Patent · US Active

Group communication sessions that are at least partially supported over personal area networks in a wireless communications system

US8654686B2 · kind B2 · utility

8Cited by
3References
46Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMay 16, 2011
Grant dateFeb 18, 2014
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 26, 2032

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04W84/12
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

In an embodiment, an application server receives a request to initiate a group communication session (GCS) over a Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) with a communication group. The application server obtains location information of a set of devices participating in the GCS and determines that the GCS can be supported between the set of devices via a Personal Area Network (PAN), after which the application server transitions support for the GCS from the WWAN to the PAN. In another embodiment, an originator begins a periodic broadcast of a local PAN signal announcing the GCS after failing to set-up the GCS via the WWAN. Target device(s) in the communication group receive the local PAN signal, determine not to transmit their own local PAN signal and then convey a session acceptance message to the originator. The GCS is then established between the target device(s) and the originator over the PAN.

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