Methods and systems for walkie-talkie communications
Walkie-talkies are a common means of coordinating activities at events but must be handed out, transferred as shifts and personnel in roles change, and collected. Further, walkie-talkies have a set range and the bigger the range the more expensive the walkie-talkie. Accordingly, it would be beneficial to provide individuals, enterprises, organizers, etc. with the ability to establish communications to individuals or group of individuals rapidly, with low complexity and management overhead, exploiting walkie-talkie style communications upon mobile devices connected to wireless networks over varying geographical areas without requiring distribution of walkie-talkies etc. as the mobile device is the user's own smartphone or cellphone. Further, it would be beneficial for such communications to be managed through a software application such that the user's virtual walkie-talkie automatically assigns channels etc. based upon the user's role, the event, their location etc.
1. A method of managing communications mobile communications comprising:
receiving content within an event application in execution upon an electronic device associated with a user and connected to a network from another electronic device also connected to the network executing the event application and associated with another user;
associating the received content with a communication based upon a filter defined by a policy chain established within the event application in dependence upon a role associated with the user within an event; and
presenting the information upon the electronic device; wherein
the another user is also associated with the event and a second role within the event; and
the user and the another user have no association other than that they are both members of a group of users associated with the event whose contact data is stored within a database accessible by a user notification server connected to the network through which the communication from the another user to the user is routed.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the database stores data relating to roles for registered users of the event application, specific times for which a registered user is associated with a specific role, and an event for which the user will perform the specific role at the specific times.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the event application supports emulation of a walkie-talkie by an electronic device and provide communications that mimic use of walkie-talkies by participants; and
a channel of a plurality of channels upon which a message is at least one of received and transmitted is established in dependence upon a policy chain including the role the user is currently associated with.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the policy chain is dynamically established in dependence upon at least one of the role, a location, a venue, a shift, a shift status, and the event for which the user is registered.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the filter is dynamically established in dependence upon at least one of the role, a location, a venue, a shift, a shift status, and the event for which the user is registered.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the electronic device upon which the content is provided is either a walkie-talkie or an electronic device comprising a display and at least one of an audio input interface, an audio output interface, and a keyboard.
7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the electronic device upon which the content is an electronic device and the content is provided to the user via the event application as a web page of a plurality of web pages.
8. Computer readable instructions for execution by a microprocessor stored in a non-volatile, non-transitory memory, the instructions when executed relating to a process comprising:
receiving content within an event application in execution upon an electronic device associated with a user and connected to a network from another electronic device also connected to the network executing the event application and associated with another user;
associating the received content with a communication based upon a filter defined by a policy chain established within the event application in dependence upon a role associated with the user within an event; and
presenting the information upon the electronic device; wherein
the another user is also associated with the event and a second role within the event; and
the user and the another user have no association other than that they are both members of a group of users associated with the event whose contact data is stored within a database accessible by a user notification server connected to the network through which the communication from the another user to the user is routed.
9. The instructions according to claim 8 , wherein
the database stores data relating to roles for registered users of the event application, specific times for which a registered user is associated with a specific role, and an event for which the user will perform the specific role at the specific times.
10. The instructions according to claim 8 , wherein
the event application supports emulation of a walkie-talkie by an electronic device and provide communications that mimic use of walkie-talkies by participants; and
a channel of a plurality of channels upon which a message is at least one of received and transmitted is established in dependence upon a policy chain including the role the user is currently associated with.
11. The instructions according to claim 8 , wherein
the policy chain is dynamically established in dependence upon at least one of the role, a location, a venue, a shift, a shift status, and the event for which the user is registered.
12. The instructions according to claim 8 , wherein
the filter is dynamically established in dependence upon at least one of the role, a location, a venue, a shift, a shift status, and the event for which the user is registered.
13. The instructions according to claim 8 , wherein
the electronic device upon which the content is provided is either a walkie-talkie or an electronic device comprising a display and at least one of an audio input interface, an audio output interface, and a keyboard.
14. The instructions according to claim 8 , wherein
the electronic device upon which the content is an electronic device and the content is provided to the user via the event application as a web page of a plurality of web pages.