| Patent application number | Description | Published |
| 20080229390 | Method and Apparatus for Handling Invites to a Multi-User Communication Session - A method of handling Invite messages for a multi-user communication session utilizing the IP Multimedia Subsystem to set up and control the session. Two or more access servers control user access. A first access server receives from a session-initiating user, an Invite that identifies as a potential participant, at least one user group which is owned by a second access server. The first access server sends to the second access server, an Invite that identifies the user group. The second server resolves the group identification into a set of group member identities and sends the identities in a response to the first access server. The first access server then sends Invites to at least some of the group members identified in the response. | 09-18-2008 |
| 20080235322 | Media Sharing - A method and device for distributing media from a network based content server to two or more clients participating in a burst-based service session. The method includes, following establishment of the burst-based service session, joining the content server to the session as a further participating client, sending a media grant to the content server, and delivering the requested media from the content server to the other participating clients. | 09-25-2008 |
| 20080247373 | MULTICAST PUSH TO TALK GROUPS, APPARATUS, AND METHODS - A terminal (such as that belonging to or carried by an emergency first responder, for example) participates in a push to talk multicast group in either of two modes or levels. In a first mode or first level of participation, the terminal can join a multicast address for the push to talk multicast group as a passive recipient of transmissions and can thereby listen to the multicast address. In a second mode or second level of participation, the terminal becomes an active participant in the push to talk session. As an active participant in the push to talk session, the terminal can, e.g., receive sender identification (e.g., identification of other participants who may be talking in the push to talk multicast group) and send media bursts to the multicast group. | 10-09-2008 |
| 20080248826 | Answer Modes In Push-To-Talk Mobile Communication Services - A method of operating a push-to-talk service over a mobile wireless communication network, where a user of a mobile wireless terminal may select an automatic or manual answer mode for incoming session invitations for at least some other users. The method comprises including in the push-to-talk session invitation sent from a calling party to a called party, a manual answer mode request, upon receipt of the session invitation at a push-to-talk server serving the called party, forwarding the invitation including the manual answer mode request to the called party regardless of any auto-answer mode setting for the called party, and receiving the invitation at the called party, and generating a ringing alert at the called party's terminal. | 10-09-2008 |
| 20080279119 | GROUP CALL CAPABILITY QUERY - A system and method for handling multimedia conference calls in a telecommunication network. To determine the capabilities of the other terminals in a group, a first terminal sends a query message to a group server. The group server sends further query messages to the other terminals and collects their responses containing their capabilities. The group server analyzes the capabilities to determine a common set of capabilities. The group server then sends the common set of capabilities in a response to the first terminal. | 11-13-2008 |
| 20080287154 | Methods and Apparatus for Push to Talk Type Service - A method for use in a push to talk type service in which a floor is required before a client terminal may distribute a media item to at least one other terminal participating with the client terminal in a push to talk type session. According to the invention, the floor is managed depending upon information relating to the size of the media item, and may be managed depending upon other criteria as well. Managing the floor may include one or more of granting the floor, maintaining the floor, monitoring the floor, and releasing the floor. The floor may be denied, for example, if the media item is larger than a predetermined size, which size may be indicated as being within a range of sizes. The push to talk type service may be a general conferencing service. | 11-20-2008 |
| 20080320083 | Methods and Apparatus for Push to Talk Type Service - A method and apparatus for processing a floor request in a push to talk type service in which a floor is required for a first terminal to distribute media to a second terminal. The first terminal sends a floor request message to a PoC Server. The message relates to at least two different types of media content and indicates how and to what extent the granting or denial of the different media types interrelate. The message may indicate, for example, that if a first media type is denied, the others should be denied; or that the granting or denial of the first media type should not affect the other media types. The message may also indicate other conditions and relationships. The PoC Server processes the request based on the indicated interrelationships and/or conditions, and grants or denies each media type. | 12-25-2008 |
| 20090017856 | Transfer of Part of a Push to Talk Session - A method and apparatus for transferring part of a push to talk type session from a first mobile terminal to a second mobile terminal. The first terminal sends a SIP REFER message to a PoC server controlling the session. The SIP REFER message identifies the second terminal and the part of the session to be transferred. The transferred part may be a media type that is not supported or accepted by the first terminal. The PoC server sends a SIP INVITE message to the second terminal and indicates the part of the session to be transferred. The PoC server may send NOTIFY messages to the first terminal indicating the status of the transfer. If the transfer is accepted, the PoC server may send a confirmation to the first terminal, which may then send a re-INVITE message to the PoC server to remove responsibility for the transferred part of the session. | 01-15-2009 |
| 20090215483 | Methods and Apparatus for Push to Talk Type Service - A method and apparatus for including media content in a session invite procedure for a push to talk type service in a radio communication network. Client A sends an invitation to Client B inviting Client B to establish a push to talk type session. The invitation includes a representation of the media content, smaller than the media content itself. The representation may be a compressed or reduced-size or reduced-resolution version of the media content or an extract thereof. The representation is displayed or played to the Client B user, who decides whether to accept the invitation. The invitation may be a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Invite message, and the service may be a push to talk over cellular (PoC) service. | 08-27-2009 |
| 20100142372 | Method And Apparatus For Use In A Communications Network - A method is disclosed for use in a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System network comprising an IP Multimedia Subsystem. The method comprises receiving node status information relating to a first node of the network which indicates an occurrence of an event associated with the first node, determining the existence of a network association established between the first node and a second node of the network that would be adversely affected by the occurrence of the event, and causing the network association to be terminated, thereby allowing a new network association between the first and second nodes to be established in its place. | 06-10-2010 |
| 20100142411 | Session Control In Sip-Based Media Services - A method of keeping a SIP application server advised of the status of a SIP client, where the SIP application server lies within both the signalling plane and the media plane for SIP clients and is responsible for accepting SIP clients into and removing them from a SIP session, the method comprising sending keep-alive messages from the SIP client to the SIP application server across the media plane. | 06-10-2010 |
| 20110092172 | Private Communication in a Push to Talk Over Cellular Network - A method of sending a communication to a Participant in a PoC Group Session. A PoC client sends a SIP REFER message to a PoC participating Server, which forwards it to a PoC Controlling Server. The SIP REFER message comprises an identity of a target Participant in the Group Session and a message content. The PoC Controlling Server creates a SIP MESSAGE method, the MESSAGE addressed to the target Participant and including the message content. The SIP MESSAGE is then sent to a target Participating Server that serves the target Participant. In this way, the PoC client can send private message content via the PoC Controlling Server to another Participant in a PoC Group Session without sending it to all Participants. | 04-21-2011 |