Incoming call management in a push-to-talk communication system

A push-to-talk wireless mobile terminal for communicating voice information comprising:

• means for determining if a first input from a user of a first mobile terminal is made requesting that selectable acceptance management of incoming calls yet to be initiated to the first mobile terminal;
• means for transmitting from the first mobile terminal a first control message to a communication application server representing an instruction to implement selectable acceptance for future incoming calls to the first mobile terminal if said determining means determines that the request has been made, where selectable acceptance includes storing an initial voice message at the communication application server associated with an incoming call from a calling party to the first mobile terminal and transmitting the stored initial voice message to the first mobile terminal from the communication application server during a first real-time communication session with the calling party only upon the communication application server receiving a playback signal from the first mobile terminal where the playback signal is distinct from another signal generated by the first mobile terminal upon a depression of a push-to-talk button on the first mobile terminal to answer an incoming call;
• means for receiving at the first mobile terminal the stored initial voice message in response to the transmission of the playback signal, where the stored initial voice message is received at the first mobile terminal while the calling party remains in the first real-time communication session with the communication application server and without the first mobile terminal having answered the incoming call by depression of the push-to-talk button on the first mobile terminal.

A method implemented by a communication application server that processes communications among users in a push-to-talk communication network comprising the steps of:

• receiving a first control message from a first mobile terminal where the first control message represents an instruction to initiate a process providing selectable acceptance of yet to be received incoming calls to the first mobile terminal;
• in response to the first control message, updating a stored presence state associated with the first mobile terminal to reflect that future incoming calls to the first mobile terminal will be processed in accordance with the selectable acceptance;
• receiving, with selectable acceptance having been implemented by the first mobile terminal, an incoming call from a second mobile terminal for the first mobile terminal during a first real-time communication session where a voice message from the second mobile terminal comprises part of the incoming call;
• storing the voice message in memory;
• transmitting an incoming call alert message to the first mobile terminal during the first real-time communication session where the incoming call alert message does not contain the voice message;
• receiving a playback message from the first mobile terminal during the first real-time communication session, where the playback message represents a request to transmit the stored voice message from storage at the beginning of the voice message to the first mobile terminal during the first real-time communication session only upon receipt of the playback message, where the playback message is different from a signal corresponding to depression of a push-to-talk button on the first mobile terminal to answer a call;
• transmitting to the first mobile terminal the stored initial voice message in response to the transmission of the playback signal, where the stored initial voice message is received at the first mobile terminal while the calling party remains in the first real-time communication session and without the first mobile terminal having answered the incoming call by depression of the push-to-talk button on the first mobile terminal.

A communication application server that processes communications among users in a push-to-talk communication network comprising:

• means for receiving a first control message from a first mobile terminal where the first control message represents an instruction to initiate a process providing selectable acceptance of yet to be received incoming calls to the first mobile terminal;
• means for updating, in response to the first control message, a stored presence state associated with the first mobile terminal to reflect that future incoming calls to the first mobile terminal will be processed in, accordance with the selectable acceptance;
• means for receiving an incoming call, with selectable acceptance having been previously implemented by the first mobile terminal, from a second mobile terminal for the first mobile terminal during a first real-time communication session where an initial voice message from the second mobile terminal comprises part of the incoming call;
• means for storing the initial voice message in memory;
• means for transmitting an incoming call alert message to the first mobile terminal during the first real-time communication session where the incoming call alert message does not contain the initial voice message;
• means for receiving a playback message from the first mobile terminal during the first real-time communication session, where the playback message represents a request to transmit the stored initial voice, message to the first mobile terminal during a real-time communication session only upon receipt of the playback message, where the playback message is different from a signal corresponding to depression of a push-to-talk button on the first mobile terminal to answer a call;
• means for transmitting to the first mobile terminal the stored initial voice message in response to the transmission of the playback signal, where the stored initial voice message is received at the first mobile terminal while the calling party remains in the first real-time communication session and without the first mobile terminal having answered the incoming call by depression of the push-to-talk button on the first mobile terminal.