Uninterruptable group communication sessions within a wireless communications system

Abstract

A call request message is sent from an access terminal to an application server in order to request initiation of a group communication session to a communication group and to request that an allocation of the floor to the given access terminal for the duration of the given group communication session remain uninterrupted by call targets of the session. The application server announces the session, and sends a floor-grant to the access terminal after the session is accepted by at least one target. The access terminal forwards media to the application server which is then forwarded to the at least one target. The floor is not transferred away from the access terminal during the session. For example, floor requests are suppressed at the at least one target, or floor requests are sent by the at least one target but are then ignored or denied by the application server.

1 . A method of conducting a group communication session arbitrated by an application server within a wireless communications system, comprising:
 receiving a call request message, from a given access terminal, that requests initiation of a given group communication session to a communication group and that further requests that an allocation of a floor to the given access terminal for a duration of the given group communication session remain uninterrupted by other members of the communication group;   sending an announce message for announcing the given group communication session to the communication group;   receiving at least one acceptance message from at least one member of the communication group that indicates an acceptance of the announced given group communication session;   sending, in response to the at least one received acceptance message, a floor-grant message to the given access terminal indicating that the given access terminal has obtained the floor and can begin forwarding media for transmission to the at least one other member of the communication group; and   receiving and forwarding media from the given access terminal to the at least one other member of the communication group for the duration of the given group communication session without the floor being transferred from the given access terminal to the at least one other member of the communication group.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a floor-request message that requests the floor of the given group communication session from an access terminal other than the given access terminal; and   not granting the received floor-request message such that the given access terminal retains the floor.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein not granting the received floor-request message such that the given access terminal retains the floor comprises performing the not granting operations even if the requesting access terminal has a higher preemption rank than the given access terminal. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the received call request message contains a header-portion with a special value that is expected to indicate, to the application server, that the given access terminal desires the given group communication session to be uninterrupted by the other members of the communication group for the duration of the given group communication session. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the header-portion with the special value within the call request message corresponds to a Diffserv Code Point (DSCP) value. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein sending the announce message for announcing the given group communication session to the communication group comprises:
 configuring the announce message for announcing the given group communication session to the communication group, the announce message configured to indicate, to target members of the communication group, that the given group communication session will not permit the floor to be re-allocated away from an originator of the given group communication session such that the given group communication session will remain uninterrupted by the target members of the communication group; and   transmitting the configured announce message.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein configuring the announce message for announcing the given group communication session to the communication group comprises configuring a header-portion of the announce message with a special value that is expected to indicate, to the target members of the communication group, that the given group communication session will be uninterrupted by the target members of the communication group for the duration of the given group communication session. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein configuring the header-portion of the announce message with the special value comprises configuring a Diffserv Code Point (DSCP) value of the header-portion of the announce message with the special value. 
     
     
         9 . A method of conducting a group communication session arbitrated by an application server within a wireless communications system, comprising:
 receiving an announce message at a given access terminal for announcing a given group communication session associated with a communication group, the received announce message configured to indicate that the given group communication session will not permit a floor to be re-allocated away from an originator of the given group communication session such that the given group communication session will remain uninterrupted by other members of the communication group;   sending an acceptance message if the given access terminal determines to join the announced given group communication session; and   receiving media from the originator for a duration of the given group communication session without the floor being transferred from the originator to another member of the communication group.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 receiving a request from a user of the given access terminal to attempt to obtain the floor for the given group communication session; and   suppressing the request such that a floor-request message for the floor of the given group communication session is not transmitted from the given access terminal.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the received announce message contains a header-portion with a special value that is expected to indicate, to the given access terminal, that the given group communication session will not permit the floor to be re-allocated away from the originator of the given group communication session such that the given group communication session will remain uninterrupted by the other members of the communication group. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the header-portion with the special value within the announce message corresponds to a Diffserv Code Point (DSCP) value. 
     
     
         13 . An application server configured to arbitrate a group communication session within a wireless communications system, comprising a processor configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising:
 receiving a call request message, from a given access terminal, that requests initiation of a given group communication session to a communication group and that further requests that an allocation of a floor to the given access terminal for a duration of the given group communication session remain uninterrupted by other members of the communication group;   sending an announce message for announcing the given group communication session to the communication group;   receiving at least one acceptance message from at least one member of the communication group that indicates an acceptance of the announced given group communication session;   sending, in response to the at least one received acceptance message, a floor-grant message to the given access terminal indicating that the given access terminal has obtained the floor and can begin forwarding media for transmission to the at least one other member of the communication group; and   receiving and forwarding media from the given access terminal to the at least one other member of the communication group for the duration of the given group communication session without the floor being transferred from the given access terminal to the at least one other member of the communication group.   
     
     
         14 . The application server of  claim 13 , wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising:
 receiving a floor-request message that requests the floor of the given group communication session from an access terminal other than the given access terminal; and   not granting the received floor-request message such that the given access terminal retains the floor.   
     
     
         15 . The application server of  claim 14 , wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that not granting the received floor-request message such that the given access terminal retains the floor comprises performing the not granting operations even if the requesting access terminal has a higher preemption rank than the given access terminal. 
     
     
         16 . The application server of  claim 13 , wherein the received call request message contains a header-portion with a special value that is expected to indicate, to the application server, that the given access terminal desires the given group communication session to be uninterrupted by the other members of the communication group for the duration of the given group communication session. 
     
     
         17 . The application server of  claim 16 , wherein the header-portion with the special value within the call request message corresponds to a Diffserv Code Point (DSCP) value. 
     
     
         18 . The application server of  claim 13 , wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that sending the announce message for announcing the given group communication session to the communication group comprises:
 configuring the announce message for announcing the given group communication session to the communication group, the announce message configured to indicate, to target members of the communication group, that the given group communication session will not permit the floor to be re-allocated away from an originator of the given group communication session such that the given group communication session will remain uninterrupted by the target members of the communication group; and   transmitting the configured announce message.   
     
     
         19 . The application server of  claim 18 , wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that configuring the announce message for announcing the given group communication session to the communication group comprises configuring a header-portion of the announce message with a special value that is expected to indicate, to the target members of the communication group, that the given group communication session will be uninterrupted by the target members of the communication group for the duration of the given group communication session. 
     
     
         20 . The application server of  claim 19 , wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that configuring the header-portion of the announce message comprises configuring a Diffserv Code Point (DSCP) value of the header-portion of the announce message with the special value. 
     
     
         21 . An access terminal configured to participate in a group communication session arbitrated by an application server within a wireless communications system, comprising a processor configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising:
 receiving an announce message for announcing a given group communication session associated with a communication group, the received announce message configured to indicate that the given group communication session will not permit a floor to be re-allocated away from an originator of the given group communication session such that the given group communication session will remain uninterrupted by other members of the communication group;   sending an acceptance message if the access terminal determines to join the announced given group communication session; and   receiving media from the originator for a duration of the given group communication session without the floor being transferred from the originator to another member of the communication group.   
     
     
         22 . The access terminal of  claim 21 , wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising:
 receiving a request from a user of the access terminal to attempt to obtain the floor for the given group communication session; and   suppressing the request such that a floor-request message for the floor of the given group communication session is not transmitted from the access terminal.   
     
     
         23 . The access terminal of  claim 21 , wherein the received announce message contains a header-portion with a special value that is expected to indicate, to the access terminal, that the given group communication session will not permit the floor to be re-allocated away from the originator of the given group communication session such that the given group communication session will remain uninterrupted by the other members of the communication group. 
     
     
         24 . The access terminal of  claim 23 , wherein the header-portion with the special value within the announce message corresponds to a Diffserv Code Point (DSCP) value.