CN103763684B - Answer-mode in key call mobile communication service - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of operating a push-to-talk service via a mobile radio communication network, wherein a user of a mobile radio terminal can select an automatic or manual answering mode for an incoming session invitation for at least some other users. The method includes: when a session invitation is received at a push-to-talk server serving the called party, including a manual answer mode request in a push-to-talk session invitation sent from the calling party to the called party; Any auto-answer mode setting for , forwarding the invitation containing the manual answer mode request to the called party; and receiving said invitation at the called party and generating a ringing alert at the called party terminal.

Description

Answer Mode in Push-to-Talk Mobile Communication Service

technical field

The invention relates to an answering mode usable in push-to-talk mobile communication services.

Background technique

The industry known as the Open Mobile Alliance has developed a Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PoC) specification aimed at allowing the provision of services over standard mobile wireless communication networks, similar to a walkie-talkie, i.e. When the button is pressed, the user can instantly connect to one or more other users. PoC is currently defined in documents published by the Open Mobile Alliance: "Push-to-talk over Cellular (PoC) - Architecture", Release Candidate 1.0-17, March 2005, and "OMA PoC Control Panel", Release Candidate 1.0-17, March 2005. According to the PoC standard, voice data comprises talk "bursts" transported over the packet network, while signaling used to establish and control PoC sessions comprises Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) signaling also transported over the packet network. PoC relies on the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) infrastructure provided within the mobile operator's network. PoC is a concrete implementation of the general push-to-talk (PTT) service.

Figure 1 illustrates, in very basic terms, a PoC infrastructure that facilitates a PoC session between a pair of wireless terminals identified as UE-A and UE-B. Each user equipment (UE) is attached to a respective radio access network (PAN-A and RAN-B), which in turn is connected to a packet switched core network comprising an IP backbone. The SIP signaling is routed through the IMS, which includes a SIP application server acting as a PoC server. The UEs are registered with respective PoC servers (although it is also possible to register both UEs with the same PoC server).

The basic concept that forms the basis of PoC is the desire to enable one user to be connected to another almost instantly, so that the user has to press the call button to start talking, while his or her voice is immediately played at the other user's terminal. However, it has been realized at a very early stage of developing a push-to-talk service that this may not always be necessary, at least from the called party's point of view. Therefore, it has been considered that at the called terminal, a ringing warning is played in the same mode as provided for a traditional telephone call (Push to talk service will still be very fast, at a much faster rate than can be established establish a session), and at the same time, provide the user with the following options: either select the automatic answer mode or select the manual (ringing) answer mode.

According to the latest version of the PoC standard, it is possible for a user (user B) to register with his local PoC server a "white" list of other user identities (user A) for whom the user wants to apply for auto-answer mode . As a result, one of the users on the whitelist approved by User B's local PoC server requests a PoC session, and the PoC server includes an auto-answer flag in the SIP INVITE message forwarded to User B. User B's terminal detects the flag and automatically returns a SIP200 OK (answer) message. The session is established. If the calling user is not on the whitelist (or no whitelist has been defined), then a manual flag is included in the SIP INVITE forwarded to User B's terminal. The endpoint detects this, and plays a ringing alert. The terminal does not send SIP200OK to its local PoC server until the user answers. IETF Draft "Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Event Packages and Data Formats for Various Settings to Support Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PoC) Services", Miguel-Angel Garcia-Martin, draft-garcia-sipping-poc- isb-am-01, describes a method for informing a local PoC server that an answer mode can be applied to users on a whitelist. The user switches between manual and auto-answer modes by signaling the desired mode to the PoC server using SIP publish messages as defined in the PoC standard.

Such a signaling process including auto-answer mode setting and session establishment is illustrated in FIG. 2 . Signaling flow charts in the user plane (eg exchange of talk burst control protocol messages) are not shown in the figure. The steps illustrated in the figure are as follows:

1. PoC client B configures the automatic mode in the network through a "publish" request.

2. PoC server B confirms the auto-answer mode setting by means of a 200 "OK" response, and stores the "auto" setting.

When PoC user A presses the PoC button, the steps are as follows:

3. PoC client A decides to invite PoC user B to participate in the PoC session, and sends an "INVITE" request to PoC server A.

4. PoC server A sends an "INVITE" request to PoC server B in PoC user B's local network.

5. PoC Server B authorizes PoC User A, and selects the configured answer mode, and sends a 183 "Session Progress" response to PoC Server A.

6. PoC Server A sends a 200 OK response to User A, and PoC User A receives an indication that he can start speaking.

7. PoC server B sends an "INVITE" request to PoC client B. The invitation request includes a request for an auto-answer mode.

8. Client B accepts the request without prompting PoC User B.

9. PoC server B forwards the 200 OK to PoC server A.

The PoC standard defines a mechanism for allowing a calling party to override the called user-specified manual answer mode setting. This involves including the "MAO" parameter in the SIP INVITE message sent by the calling party to start the PoC session. When an invitation containing MAO parameters is received at the called party terminal, the terminal automatically determines whether to allow the calling user to manually override. If yes, a 200 OK reply is automatically returned to the local PoC server, and the INVITE containing the MAO parameters is forwarded to the called user. If not, a ringing alert is played, and an answer message is only sent if and when the called user answers.

Contents of the invention

The inventors of the present invention have realized that it would be desirable to provide a mechanism in the PoC for allowing the calling party to override the automatic answer mode setting at the called party terminal, in addition to the current mechanism for overriding the manual answer mode setting. This additional feature would be useful, for example, when the calling party wants to keep his words private and wants to avoid his words being played out at the called party's terminal for all within earshot. The desire for an override mechanism also applies when a PoC user is invited to an ongoing PoC session, or when a PoC session is initiated using a pre-established session.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of operating a push-to-talk service via a mobile radio communication network, wherein a user of a mobile radio terminal can select an automatic or manual answering mode for an incoming session invitation for at least some other users, said Methods include:

Include a manual answer mode request in the push-to-talk session invitation sent from the calling party to the called party;

When the session invitation is received at the push-to-talk server serving the called party, the invitation including the manual answer mode request is forwarded to the called party regardless of any automatic answer mode settings of the called party. the called party; and

The invitation is received at the called party and an alert is generated at the called party terminal.

The signaling protocol used to establish and control the push-to-talk session is preferably a session initiation protocol. Said invitation containing a manual answer mode request may be a session initiation protocol invite or a referral (REFER) message.

The push-to-talk server may forward the push-to-talk session invitation to the called party only after an authorization procedure has been performed by the server. The method may further comprise performing an authorization procedure at the push-to-talk server serving the calling party, including forwarding the request to the push-to-talk server serving the called party only if authorization is granted in the said invitation. Either of the authorization procedures may be performed by comparing the identity of the calling party and/or called party with a list or lists of identities pre-stored in the push-to-talk server(s). authorization procedure or both.

Preferably, the method comprises receiving at said calling party a user prompt requesting a manual answer mode, and thereby including said request at said calling party in said invitation. Alternatively, inclusion of said request may be performed automatically, for example, as a result of presetting at said calling party.

In particular, the invention may be applied to push-to-talk over cellular services.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of operating a push-to-talk enabled mobile wireless terminal, the method comprising including a manual answer mode request in an invitation sent by the terminal to a peer terminal.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of operating a push-to-talk server in a mobile wireless communications network, the method comprising: receiving a push-to-talk invitation from a calling client terminal, the invitation including a manual answer mode request; forwarding the invitation containing said manual answer mode request to the called client terminal; and waiting to receive a reply message from said called client terminal before proceeding with session establishment.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a mobile radio terminal having: a processor and a memory configured to facilitate participation of the terminal in a push-to-talk session facilitated over a mobile radio communications network; and a user interface , for enabling a user to interact with the processor and memory, the processor configured to: receive user input from a user interface to initiate a push-to-talk session; generate a push-to-talk invitation for sending to the called terminal, and send a manual answer mode request is included in the invitation; and sending the invitation to the called terminal.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a push-to-talk server is provided, the push-to-talk server is used by a mobile wireless communication network to provide a push-to-talk service to a wireless mobile terminal, and the server includes:

an input for receiving a push-to-talk invitation from the first wireless mobile terminal to the second wireless mobile terminal, wherein the invitation may include a manual answer mode request;

an output terminal for forwarding the received push-to-talk invitation to a second target wireless mobile terminal; and

A processor programmed to determine whether the received invitation contains a manual answer mode request, and if so, and if an automatic answer mode has been set for the second wireless mobile terminal, then override said automatic mode setting, and via said output will contain The invitation to the manual answer mode request is forwarded to a second wireless terminal.

Description of drawings

Figure 1 schematically illustrates a mobile radio communications network facilitating push-to-talk over cellular services;

FIG. 2 illustrates signaling associated with session establishment in auto-answer mode in the network of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 illustrates signaling associated with auto-answer mode override procedures during session establishment in the network of FIG. 1 .

Detailed ways

Push-to-talk over Cellular (PoC) service has been described above with reference to FIG. 1 and manual answer mode override discussed with reference to FIG. 2 . The following discussion proposes the introduction of another override feature, the autoresponder mode override feature, for which a need has not been previously recognized. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that widespread use of this new feature may require modification and/or extension of the PoC specification.

When a first PoC user (User A) wants to communicate with a second PoC user (User B) using the manual answer mode, for example, when User A does not want to communicate until User B is in a position where no one else can overhear their conversation. When speaking, User A can include in the invitation sent to User B a request to use the manual answer mode to override any auto-answer mode User B may have put in place. Figure 3 shows an example of a simplified signaling flow when a PoC user A invites another user B for a PoC session and includes a manual answer mode request in the invitation. This request is in the form of the existing manual answer mode request provided in the PoC specification (however, currently used to join the invitation only at User A's local PoC server).

The answer mode configuration is as follows:

1. PoC client B configures automatic mode in the network by means of a "Publish" request.

2. The PoC server B confirms the auto-answer mode setting with a 200 "OK" response, and stores the "auto" setting.

When PoC user A presses the PoC button on his terminal, the steps are as follows:

3. PoC client A decides to invite PoC user B for a PoC session, and sends an "INVITE" request to PoC server A. At client A, the manual answer mode is included in the invite request.

4. PoC server A sends an invitation request to PoC server B in PoC user B's local network. Manual answer mode is included in the INVITE request.

5. PoC server B sends the invitation request to PoC client B. The invitation request includes a request for the manual answering mode received from the PoC server A in the invitation request. An answer mode containing a manual answer mode indication instead of a configuration may be authorized at PoC server B, ie it is determined whether user B has authorized user A's automatic answer mode override.

6. The PoC client B sends a 180 ringing response to the PoC server B, and indicates to the PoC user B that the PoC session invitation has been received.

7. PoC Server B sends a 180 "ringing" response to PoC Server A.

8. PoC Server A sends a 180 "ringing" response to PoC Client A. PoC client A shows to PoC user A that PoC user B is being notified about the invitation and PoC client B is waiting for PoC user B's acceptance, such as playing a ringing tone at client B.

9. When user B accepts the invitation, PoC client B sends an invitation request to PoC server B.

10. PoC server B forwards the 200 OK to PoC server A.

11. PoC Server A sends a 200 OK response to User A, and PoC User A receives an indication that he can start speaking. A PoC session is established.

It is not difficult to understand that the procedure described here enables the calling client PoC client A to influence the decision made by the PoC server B regarding client B's answering mode.

The procedures described here are equally applicable to situations where a PoC user is invited to participate in an ongoing PoC session, and a PoC session is initiated using a pre-established session. In the latter case, the only significant difference from the method described above is that the manual answer mode request is included in the hand-off request sent by the PoC client to invite the PoC user, instead of in the INVITE message.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications can be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims (12)

1. a kind of method through mobile radio communication network operation button talk business, the wherein user of mobile radio terminal can be Automatic or manual answer-mode of at least some other user's selections for calling session invitation, the described method includes：

The request of any autoanswer mode selected using manual answer mode override callee is included in from calling party and is sent out It is sent in the push-to-talk session invitation of the callee；

When the PTT server for serving the callee receives the session invitation, without considering in the server Any autoanswer mode of the callee of middle storage is set, and the invitation comprising the request is forwarded to the quilt The side of crying；And

The invitation is received in the callee, and warning is produced in callee's terminal.

2. the method as described in claim 1, wherein being session initiation for the signaling protocol established with control button conversation sessions Dynamic agreement, and the invitation comprising the request is one of session initiation protocol invitation and REFER messages.

3. the method as described in claim 1, wherein the only push-to-talk clothes after the server performs authoring program The push-to-talk session invitation is just forwarded to the callee by business device.

4. the method as described in claim 1, further includes：Mandate is performed in the PTT server for serving the calling party Program, is allowed if authorized, then only is included in be forwarded to by the request and serves described in the callee by push-to In the invitation for talking about server.

5. method as claimed in claim 3, wherein by by the identity of the calling party and/or callee with being stored in advance in The identity list of the PTT server performs the authoring program compared to relatively.

6. the method as described in claim 1, further includes：The user that request manual answer mode is received in the calling party carries Show, and therefore the request is included in the invitation in the calling party.

7. the method as described in claim 1, further includes：The request is automatically included in the calling party.

8. the method as described in claim 1, wherein the push-to-talk business is through cellular push-to-talk business.

9. a kind of method for operating the mobile radio terminal for allowing push-to-talk, the described method includes will use manual answer mode The request for surmounting any autoanswer mode of user's selection of peer terminals is sent to the equity eventually included in the terminal In the invitation at end.

10. a kind of method for operating PTT server in mobile radio communication network, the described method includes：Reception comes from caller The push-to-talk of client terminal is invited, described to invite comprising using any of manual answer mode override called party client terminal selection The request of autoanswer mode；The invitation comprising the request is forwarded to the called party client terminal, without considering in institute Any autoanswer mode for stating the called party client terminal stored in server is set；And continuing session establishment Before, the response message to be received from the called party client terminal is waited.

11. a kind of mobile radio terminal, has：Processor and memory, are configured to participate in by mobile nothing easy to the terminal The push-to-talk session that line communication network is convenient for；And user interface, for alloing user and the processor and memory Interaction, the processor are configured to：User's input of start button conversation sessions is received from the user interface；Produce use Invite in the push-to-talk for being sent to called terminal, and appoint what is selected using called terminal described in manual answer mode override The request of what autoanswer mode is included in the invitation；And the invitation is sent to the called terminal.

A kind of 12. PTT service for being used to provide push-to-talk business to mobile radio terminal for mobile radio communication network Device, the server include：

Input terminal, goes to the push-to-talk of the second mobile radio terminal to invite for receiving from the first mobile radio terminal, wherein The invitation includes the use of any autoanswer mode that the second mobile radio terminal described in manual answer mode override selects Request；

Output terminal, the second mobile radio terminal is forwarded to for the push-to-talk of reception to be invited；With

Processor, is programmed for determining whether the invitation of reception includes the request, if so, and if wireless for second Mobile terminal is provided with autoanswer mode, then surmounts the automatic mode and sets, and will include institute by the output terminal State autoanswer mode and surmount the invitation of request and be forwarded to the second mobile radio terminal.