Method and apparatus for providing push-to-talk services in a cellular communication system

Abstract

To reduce a delay between a time that a user of an originating mobile station (MS) requests to set up a Push-To-Talk (PTT) call and the time that the user may begin to speak, a communication system provides a ‘wake up list’ of other mobile stations (MSs) that may be awakened prior to the originating MS requesting to set up a PTT call. To further reduce the delay, the user may begin speaking prior to completion of the call setup. The speech is stored and is conveyed to a called MS when the call is setup. If the call does not get setup or a user of the called MS is not present, the stored speech may be conveyed to the called MS as a voice message. The stored speech, or new speech, may also be used as an announcement of a call instead of the typical “beep” or “chirp.”

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE(S) TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) [0001] The present application claims priority from provisional application Ser. No. 60 / 533,842, entitled “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING PUSH-TO-TALK SERVICES IN A CELLULAR COMMUNICATION SYSTEM,” filed Dec. 31, 2003, which is commonly owned and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates generally to cellular communication systems, and, in particular, to provision of Push-To-Talk communication services in an interconnect cellular communication system. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Recently it has been proposed to add dispatch capabilities to Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) communications systems, such as a cdma2000 communication system. Unlike the interconnect services provided by today's cellular systems, dispatch services have been traditionally provided by two-way radio systems. Traditional dispatch services typically allow for instant access by a mobile st...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

For example, setup delay that is acceptable for a typical interconnect voice call can be unacceptable for dispatch services which rely on a very fast connection being made to the called party.

However, a problem in implementing a dispatch system in a cellular communication system is that the average time that it takes a user to navigate a phone book appearing on a display screen of a cellular phone, select an entry, and then set up a PTT phone call is anything but instantaneous.

In addition, the user of the originating cellular phone is not permitted to speak until receiving a Talk Permit Tone (TPT), which is not conveyed to the user until traffic channels are established between the infrastructure and the one or more called cellular phones.

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