Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M3/00—Automatic or semi-automatic exchanges
  • H04M3/42—Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers
  • H04M3/56—Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W76/00—Connection management
  • H04W76/40—Connection management for selective distribution or broadcast
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M1/00—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers
  • H04M1/57—Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M2203/00—Aspects of automatic or semi-automatic exchanges
  • H04M2203/20—Aspects of automatic or semi-automatic exchanges related to features of supplementary services
  • H04M2203/2044—Group features, e.g. closed user group
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M2203/00—Aspects of automatic or semi-automatic exchanges
  • H04M2203/20—Aspects of automatic or semi-automatic exchanges related to features of supplementary services
  • H04M2203/2066—Call type detection of indication, e.g. voice or fax, mobile of fixed, PSTN or IP
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M2203/00—Aspects of automatic or semi-automatic exchanges
  • H04M2203/50—Aspects of automatic or semi-automatic exchanges related to audio conference
  • H04M2203/5063—Centrally initiated conference, i.e. Conference server dials participants
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M2207/00—Type of exchange or network, i.e. telephonic medium, in which the telephonic communication takes place
  • H04M2207/18—Type of exchange or network, i.e. telephonic medium, in which the telephonic communication takes place wireless networks
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M3/00—Automatic or semi-automatic exchanges
  • H04M3/42—Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers
  • H04M3/46—Arrangements for calling a number of substations in a predetermined sequence until an answer is obtained
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M3/00—Automatic or semi-automatic exchanges
  • H04M3/42—Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers
  • H04M3/46—Arrangements for calling a number of substations in a predetermined sequence until an answer is obtained
  • H04M3/465—Arrangements for simultaneously calling a number of substations until an answer is obtained
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W68/00—User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like

Definitions

• the present invention relates to the field of communications systems, and
• phone mode The details of phone mode operation in cellular
• Some cellular phones are not only capable of operating in phone mode,
• radio mode but also in what will be referred to herein as radio mode. Examples of such dual- mode devices may be seen in U.S. Patent 5,450,618 and U.S. Patent
• the cellular phone does not appear to the user as simultaneously
• PTT push-to-talk
• Group calls are being used for group calls. Group calls
• predefined group may be reached using a wide variety of equipment, such as
• group call is a conference call involving a predetermined plurality of users on a
• a broadcast group call is a broadcast group call from one location to all listening members, such as a
• the list of possible participants in the group call other than the originator for the group call i.e., the group members
• the present invention supplies certain types of communications terminals
• the Group Call Server in charge of the group
• the terminal is adapted to receive and act upon such information.
• the group call server consults its user group
• the database has records therein corresponding to group members of
• the records preferably include an indication of the
• the group call server alters the group call server
• calling party field of the page message to include additional information
• the group call server proceeds as in the prior art. For instance, the group call
• server can augment the calling party number to add one or more indicator flags.
• a first flag may indicate priority level and a second flag may
• the group call server initiates a paging message that includes additional information about the group call for Enhanced Terminals.
• the present invention further provides a mobile communications terminal
• the communications terminal such as a
• the mobile terminal preferably examines the
• the mobile terminal automatically answers group calls of
• the present invention allows for both the
• FIGURE 1 is perspective view of one embodiment of a communications
• a wireless communications device adapted for the present invention.
• FIGURE 2 is a schematic representation of the wireless communications
• FIGURE 3 shows a portion of memory including a plurality of memory
• FIGURE 4 shows one process flow for handling group calls according to
• CDMA Code Division Multiple Access
• mobile terminal shown is a digital cellular telephone, but the invention is not so
• terminals but instead includes landline communications terminals, or other types
• communications terminals including Internet based communications terminals
• the phone 20 is preferably a dual-
• the cellular telephone 20 typically includes a controller 22, an operator
• the interface 26 a transmitter 38, a receiver 50, and an antenna assembly 58.
• operator interface 26 typically includes a display 28, keypad 30, control unit 32,
• the display 28 allows the operator to
• the keypad 30 allows dialed digits, call status, and other service information.
• the keypad 30 allows dialed digits, call status, and other service information.
• the unit 32 interfaces the display 28 and keypad 30 with the controller 22.
• the microphone 34 receives acoustic signals from the user and converts
• Speakers 80,85 convert
• the first speaker 80 is low volume speaker, typically located
• second speaker 85 is a high volume speaker typically located on the opposite end
• speaker 80 acts as the phone's primary speaker when the phone is in "phone
• the high volume speaker 85 acts as the phone's primary speaker in
• the keypad 30 includes a plurality of keys, including at least a first key 70
• the first key 70 is a send
• the second key is a PTT key. It is to be understood that the keys of the
• keypad 30 may be physical keys or virtual keys (such as shown on the display
• the send key 70 be located some distance from the
• the send key 70 may be proximate a common three by
• the PTT key 75 may be located on the side of the phone 20, proximate the display 28.
• the analog electrical signal from the microphone 34 is supplied to the analog electrical signal from the microphone 34.
• the transmitter 38 includes an analog to digital converter 40, a
• analog to digital converter 40 changes the analog electrical signal from the
• the microphone 34 into a digital signal.
• the digital signal is passed to the digital
• DSP signal processor
• the speech coder 44 compresses the digital signal and the channel coder 46
• the DSP 42 inserts error detection, error correction and signaling information.
• DTMF tone generator may include, or may work in conjunction with, a DTMF tone generator (not
• phase modulator and RF amplifier 48 which are shown as a
• the modulator converts the signal to a form which is
• the RF amplifier then boosts the RF signal
• the receiver 50 includes a receiver/amplifier 52, digital signal processor
• the digital signal processor 54 typically includes an equalizer to
• a detector for determining transmitted bits based on the extracted sequences.
• channel decoder detects and corrects channel errors in the received signal.
• channel decoder also includes logic for separating control and signaling data from
• Control and signaling data is passed to the controller 22.
• the digital signal processor 54 may include, or may work in
• the digital to analog converter 56 converts the speech data into an analog
• the antenna assembly 58 is connected to the RF amplifier of the
• the assembly 58 typically includes a duplexer 60 and an antenna 62.
• the duplexer 60 typically includes a duplexer 60 and an antenna 62.
• the controller 22 coordinates the operation of the transmitter 38 and the
• receiver 50 may for instance take the form of a common microprocessor.
• This coordination includes power control, channel selection, timing, as well as a
• the controller 22 inserts signaling messages into the
• the controller 22 responds to any base station commands contained in the
• Memory 24 stores and supplies information at the direction of the controller
• memory 24 are a plurality of memory locations 90 for storing call addresses. See
• the first section 92 is a section 92 that is a section 92 that is a section 92 that is a section 92 that is a section 92 that is a section 92 that is a section 92 that is a section 92 that is a section 92 that is a section 92 that is a section 92 that is a section 92 that is a section 92 that is a section 92 that is a section 92 that is 92 and the second section 94.
• the first section 92 is a section 92 and the second section 94.
• N is assumed to be twenty-
• memory locations 90 may be filled non-contiguously
• memory locations 1 , 4, 8, 10, 24, and 35-45 may be filled, while the
• remainder may be empty.
• the phone 20 is preferably operational in both phone mode and radio
• Phone mode is simply a phone operational mode that is characterized by
• the phone 20 to be simultaneously bi-directional. This behavior is common in
• Radio mode is a phone 20 operational
• radio mode In radio mode, a conversation appears to the user of the phone 20 to be
• the PTT key 75 is pushed, the microphone 34 of the phone 20 is active; when the
• condition of the PTT key 75 corresponding to the active microphone 34 may be
• the active speaker 85 may be called the "listen position.” This type of operation is
• radio mode behavior of the phone 20 is localized to the phone
• the wireless communications system are as a digital cellular phone in phone
• radio mode operation of a phone 20 is further disclosed in co-owned U.S. Patent
• a user will fill one or more of the available memory locations 90
• Call address information is typically a common
• phone number such as one associated with another cellular phone, or a
• each call address there may be an alphanumeric identification tag associated with each call address, such as a
• call address is used herein rather than "phone
• call address information may be a phone number
• address information may instead be a group identification number used to
• a group call as described above, is a special type of call where the call
• Group calls come in a variety of call types. Two common call types
• Broadcast type the main information flow
• originator of the group call may talk, while the recipients are limited to listening.
• the main information flow during the group call may be
• participating group members may both speak and listen.
• Each call type may be further classified into call subtypes. For instance,
• Talk type groups calls may be further divided into Sequential, Simultaneous-First-
• Sequential subtype group call may be thought of as a concatenated series of
• originator need not dial each number in series, but may instead dial a single
• the Simultaneous-First-Answer subtype group calls
• Conference subtype group call when successful, results in a group call between
• the originator and one or more group members are the originator and one or more group members.
• the present invention addresses this and other problems by supplying
• present invention contemplates the Group Call Server in charge of the group call
• receiving phone may determine how to respond, such as by not automatically
• group calls are handled by a Group Call Server associated with
• the Group Call Server is a logical portion
• the Group Call Server typically includes a database of user groups, where
• each group member's call address (e.g., phone number) is listed.
• phone number e.g., phone number
• the Group Call Server database should preferably also include an
• equipment type may be a conventional, prior-art cellular phone, or the equipment
• communications devices e.g., phones
• a communications device e.g., phones
• Enhanced Terminals wireless communications devices will be referred to as Enhanced Terminals.
• the records in the Group Call Server database should preferably include an
• a group call originator typically initiates a group call
• this group identification number typically consists of ten digits
• the originator may optionally
• the call type and so forth is pre-set for each user group. It is not limited to
• the Group Call Server becomes involved (box 230), or may occur earlier, the
• the Group Call Server consults its database and determines
• group call is a Conference subtype, a "3;" if the group call is a Broadcast type, a
• Terminals would be augmented, while paging messages targeted at other group calls, but the originator may be allowed to change the priority level to "alert"
• two indicator flags may be used
• Enhanced Terminal mobile terminals may be, according to
• originator may initiate a group call typically in
• the originator may call a publicly defined user group
• This user group identification number is publicly defined in
• pilot group call In the United States, the pilot group
• identification numbers are typically ten digits in length.
• the paging messages are then transmitted to the appropriate mobile
• the targeted mobile terminal is an Enhanced Terminal
• the targeted mobile terminal receives the paging message (box 280) and
• the mobile terminal auto-answers the call. If the mobile terminal 20
• the mobile terminal parses the flag
• the Enhanced Terminal mobile terminal responds to
• the page by, for instance, either auto-answering or by generating an alert such as
• the auto-answer feature may be selectively disabled for
• group calls in radio mode, depending on the characterisitics of the group call.
• the group call may have a priority level assigned
• a priority level of "normal" may be the default for most
• group call originator may also initiate a group call by dialing a privately defined
• private group numbers may have different meanings for different users.
• the wireless communications system receives " * 12" in the dialed digits field, the
• the Group Call Server would in turn
• the Group Call Server would generate a group call to a different user group than if
• the Group Call Server handles pilot group calls differently than
• private group calls For private group calls, the calling party number included in
• the paging message should be the originator's call address. However, for pilot
• receiving terminals programmed to display caller ID will display the originator's
• the receiving terminals will display the user
• operation of the group call server in some systems may prevent the substitution of
• the pilot number for the originator's number for instance to comply with local law.
• the pilot/private and priority level options are both the pilot/private and priority level options.
• originator unit 888 444-1111 initiates a pilot group
• the user group includes three group members
• the Group Call Server that
• the first group member has a Enhanced Terminal, as indicated in the
• the paging message will have a calling party field
• This page will likewise include the 9995552525#1 in the calling party
• this group member does not have an Enhanced
• the paging message will have a calling party field that includes
• the calling party field will include 8884441111 as the calling party ID
• the indicator flags, the mobile terminals 20 of the present invention may vary
• the 20 may have three or more lines, for ease of reference, the top, middle, and
• the mobile terminal 20 may a) display the alphanumeric
• the priority level is normal priority; b) display a generic text message (e.g.,
• alert text message e.g., "Alert"
• the mobile terminal 20 may display an indicator on
• Simultaneous-First-Answer subtype conference subtype, or broadcast type.
• the bottom line may display "SEQ" if the group call subtype is
• the mobile terminal 20 may loudly ring with a
• priority may only result in a low level vibration and a display of the caller ID.
• the paging message to be altered under certain circumstances related to the
• paging message itself may reside entirely on a portion of the SPACH or
• the paging message may reside on more than one channel, including a portion of the SPACH or equivalent control channel.
• the paging message may comprise a pointer message on the
• the term paging message includes any
• the group call server
• caller ID functionality may be altered to take advantage of the present invention.
• Such an enhanced phone should likewise examine the incoming calling party field for the presence or absence of the augmentation, and base its response to the
• the present invention is intended to be used with a
• communications terminals including internet based communications

Applications Claiming Priority (7)

Publications (1)

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ID=27411584

Family Applications (1)

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Families Citing this family (33)

Family Cites Families (2)

• 2000
  • 2000-10-25 CN CN00815025A patent/CN1385049A/zh active Pending
  • 2000-10-25 WO PCT/US2000/029396 patent/WO2001031968A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2000-10-25 EP EP00973838A patent/EP1230817A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2000-10-25 JP JP2001533791A patent/JP2003513537A/ja not_active Withdrawn
  • 2000-10-25 AU AU12304/01A patent/AU1230401A/en not_active Abandoned

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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