the information as to the communication capability of the one client device to the mobile station follows completion of the receiving and forwarding of voice packet information communicated in the manner compatible with the default communication capability;

receiving encoded voice packet information from the mobile station, wherein the voice packet information has been communicated through the radio access network in one manner that is compatible with the communication capability of the client device selected from among a plurality of manners compatible with the plurality of different communication capabilities of the client devices;

forwarding the encoded voice packet information to the one client device; and

wherein the receiving and forwarding of the encoded voice packet information supports a push-to-talk service offered through the radio access network to the mobile station and the one client device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating with the mobile station to register the mobile station;

wherein the information as to the communication capability of the one client device is communicated to the mobile station as part of the communication to register the mobile station.

3. The method of claim of claim 2, wherein the receiving of registration information from the one client device involves an exchange of Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) messages with the one client device;

and

the communication to register the mobile station includes an exchange of SIP messages with the mobile station.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising forwarding the encoded voice packet information to another client device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the client devices comprise mobile stations, and the voice packet information has been communicated through the radio access network in a manner that is compatible with a communication capability that the mobile station client devices provide in common.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the encoded voice packet information has been vocoded at a rate that is compatible with the communication capability of the mobile station client devices.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the encoded voice packet information is received and forwarded via the radio access network using a radio link service option that is compatible with the common capability of the mobile station client devices, selected from among a plurality of service options available through the radio access network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of registration information includes receiving information indicating communication capability from the one client device;

and

the identifying of the communication capability is responsive to the information indicating communication capability received from the one client device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of registration information does not explicitly indicate the communication capability of the one client device;

and

the identifying of the communication capability of the client device comprises assigning a default communication capability with respect to the one client device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the set-up of the voice over data-packet communication is done on an ad hoc basis between the subscribers associated with the one client device and the mobile station.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the subscribers associated with the one client device and the mobile station are members of a pre-defined group;

and

the set-up of the voice over data-packet communication is between members of the pre-defined group.

12. A system for set-up of a voice over packet communication via a radio access network between a mobile station and one of a plurality of client devices, at least some of the client devices having a plurality of different communication capabilities, wherein the system comprises:

a server configured to implement call processing functions operable for;

receiving registration information from the one client device;

receiving and forwarding encoded voice packet information between the mobile station and the one client device, which has been communicated through the radio access network in a manner that is compatible with a default communication capability;

in response to the received registration information, identifying a communication capability of the one client device from among the different communication capabilities;

communicating information as to the identified communication capability of the one client device, to the mobile station, through the radio access network, wherein the communication of the information as to the communication capability of the one client device to the mobile station follows completion of the receiving and forwarding of voice packet information communicated in the manner compatible with the default communication capability;

receiving encoded voice packet information from the mobile station, wherein the voice packet information has been communicated through the radio access network in one manner that is compatible with the communication capability of the client device selected from among a plurality of manners compatible with the plurality of different communication capabilities of the client devices;

forwarding the encoded voice packet information to the one client device; and

wherein the receiving and forwarding of the encoded voice packet information supports a push-to-talk service offered through the radio access network to the mobile station and the one client device.

13. A product comprising:

a non-transitory machine readable storage medium; and

executable instructions embodied in the machine readable storage medium, wherein execution of the executable instructions causes a programmable device to implement functions for set-up of a voice over packet communication via a radio access network between a mobile station and one of a plurality of client devices, at least some of the client devices having a plurality of different communication capabilities, the functions comprising;

receiving registration information from the one client device;

receiving and forwarding encoded voice packet information between the mobile station and the one client device, which has been communicated through the radio access network in a manner that is compatible with a default communication capability;

in response to the received registration information, identifying a communication capability of the one client device from among the different communication capabilities;

communicating information as to the identified communication capability of the one client device, to the mobile station, through the radio access network, wherein the communication of the information as to the communication capability of the one client device to the mobile station follows completion of the receiving and forwarding of voice packet information communicated in the manner compatible with the default communication capability;

receiving encoded voice packet information from the mobile station, wherein the voice packet information has been communicated through the radio access network in one manner that is compatible with the communication capability of the client device selected from among a plurality of manners compatible with the plurality of different communication capabilities of the client devices;

forwarding the encoded voice packet information to the one client device; and

wherein the receiving and forwarding of the encoded voice packet information supports a push-to-talk service offered through the radio access network to the mobile station and the one client device.