Hybrid push-to-talk for mobile phone networks
A Hybrid Push-to-Talk (PTT) function for use in wireless communications networks, such as cellular mobile telephone networks. The cellular mobile telephone network includes a Real-Time Exchange (RTX) that interfaces to at least one Mobile Switching Center (MSC) in the cellular mobile telephone network to provide instant two-way half-duplex voice messaging within a group of users. In the Hybrid PTT function, first or initial talkbursts or volleys are transmitted by the RTX from an originating mobile to terminating mobiles on pre-established Internet Protocol (IP) sessions between the RTX and the mobiles. In addition, circuit channels are established by the RTX with the mobiles through the MSC in parallel with the first talkburst or volley. Thereafter, second or subsequent talkbursts or volleys are transmitted by the RTX from the originating mobile to the terminating mobiles on the circuit channels.
1. A system for providing advanced voice services in a cellular telephone network, comprising:
a cellular telephone network for making calls between mobiles,
wherein the calls are initiated by call setup and in-band signaling within the cellular telephone network and voice frames for the calls are switched between the mobiles by one or more mobile switching centers across bearer paths in the cellular telephone network,
at least one real-time exchange that interfaces to at least one of the mobile switching centers in the cellular telephone network to provide advanced voice services therein,
the advanced voice services providing instant two-way half-duplex voice messaging within a group of users of the cellular telephone network,
the instant two-way half-duplex voice messaging comprises a Hybrid Push-to-Talk (PTT) call,
wherein one or more first or initial talkbursts or volleys comprising voice packets are transmitted by the real-time exchange from an originating mobile to one or more terminating mobiles on one or more pre-established Internet Protocol (IP) sessions between the real-time exchange and the mobiles,
one or more circuit channels are established by the real-time exchange with the mobiles through the at least one of the mobile switching centers in parallel with the first or initial talkbursts or volleys being transmitted, and
one or more second or subsequent talkbursts or volleys are transmitted by the real-time exchange from the originating mobile to the terminating mobiles on the circuit channels, and
wherein a Group Home real-time exchange acts as a controller of the Hybrid PTT call,
each of the mobiles pre-establishes the IP sessions with its own Home real-time exchange, the Home real-time exchange establishes the IP sessions with the Group Home real-time exchange, and the Hybrid PTT call is routed through the Home real-time exchange to the Group Home real-time exchange, and
a mobile that is outside the cellular telephone network pre-establishes the IP sessions with its own Home real-time exchange via a Roaming Gateway.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the terminating mobile originates another Hybrid PTT call.
3. A method of providing advanced calling services in a cellular telephone network, comprising:
making calls between mobiles in a cellular telephone network, wherein the calls are initiated by call setup and in-band signaling within the cellular telephone network and voice frames for the calls are switched between the mobiles by one or more mobile switching centers across bearer paths in the cellular telephone network,
interfacing at least one real-time exchange to at least one of the mobile switching centers in the cellular telephone network to provide advanced voice services therein, wherein the advanced voice services provide instant two-way half-duplex voice messaging within a group of users of the cellular telephone network and the instant two-way half-duplex voice messaging comprises a Hybrid Push-to-Talk (PTT) call,
transmitting, by the real-time exchange, one or more first or initial talkbursts or volleys comprising voice packets from an originating mobile to one or more terminating mobiles on one or more pre-established Internet Protocol (IP) sessions between the real-time exchange and the mobiles,
establishing, by the real-time exchange, one or more circuit channels with the mobiles through the at least one of the mobile switching centers in parallel with the first or initial talkbursts or volleys being transmitted, and
transmitting, by the real-time exchange, second or subsequent talkbursts or volleys from the originating mobile to the terminating mobiles on the circuit channels, and
wherein a Group Home real-time exchange acts as a controller of the Hybrid PTT call,
each of the mobiles pre-establishes the IP sessions with its own Home real-time exchange, the Home real-time exchange establishes the IP sessions with the Group Home real-time exchange, and the Hybrid PTT call is routed through the Home real-time exchange to the Group Home real-time exchange, and
a mobile that is outside the cellular telephone network pre-establishes the IP sessions with its own Home real-time exchange via a Roaming Gateway.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the terminating mobile originates another Hybrid PTT call.
5. A system for providing advanced voice services in a cellular telephone network, comprising:
a cellular telephone network for making calls between mobiles,
wherein the calls are initiated by call setup and in-band signaling within the cellular telephone network and voice frames for the calls are switched between the mobiles by one or more mobile switching centers across bearer paths in the cellular telephone network,
at least one real-time exchange that interfaces to at least one of the mobile switching centers in the cellular telephone network to provide advanced voice services therein,
the advanced voice services providing instant two-way half-duplex voice messaging within a group of users of the cellular telephone network,
the instant two-way half-duplex voice messaging comprises a Hybrid Push-to-Talk (PTT) call,
wherein a wakeup message is transmitted from an originating mobile to the real-time exchange, and the real-time exchange transmits the wakeup message to one or more terminating mobiles, on one or more pre-established Internet Protocol (IP) sessions between the real-time exchange and the mobiles, in order to place the terminating mobiles in a state to receive one or more first or initial talkbursts or volleys comprising voice packets transmitted from the originating mobile,
the first or initial talkbursts or volleys are transmitted by the real-time exchange from the originating mobile to the one or more terminating mobiles on the one or more pre-established Internet Protocol (IP) sessions between the real-time exchange and the mobiles,
one or more circuit channels are established by the real-time exchange with the mobiles through the at least one of the mobile switching centers in parallel with the first or initial talkbursts or volleys being transmitted, and
one or more second or subsequent talkbursts or volleys are transmitted by the real-time exchange from the originating mobile to the terminating mobiles on the circuit channels, and
wherein a Group Home real-time exchange acts as a controller of the Hybrid PTT call,
each of the mobiles pre-establishes the IP sessions with its own Home real-time exchange, the Home real-time exchange establishes the IP sessions with the Group Home real-time exchange, and the Hybrid PTT call is routed through the Home real-time exchange to the Group Home real-time exchange, and
a mobile that is outside the cellular telephone network pre-establishes the IP sessions with its own Home real-time exchange via a Roaming Gateway.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein one or more circuit channels are established by the real-time exchange with the mobiles through the at least one of the mobile switching centers in parallel with the first talkburst or volley being transmitted, and second and subsequent talkbursts or volleys are transmitted by the real-time exchange from the originating mobile to the terminating mobiles on the circuit channels.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the wakeup message helps to speed up establishment of the circuit channels.
8. The system of claim 5 , wherein the wakeup message is transmitted from the originating mobile when a user logs into a client on the originating mobile.
9. The system of claim 5 , wherein the wakeup message is transmitted from the originating mobile when a user navigates a contact list.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the wakeup message is transmitted from the originating mobile when a user selects one or more contacts or groups from the contact list.
11. The system of claim 5 , wherein the wakeup message is transmitted from the originating mobile when a user navigates a call history list.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the wakeup message is transmitted from the originating mobile when a user selects one or more entries from the call history list.
13. The system of claim 5 , wherein the wakeup message is transmitted from the real-time exchange to the terminating mobiles when a participant list is sent by the originating mobile to the real-time exchange.
14. The system of claim 5 , wherein the real-time exchange determines which terminating mobiles to wake up when a wakeup message is sent by the originating mobile to the real-time exchange.
15. The system of claim 5 , wherein the real-time exchange determines which terminating mobiles to wake up based on previous call history information when a wakeup message is sent by the originating mobile to the real-time exchange.
16. A method of providing advanced calling services in a cellular telephone network, comprising:
making calls between mobiles in a cellular telephone network, wherein the calls are initiated by call setup and in-band signaling within the cellular telephone network and voice frames for the calls are switched between the mobiles by one or more mobile switching centers across bearer paths in the cellular telephone network,
interfacing at least one real-time exchange to at least one of the mobile switching centers in the cellular telephone network to provide advanced voice services therein, wherein the advanced voice services provide instant two-way half-duplex voice messaging within a group of users of the cellular telephone network and the instant two-way half-duplex voice messaging comprises a Hybrid Push-to-Talk (PTT) call,
transmitting a wakeup message from an originating mobile to the real-time exchange, wherein the real-time exchange transmits the wakeup message to one or more terminating mobiles, on one or more pre-established Internet Protocol (IP) sessions between the real-time exchange and the mobiles, in order to place the terminating mobiles in a state to receive one or more first or initial talkbursts or volleys comprising voice packets transmitted from the originating mobile, and
transmitting the first or initial talkbursts or volleys by the real-time exchange from the originating mobile to the one or more terminating mobiles on the one or more pre-established Internet Protocol (IP) sessions between the real-time exchange and the mobiles, and
wherein a Group Home real-time exchange acts as a controller of the Hybrid PTT call,
each of the mobiles pre-establishes the IP sessions with its own Home real-time exchange, the Home real-time exchange establishes the IP sessions with the Group Home real-time exchange, and the Hybrid PTT call is routed through the Home real-time exchange to the Group Home real-time exchange, and
a mobile that is outside the cellular telephone network pre-establishes the IP sessions with its own Home real-time exchange via a Roaming Gateway.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein one or more circuit channels are established by the real-time exchange with the mobiles through the at least one of the mobile switching centers in parallel with the first talkburst or volley being transmitted, and second and subsequent talkbursts or volleys are transmitted by the real-time exchange from the originating mobile to the terminating mobiles on the circuit channels.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the wakeup message helps to speed up establishment of the circuit channels.
19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the wakeup message is transmitted from the originating mobile when a user logs into a client on the originating mobile.
20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the wakeup message is transmitted from the originating mobile when a user navigates a contact list.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the wakeup message is transmitted from the originating mobile when a user selects one or more contacts or groups from the contact list.
22. The method of claim 16 , wherein the wakeup message is transmitted from the originating mobile when a user navigates a call history list.
23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the wakeup message is transmitted from the originating mobile when a user selects one or more entries from the call history list.
24. The method of claim 16 , wherein the wakeup message is transmitted from the real-time exchange to the terminating mobiles when a participant list is sent by the originating mobile to the real-time exchange.
25. The method of claim 16 , wherein the real-time exchange determines which terminating mobiles to wake up when a wakeup message is sent by the originating mobile to the real-time exchange.
26. The method of claim 16 , wherein the real-time exchange determines which terminating mobiles to wake up based on previous call history information when a wakeup message is sent by the originating mobile to the real-time exchange.