Method and apparatus for accessing a network computer to establish a push-to-talk session

Abstract

A wireless phone user registered for push-to-talk (PTT) services desires a push-to-talk session with a party on a network computer accessible via a public data network (like the Internet) that is not registered with any PTT service. The registered user enters a unique identifier, as a destination address for such computer, and a PTT server uses the unique identifier to query a Directory Service available on the public data network to obtain a PTT address for the destination computer. The PTT server then forwards or proxies the PTT request to the destination computer. As a result, the number of push-to-talk destinations available to the wireless phone user is expanded to include any number of push-to-talk enabled computers available on the Internet that are known to the Directory Service.

1 - 21 . (canceled) 
   
   
       22 . A method of establishing a push-to-talk session between an inviting user and an invited user, the improvement comprising:
 when the invited user is not available to accept a push-to-talk session, the user equipment of the invited user signaling the inviting user to record a push-to-talk message.   
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising the inviting user speaking a message that is recorded as a push-to-talk message. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the user equipment of the invited user records a push-to-talk voice message that the invited user can retrieve at a later time. 
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the user equipment is a wireless phone, wireless data device or network computer that supports push-to-talk functionality. 
   
   
       26 . The method  claim 25 , wherein the user equipment is a wireless phone including software having an Internet, intranet or extranet address. 
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the PTT functionality includes session handling software. 
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the session handling software implements a session initiation protocol (SIP). 
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the user equipment of the invited user is not registered with any PTT system, but is registered with a directory service accessible on a public data network that maintains a database of unique identifiers and associated push-to-talk service addresses for unregistered user equipment.