US20030016632A1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Push-to-talk and push-to-conference in a CDMA wireless communications system
Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson AB
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Filing: 2001-07-19
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2021-07-19
Abstract
Abstract A method of providing push-to-talk and push-to-conference functionality in a CDMA system. Participants, in one embodiment, may be divided into active and inactive participants with active participants assigned a private uplink/downlink channel pair by the communication system. Inactive participants may be assigned a public downlink channel. In one embodiment, silent active participants of a conference or talk session are timed out and the private uplink/downlink channel pair previously assigned to such individuals are released for use elsewhere in the network or by other members of the conference. In a push-to-talk embodiment one private uplink/downlink channel pair may at any given time be passed between the presently active members of the group.
Inventors
- 👤 Wail Refai
- 👤 Robert Witter
- 👤 Essam Sourour
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 01:54
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04M; H04M3/00; H04M3/42; H04M3/56; H04W; H04W84/00; H04W84/02; H04W84/04; H04W84/08; H04W4/00; H04W4/06; H04W4/08; H04W4/10; H04W72/00; H04W72/50; H04W72/56; H04W76/00; H04W76/40; H04W76/45
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
170 words
1 . A method of handling a group call in a CDMA wireless communications system, comprising: classifying members of a group call into a first class or a second class, said first class comprising members authorized to both talk and listen, said second class comprising members authorized to listen but not to talk; initially assigning a private downlink channel to each member of said group call belonging to said first class; assigning a public downlink channel to at least one member of said group call belonging to said second class; changing the classification of a first member of said group call belonging to said first class to be said second class in response to said member not talking for a predetermined time period during said group call; and changing the downlink channel assignment of said first member from said respective private channel to said public downlink channel assigned to said at least one member of said group call belonging to said second class in response to said change in classification.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
170 words
1 . A method of handling a group call in a CDMA wireless communications system, comprising: classifying members of a group call into a first class or a second class, said first class comprising members authorized to both talk and listen, said second class comprising members authorized to listen but not to talk; initially assigning a private downlink channel to each member of said group call belonging to said first class; assigning a public downlink channel to at least one member of said group call belonging to said second class; changing the classification of a first member of said group call belonging to said first class to be said second class in response to said member not talking for a predetermined time period during said group call; and changing the downlink channel assignment of said first member from said respective private channel to said public downlink channel assigned to said at least one member of said group call belonging to said second class in response to said change in classification.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising providing both private and public downlink channels simultaneously.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
35 words
3 . The method of claim 1 further comprising changing the downlink channel assignment in response to a request to speak from at least one member of said group call belonging to said second class.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
33 words
4 . The method of claim 1 further comprising staggering a change of status for pilot channels and traffic channels as members of said first group transition to members of said second group.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
44 words
5 . The method of claim 1 further comprising placing a member of said second group on said respective private channel just freed by said changing the downlink channel assignment of said first member from said respective private channel to said public downlink channel.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
156 words
6 . A method of handling a group call in a CDMA wireless communications system, comprising: classifying members of a group call into a first class or a second class, said first class comprising members authorized to both talk and listen, said second class comprising members authorized to listen but not to talk; initially assigning a private downlink channel to each member of said group call belonging to said first class; assigning a public downlink channel to at least one member of said group call belonging to said second class; initially uplinking information on a first and a second control channel, during said group call, by a first member of said group call belonging to said first class; and thereafter, ceasing the uplinking of information on said first control channel, during said group call, by a first member in response to said first member not talking for a first predetermined time period during said group call.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
156 words
6 . A method of handling a group call in a CDMA wireless communications system, comprising: classifying members of a group call into a first class or a second class, said first class comprising members authorized to both talk and listen, said second class comprising members authorized to listen but not to talk; initially assigning a private downlink channel to each member of said group call belonging to said first class; assigning a public downlink channel to at least one member of said group call belonging to said second class; initially uplinking information on a first and a second control channel, during said group call, by a first member of said group call belonging to said first class; and thereafter, ceasing the uplinking of information on said first control channel, during said group call, by a first member in response to said first member not talking for a first predetermined time period during said group call.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
84 words
7 . The method of claim 6 further comprising: thereafter, ceasing the uplinking of information on said second control channel, during said group call, by said first member in response to said first member not talking for a second predetermined time period during said group call; and changing the downlink channel assignment of said first member from said respective private channel to said public downlink channel in response to said first member not talking for said second predetermined time period during said group call.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
30 words
8 . The method of claim 6 further comprising ending said group call when all of said members are silent for a length of time greater than a predetermined threshold.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
21 words
9 . The method of claim 6 further comprising processing, at said base station both private and public downlink channels concurrently.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
35 words
10 . The method of claim 6 further comprising allowing members of said second class to move to said first class and further assigning such moving members a private downlink channel on which to communicate.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
152 words
11 . A method of handling a group call in a CDMA wireless communications system, comprising: classifying members of a group call into one of either a first class or a second class, said first class comprising members authorized to both talk and listen, said second class comprising members authorized to listen but not to talk; initially assigning a private downlink channel and a private uplink channel to a first member of said group call belonging to said first class; initially assigning the remaining members of said group call to one or more public downlink channels; and thereafter, during said group call, substantially simultaneously: reclassifying said first member to said second class; reassigning said first member to said public downlink channel; reclassifying a second member of said group call belonging to said second class to said first class; reassigning said private downlink channel and said private uplink channel to said second member.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
152 words
11 . A method of handling a group call in a CDMA wireless communications system, comprising: classifying members of a group call into one of either a first class or a second class, said first class comprising members authorized to both talk and listen, said second class comprising members authorized to listen but not to talk; initially assigning a private downlink channel and a private uplink channel to a first member of said group call belonging to said first class; initially assigning the remaining members of said group call to one or more public downlink channels; and thereafter, during said group call, substantially simultaneously: reclassifying said first member to said second class; reassigning said first member to said public downlink channel; reclassifying a second member of said group call belonging to said second class to said first class; reassigning said private downlink channel and said private uplink channel to said second member.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
85 words
12 . A method of facilitating communication comprising: establishing a group of users in a CDMA wireless communication system, each of said users having a mobile terminal; initiating a call to at least one other user of the group from a first mobile terminal; assigning a first private channel to said first mobile terminal; assigning other private channels to mobile terminals associated with said at least one other user of the group as needed; and assigning a public channel to remaining users of the group.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
85 words
12 . A method of facilitating communication comprising: establishing a group of users in a CDMA wireless communication system, each of said users having a mobile terminal; initiating a call to at least one other user of the group from a first mobile terminal; assigning a first private channel to said first mobile terminal; assigning other private channels to mobile terminals associated with said at least one other user of the group as needed; and assigning a public channel to remaining users of the group.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
24 words
13 . The method of claim 12 further comprising timing out users such that private channels are freed for other users within the group.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
31 words
14 . The method of claim 12 further comprising allowing inactive users associated with the public channel to secure a private channel upon actuation of a command on their mobile terminal.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
18 words
15 . The method of claim 12 further comprising limiting the other private channels to a predetermined number.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
128 words
16 . A method of handling a group call in a CDMA wireless communications system, comprising: dividing members of a group call to a first class or second class, said first class comprising members authorized to both talk and listen, said second class comprising members authorized to listen but not to talk; assigning a private downlink/uplink channel pair to a member of said first class for communicating between said member of said first class and a base station; assigning a public downlink channel without a corresponding uplink channel to a member of said second class for receiving downlink communications from said base station; wherein, during a given group call, said first member and said second member receive downlink communications from said base station over their respective downlink channels.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
128 words
16 . A method of handling a group call in a CDMA wireless communications system, comprising: dividing members of a group call to a first class or second class, said first class comprising members authorized to both talk and listen, said second class comprising members authorized to listen but not to talk; assigning a private downlink/uplink channel pair to a member of said first class for communicating between said member of said first class and a base station; assigning a public downlink channel without a corresponding uplink channel to a member of said second class for receiving downlink communications from said base station; wherein, during a given group call, said first member and said second member receive downlink communications from said base station over their respective downlink channels.
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