Method for efficiently supporting multiple simultaneous group PTT calls requiring low call setup latency

A method for group communications over multicast services, comprising:

• receiving a registration request from a user equipment (UE), the registration request indicating one or more communications groups in which the UE is interested;
• determining that the UE is provisioned for pre-established group calls;
• retrieving group identifiers for the one or more communications groups;
• mapping one or more call identifiers to a group identifier of each communications group in a set of the one or more communications groups;
• sending a message to the UE indicating the set of the one or more communications groups and the one or more mapped call identifiers;
• and
• assigning multiple group calls onto one or more pre-established multicast resources, wherein the one or more pre-established multicast resources include multimedia broadcast/multicast services (MBMS) bearers, and
• wherein the UE maintains one or more group call sessions for the set of the one or more communications groups.

An apparatus for group communications over multicast services, comprising:

• logic configured to send a registration request from a user equipment (UE) to a server, the registration request indicating one or more communications groups in which the UE is interested and optionally including the UE's intent to register with the server for group communication service;
• logic configured to receive a message from the server indicating a set of the one or more communications groups that have been assigned pre-established multicast resources, wherein the pre-established multicast resources include multimedia broadcast/multicast services (MBMS) bearers;
• logic configured to receive one or more call identifiers from the server, the one or more call identifiers mapped to group identifiers of each communications group in the set of the one or more communications groups;
• logic configured to store a mapping of the one or more call identifiers to the group identifiers of each communications group in the set of the one or more communications groups;
• and
• logic configured to maintain one or more group call sessions for the set of the one or more communications groups,
• wherein the server assigns multiple group calls to the pre-established multicast resources.

An apparatus for group communications over multicast services, comprising:

• logic configured to receive a registration request from a user equipment (UE), the registration request indicating one or more communications groups in which the UE is interested;
• logic configured to determine that the UE is provisioned for pre-established group calls;
• logic configured to retrieve group identifiers for the one or more communications groups;
• logic configured to map one or more call identifiers to a group identifier of each communications group in a set of the one or more communications groups;
• logic configured to send a message to the UE indicating the set of the one or more communications groups and the one or more mapped call identifiers;
• and
• logic configured to assign multiple group calls onto one or more pre-established multicast resources, wherein the one or more pre-established multicast resources include multimedia broadcast/multicast services (MBMS) bearers, and
• wherein the UE maintains one or more group call sessions for the set of the one or more communications groups.

An apparatus for group communications over multicast services, comprising:

• means for sending a registration request from a user equipment (UE) to a server, the registration request indicating one or more communications groups in which the UE is interested and optionally including the UE's intent to register with the server for group communication service;
• means for receiving a message from the server indicating a set of the one or more communications groups that have been assigned pre-established multicast resources, wherein the pre-established multicast resources include multimedia broadcast/multicast services (MBMS) bearers;
• means for receiving one or more call identifiers from the server, the one or more call identifiers mapped to group identifiers of each communications group in the set of the one or more communications groups;
• means for storing a mapping of the one or more call identifiers to the group identifiers of each communications group in the set of the one or more communications groups;
• and
• means for maintaining one or more group call sessions for the set of the one or more communications groups,
• wherein the server assigns multiple group calls to the pre-established multicast resources.

An apparatus for group communications over multicast services, comprising:

• means for receiving a registration request from a user equipment (UE), the registration request indicating one or more communications groups in which the UE is interested;
• means for determining that the UE is provisioned for pre-established group calls;
• means for retrieving group identifiers for the one or more communications groups;
• means for mapping one or more call identifiers to a group identifier of each communications group in a set of the one or more communications groups;
• means for sending a message to the UE indicating the set of the one or more communications groups and the one or more mapped call identifiers;
• and
• means for assigning multiple group calls onto one or more pre-established multicast resources, wherein the one or more pre-established multicast resources include multimedia broadcast/multicast services (MBMS) bearers, and
• wherein the UE maintains one or more group call sessions for the set of the one or more communications groups.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium for group communications over multicast services, comprising:

• at least one instruction to send a registration request from a user equipment (UE) to a server, the registration request indicating one or more communications groups in which the UE is interested and optionally including the UE's intent to register with the server for group communication service;
• at least one instruction to receive a message from the server indicating a set of the one or more communications groups that have been assigned pre-established multicast resources, wherein the pre-established multicast resources include multimedia broadcast/multicast services (MBMS) bearers;
• at least one instruction to receive one or more call identifiers from the server, the one or more call identifiers mapped to group identifiers of each communications group in the set of the one or more communications groups;
• at least one instruction to store a mapping of the one or more call identifiers to the group identifiers of each communications group in the set of the one or more communications groups;
• and
• at least one instruction to maintain one or more group call sessions for the set of the one or more communications groups,
• wherein the server assigns multiple group calls to the pre-established multicast resources.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium for group communications over multicast services, comprising:

• at least one instruction to receive a registration request from a user equipment (UE), the registration request indicating one or more communications groups in which the UE is interested;
• at least one instruction to determine that the UE is provisioned for pre-established group calls;
• at least one instruction to retrieve group identifiers for the one or more communications groups;
• at least one instruction to map one or more call identifiers to a group identifier of each communications group in a set of the one or more communications groups;
• at least one instruction to send a message to the UE indicating the set of the one or more communications groups and the one or more mapped call identifiers;
• and
• at least one instruction to assign multiple group calls onto one or more pre-established multicast resources, wherein the one or more pre-established multicast resources include multimedia broadcast/multicast services (MBMS) bearers, and
• wherein the UE maintains one or more group call sessions for the set of the one or more communications groups.