Method to achieve a fully acknowledged mode communication (FAMC) in push-to-talk-over-cellular (PoC)
A system and method for providing advanced voice services in a wireless communications network, and more specifically, a method and framework to achieve a Fully Acknowledged Mode Communication (FAMC) in Push-to-talk-over-Cellular (PoC). A FAMC call session is a PoC call session that can only be established when all members of a set are available.
1. A system for providing communications services in one or more wireless communications networks, comprising:
one or more servers that interface to the one or more wireless communications networks to perform communications services for handsets in the wireless communications networks, wherein the communications services include an instant two-way half-duplex voice call within a group of the handsets comprising a Push-to-Talk-over- Cellular (PoC) call session;
wherein both the one or more servers and the handsets that use the communications services communicate with each other using control messages within the wireless communications networks, and at least one of the one or more servers switches voice messages for the communications services between the handsets across the one or more wireless communications networks;
wherein at least one of the one or more servers manages the PoC call session by acting as an arbitrator for the PoC call session and controls sending of the control messages and the voice messages to and from the handsets; and
wherein the PoC call session comprises a Fully Acknowledged Mode Communication (FAMC) call session, and wherein establishing the FAMC call session comprises:
receiving, by a PoC server of the one or more servers, a call initiation request from a first handset of the handsets to establish a call session between the first handset and a set of members, wherein members of the set of members are a plurality of the handsets;
determining whether the set of members is available for the call session in accordance with one or more criteria and a respective availability of each of the plurality of the handsets;
granting floor control to the first handset when the set of members is available for the call session; and
not establishing the call session between the first handset and a second handset of the plurality of the handsets when the second handset is available and the set of members is unavailable for the call session.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more criteria is specific to the set of members.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more criteria comprise one or more first members of the set of members that must be available for the call session, and wherein the call session is not established when any of the one or more first members is unavailable.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more criteria comprise a minimum number of members of the set of members that must be available for the call session, and wherein the call session is not established when a number of available members of the set of members is less than the minimum number.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more criteria comprise one or more geographical locations where available members of the set of members must be located for the call session, and wherein the FAMC call session is not established when at least one available member of the set of members is not located in each of the one or more geographical locations.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein a presence server of the one or more servers monitors presence information regarding the respective availability of each of the plurality of the handsets in real-time, and wherein the presence server provides the presence information to watchers of the set of members through one or more presence notifications.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the presence notifications indicate an availability of the set of members as a whole, wherein presence information of the set of members as a whole is separate from presence information of each of the plurality of the handsets.
8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the presence notifications indicate an availability of individual ones of the plurality of the handsets.
9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the presence server determines availability of the members of the set of members from presence updates received by the presence server from each of the plurality of the handsets.
10. The system of claim 6 , wherein the respective availability of each of the plurality of the handsets is determined by querying each of the plurality of the handsets.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of the handsets are queried periodically.
12. The system of claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of the handsets are queried based on triggering events.
13. The system of claim 6 , wherein the respective availability of each of the plurality of the handsets is determined by querying a database.
14. The system of claim 6 , wherein the respective availability of each of the plurality of the handsets is determined from capabilities of the one or more wireless communications networks.
15. A method of providing communication services in one or more wireless communications networks, comprising:
interfacing one or more servers to the one or more wireless communications networks to perform communication services for handsets in the wireless communications networks, wherein the communication services include an instant two-way half-duplex voice call within a group of the handsets comprising a Push-to-Talk-Over-Cellular (PoC) call session;
wherein both the one or more servers and the handsets that use the communications services communicate with each other using control messages within the wireless communications networks, and at least one of the servers switches voice messages for the communications services between the handsets across the one or more wireless communications networks;
wherein at least one of the one or more servers manages the PoC call session by acting as an arbitrator for the PoC call session and controls sending of the control messages and the voice messages to and from the handsets; and
wherein the PoC call session comprises a Fully Acknowledged Mode Communication (FAMC) call session, and wherein establishing the FAMC call session comprises:
receiving, by a PoC server of the one or more servers, a call initiation request from a first handset of the handsets to establish a call session between the first handset and a set of members, wherein members of the set of members are a plurality of the handsets;
determining whether the set of members is available for the call session in accordance with one or more criteria and a respective availability of each of the plurality of the handsets;
granting floor control to the first handset when the set of members is available for the call session; and
not establishing the call session between the first handset and a second handset of the plurality of the handsets when the second handset is available and the set of members is unavailable for the call session.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the one or more criteria is specific to the set of members.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the one or more criteria comprise one or more first members of the set of members that must be available for the call session, and wherein the call session is not established when any of the one or more first members is unavailable.
18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the one or more criteria comprise a minimum number of members of the set of members that must be available for the call session, and wherein the call session is not established when a number of available members of the set of members is less than the minimum number.
19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the one or more criteria comprise one or more geographical locations where available members of the set of members must be located for the call session, and wherein the FAMC call session is not established when at least one available member of the set of members is not located in each of the one or more geographical locations.
20. The method of claim 15 , wherein a presence server of the one or more servers monitors presence information regarding the respective availability of each of the plurality of the handsets in real-time, and wherein the presence server provides the presence information to watchers of the set of members through one or more presence notifications.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the presence notifications indicate an availability of the set of members as a whole, wherein presence information of the set of members as a whole is separate from presence information of each of the plurality of the handsets.
22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the presence notifications indicate an availability of individual ones of the plurality of the handsets.
23. The method of claim 20 , wherein the presence server determines the respective availability of each of the plurality of the handsets from presence updates received by the presence server from each of the plurality of the handsets.
24. The method of claim 20 , wherein the respective availability of each of the plurality of the handsets is determined by querying each of the plurality of the handsets.
25. The method of claim 24 , wherein each of the plurality of the handsets are queried periodically.
26. The method of claim 24 , wherein each of the plurality of the handsets are queried based on triggering events.
27. The method of claim 20 , wherein the respective availability of each of the plurality of the handsets is determined by querying a database.
28. The method of claim 20 , wherein the respective availability of each of the plurality of the handsets is determined from capabilities of the one or more wireless communications networks.