Patent · US Expired

Apparatus and methods for conducting group calls in wireless communications systems

US6449491B1 · kind B1 · utility

90Cited by
25References
71Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMay 10, 1999
Grant dateSep 10, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 10, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02D30/70
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A group call is conducted in a wireless communications system including a plurality of distributed transceiver units, e.g., radio heads of a private wireless system, each of which are operative to communicate with terminals over a plurality of communications channels. A group call origination message is transmitted from an originating terminal, preferably in response to a user input at the originating terminal, more preferably in response to actuation of a push-to-talk (PTT) device at the originating terminal. The transmitted group call origination message is received at a transceiver unit and, in response, a group call traffic channel designation messages addressed to a group of terminals is transmitted from the transceiver units, the transmitted group call traffic channel designation message designating a common traffic channel. Communications then occur among terminals of the group of terminals, preferably in half-duplex mode, over the designated common traffic channel.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.