Method and apparatus for providing dispatch-type services in a cellular communication system

A method for converting a voice call from one of a dispatch mode voice call or an interconnect mode voice call to the other mode voice call, the method comprising:

• receiving, from a user of a mobile station, a request to switch a mode of the voice call;
• in response to receiving the request, generating, by the mobile station, an in-band signaling tone;
• and
• conveying, via a traffic channel, a request to switch over to the other mode voice call, wherein the request comprises the in-band signaling tone.

A method for creating a talkgroup by a first mobile station comprising;

• selecting, by the mobile station, a second mobile station as a member of the talkgroup;
• storing, by the mobile station, an association between a first mobile station (MS) identifier associated with first mobile station and a second MS identifier associated with the second mobile station;
• and
• conveying talkgroup information by the first mobile station to the second mobile station, wherein the talkgroup information comprises the first MS identifier in association with the second MS identifier.

A first mobile station that performs in-band speaker arbitration in a wireless communication session involving multiple participants, the mobile station comprising:

• an in-band signaling tone detector that receives a first in-band signaling tone corresponding to a request by a second mobile station to reserve a floor of the communication session, converts the received in-band signaling tone to a corresponding first value, and routes the first value to a processor;
• a memory that stores values corresponding to in-band signaling tones and programs associated with interpreting the values;
• a processor coupled to the in-band signaling tone detector and to the memory that receives the value from the in-band signaling tone detector, determines, based on the first value and by reference to the memory, that the value corresponds to a request by a second mobile station to reserve a floor of the communication session, and instructs an in-band signaling tone generator to generate a second in-band signaling tone that controls access to the floor of the communication session;
• and
• an in-band signaling tone generator coupled to the processor that generates the second in-band signaling tone.

A mobile station capable of converting a voice call from one of a dispatch mode voice call or an interconnect mode voice call to the other mode voice call, the mobile station comprising:

• a user interface that receives a user request from a user of the mobile station to switch over to the other mode voice call;
• a memory that stores values corresponding to in-band signaling tones and programs associated with interpreting the values;
• a processor coupled to each of the memory and the user interface that receives the user request and generates a request to switch over to the other mode voice call;
• and
• an in-band signaling tone generator coupled to the processor that receives the request to switch over to the other mode voice call and converts the received request to a corresponding in-band signaling tone.