Continuous interface maintenance for group communications to a wireless communication device group

Abstract

A system, method, and computer device that selectively maintain an open interface to a communication control device that is controlling wireless communication to at least one of a plurality of wireless communication devices that are in a communication group, such as a push-to-talk (PTT) group. In one embodiment, the wireless communication device registers at the communication control device, such as a base station controller, and at least one interface is established between the communication control device and another computer device on the wireless communication network, such as a broadcast A10 interface with a broadcast serving node (BSN). The communication control device will then maintain the interface while the at least one wireless communication device, or at least one member device of the communication group, is registered such that group communications can more rapidly be delivered to the wireless communication device.

1 . A method for selectively maintaining an open multicast interface to a communication computer device that is controlling wireless communication to at least one of a plurality of wireless communication devices that are in a communication group, the method comprising:
 registering at least one wireless communication device that is a member of the communication group at the communication computer device, the at least one wireless communication device configured to receive group-directed communications for the communication group, wherein the at least one wireless communication device is configured to selectively unregister itself from the communication computer device;   establishing at least one multicast interface between the communication computer device and another computer device on a wireless communication network, the at least one multicast interface permitting delivery of the group-directed communications to the at least one wireless communication device;   determining whether any wireless communication devices remain registered as members of the communication group; and   in response to the determining, maintaining the at least one multicast interface so long as any wireless communication device remains registered with the communication computer device as a member of the communication group after the group-directed communications have ended.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising releasing the at least one multicast interface upon all wireless communication devices that were previously registered as members of the communication group becoming unregistered. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the establishing at least one multicast interface comprises establishing at least one multicast interface for the communication group. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the establishing at least one multicast interface comprises establishing at least one multicast interface for each registered wireless communication device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising maintaining, with the communication computer device, a list of currently registered wireless communication devices that are members of the communication group, wherein maintaining the list comprises removing any wireless communication device that selectively unregisters itself. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the determining comprises determining, via the list of currently registered wireless communication devices, whether any wireless communication devices remain registered as members of the communication group. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the list of currently registered wireless communication devices is updated upon a registration from at least one other wireless communication device being received at the communication computer device. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising determining whether the communication group for a registered wireless communication device is on the list of currently registered wireless communication devices. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the group-directed communications to the at least one wireless communication device comprise a push-to-talk (PTT) group call announcement to at least one PTT group member. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one multicast interface comprises a delay-sensitive, low-bandwidth call setup interface. 
     
     
         11 . An apparatus for selectively maintaining an open multicast interface to a communication computer device that is controlling wireless communication to at least one of a plurality of wireless communication devices that are in a communication group, the apparatus comprising:
 means for registering at least one wireless communication device that is a member of the communication group at the communication computer device, the at least one wireless communication device configured to receive group-directed communications for the communication group, wherein the at least one wireless communication device is configured to selectively unregister itself from the communication computer device;   means for establishing at least one multicast interface between the communication computer device and another computer device on a wireless communication network, the at least one multicast interface permitting delivery of the group-directed communications to the at least one wireless communication device;   means for determining whether any wireless communication devices remain registered as members of the communication group; and   means for maintaining, in response to the determining, the at least one multicast interface so long as any wireless communication device remains registered with the communication computer device as a member of the communication group after the group-directed communications have ended.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising means for releasing the at least one multicast interface upon all wireless communication devices that were previously registered as members of the communication group becoming unregistered. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the means for establishing at least one multicast interface comprises means for establishing at least one multicast interface for the communication group. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the means for establishing at least one multicast interface comprises means for establishing at least one multicast interface for each registered wireless communication device. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising means for maintaining, with the communication computer device, a list of currently registered wireless communication devices that are members of the communication group, wherein maintaining the list comprises removing any wireless communication device that selectively unregisters itself. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the means for determining comprises means for determining, via the list of currently registered wireless communication devices, whether any wireless communication devices remain registered as members of the communication group. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the list of currently registered wireless communication devices is updated upon a registration from at least one other wireless communication device being received at the communication computer device. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising means for determining whether the communication group for a registered wireless communication device is on the list of currently registered wireless communication devices. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the group-directed communications to the at least one wireless communication device comprise a push-to-talk (PTT) group call announcement to at least one PTT group member. 
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium for selectively maintaining an open multicast interface to a communication computer device that is controlling wireless communication to at least one of a plurality of wireless communication devices that are in a communication group, the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:
 at least one instruction to register at least one wireless communication device that is a member of the communication group at the communication computer device, the at least one wireless communication device configured to receive group-directed communications for the communication group, wherein the at least one wireless communication device is configured to selectively unregister itself from the communication computer device;   at least one instruction to establish at least one multicast interface between the communication computer device and another computer device on a wireless communication network, the at least one multicast interface permitting delivery of the group-directed communications to the at least one wireless communication device;   at least one instruction to determine whether any wireless communication devices remain registered as members of the communication group; and   at least one instruction to maintain, in response to the determining, the at least one multicast interface so long as any wireless communication device remains registered with the communication computer device as a member of the communication group after the group-directed communications have ended.