Patent Application
20080320083
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for use in a push to talk type service, for example a so-called push to talk over cellular service.
2. Description of the Related Art
Walkie-talkie type services have long proved popular amongst users who wish to communicate brief messages quickly between one another. Conventionally, such services have been provided by two-way portable radios which utilise a dedicated part of the radio spectrum, but which only allow users to communicate with a small group of pre-selected users who utilise similar terminals and who are within range of the relatively short operating range of the radios. More recently, services have been introduced into the United States which piggy-back on the existing cellular telephone infrastructure. However, these services have been proprietary in nature and have not allowed users to communicate between different operator networks.
In an attempt to broaden the use of walkie-talkie type services, an industry grouping known as the Open Mobile Alliance (www.openmobilealliance.org) has been established with the aim of standardising suitable protocols which will allow inter-network operability for Walkie-Talkie services offered over cellular networks. The service established by the various standards is known as Push to talk Over cellular (PoC). PoC proposes that associated speech data will be transported over a packet switched access network. In the case of GSM and UMTS, this will be the general packet radio service (GPRS) or 3G access network. In other network architectures, analogous packet switched access networks will be utilised for transporting talk data. Push to Talk services may also be offered over circuit switched access networks, although this is not the preferred option.
The Push to talk over Cellular (PoC) system is typically implemented on GSM/GPRS/3G networks and which makes use of the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) standardised by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project to facilitate the introduction of advanced data services into cellular networks, and in particular of real-time multimedia services. The IMS relies upon the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) which has been defined by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) for the setting up and control of multimedia IP-based sessions. A PoC Server is located within the IMS or is attached thereto, and implements the functionality for setting up and controlling PoC Sessions.
Existing push-to-talk (PTT) and conferencing systems typically use a control mechanism to grant one of the users the right to speak while other users in the communication are denied such right and are in listening mode. Such control mechanism is typically referred to as floor control, talker arbitration, talk burst control, etc. For example, the Open Mobile Alliance is currently working on a specification of Push-To-Talk over Cellular (PoC) system, which includes Talk Burst Control Protocol (TBCP).
To request the right to speak on behalf of the user, the terminal (PoC Client) typically sends a request message to the controller (PoC Server). The controller typically responds either granting or rejecting the request. The controller typically restricts the time the user is allowed to talk, typically by starting an allowed talk timer when it grants the request, and uses some mechanism to interrupt the user, typically by sending a revoke message to the user's terminal or by simply not forwarding the user's media. The user who is interrupted by the controller is typically penalised by the controller in some way, e.g. by not granting the user the right to speak for a certain period of time.
The next version of OMA PoC (herein called “PoC 2”, with the previous version being called “PoC 1”) is evolving in OMA. Part of the planned functionality is to include new types of media such as pictures, video etc that can be shared within a PoC Session. Each media type shall have its own floor control. The following extract is from the OMA PoC 2 Requirement Document [OMA-RD-PoC-V2—0-20050902-D Push to Talk Over Cellular 2 Requirements, Draft Version 2.0-02. September 2005]: “If a session includes video steams (and talk burst), the PoC infrastructure SHOULD support a capability to configure a preferred mode of video streaming on the PoC Client. This configuration may be done either: (a) due to the limitations of the PoC client (e.g. a PoC 1 client), configured by the Service Provider; or (b) configured by the user”. Also from the OMA PoC 2 Requirement Document: “The modes of sending video streams in conjunction with voice are: (i) Single source mode: Both PoC voice and PoC video comes from the same Participant in a PoC Session in near real time; and (ii) Multiple sources mode: PoC voice is sent from one Participant and PoC video is sent from another Participant in the same PoC Session”. Also from the OMA PoC 2 Requirement Document: “If the Media Burst Control is applicable for the media type the PoC network elements SHALL support capability for an independent Media Burst Control for each media in a PoC Session. Media Burst Control SHALL be applicable to all Continuous Media Types and SHOULD be applicable to the Discrete Media types involved in a PoC session. Note: Discrete Media types should only use Media Burst Control, if it is essential for the application using PoC enabler”. Also from the OMA PoC 2 Requirement Document: “If the Media Burst Control is applicable for the media type the PoC network elements SHALL support capability for one Media Burst Control for multiple media in a PoC Session”.
PoC 1 only has a monolithic floor control, for only one media type: the talk burst. PoC 2 expands the media handling to include other media types such as video. The PoC 2 requirements state that there needs to be a mechanism that synchronizes the floor for different medias so that it is possible for a user to send talk burst and video stream at the same time as well as the opposite when one user sends the talk burst while another sends a video stream.
One possible approach to implementing multiple media burst control is illustrated in
However, the approach illustrated in
Another problem with the existing solution in OMA PoC 1 is that when someone is granted the right to send a Talk Burst, the PoC Server is expecting the Talk Burst to be sent from the PoC Client that sent the Talk Burst request, such that the PoC Server will discard any Talk Burst sent from any another PoC Client.
When introducing the possibility of sending pictures, video or any other media content, a PoC Client may request the floor for one media type on the behalf of another PoC Client. For example, if the requesting PoC Client wishes to talk while another PoC Client will provide the picture, coordination of the floor is required between audio and the picture.
It is desirable to address the above-mentioned issues.
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for use in a push to talk type service, in which a floor is required for a terminal to distribute media content to another terminal participating in a push to talk type session, comprising sending a floor request message relating to at least two different types of media content.
The floor request message may indicate, for at least one of the media types, how and/or the extent to which the allowance or denial of the request relating to that media type affects and/or depends upon the request relating to at least one other media type.
The floor request message may indicate, for at least one of the media types, how and/or the extent to which the allowance or denial of the request relating to that media type affects and/or depends upon the allowance or denial of the request relating to at least one other media type.
The floor request message may indicate, for at least one of the media types, that if the request relating to that media type is denied then the request relating to any other media type should also be denied.
The floor request message may indicate, for at least one of the media types, that the allowance or denial of the request relating to that media type should not affect the allowance or denial of the request relating to any other media type.
The floor request message may indicate, for at least one of the media types, that the request relating to that media type should only be allowed if the request relating to at least one other specified media type is allowed.
The floor request message may indicate, for at least one of the media types, that the request relating to that media type should be allowed or denied to the same extent that the request relating to at least one other specified media type is allowed or denied.
The floor request message may indicate, for at least one of the media types, how and/or the extent to which the allowance or denial of the request relating to that media type depends upon at least one specified influence factor, such as the number of participants that would receive that media type or the estimated transfer rate for that media type.
The floor request message may indicate, for each of the media types, which terminal is designated to provide that media type over the floor, should the request relating to that media type be allowed.
The floor request message may indicate, for at least one of the media types, that a terminal other than that which sent the floor request message is designated to provide that media type over the floor, should the request relating to that media type be allowed.
The method may comprise processing the floor request message to determine, for each of the at least two media types, whether to allow or deny the request relating to that media type.
The method may comprise, at least for each media type relating to which the request has been allowed, sending a message to that effect to the terminal designated to provide that media type.
The method may comprise sending a message to the terminal that sent the floor request message to indicate, for each media type, whether or not the request relating to that media type has been allowed or denied.
The method may comprise sending a single such message to the or each terminal, if required.
The method may comprise processing the floor request message to determine, for each of the at least two media types, whether to allow or deny the request relating to that media type.
The method may comprise allowing the floor request message to be varied on the basis of this determination before finally granting or denying the request relating to each media type.
The push to talk type service may be a push to talk over cellular service.
The push to talk type service may be a conferencing service.
The method may comprise sending a single such floor request message. Or it may comprise sending a plurality of request messages, each message of the plurality relating to at least one of the media types, with the plurality of request messages being considered together.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for use in a push to talk type service, in which a floor is required for a terminal to distribute media content to another terminal participating in a push to talk type session, comprising means for sending a floor request message relating to at least two different types of media content.
According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided method for use in a push to talk type service, in which a floor is required for a terminal to distribute media content to another terminal participating in a push to talk type session, comprising receiving and processing a floor request message relating to at least two different types of media content.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for use in a push to talk type service, in which a floor is required for a terminal to distribute media content to another terminal participating in a push to talk type session, comprising means for receiving and processing a floor request message relating to at least two different types of media content.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention there is provided an operating program which, when loaded into an apparatus, causes the apparatus to become an apparatus according to the second or fourth aspect of the present invention.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention there is provided an operating program which, when run on an apparatus, causes the apparatus to carry out a method according to the first or third aspect of the present invention.
The operating program may be carried on a carrier medium. The carrier medium may be a transmission medium. The carrier medium may be a storage medium.
An embodiment of the present invention provides a straightforward method of requesting the floor for several independent media floors at the same time, and on another PoC Client's behalf. An embodiment of the present invention also provides the means for coordinating media types in the request. An embodiment of the present invention enables the ability to request multiple media floors in a single request and request floor on another device's (e.g. another PoC Client's) behalf.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a single request message is used to ask for permission to send one or more media types, in other words a single request message to request multiple floors.
For each media type there may be an indication of whether the media type is required or merely preferred. If a media type is preferred and the PoC Server cannot grant permission to send this media type, then the request can be granted anyway (for other media types). If a media type is required and the PoC Server cannot grant permission to send this media type, then the PoC Server would deny the request even if some of the other media types are available.
It is also possible to provide an indication of which participating terminal will be sending a particular media type, making it possible to request permission to send media on behalf of another device, e.g. another PoC Client. If a request is granted, and if another device other than the PoC Client who requested the floor is to be the source for a particular media type, then the PoC Server would send a message to that other device to inform it about permission being granted for that media type.
An embodiment of the present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to
In the first scenario as illustrated in
In step 1, the Request Sending Portion A3 of the PoC Client A sends a floor request message relating to both types of media content, video and voice. The floor request message indicates how, or the extent to which, the allowance or denial of the request relating to one of the media types should affect the allowance or denial of the request relating to the other media type. The request message is prepared by the Request Producing Portion A1.
In this example, the request message indicates that if the request relating to the video media type is denied, then so should the request for the voice media type, and vice versa. In other words, both are required.
The information could alternatively express the information in the sense that the request relating to the voice media type should only be allowed if the request relating to the video media type is allowed.
Or, the information could indicate that the request relating to the video media type should be allowed or denied to the same extent that the request relating to the voice media type is allowed or denied, i.e. that they should be considered as a group or set that should be allowed or denied together, irrespective of the allowance or denial of any other media types represented in the request message.
The floor request message could also indicate, for at least one of the media types, how and/or the extent to which the allowance or denial of the request relating to that media type depends upon at least one specified influence factor. An influence factor could, for example, be the number of participants that would receive that media type, so that the request should only be allowed if it will be distributed to more than a specified number of participants. Or an influence factor could relate to the estimated transfer rate for that media type, so that the request should only be allowed if the transfer will be rapid enough.
The manner of expressing this information, such as the inter-dependence between the media types represented in the request message and the conditions required for allowance or denial, is not important. The manner of expressing this information would be readily apparent to the skilled person.
Following receipt of the request message at the Request Receiving Portion S1 of the PoC Server S, the request message is passed to the Request Processing Portion S3 so that the information in the request can be extracted and interpreted, and so that a decision can be made as to whether the request can be allowed or denied, and to what extent.
From the message in this example it is determined that both the voice and video media types are required by the PoC Client A. It is also determined that the floor for voice is idle and the floor for video is idle, so that it is possible to grant the request relating both to the voice and the video media types.
In step 2, therefore, the Request Answering Portion S5 sends a message back to the PoC Client A to indicate that a floor is granted for both voice and video.
In an alternative scenario, it could be determined by the Request Processing Portion S3 that both the voice and floor media types are required by the PoC Client A (as for the previous scenario), but also that the floor for voice, or the floor for video, is busy. It is therefore not possible to grant the request relating both to the voice and the video media types, and in step 2 the Request Answering Portion S5 would send a message back to the PoC Client A to indicate that the floor is denied for both voice and video (or a blanket denial message).
Although in the above-described embodiment the PoC Server S grants or denies the request relating to each media type, and then sends a message back to PoC Client A to indicate its decision, it is also possible that the PoC Server S instead sends an initial response back to the PoC Client A to indicate which media types are available, and which media types are not (without yet granting or denying any of the requests). This would give the PoC Client A the option to confirm the original request (for example if certain or all media types are available), or vary the request with a different combination of media types and associated conditions. Confirmation from the PoC Client A could be explicit or implicit (e.g. assumed confirmed after a predetermined time without explicit confirmation).
In another scenario as illustrated in
In this scenario, the PoC Client A is also requesting the floor for video on behalf of PoC Client B, so that if the floor for video is granted then it should be PoC Client B that provides the video content over the granted floor.
In step 1, the Request Sending Portion A3 of the PoC Client A sends a floor request message relating to both types of media content, video and voice. The request message indicates that voice is required and that video is merely optional. The request message also indicates that PoC Client B is designated to provide the video media type over the floor, should the request relating to the video media type be allowed. (The request message could either explicitly indicate that PoC Client A is designated to provide the voice media type over the floor, should the request relating to the voice media type be allowed, or it could do so implicitly in the absence of an explicit indication since PoC Client A is the sender of the request message.) The request message is prepared by the Request Producing Portion A1.
Following receipt of the request message at the Request Receiving Portion S1 of the PoC Server S, the request message is passed to the Request Processing Portion S3 so that the information in the request can be extracted and interpreted, and so that a decision can be made as to whether the request can be allowed or denied, and to what extent.
From the message in this example it is determined that the voice media type is required, and it is PoC Client A who will provide it. It is also determined that the video media type is optional, and it is PoC Client B who will provide it. Further, it is determined that the floor for voice is idle and the floor for video is idle, so that it is possible to grant the request relating both to the voice and the video media types.
In step 2.1, therefore, the Request Answering Portion S5 sends a message back to PoC Client A to indicate that a floor is granted for voice, and in step 2.2 a message is sent to PoC Client B to indicate that a floor is granted for video.
In an alternative scenario, it could be determined by the Request Processing Portion S3 that the floor for video is busy while the floor for voice is idle. Since video is optional, it is still possible to grant the request relating to voice, so in step 2.1 the Request Answering Portion S5 would send a message back to the PoC Client A to indicate that the floor is granted for voice. No message would be sent to PoC Client B in step 2.2 since the request relating to video was denied.
In yet another scenario, it could be determined by the Request Processing Portion S3 that the floor for voice is busy while the floor for video is idle. Since voice is required, it is not possible to grant the request relating to video even though the floor is available, so in step 2.1 the Request Answering Portion S5 would send a message back to the PoC Client A to indicate that the request is denied (i.e. both for video and for voice). No message would be sent to PoC Client B in step 2.2 since the request relating to video was denied.
Although an embodiment of the present invention is described above in relation to PoC, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to PoC. The term “push to talk” service is used here to identify services of a walkie-talkie nature. These are services that allow two or more users to be connected together quickly for the exchange of talk bursts. Push to Talk services differ from conventional voice calls in that these services allow only one person to talk at a given time. In order to talk, users must have control of the “floor”. Control is typically achieved by one user releasing a talk button to release floor control, and another user pressing a talk button to assume floor control. It is to be understood that the term “push to talk” used in the appended claims is not intended to imply the use of any particular protocol.
It is also to be understood that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the transfer of talk or speech data in a talk session, and the appended claims are to be read as covering the transfer of any type of data in a data transfer session, including but not limited to speech data. As such, terminology such as “Talk Burst Request” and “Talk Burst” is not to be interpreted as being limited to talk, i.e. speech, data only, but is used for consistency with PoC 1 terminology; such phrases can include within their meaning the transfer of any type of data. In PoC 2, different terminology may be used for concepts that correspond directly with those in PoC 1; for example the phrases “Media Burst Request” and “Media Burst” may be used instead.
It is also to be understood that the scope of the present invention is intended to include conferencing systems in which a participant is granted floor control and hence the right to speak or transfer data to other participants in the conference.
It will be appreciated that operation of one or more of the above-described components can be controlled by a program operating on the device or apparatus. Such an operating program can be stored on a computer-readable medium, or could, for example, be embodied in a signal such as a downloadable data signal provided from an Internet website. The appended claims are to be interpreted as covering an operating program by itself, or as a record on a carrier, or as a signal, or in any other form.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 05110144.2 | Oct 2005 | EP | regional |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2006/067724 | 10/24/2006 | WO | 00 | 7/25/2008 |
