System and method for distributing voip data packets in group communications among wireless telecommunication devices

Abstract

In group wireless telecommunication, such as push-to-talk (PTT) calls, a voice communication is broadcast through Internet protocol data packets to other member devices of the PTT group. At least one communication server receives a single communication stream from a communicating wireless device, such as a PTT call, and creates a group communication to all wireless telecommunication devices of the designated group with the broadcast of Internet protocol data packets containing the voice data of the communication stream to one or more wireless telecommunication devices of the receiving group that can receive and handle the packets. Other wireless network infrastructure can be used to assist the communication server in generation and broadcast of the Internet protocol data packets to the receiving wireless telecommunication devices.

1 . A method of supporting a communication session at a communication server in a wireless communications system, comprising:
 receiving, from a given wireless telecommunication device that belongs to a designated group of wireless telecommunication devices including at least one other wireless telecommunication device, a single communication stream that contains voice data for delivery to the at least one other wireless telecommunication device of the designated group and is addressed to the communication server;   determining whether the at least one other wireless telecommunication device in the designated group is capable of receiving broadcast Internet Protocol (IP) data packets; and   directing one or more intermediate communication devices to send IP data packets to each wireless telecommunication device among the at least one other wireless telecommunication device that is determined to be capable of receiving broadcast IP data packets, wherein the one or more intermediate communication devices correspond to one or more network entities that are configured to bridge communication streams between the communication server and the designated group.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the directing step directs the one or more intermediate communication devices to send IP data packets that contain the voice data from the received single communication stream. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the directing step directs the one or more intermediate communication devices to send IP data packets that only contain the voice data from the received single communication stream. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the directing step directs the one or more intermediate communication devices to send IP data packets that further contain application data. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the directing step directs the one or more intermediate communication devices to send IP data packets that further contain multimedia other than the voice data from the received single communication stream. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving one or more IP data packets from one or more wireless telecommunication devices on the wireless communications system.   
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the one or more received IP data packets correspond to the received single communication stream from the given wireless telecommunication device. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the received single communication stream corresponds to a portion of a full-duplex communication session across the wireless communications system. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the received single communication stream corresponds to a portion of a half-duplex communication session across the wireless communications system. 
   
   
       10 . Them method of  claim 9 , wherein the half-duplex communication session is a push-to-talk (PTT) communication session. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more intermediate communication devices correspond to one or more packet data service nodes (PDSNs) within the wireless communications system. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 mapping the wireless telecommunication devices belonging to the designated group to a subset of packet data service nodes (PDSNs) within the wireless communications system,   wherein the one or more intermediate communication devices correspond to the subset of PDSNs.   
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the mapping step includes:
 determining an expected distribution of the wireless telecommunication devices belonging to the designated group within the wireless communications system;   determining one or more PDSNs within the wireless communications system that serve the expected distribution, the one or more PDSNs corresponding to the subset of PDSNs; and   associating each of the wireless telecommunication devices with its corresponding serving PDSN of the subset of PDSNs.   
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 determining whether at least one address is available for the communication session at each of the subset of PDSNs; and   selecting, based on the determining step, the at least one address to be associated with the communication session such that the same address is used by each PDSN among the subset of PDSNs for the communication session.   
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the communication server is not responsible for tracking which PDSNs belong to the PDSN subset. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein each PDSN within the subset of PDSNs statically maintains itself as a member of the subset of PDSNs. 
   
   
       17 . A method of supporting a communication session at an access network in a wireless communications system, comprising:
 receiving, from a communication server at one or more intermediate communication devices of the access network, Internet Protocol (IP) data packets for transmission to at least one wireless telecommunication device that belongs to a designated group of wireless telecommunication devices, the at least one wireless telecommunication device expected to be capable of receiving broadcast IP data packets, wherein the one or more intermediate communication devices correspond to one or more network entities that are configured to bridge communication streams between the communication server and the designated group; and   transmitting the IP data packets to the at least one wireless telecommunication device,   wherein the received IP data packets include voice data from another wireless telecommunication device that belongs to the designated group that is sent from the another wireless telecommunication device to the communication server in a single communication stream that is addressed to the communication server.   
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the received IP data packets only contain the voice data from the received single communication stream. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the received IP data packets further contain application data. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the received IP data packets further contain multimedia other than the voice data from the received single communication stream. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the received IP data packets correspond to a portion of a full-duplex communication session across the wireless communications system. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the received IP data packets correspond to a portion of a half-duplex communication session across the wireless communications system. 
   
   
       23 . Them method of  claim 17 , wherein the half-duplex communication session is a push-to-talk (PTT) communication session. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the one or more intermediate communication devices correspond to one or more packet data service nodes (PDSNs) within the wireless communications system. 
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the one or more intermediate communication devices correspond to a subset of packet data service nodes (PDSNs) within the wireless communications system. 
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the subset of PDSNs that receive the received IP data packets from the communication server are determined based on (i) a determination of an expected distribution of the target wireless telecommunication devices belonging to the designated group within the wireless communications system, (ii) a determination of one or more PDSNs within the wireless communications system that serve the expected distribution, the one or more PDSNs corresponding to the subset of PDSNs, and (iii) an association between each target wireless communication device of the designated group with its corresponding serving PDSN of the subset of PDSNs. 
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein each of the subset of PDSNs uses a same address that is commonly available at each of the subset of PDSNs to be associated with the communication session. 
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the communication server is not responsible for tracking which PDSNs belong to the PDSN subset. 
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising:
 at each PDSN within the subset of PDSN, statically maintaining membership within the subset of PDSNs.   
   
   
       30 . A communication server configured to support a communication session in a wireless communications system, comprising:
 means for receiving, from a given wireless telecommunication device that belongs to a designated group of wireless telecommunication devices including at least one other wireless telecommunication device, a single communication stream that contains voice data for delivery to the at least one other wireless telecommunication device of the designated group and is addressed to the communication server;   means for determining whether the at least one other wireless telecommunication device in the designated group is capable of receiving broadcast Internet Protocol (IP) data packets; and   means for directing one or more intermediate communication devices to send IP data packets to each wireless telecommunication device among the at least one other wireless telecommunication device that is determined to be capable of receiving broadcast IP data packets, wherein the one or more intermediate communication devices correspond to one or more network entities that are configured to bridge communication streams between the communication server and the designated group.   
   
   
       31 . An access network configured to support a communication session in a wireless communications system, comprising:
 means for receiving, from a communication server at one or more intermediate communication devices of the access network, Internet Protocol (IP) data packets for transmission to at least one wireless telecommunication device that belongs to a designated group of wireless telecommunication devices, the at least one wireless telecommunication device expected to be capable of receiving broadcast IP data packets, wherein the one or more intermediate communication devices correspond to one or more network entities that are configured to bridge communication streams between the communication server and the designated group; and   means for transmitting the IP data packets to the at least one wireless telecommunication device,   wherein the received IP data packets include voice data from another wireless telecommunication device that belongs to the designated group that is sent from the another wireless telecommunication device to the communication server in a single communication stream that is addressed to the communication server.   
   
   
       32 . A communication server configured to support a communication session in a wireless communications system, comprising:
 logic configured to receive, from a given wireless telecommunication device that belongs to a designated group of wireless telecommunication devices including at least one other wireless telecommunication device, a single communication stream that contains voice data for delivery to the at least one other wireless telecommunication device of the designated group and is addressed to the communication server;   logic configured to determine whether the at least one other wireless telecommunication device in the designated group is capable of receiving broadcast Internet Protocol (IP) data packets; and   logic configured to direct one or more intermediate communication devices to send IP data packets to each wireless telecommunication device among the at least one other wireless telecommunication device that is determined to be capable of receiving broadcast IP data packets, wherein the one or more intermediate communication devices correspond to one or more network entities that are configured to bridge communication streams between the communication server and the designated group.   
   
   
       33 . An access network configured to support a communication session in a wireless communications system, comprising:
 logic configured to receive, from a communication server at one or more intermediate communication devices of the access network, Internet Protocol (IP) data packets for transmission to at least one wireless telecommunication device that belongs to a designated group of wireless telecommunication devices, the at least one wireless telecommunication device expected to be capable of receiving broadcast IP data packets, wherein the one or more intermediate communication devices correspond to one or more network entities that are configured to bridge communication streams between the communication server and the designated group; and   logic configured to transmit the IP data packets to the at least one wireless telecommunication device,   wherein the received IP data packets include voice data from another wireless telecommunication device that belongs to the designated group that is sent from the another wireless telecommunication device to the communication server in a single communication stream that is addressed to the communication server.   
   
   
       34 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a communication server configured to support a communication session in a wireless communications system, cause the communication server to perform operations, the instructions comprising:
 program code to receive, from a given wireless telecommunication device that belongs to a designated group of wireless telecommunication devices including at least one other wireless telecommunication device, a single communication stream that contains voice data for delivery to the at least one other wireless telecommunication device of the designated group and is addressed to the communication server;   program code to determine whether the at least one other wireless telecommunication device in the designated group is capable of receiving broadcast Internet Protocol (IP) data packets; and   program code to direct one or more intermediate communication devices to send IP data packets to each wireless telecommunication device among the at least one other wireless telecommunication device that is determined to be capable of receiving broadcast IP data packets, wherein the one or more intermediate communication devices correspond to one or more network entities that are configured to bridge communication streams between the communication server and the designated group.   
   
   
       35 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by an access network configured to support a communication session in a wireless communications system, cause the access network to perform operations, the instructions comprising:
 program code to receive, from a communication server at one or more intermediate communication devices of the access network, Internet Protocol (IP) data packets for transmission to at least one wireless telecommunication device that belongs to a designated group of wireless telecommunication devices, the at least one wireless telecommunication device expected to be capable of receiving broadcast IP data packets, wherein the one or more intermediate communication devices correspond to one or more network entities that are configured to bridge communication streams between the communication server and the designated group; and   program code to transmit the IP data packets to the at least one wireless telecommunication device,   wherein the received IP data packets include voice data from another wireless telecommunication device that belongs to the designated group that is sent from the another wireless telecommunication device to the communication server in a single communication stream that is addressed to the communication server.