Patent Application
20080084990
The features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in the several figures of which like reference numerals identify like elements, and in which:
While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from a consideration of the following description in conjunction with the drawings, in which like reference numerals are carried forward.
As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting but rather to provide an understandable description of the invention.
The terms “a” or “an,” as used herein, are defined as one or more than one. The term “plurality,” as used herein, is defined as two or more than two. The term “another,” as used herein, is defined as at least a second or more. The terms “including” and/or “having,” as used herein, are defined as comprising (i.e., open language). The term “coupled” as used herein, are defined as connected, although not necessarily directly, and not necessarily mechanically. The term “processor” can include any component or group of components, including any relevant hardware and/or software, that can carry out the functions described in relation to the inventive arrangements herein.
The term “communication unit” can be defined as any electronic device capable of receiving and/or transmitting wireless and/or hard-wired communication signals. The term “transceiver” can be any component or group of components that are capable of receiving and transmitting communications signals. The term “recipient” can refer to any entity, including a machine, that is designated to receive a communication. The term “originating” or “originator” can refer to the property of initiating, commencing or starting an act or process.
The invention concerns a method and system for controlling communication replies. The method can include the steps of selecting one or more recipients of a call at an originating communication unit, placing the call to the selected recipients and sending along with the placed call a no reply indicator to the recipients of the call that can automatically block a reply call from the recipients. This block may prevent the recipients from having an opportunity to place the reply call. The method may also include the step of receiving an acknowledgement from one or more of the recipients that indicates that the recipients received the placed call. As an example, the call can be a dispatch call, and the recipients can be members of a predetermined dispatch group.
Such a process can enable the person originating the call from receiving a large number of needless replies to a simple origination communication. This feature can also free up network resources and can limit expenses to the users of the communication units, which otherwise may have been charged for the needless replies.
Referring to
The originating unit 110 may include a user interface 116, a transceiver 118 and a processor 120 coupled to both the user interface 116 and the transceiver 118. The user interface 116 can include a display 122, a keypad 124 and an activation mechanism 126, which can be used to initiate a call from the originating unit 110. For example and without limitation, the activation mechanism 126 may be a PTT button for initiating dispatch calls.
The recipient unit 112 may also include a user interface 128, a transceiver 130 and a processor 132 coupled to both the user interface 128 and the transceiver 130. Similar to the originating unit 110, the user interface 128 of the recipient unit 112 may include a display 134, a keypad 136 and an activation mechanism 138, which, as an example, may be a PTT button for responding to dispatch calls.
Referring to
At step 210, one or more recipients of a call can be selected at an originating communication unit. At step 212, the call can be placed to the selected recipients. A no reply indicator can be sent along with the placed call to the recipients of the call that will automatically block a reply call from the recipients such that the recipients are not provided with an opportunity to place the reply call, as shown at step 214.
For example, referring to
The user of the originating unit 110 can then place the call to the selected recipients. Placing a call can be defined as any steps or processes taken to initiate a communication or at least an attempted communication with one or more recipients. For example, the user of the originating unit 110 may activate the activation mechanism 126 once the recipients have been selected. In one particular example and as described earlier, the activation mechanism 126 may be a PTT button, and the user of the unit 110 may press the PTT button to place the call.
In one embodiment, the user of the originating unit 110 may wish to avoid receiving replies from one or more of the recipients. As such, the user of the unit 110 may select a no reply indicator in the process of arranging the call. This indicator can be selected from, for example, a menu on the display 122, and in response, the processor 120 can instruct the transceiver 118 to transmit the no reply indicator along with the placed call. This no reply indicator can be a flag or any other suitable parameter in the placed call and can be transmitted to the recipient communication units 112 over any suitable channel. If the call is a dispatch call, for example, the no reply indicator can be a flag in a data packet placed in a traffic channel or any suitable control channel. In fact, the no reply indicator can be any suitable type of information transmitted from an originating communication unit that is capable of informing recipient communication units that no reply to the placed call is necessary or wanted.
Once received by the transceivers 130 of the recipient communication units 112, the processors 132 can process the no reply indicator and can configure the units 112 such that the users of these units 112 may not be afforded with an opportunity to place a reply call. A reply call can be defined as a call in which the recipients of the placed call respond with an active communication back to the originator, such as through speaking into his/her communication unit or entering text or images into the unit. For example, the processor 132 may instruct the transceiver 130 to avoid transmitting voice and/or data back to the originating unit 110. Such a process can prevent the originator of the placed call from receiving numerous unwanted responses to the placed call.
Although the example described above focuses on a group dispatch call, it is understood that the invention is not so limited. This idea can apply to all types of communications over any suitable communication network or protocol, including Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) or Push-over-Cellular (PoC). While the invention can certainly apply to voice calls, it is not limited as such, as this process is suitable for non-voice communications, including text messages or e-mail. Moreover, the number of recipients is not necessarily limited to a plurality of recipients, as a no reply indicator can be sent to a single recipient, if so desired.
Referring back to
Referring back to
Conversely, if the recipient, for any reason, did not receive the placed call or possibly misunderstood the call, the recipient can generate a negative acknowledgement through the activation mechanism 138. For example, if the activation mechanism 138 is a PTT button, the recipient could press the PTT button at least twice (consecutively) in response to not receiving the placed call. While not afforded an opportunity to place a reply call, the recipients can provide an indication as to whether they received the originating call. In one arrangement, if the recipient is unavailable and has yet to respond, following a predetermined amount of time, the processor 132 of the recipient communication unit 112 can automatically generate the negative acknowledgement. Moreover, the recipients of the placed call can take any other suitable action to generate the acknowledgement or negative acknowledgement, as the invention is not limited to the use of a PTT button to do so.
The acknowledgements and/or negative acknowledgements can be received at the originating communication unit 110. In response, the processor 120 can process this information and can cause it to be shown on the display 122. This way, the originator can quickly determine which members of the group call received the originating placed call without having to be interrupted with a plurality of reply calls. If there are negative acknowledgements, the user of the originating unit 110 can attempt to place another call with those recipients.
While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be clear that the invention is not so limited. Numerous modifications, changes, variations, substitutions and equivalents will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.
