Patent Application
20070140255
The present disclosure relates generally to communication systems and networks, and more specifically to a method and system for linking different communication channels using a multimode mobile device.
For multimode devices using multiple wireless network technologies, the common link between such wireless network technologies is typically a public telephone switch. End users with multimode communication devices such as a cellular phone with dispatch service (such as Motorola's i850 phone) can communicate with third parties on either access technology separately, but cannot concurrently communicate using both technologies. Consequently, an end user with a multimode communication device cannot engage in a three-way party conference with one party carrying a dispatch radio, and another carrying a cellular phone. Nor can the multimode communication device serve as a dispatch or intermediary among wireless devices using different wireless technologies.
Embodiments in accordance with the disclosure provide a system and method for communication across different wireless technologies using a multimode mobile device.
In a first embodiment of the present disclosure, a mobile wireless subscriber radio can include a first processor for establishing a first communication link using a first wireless communication protocol, a second processor for establishing a second communication link using a second wireless communication protocol different from the first wireless communication protocol, and an interprocessor communication link between the first processor and the second processor enabling communication between the first communication link and the second communication link. The mobile wireless subscriber radio can serve as a dispatcher coupling a first mobile radio using the first wireless communication protocol with a second mobile radio using the second wireless communication protocol. The first wireless communication protocol can be a cellular communication protocol and the second wireless communication protocol can be a dispatch radio communication protocol. Alternatively, the first wireless communication protocol can be a cellular communication protocol or a dispatch radio communication protocol and the second wireless communication protocol can be a peer-to-peer communication protocol or a talk-around communication protocol or a point-to-point communication protocol. The first wireless communication protocol can be a Push-to-Talk over cellular (PoC) communication protocol and the second wireless communication protocol can be a dispatch radio Push-to-Talk (PTT) communication protocol. The first wireless communication protocol and the second wireless communication protocol can also utilize a wireline communication link.
In yet another alternative, the first wireless communication protocol can be a cellular communication protocol, the second wireless communication protocol can be a dispatch radio communication protocol and a third wireless communication protocol can be a peer-to-peer communication protocol or a talk-around communication protocol or a point-to-point communication protocol. In such an instance, the mobile wireless subscriber radio can further include a third processor for establishing a third communication link using the third wireless communication protocol, where the interprocessor communication link further links the third processor with the first processor and the second processor and enables communication among such processors. The mobile wireless subscriber radio can also serve as a dispatcher for a third mobile radio using the third wireless communication protocol and coupling the third mobile radio with a first mobile radio using the first wireless communication protocol and with a second mobile radio using the second wireless communication protocol.
In a second embodiment of the present disclosure, a system for communication across different wireless communication technologies can include a first base station using a first wireless communication protocol, at least a second base station using a second wireless communication protocol different from the first wireless communication protocol, and a multimode wireless mobile device. The multimode wireless mobile device can include a first processor for establishing a first communication link using the first wireless communication protocol, at least a second processor for establishing a second communication link using the second wireless communication protocol, and an interprocessor communication link between the first processor and the second processor enabling communication between a first wireless device on the first communication link and a second wireless device on the second communication link. The multimode wireless mobile device can serve as a dispatcher coupling the first wireless device using the first wireless communication protocol with the second wireless device using the second wireless communication protocol. The first wireless communication protocol can be a cellular communication protocol or a dispatch radio communication protocol and the second wireless communication protocol can be a dispatch radio communication protocol. The second wireless communication protocol can alternatively be a peer-to-peer communication protocol or a talk-around communication protocol or a point-to-point communication protocol. The first wireless communication protocol can be a Push-to-Talk over cellular communication protocol and the second wireless communication protocol can be a dispatch radio Push-to-Talk communication protocol. The first wireless communication protocol and the second wireless communication protocol can further utilize a wireline communication link.
In one alternative of the system, the first wireless communication protocol can be a cellular communication protocol, the second wireless communication protocol can be a dispatch radio communication protocol and a third wireless communication protocol can be a peer-to-peer communication protocol or a talk-around communication protocol or a point-to-point communication protocol. In such an instance, the multimode wireless mobile device can further include a third processor for establishing a third communication link using the third wireless communication protocol and the multimode wireless mobile device can serve as a dispatcher for a third mobile radio using the third wireless communication protocol and coupling the third mobile radio with the first wireless device using the first wireless communication protocol and with the second wireless device using the second wireless communication protocol.
In a third embodiment of the present disclosure, a mobile wireless subscriber radio can include a first processor for establishing a first communication link using a first wireless communication protocol, a second processor for establishing a second communication link using a second wireless communication protocol different from the first wireless communication protocol, a third processor for establishing a third communication link using a third wireless communication protocol different from the first and second wireless communication protocols, and an interprocessor communication link between the first processor, the second processor, and the third processor enabling communication among the first communication link, the second communication link, and the third communication link. The mobile wireless subscriber radio can serve as a dispatcher for a third mobile radio using the third wireless communication protocol and coupling the third mobile radio with the first wireless device using the first wireless communication protocol and with the second wireless device using the second wireless communication protocol.
On a mobile device network, a mobile unit must be within the network's coverage in order to be accessible. Mobile users could contact each other as long as they are within the network coverage and within the same network. In a system 100 of
Embodiments herein can implement a link between networks using a mobile subscriber or wireless handset instead of expensive network equipment such as the PSTN 104. Referring to
The dual mode user can also link to other users using other protocols supported (like MotoTalk) that can connect to the Dual Mode user. In this regard, the multimode mobile subscriber device 202 can also communicate with a non-networked device 204. Note, the non-networked device does not necessarily need to be within range of the either cell, but does need to be within communication range of the multimode mobile subscriber device 202.
Referring to
Referring to
In another scenario referring to the system 500 of
Referring to
The wireless device 302 can use the first processor 603 for establishing a first communication link using a first wireless communication protocol, a second processor 605 for establishing a second communication link using a second wireless communication protocol different from the first wireless communication protocol, and a third processor 617 for establishing a third communication link using a third wireless communication protocol different from the first and second wireless communication protocols. For example, the first transceiver 603 can be an iDEN transceiver, the second transceiver 605 can be a CDMA EVDO transceiver, and the third transceiver 607 can be used for talk-around mode or family radio service (FRS) radio. The wireless device can further include an inter-processor communication link 620 between the first processor, the second processor, and the third processor enabling communication among the first communication link, the second communication link, and the third communication link. The mobile wireless subscriber radio 302 can serve as a dispatcher for a third mobile radio using the third wireless communication protocol (such as talk-around mode) and coupling a third mobile radio (204 in
With this in mind, a method 250 begins with step 262 where a processor such as processor 615 establishes a two-way full-duplex communication link on a circuit-switched channel of a communication system (herein referred to by way of example as a CDMA network) with a first communication device (112) in response to an end user of a wireless device, for example, dialing a phone number on a keypad. The two-way full-duplex communication link can operate on a circuit-switched channel of the CDMA network, thereby providing the end user or the first party a means to exchange simultaneous voice messages by way of the audio system 610 (of
In step 654, a processor 614 (of
Once the second party has been contacted, the end user (of the dual mode or multimode device 302) can conference or can serve as the dispatcher for the second party with the first party by depressing continuously a PTT button for example to initiate a conference signal that is detected by the processors in step 256. In response to this signal, the processors proceed to step 258 where it links the voice channels of the circuit-switched and dispatch calls, thereby connecting the second caller to the communication already established between the end user and the first caller. This step can be accomplished by the processors by linking voice channels in the protocols stacks of each access technology operating in the multimode or dual mode wireless device 302 without assistance from infrastructure equipment of a communication system supporting circuit-switched and dispatch services. Alternatively, the PTT signal can be detected by infrastructure equipment of the communication system, and in response thereto perform linking of voice channels of each of the circuit-switched and dispatch access technologies.
Once the linking process is completed, the second caller can listen to what is said between the first caller (112) and the end user (302). Similarly, the second caller (116) can submit voice responses which can be heard by the end user (302) and/or the first caller (112) after the second party depresses the PTT button of his or her dispatch radio much like they would during a normal dispatch call. The embodiment of steps 252-258 demonstrates a means for conferencing parties utilizing disparate access technologies.
Steps 260-262 demonstrate yet another embodiment of method 250 for conferencing three parties with disparate access technologies. In this embodiment, the processor(s) begin with step 252 as described above and proceeds to step 260 where it establishes a two-way full-duplex communication link on a VoIP channel with a second party. The VoIP connection can be established by way of a data channel of the multimode wireless device 302 (e.g., EV/DO channel or 1X channel in a CDMA phone, or GPRS in a GSM phone). The voice channel can operate on a packet-switched real-time transport protocol (RTP) commonly used for supporting VoIP services.
This step can represent a use case in which the second party utilizes, for example, a fixed or portable VoIP handset. Once connected to the second party, the end user of the wireless device 302 can conference the first and second parties by selecting a function of a keypad (e.g., depressing the send button for a mobile device, or conference on a VoIP handset). The signal generated by the keypad can be detected in step 256 by the processor, and in step 262, the processor(s) connect the VoIP voice channel to the circuit-switched voice channel. Since VoIP is a full-duplex service, the end user need not depress any functions of the keypad to maintain the conference. Similarly, the second party need not perform any functions on the VoIP handset to submit voice responses.
From these examples it should be evident to an artisan with ordinary skill in the art that there are innumerable ways to conference or provide dispatching services with multiple parties utilizing disparate or different wireless access technologies according to the present disclosure. For example, the dispatch services of step 254 can be replaced with FRS services to accomplish the same result described earlier. Moreover, the aforementioned embodiments can be supplemented so that more than three-party conferences are possible. This can be accomplished by two or more of the parties in conference adding more parties by way of multimode wireless device 302 capable of processing calls according to the aforementioned embodiments of method 250. From these illustrations, it would be evident to an artisan with ordinary skill in the art that the disclosed and undisclosed embodiments can best be understood from a reading of the claims described below.
Although the present specification describes components and functions implemented in the embodiments with reference to particular standards and protocols, the disclosure is not limited to such standards and protocols. Each of the standards for Internet and other packet switched network transmission (e.g., TCP/IP, UDP/IP, HTML, HTTP) represent examples of the state of the art. Such standards are periodically superseded by faster or more efficient equivalents having essentially the same functions. Accordingly, replacement standards and protocols having the same functions are considered equivalents.
The illustrations of embodiments described herein are intended to provide a general understanding of the structure of various embodiments, and they are not intended to serve as a complete description of all the elements and features of apparatus and systems that might make use of the structures described herein. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. Other embodiments may be utilized and derived therefrom, such that structural and logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Figures are also merely representational and may not be drawn to scale. Certain proportions thereof may be exaggerated, while others may be minimized. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.
Such embodiments of the inventive subject matter may be referred to herein, individually and/or collectively, by the term “invention” merely for convenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope of this application to any single invention or inventive concept if more than one is in fact disclosed. Thus, although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it should be appreciated that any arrangement calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all adaptations or variations of various embodiments. Combinations of the above embodiments, and other embodiments not specifically described herein, will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description.
The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b), requiring an abstract that will allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various features are grouped together in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.
