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US 6,385,461 B1Granted
User group indication and status change in radiocommunications systems
AssigneeEricsson Inc.
InventorAlex Krister Raith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention sets forth group call services which uses broadcast or point-to-point radiocommunication resources to provide information to a mobile station user. First, indications of existing group calls are transmitted to mobile stations. Then, users of mobile stations are alerted to the existence of relevant group calls, i.e., those calls in which they are eligible to participate.
Claims64
A method for communicating in a system which supports group calls associated with a user group, said method comprising the steps of:
- transmitting an indicator of an established group call;
- and
- providing one or more auxiliary information elements with said indicator to a member terminal associated with said user group, wherein characterizing information associated with said one or more auxiliary information elements is available to a user of said user group for previewing said established group call before said user engages in said established group call, and wherein said characterizing information includes at least a topic of said established group call that enables said user to preview a subject of said established group call before said user engages in said established group call.
A method for communicating in a system which supports group calls associated with a user group, said method comprising the steps of:
- receiving an indication and one or more auxiliary information elements associated with an established group call at a member terminal;
- and
- presenting said indication and said one or more auxiliary information elements at said member terminal if said member terminal is associated with said user group, wherein characterizing information associated with said one or more auxiliary information elements is available to a user of said user group for previewing said established group call before said user engages in said established group call, and wherein said characterizing information includes at least a topic of said established group call that enables said user to preview a subject of said established group call before said user engages in said established group call.
A method for communicating in a system which supports group calls associated with a user group, said method comprising the steps of:
- transmitting an indication to active member terminals associated with an established group call that a member terminal is changing participation in said established group call;
- and
- providing one or more auxiliary information elements with said indication, said one or more auxiliary information elements associated with said established group call, to said active member terminals, wherein characterizing information associated with said one or more auxiliary information elements is available to a user of said user group for previewing said established group call before said user engages in said established group call, and wherein said characterizing information includes at least a topic of said established group call that enables said user to preview a subject of said established group call before said user engages in said established group call.
A mobile station for communicating in a system which supports group calls associated with a user group, said mobile station comprising:
- a smart card removably coupled to said mobile station;
- an input device coupled to said mobile station;
- an output device coupled to said mobile station;
- and
- a transceiver coupled to said mobile station, said transceiver for transmitting and receiving radio signals;
- wherein said mobile station is configured to:
- retrieve one or more user group identifiers from said smart card;
- present said retrieved one or more user group identifiers on said output device;
- accept a signal from said input device associated with a selected one or more of said presented one or more user group identifiers;
- and
- transmit a request for information associated with said selected one or more of said one or more user group identifiers, wherein said information associated with said one or more user groups is available to a user of said user group for previewing an established group call before said user engages in said established group call, and wherein said information associated with said selected one or more of said one or more user group identifiers includes at least a topic of said established group call that enables said user to preview a subject of said established group call before said user engages in said established group call.
8 more elements
A mobile station in a system which supports group calls associated with a user group, said mobile station comprising:
- an output device;
- and
- a receiver coupled to said output device, said receiver configured to:
- receive an indication of an established group call transmitted over an air interface;
- and
- present said indication of said established group call using said output device, wherein said indication includes characterizing information that enables a user of said mobile station to preview said established group call before said user engages in said established group call, and wherein said characterizing information includes at least a topic of said established group call that enables said user to preview a subject of said established group call before said user engages in said established group call.
3 more elements
A group management system for managing a group call associated with a user group, said group management system comprising:
- a radiocommunication system;
- and
- a control unit communicating with said radiocommunication system, said control unit configured to:
- manage information associated with said user group;
- and
- manage one or more auxiliary information elements associated with said group call, said one or more information elements transmitted with an indication of an active group call associated with said user group by said radiocommunication system, wherein characterizing information associated with said one or more auxiliary information elements is made available to a user of said user group for previewing said active group call before said user engages in said active group call, and wherein said characterizing information includes at least a topic of said active group call that enables said user to preview a subject of said active group call before said user engages in said active group call.
3 more elements
A group management system for managing a group call associated with a user group, said group management system comprising:
- a radiocommunication system;
- and
- a control unit communicating with said radiocommunication system, said control unit configured to:
- monitor said radiocommunication system when establishing a group call associated with said user group:
- monitor an activity status of member terminals associated with one user group;
- and
- display said monitored information, wherein said monitored information includes one or more auxiliary information elements associated with said group call, wherein characterizing information associated with said one or more auxiliary information elements is made available for previewing said group call, and wherein said characterizing information includes at least a topic of said group call for previewing a subject of said group call.
4 more elements
A mobile station comprising:
- a transceiver for transmitting and receiving radio signals;
- and
- an input device for selectively requesting information associated with established group calls;
- wherein said transceiver is configured to read information received in response to a user's request;
- transmit a request selected by said input device;
- and
- read information received in response to said user's request, wherein said received information is available to said user for previewing said established group calls before said user engages in said established group calls, and wherein said received information includes at least a topic of said established group calls that enables said user to preview a subject of said established group calls before said user engages in said established group calls.
4 more elements
A method for communicating in a radiocommunication system comprising the steps of:
- broadcasting characterizing information associated with established group calls on a first broadcast channel, wherein said characterizing information is available to a user for previewing said established group calls before said user engages in said established group calls, and wherein said characterizing information includes at least a topic of said established group calls that enables said user to preview a subject of said established group calls before said user engages in said established group calls;
- and
- broadcasting, on a second broadcast channel, a change flag associated with changes in said information associated with established group calls transmitted on said first broadcast channel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.