Regulating the scope of service geographically in wireless networks based on priority

A method of determining whether to restrict a communication session based on an access terminal's location within a wireless communications system, comprising:

• supporting a group communication session via Internet Protocol (IP) multicast within a defined location region of a wireless communications system;
• permitting access terminals that do not have a sufficient priority level to participate in the group communication session inside of the defined location region via IP multicast;
• restricting access terminals that do not have the sufficient priority level from (i) participating in the group communication session outside of the defined location region, and (ii) from participating in the group communication session inside of the defined location region via protocols other than IP multicast;
• and
• permitting access terminals having the sufficient priority level to (i) participate in the group communication session outside of the defined location region via IP unicast, and (ii) to participate in the group communication session inside of the defined location region at least with IP multicast.

A network communication entity configured to selectively restrict a communication session based on an access terminal's location within a wireless communications system, comprising:

• means for obtaining a location associated with a given access terminal that is attempting to participate in a given communication service;
• means for obtaining a priority level associated with the given access terminal for the given communication service;
• means for determining a given level of service restriction for the given access terminal's participation in the given communication service based on the obtained location and the obtained priority level;
• and
• means for restricting the given access terminal's participation in the given communication service based on the given level of service restriction.

A network communication entity configured to selectively restrict a communication session based on an access terminal's location within a wireless communications system, comprising:

• means for supporting a group communication session via Internet Protocol (IP) multicast within a defined location region of a wireless communications system;
• means for permitting access terminals that do not have a sufficient priority level to participate in the group communication session inside of the defined location region via IP multicast;
• means for restricting access terminals that do not have the sufficient priority level from (i) participating in the group communication session outside of the defined location region, and (ii) from participating in the group communication session inside of the defined location region via protocols other than IP multicast;
• and
• means for permitting access terminals having the sufficient priority level to (i) participate in the group communication session outside of the defined location region via IP unicast, and (ii) to participate in the group communication session inside of the defined location region at least with IP multicast.

A network communication entity configured to selectively restrict a communication session based on an access terminal's location within a wireless communications system, comprising:

• logic configured to obtain a location associated with a given access terminal that is attempting to participate in a given communication service;
• logic configured to obtain a priority level associated with the given access terminal for the given communication service;
• logic configured to determine a given level of service restriction for the given access terminal's participation in the given communication service based on the obtained location and the obtained priority level;
• and
• logic configured to restrict the given access terminal's participation in the given communication service based on the given level of service restriction.

A network communication entity configured to selectively restrict a communication session based on an access terminal's location within a wireless communications system, comprising:

• logic configured to support a group communication session via Internet Protocol (IP) multicast within a defined location region of a wireless communications system;
• logic configured to permit access terminals that do not have a sufficient priority level to participate in the group communication session inside of the defined location region via IP multicast;
• logic configured to restrict access terminals that do not have the sufficient priority level from (i) participating in the group communication session outside of the defined location region, and (ii) from participating in the group communication session inside of the defined location region via protocols other than IP multicast;
• and
• logic configured to permit access terminals having the sufficient priority level to (i) participate in the group communication session outside of the defined location region via IP unicast, and (ii) to participate in the group communication session inside of the defined location region at least with IP multicast.

A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, which, when executed by a network communication entity configured to selectively restrict a communication session based on an access terminal's location within a wireless communications system, cause the network communication entity to perform operations, the instructions comprising:

• program code to obtain a location associated with a given access terminal that is attempting to participate in a given communication service;
• program code to obtain a priority level associated with the given access terminal for the given communication service;
• program code to determine a given level of service restriction for the given access terminal's participation in the given communication service based on the obtained location and the obtained priority level;
• and
• program code to restrict the given access terminal's participation in the given communication service based on the given level of service restriction.

A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, which, when executed by a network communication entity configured to selectively restrict a communication session based on an access terminal's location within a wireless communications system, cause the network communication entity to perform operations, the instructions comprising:

• program code to support a group communication session via Internet Protocol (IP) multicast within a defined location region of a wireless communications system;
• program code to permit access terminals that do not have a sufficient priority level to participate in the group communication session inside of the defined location region via IP multicast;
• program code to restrict access terminals that do not have the sufficient priority level from (i) participating in the group communication session outside of the defined location region, and (ii) from participating in the group communication session inside of the defined location region via protocols other than IP multicast;
• and
• program code to permit access terminals having the sufficient priority level to (i) participate in the group communication session outside of the defined location region via IP unicast, and (ii) to participate in the group communication session inside of the defined location region at least with IP multicast.