Method and apparatus for interworking between push-to-talk over cellular (PoC) systems and instant messaging (IM) systems

• US 8,315,190 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2006
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Atarius, Roozbeh, Subramanian, Ramachandran
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Ricky
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phuongchau B
• Application Number:
  US11/341,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20060212525A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,490 Days
• Field of Search: 340/278, 340/285, 340/322, 340/328, 340/352, 340/401, 340/433, 340/443, 340/447, 340/461, 340462-467, 340/493, 370/260, 370/263, 370/273, 370/352, 370/528, 455/509, 455517-518
• US Class Current: 370/263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• 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

Abstract

A method and apparatus for interworking between push-to-talk over cellular (PoC) systems and instant messaging (IM) systems is provided. An interworking entity that behaves like a PoC client to a PoC server and as an IM client to the IM server is provided. The interworking entity may be implemented as part of the PoC server or the IM server. The interworking entity listens to talk bursts from the PoC server and when it receives a talk burst the interworking entity sends the message to the IM client via the IM server. In an embodiment, the interworking entity listens to talk bursts or audio clips from the IM server and when it receives them, stores them in a temporary storage memory and converts them to a streaming format. The interworking entity then requests the floor from the PoC server, and, once the floor is granted, streams the stored audio clip or talk burst to the PoC server. The PoC server then distributes the clips to the PoC clients.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting a message, the method comprising:

receiving, at an interworking entity, a message from a first terminal in an instant messaging (IM) system, wherein the message does not include floor signaling;

queuing the message in a temporary storage;

converting the message to a streaming format;

automatically requesting, at the interworking entity, a floor from a push-to-talk over cellular (PoC) system based on the converting; and

streaming, at the interworking entity, the message to a server in the push-to-talk over cellular (PoC) system upon receipt of the floor.

2. The method of claim 1, where the interworking entity is implemented in an instant messaging (IM) server.

3. The method of claim 1, where the interworking entity is implemented in a push-to-talk (PoC) server.

4. The method of claim 1, where the interworking entity is implemented as a separate entity in communication with both an instant messaging (IM) server and a push-to-talk over cellular (PoC) server.

5. The method of claim 1, where converting the message to a streaming format is performed in parallel with streaming the message to the server in the push-to-talk over cellular (PoC) system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein requesting the floor occurs based on completion of the converting.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

releasing the floor; and

deleting the message from the temporary storage.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

queuing the message if the floor is not granted.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein the receiving further comprises receiving a plurality of messages from a plurality of terminals;

queuing the plurality of messages;

wherein the requesting of the floor further comprises requesting for a first one of the plurality of messages;

releasing the floor for the first one of the plurality of messages; and

requesting the floor for a second one of the plurality of messages based on the releasing.

10. An apparatus for transmitting a message, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving, at an interworking entity, a message from a first terminal in an instant messaging (IM) system, wherein the message does not include floor signaling;

means for queuing the message in a temporary storage;

means for converting the message to a streaming format;

means for automatically requesting, at the interworking entity, a floor from a push-to-talk over cellular (PoC) system based on the converting; and

means for streaming, at the interworking entity, the message to a server in the push-to-talk over cellular (PoC) system upon receipt of the floor.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer-executable instructions comprising:

receiving, at an interworking entity, a message from a first terminal in an instant messaging (IM) system, wherein the message does not include floor signaling;

storing queuing the message in a temporary storage;

converting the message to a streaming format;

automatically requesting, at the interworking entity, a floor from a push-to-talk over cellular (PoC) system based on the converting; and

streaming, at the interworking entity, the message to a server in the push-to-talk over cellular (PoC) system upon receipt of the floor.

12. At least one processor, comprising:

a first hardware component for receiving, at an interworking entity, a message from a first terminal in an instant messaging (IM) system, wherein the message does not include floor signaling;

a second component for queuing the message in a temporary storage;

a third component for converting the message to a streaming format;

a fourth component for automatically requesting, at the interworking entity, a floor from a push-to-talk over cellular (PoC) system based on the converting; and

a fifth component for streaming, at the interworking entity, the message to a server in the push-to-talk over cellular (PoC) system upon receipt of the floor.

13. An interworking function, comprising:

a memory comprising instructions for;

receiving, at the interworking function, a message from a first terminal in a first

an instant messaging (IM) system, wherein the message does not include floor signaling;

queuing the message in a temporary storage;

converting the message to a streaming format;

automatically requesting, at the interworking function, a floor from a push-to-talk over cellular (PoC) system;

streaming, at the interworking function, the message to a server in the a push-to-talk over cellular (PoC) system upon receipt of the floor; and

a processor in communication with the memory and operable to execute the instructions.

14. The interworking function of claim 13, wherein the interworking function is implemented in an instant messaging (IM) server.

15. The interworking function of claim 13, wherein the interworking function is implemented in a push-to-talk (PoC) server.

16. The interworking function of claim 13, wherein the interworking function is implemented as a separate entity in communication with both an instant messaging (IM) server and a push-to-talk over cellular (PoC) server.

17. The interworking function of claim 13, wherein converting the message to a streaming format is performed in parallel with streaming the message to the server in the push-to-talk over cellular (PoC) system.

18. The interworking function of claim 13, wherein requesting the floor occurs based on completion of the converting.

19. The interworking function of claim 13, further comprising:

releasing the floor; and

deleting the message from the temporary storage.

20. The interworking function of claim 13, further comprising:

queuing the message if the floor is not granted.

21. The interworking function of claim 13, further comprising:

wherein the instructions for receiving further comprise instructions for receiving a plurality of messages from a plurality of terminals;

instructions for queuing the plurality of messages;

wherein the instructions for requesting the floor further comprise instructions for requesting for a first one of the plurality of messages;

instructions for releasing the floor for the first one of the plurality of messages; and

instructions for requesting the floor for a second one of the plurality of messages based on the releasing.