Group communication sessions in a wireless communications system

A method of operating an access terminal configured to participate in a group communication session between a communication group that is arbitrated and/or mediated by a server, comprising:

• obtaining a user-specified mixing preference for the access terminal;
• receiving an output frame for the group communication session that includes unmixed media frames from each of a plurality of access terminals in the communication group that hold a non-exclusive floor for the group communication session;
• selectively mixing the unmixed media frames in accordance with the user-specified mixing preference to produce a selectively mixed output frame;
• and
• outputting the selectively mixed output frame.

A method of participating in a group communication session with a communication group at an access terminal within a wireless communications system, comprising:

• receiving media at the access terminal from one or more other members of the communication group that currently hold a non-exclusive floor for the group communication session;
• detecting that a user of the access terminal begins to speak during the group communication session while the access terminal does not have a floor on which to transmit to the communication group;
• sending, in response to the detection, a request to obtain a given non-exclusive floor for the access terminal, the given non-exclusive floor configured to permit the access terminal to send given media to the communication group while each of the one or more other members maintain their non-exclusive floor for the group communication session;
• buffering, at the access terminal in response to the detection, the user's speech while the access terminal waits for the request to be granted by an application server;
• and
• sending the given media to the communication group based on whether the application server grants the request.