HK1112119A - Method and apparatus for sharing user information in a group communication network - Google Patents

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments provide methods and apparatus for detecting or announcing presence and/or location information in a wireless communication network. In one aspect, a method for sharing user information in a wireless communication network includes sending an alert from an originator to a target, the alert including information about the originator and requesting information about the target, receiving information by the originator from the target in response to the alert, and updating information in the originator about the target, based on the received information. In another aspect, a method includes sending at least one alert from an originator, requesting information about at least one target user; receiving information by the originator in response to the alert; and updating information by the originator about the target user, based on information received.

Description

Method and apparatus for sharing user information in a group communication network

Technical Field

The present invention relates to point-to-point or point-to-multipoint communication systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods and apparatus for detecting, sharing, and/or announcing user presence and/or location information in a group wireless communication network.

Background

A wireless service intended for fast, efficient one-to-one or one-to-many (group) communication has existed in various forms for many years. Overall, these services have been half-duplex: where a user presses a "push-to-talk" (PTT) button on a telephone/wireless telephone to initiate a group communication. The talker then typically speaks for a few seconds if granted the floor. When the talker releases the PTT button, other existing subscribers can request the right to speak. These services have traditionally been used in applications where an individual needs to communicate with a group of people, such as field service personnel or taxi drivers, and such services are commonly referred to as group communication services.

Accordingly, there is a need to provide mechanisms that enable a user or a group of users to efficiently detect or announce information (e.g., user presence and/or location information) to other users or groups of users.

Disclosure of Invention

The disclosed embodiments provide novel and improved methods and apparatus for detecting and/or announcing user presence and/or location information in a wireless communication network. In one aspect, a method for sharing user information in a wireless communication network includes: sending an alert from an originator to a target, the alert including information about the originator and requesting information about the target; the originator receiving information from the target in response to the alert; and updating information about the target party in the originator according to the received information.

In another aspect, the method comprises: at least one alert is sent from an originator requesting information about at least one target user, the originator receiving information in response to the alert, and the originator updating the information about the target user based on the received information.

In one aspect, an apparatus for sharing user information in a wireless communication network comprises: a memory cell; a receiver; a transmitter; and a processor communicatively coupled to the memory unit, the receiver, and the transmitter. The processor is capable of performing the above-described method.

Drawings

The features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description of the embodiments that follow:

FIG. 1 shows a group communication system;

FIG. 2 shows how several communication devices interact with a group communication server;

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of an infrastructure for implementing various disclosed embodiments; and

FIGS. 4(A) and 4(B) show flow diagrams for detecting and/or announcing presence and/or location information; and

fig. 5 shows a flow chart for determining status information about a group of users.

Detailed Description

Before explaining several embodiments in detail, it is to be understood that the scope of the invention should not be limited to the details of the construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

Fig. 1 shows a functional block diagram of a group communication system 100 for implementing an embodiment. The group communication system 100 is also known as a push-to-talk (PTT) system, a Network Broadcast Service (NBS), a dispatch system, or a point-to-multipoint communication system. In one embodiment, the group communication system 100 includes a Group Communication Server (GCS)102, which may be deployed in a centralized deployment or a regionalized deployment. The group communication server 102 may be constructed in a form known in the art, including one or more processors, one or more memory units, and input/output hardware and software modules for various media communications, such as IP media communications.

For example, deployable group Communication Devices (CDs) 104 and 106, such as CDMA (e.g., CDMA2000) handsets, may request a packet data session using a data service option. Each CD may register its Internet Protocol (IP) address with the session on the group communication server to perform group communication initiations. In one embodiment, the group communication server 102 is connected to a service provider's Packet Data Serving Node (PDSN) via the service provider's network 116. CDs 104 and 106, upon requesting a packet data session from the wireless infrastructure, may have IP connectivity to the group communication server via PDSN 114. Each PDSN may interface to a Base Station Controller (BSC) via a Packet Control Function (PCF)108 and a network 112. The PCF may be co-located with the BSC within a Base Station (BS) 110.

The packet data serving node may be in one of several states, such as an active or connected state, a dormant state, and an inactive or inactive state. When in the active or connected state, there is an active traffic channel between the participating CDs and the BS or BSC, and each side can send data. When in the dormant state, there is no active traffic channel between the participating CD and the BSC, but a point-to-point protocol (PPP) link is maintained between the participating CD and the PDSN. When in the inactive or inactive state, there is no active traffic channel between the participating CD and the BSC, and no PPP link is maintained between the participating CD and the PDSN.

Each CD104 and 106 may request a packet data session. As part of establishing a packet data session, each CD may be assigned an IP address. Each CD may perform a registration process to notify group communication server 102 of the CD's IP address. Registration may be implemented using an IP protocol, such as Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) over User Datagram Protocol (UDP). When inviting a corresponding user to join a group communication or informing the user of a group communication, the IP address of a CD may be used to contact the CD.

Once group communication is established, CDs 104 and 106 and group communication server 102 may exchange media and signaling messages. In an embodiment, media may be exchanged between the participating CDs and the group communication server by using real-time protocol (RTP) over UDP. The signaling messages may also be exchanged by using a signaling protocol over UDP.

Group communication system 100 performs several different functions to operate group communication services. Functions associated with the user side include user registration, group communication initiation, group communication termination, sending messages to group participants, late join to a group communication, talker arbitration, adding members to a group, deleting members from a group, de-registering a member, and user authentication. Functions related to system preparation and operation include management and provisioning, scalability, and reliability.

Fig. 2 shows a group communication arrangement 200 showing how CDs 202, 204, and 206 interact with a group communication server 208. Multiple group communication servers may be deployed for large groups as needed. A user may input his or her needs into a CD202, 204, 206 to initiate a communication session to exchange communication media, such as data, voice, image, and/or video, with one or more CDs. In one embodiment, before beginning to transmit media, the user may first invite the target user by pressing an "invite" button or PTT button on the CD.

In fig. 2, CD202 is referred to as the originator and may transmit media on an established channel when CD202 is allowed to transmit media to other members of the group. When CD202 is designated as the originator, the remaining participants, CD204 and CD206, may not be allowed to transmit media to the group. Thus, CD204 and CD206 are designated as target parties. As described above, CDs 202, 204, and 206 connect to group communication server 208 using at least one channel. In one embodiment, channels 210, 212, and 214 may include a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) channel, a media signaling channel, and a media traffic channel.

FIG. 3 is a simplified block diagram of an embodiment of an infrastructure that includes a base station/base station controller (BS/BSC)304 and a communication device 306 in which the various disclosed embodiments may be implemented. For a particular media communication, voice, data, packet data, and/or alert messages may be exchanged between BS/BSC304 and communication device 306, via an air interface 308. Various types of messages may be transmitted, such as messages used to establish a communication session between the base station and the communication device, registration and paging messages, and messages used to control a data transmission (e.g., power control, data rate information, acknowledgement information, etc.). Some of these message types are described in further detail below.

For the reverse link, at communication device 306, voice and/or packet data (e.g., from a data source 310) and messages (e.g., from a controller 330) are provided to a Transmit (TX) data processor 312, which are formatted and encoded by Transmit (TX) data processor 312 using one or more encoding schemes to generate encoded data. Each coding scheme may include any combination of Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC), convolutional, turbo, block, and other coding, or no coding at all. Sound, packet data, and messages may be encoded using different schemes, and different types of messages may be encoded differently.

The encoded data is then provided to a Modulator (MOD) 314 and further processed (e.g., covered, spread with short PN sequences, and scrambled with a long PN sequence assigned to the communication device). The modulated data is then provided to a transmitter unit (TMTR)316 and conditioned (e.g., converted to one or more analog signals, amplified, filtered, and quadrature modulated) to generate a reverse link signal. The reverse link signal is routed through a duplexer (D)318 and transmitted via an antenna 320 to BS/BSC 304.

At BS/BSC304, the reverse link signal is received by an antenna 350, routed through a duplexer 352, and provided to a receiver unit (RCVR) 354. Alternatively, the antenna may be part of a wireless carrier network, and the connection between the antenna and the BS/BSC may be routed through the Internet. BS/BSC304 may receive media information and alert messages from communication device 306. Receiver unit 354 conditions (e.g., filters, amplifies, frequency downconverts, and digitizes) the received signal and provides samples. A demodulator (DEMOD)356 receives and processes (e.g., despreads, decovers, and pilot demodulates) the samples to provide recovered symbols. Demodulator 356 may implement a rake receiver that processes various instances of the received signal and generates combined symbols. A Receive (RX) data processor 358 then decodes the symbols to recover the data and messages transmitted on the reverse link. The recovered voice/packet data is provided to a data slot 360 and the recovered message is provided to a controller 370. Controller 370 may include instructions for receiving and sending alerts, and receiving and sending responses to alerts. The processing by demodulator 356 and RX data processor 358 are complementary to that performed at remote access device 306. Demodulator 356 and the RX data processor are further operative to process multiple transmissions received via multiple channels, e.g., a reverse fundamental channel (R-FCH) and a reverse supplemental channel (R-SCH). Likewise, transmissions may come from multiple communication devices simultaneously, each of which may be transmitting on a reverse fundamental channel, a reverse supplemental channel, or both.

On the forward link, at BS/BSC304, voice and/or packet data (e.g., from a data source 362) and messages (e.g., from controller 370) are processed (e.g., formatted and encoded) by a Transmit (TX) data processor 364, further processed (e.g., covered and spread) by a Modulator (MOD)366, and conditioned (e.g., converted to analog signals, amplified, filtered, and quadrature modulated) by a transmitter unit (TMTR) 368 to generate a forward link signal. The forward link signal is routed through duplexer 352 and transmitted via antenna 350 to remote access device 306. The forward link signal comprises a paging signal.

At communication device 306, the forward link signal is received by antenna 320, routed through duplexer 318, and provided to a receiver unit 322. Receiver unit 322 conditions (e.g., downconverts, filters, amplifies, quadrature modulates, and digitizes) the received signal and provides samples. The samples are processed (e.g., despreaded, decovered, and pilot demodulated) by a demodulator 324 to provide symbols, and the symbols are further processed (e.g., decoded and checked) by a receive data processor 326 to recover the data and messages transmitted on the forward link. The recovered data is provided to a data slot 328 and the recovered messages may be provided to the controller 330. Controller 330 may include instructions for receiving and sending alerts, receiving and sending responses to alerts, maintaining status information about other users in a designated group of users, and updating status information.

A user or a group of users may detect or announce user information, such as user presence, user availability, and/or user location information, to other users or groups of users without placing a call, establishing a communication session, or burdening a server. In an embodiment, each user may alert members of a specified group when the user becomes available (e.g., the user comes online). This would eliminate the configuration problems associated with server-based solutions. According to one embodiment, a user may configure their group list because the user may belong to multiple groups and switch between groups without changing the configuration at the server.

In one embodiment, user presence and/or location detection is announced by point-to-point alerts or group alerts (point-to-multipoint) at power-on (Hello) and power-off (Bye). Additional alerts may be sent periodically to detect whether a user has become unavailable without sending a "Bye" (e.g., to detect loss of power or coverage).

For example, with peer-to-peer alerts initiated by the user, user A sends a "Hello" alert to other members in a specified group (e.g., A, B, and C) at power-on. If a point-to-point guaranteed delivery alert is used, user a receives an "Ack" alert if the alert is delivered successfully, or a "Nak" alert if the alert is delivered unsuccessfully. If an Ack alert is received from subscriber B and a Nak alert is received from subscriber C, subscriber a concludes that subscriber B is online and subscriber C is not. When user B-who is online-receives a Hello alert from user a, user B concludes that user a is online. Thereafter, when user A goes offline, user A sends a "Bye" alert to users B and C. When user B receives the "Bye" message from user a, user B concludes that user a is no longer online.

Fig. 4(a) and 4(B) show a flow diagram for announcing and/or sharing presence and/or location information, according to an embodiment. User a may select a member from a directory of a stored list of individual members and/or group members and press a button (e.g., PTT button) on his or her CD to announce his or her presence or location information to the selected group. To accomplish this, user A may also create a special group list or specify a default group list. For example, the specified group may include user B, C, as shown by user A's "buddy list," and D.

Once activated by user a, user a's CD sends the group alert to target users B, C, and D, e.g., through a group communication server, as shown in step 402. The group message may include the following information: such as user a's presence (e.g., "on," "off," "away," etc.), user a's location (e.g., "at work," "in a meeting," "at lunch," etc.), and/or user a's availability (e.g., "busy," "on the phone," etc.). In one embodiment, the group communication server sends an alert to each target user in a designated group (e.g., B, C, and D), as shown in step 404.

Each target user in the designated group that receives an alert may respond with a message (e.g., an alert) indicating the status of the target user, as shown in step 406. For example, target user B may respond with an "ACK" response indicating that user B is ON (ON) or available, user C may respond with a "NAK" response indicating that user C is off or unavailable, and user D may respond with an "in a meeting" or "at airport" response. In one embodiment, the group communication server receives the response from the target group members (e.g., users B, C, and D) and forwards a group response to user A, as shown in step 408. Upon receiving the group response, user A may update his or her buddy list status to include information that user B is "on", user C is "off, and user D is" in a meeting "or" at airport ".

In an embodiment, some or all of the target users (e.g., B, C, and D) may also update the status information of their buddy list members. When the target users receive an alert from user a indicating that user a is on in step 404, the target users may update their buddy lists to include information that user a is on if user a appears in the buddy lists of the target users. As identified in fig. 4(a), users may have different personalized buddy lists to protect their privacy. To better protect privacy, a user may block any number of other users from contacting the blocking user. Thus, no information about the blocking user can be shared with other blocked users.

In one embodiment, when any of the target users sends a status response to the GCS to be forwarded to user A in step 406, the GCS may also send these responses to other ones of the target users to update their buddy lists accordingly. For example, when user B sends an "ACK" response in step 406 indicating that user B is on, the GCS may send the ACK response received from user B to target users C and D to update user B's status in its buddy list to on if user B appears in its buddy list. Fig. 4(B) shows the final state of user presence and/or location information exchange after user a sends the group alert in step 402.

In an embodiment, a user may request the GCS to determine the status of a designated user or a group of users, determine the group members currently registered, and/or determine the group members that are participating in a group communication session. The user may select an existing group name or create a special group and send a request for information about the group to the GCS, as shown in step 502. The GCS may provide status information regarding the specified group (e.g., whether the specified group is active or inactive), as shown in step 504; providing information regarding registered members of the specified group, as shown in step 506; providing information regarding members of the designated group that are participating in a current communication session, as shown in step 508; and/or provide information about group members, such as location information, as shown in step 510.

For example, when user A requests information about a user group that includes seven members (e.g., A, B, C, D, E, F, and G), the server's response in step 508 may include the following information: five participants in the designated group (e.g., A, B, C, F, and G) are active, and a non-participating member in the designated group is either registered (e.g., user D) or non-registered (e.g., user E).

In one embodiment, presence and/or location information may be shared among members of a specified group without establishing a communication session (e.g., without talking); thereby providing better privacy protection for group members.

In one embodiment, presence and/or location information may be shared among members of a given group without burdening the group communication server with group configuration; thereby providing a service provider with a convenient way to bill users according to each user's activity.

Those of skill in the art would understand that information and signals may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and protocols. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be referenced throughout the above description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

Those of skill would further appreciate that the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or combinations of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present invention.

The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented or performed with a general purpose processor, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device designed to perform the functions described herein, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but, in the alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

The steps of a method or algorithm described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two. A software module may reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor such the processor can read information from, and write information to, the storage medium. In the alternative, the storage medium may be integral to the processor. The processor and the storage medium may reside in an ASIC. And the ASIC may reside in a user terminal. In the alternative, the processor and the storage medium may reside as discrete components in a user terminal.

The previous description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments, e.g., in an instant messaging service or any general wireless data communication applications, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein. The word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any "exemplary" embodiment described herein should not necessarily be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments.

Claims (44)

1. A method for sharing user information in a wireless communication network, the method comprising:

sending an alert from an originator to a target, the alert including information about the originator and requesting information about the target;

the originator receiving information from the target in response to the alert, an

Updating information about the target party in the originator according to the received information.

2. The method of claim 2, wherein the sending comprises sending a group alert to a target group, the receiving comprises receiving information from the target group, and the updating comprises updating information about the target group.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising updating information in at least one target based on information received from the originator.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising updating information in at least one target according to information received from at least another target in the group.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the information comprises presence information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the information comprises location information.

7. A computer-readable medium embodying code for implementing a method for sharing user information in a wireless communication network, the method comprising:

sending an alert from an originator to a target, the alert including information about the originator and requesting information about the target;

the originator receiving information from the target in response to the alert, an

Updating information about the target party in the originator according to the received information.

8. The medium of claim 7, wherein the sending comprises sending a group alert to a target group, the receiving comprises receiving information from the target group, and the updating comprises updating information about the target group.

9. The medium of claim 8, the method further comprising updating information in at least one target based on the information received from the originator.

10. The medium of claim 8, the method further comprising updating information in at least one target based on information received from at least another target in the group.

11. The medium of claim 7, wherein the information comprises presence information.

12. The medium of claim 7, wherein the information comprises location information.

13. An apparatus for sharing user information in a wireless communication network, comprising:

means for sending an alert from an originator to a target, the alert including information about the originator and requesting information about the target;

means for the originator receiving information from the target in response to the alert, an

Means for updating information about the target party in the originator according to the received information.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the means for sending comprises means for sending a group alert to a target group, the means for receiving comprises means for receiving information from the target group, and the means for updating comprises means for updating information about the target group.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising means for updating information in at least one target based on information received from the originator.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising means for updating information in at least one target according to information received from at least another target in the group.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the information comprises presence information.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the information comprises location information.

19. An apparatus for sharing user information in a wireless communication network, comprising:

a memory cell;

a receiver;

a transmitter; and

a processor coupled to the memory unit, the receiver, and the transmitter, the processor capable of:

sending an alert from an originator to a target, the alert including information about the originator and requesting information about the target;

causing the originator to receive information from the target in response to the alert, an

Updating information about the target party in the originator according to the received information.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sending comprises sending a group alert to a target group, the receiving comprises receiving information from the target group, and the updating comprises updating information about the target group.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, the processor further capable of comprising: updating information in at least one target based on information received from the originator.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, the processor further capable of updating information in at least one target based on information received from at least another target in the group.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the information comprises presence information.

24. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the information comprises location information.

25. A method for sharing user information in a wireless communication network, the method comprising:

sending at least one alert from an originating party, the alert requesting information about at least one target user;

said originator receiving information in response to said alert, an

The originator updating information about the target user according to the received information.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the requesting comprises requesting information about a group of target users, and the receiving comprises receiving information about whether the group is active or inactive.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the request comprises a request for information about a group of target users, and the receiving comprises receiving information about which target user in the group is registered.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the requesting comprises requesting information about a group of target users, and the receiving comprises receiving information about which target user is participating in a current communication session.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the requesting comprises requesting information about a group of target users, and the receiving comprises receiving location information for the target users.

30. A computer-readable medium embodying code for implementing a method for sharing user information in a wireless communication network, the method comprising:

sending at least one alert from an originating party, the alert requesting information about at least one target user;

said originator receiving information in response to said alert, an

The originator updates information about the target user according to the received information.

31. The medium of claim 30, wherein the request comprises requesting information about a group of target users, and the receiving comprises receiving information about whether the group is active or passive.

32. The medium of claim 30, wherein the request comprises a request for information about a group of target users, and the receiving comprises receiving information about which target user in the group is registered.

33. The medium of claim 30, wherein the requesting comprises requesting information about a group of target users, and the receiving comprises receiving information about which target user is participating in a current communication session.

34. The medium of claim 30, wherein the request comprises a request for information about a group of target users, and the receiving comprises receiving location information for the target users.

35. An apparatus for sharing user information in a wireless communication network, comprising:

means for sending at least one alert from an originating party, the alert requesting information about at least one target user;

means for the originator to receive information in response to the alert, and

means for causing the originator to update information about the target user according to the received information.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the means for requesting comprises means for requesting information about a group of target users, and the means for receiving comprises means for receiving information about whether the group is active or inactive.

37. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the means for requesting comprises means for requesting information about a group of target users, and the means for receiving comprises means for receiving information about which target user in the group is registered.

38. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the means for requesting comprises means for requesting information about a group of target users, and the means for receiving comprises means for receiving information about which target user is participating in a current communication session.

39. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the means for requesting comprises means for requesting information about a group of target users, and the means for receiving comprises means for receiving location information of the target users.

40. An apparatus for sharing user information in a wireless communication network, comprising:

a memory cell;

a receiver;

a transmitter; and

a processor coupled to the memory unit, the receiver, and the transmitter, the processor capable of:

sending at least one alert from an originating party, the alert requesting information about at least one target user;

said originator receiving information in response to said alert, an

The originator updating information about the target user according to the received information.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the request comprises a request for information about a group of target users, and the receiving comprises receiving information about whether the group is active or passive.

42. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the request comprises a request for information about a group of target users, and the receiving comprises receiving information about which target user in the group is registered.

43. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the request comprises a request for information about a group of target users, and the receiving comprises receiving information about which target user is participating in a current communication session.

44. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the request comprises a request for information about a group of target users, and the receiving comprises receiving location information for the target users.