System and method for minimizing call setup latency in a group communication among wireless communication devices

Abstract

A system and method for minimizing call setup latency in a group communication among wireless communication devices by ensuring the requisite amount of communication bandwidth for group member devices that utilize separate communication systems to control communication channels established with each of the wireless communication devices. A group communication server that sets up group communications for wireless communication device members of a communication group communicates with a resource manager resident on a communication system to reserve a predetermined amount of resources, such as bandwidth, for wireless communication devices utilizing that communication system that are members of a communication group. The resource manager communicates the availability to the group communication server of the wireless communication devices utilizing that communication system for group communications only if the predetermined resources are available for a group communication to the wireless communication device.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A group communication server comprising one or more processors configured to:
 receive a request to set up a wireless group communication among multiple wireless communication devices utilizing multiple communication systems to participate in the wireless group communication;   send a request to reserve resources that the multiple wireless communication devices require to participate in the wireless group communication to resource managers resident in each of the multiple communication systems prior to establishing the wireless group communication;   receive messages from the resource managers in each of the multiple communication systems indicating whether the resources that the wireless communication devices utilizing the respective communication systems require to participate in the wireless group communication were successfully reserved within the respective communication systems; and   determine whether to establish the wireless group communication based on whether the messages received from the resource managers in each of the multiple communication systems indicate that the resources that all of the multiple wireless communication devices require to participate in the wireless group communication were successfully reserved.   
     
     
         3 . The group communication server recited in  claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 establish the wireless group communication among the multiple wireless communication devices in response to the messages received from the resource managers in each communication system confirming that the resources that all of the multiple wireless communication devices require to participate in the wireless group communication were successfully reserved.   
     
     
         4 . The group communication server recited in  claim 3 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 periodically query the resource managers to verify that the reserved resources that all of the multiple wireless communication devices require to participate in the wireless group communication are available.   
     
     
         5 . The group communication server recited in  claim 3 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 send a session modification request to free at least a portion of the reserved resources or reserve additional resources to the resource manager resident in at least one of the multiple communication systems.   
     
     
         6 . The group communication server recited in  claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 fail the request to set up the wireless group communication in response to the messages received from the resource managers in each communication system indicating that the resources that all of the multiple wireless communication devices require to participate in the wireless group communication are unavailable.   
     
     
         7 . The group communication server recited in  claim 2 , wherein the resources that the wireless communication devices require to participate in the wireless group communication comprise bandwidth required for legs of the wireless group communication that terminate within the multiple communication systems. 
     
     
         8 . The group communication server recited in  claim 7 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 establish the wireless group communication among one or more of the multiple wireless communication devices utilizing a first one of the communication systems to participate in the wireless group communication in response to the resource manager in the first communication system confirming that the bandwidth required for each leg of the wireless group communication terminating within the first communication system was successfully reserved; and   exclude each leg of the wireless group communication that terminates within one or more of the multiple communication systems where the required bandwidth was unavailable from the established wireless group communication.   
     
     
         9 . The group communication server recited in  claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 attempt to set up the wireless group communication among each of the multiple wireless communication devices that have indicated presence on a wireless network that includes the multiple communication systems.   
     
     
         10 . A group communication method, comprising:
 receiving, at a group communication server, a request to set up a wireless group communication among multiple wireless communication devices utilizing multiple communication systems to participate in the wireless group communication;   sending, by the group communication server, a request to reserve resources that the multiple wireless communication devices require to participate in the wireless group communication to resource managers resident in each of the multiple communication systems prior to establishing the wireless group communication;   receiving, at the group communication server, messages from the resource managers in each of the multiple communication systems indicating whether the resources that the wireless communication devices utilizing the respective communication systems require to participate in the wireless group communication were successfully reserved within the respective communication systems; and   determining, at the group communication server, whether to establish the wireless group communication based on whether the messages received from the resource managers in each of the multiple communication systems indicate that the resources that all of the multiple wireless communication devices require to participate in the wireless group communication were successfully reserved.   
     
     
         11 . The method recited in  claim 10 , further comprising:
 establishing the wireless group communication among the multiple wireless communication devices in response to the messages received from the resource managers in each communication system confirming that the resources that all of the multiple wireless communication devices require to participate in the wireless group communication were successfully reserved.   
     
     
         12 . The method recited in  claim 11 , further comprising:
 periodically querying the resource managers to verify that the reserved resources that all of the multiple wireless communication devices require to participate in the wireless group communication are available.   
     
     
         13 . The method recited in  claim 11 , further comprising:
 sending a session modification request to free at least a portion of the reserved resources or reserve additional resources to the resource manager resident in at least one of the multiple communication systems.   
     
     
         14 . The method recited in  claim 10 , further comprising:
 failing the request to set up the wireless group communication in response to the messages received from the resource managers in each communication system indicating that the resources that all of the multiple wireless communication devices require to participate in the wireless group communication are unavailable.   
     
     
         15 . The method recited in  claim 10 , wherein the resources that the wireless communication devices require to participate in the wireless group communication comprise bandwidth required for legs of the wireless group communication that terminate within the multiple communication systems. 
     
     
         16 . The method recited in  claim 15 , further comprising:
 establishing the wireless group communication among one or more of the multiple wireless communication devices utilizing a first one of the communication systems to participate in the wireless group communication in response to the resource manager in the first communication system confirming that the bandwidth required for each leg of the wireless group communication terminating within the first communication system was successfully reserved; and   excluding each leg of the wireless group communication that terminates within one or more of the multiple communication systems where the required bandwidth was unavailable from the established wireless group communication.   
     
     
         17 . The method recited in  claim 10 , further comprising:
 attempting to set up the wireless group communication among each of the multiple wireless communication devices that have indicated presence on a wireless network that includes the multiple communication systems.   
     
     
         18 . An apparatus, comprising:
 means for receiving a request to set up a wireless group communication among multiple wireless communication devices utilizing multiple communication systems to participate in the wireless group communication;   means for sending a request to reserve resources that the multiple wireless communication devices require to participate in the wireless group communication to resource managers resident in each of the multiple communication systems prior to establishing the wireless group communication;   means for receiving messages from the resource managers in each of the multiple communication systems indicating whether the resources that the wireless communication devices utilizing the respective communication systems require to participate in the wireless group communication were successfully reserved within the respective communication systems; and   means for determining whether to establish the wireless group communication based on whether the messages received from the resource managers in each of the multiple communication systems indicate that the resources that all of the multiple wireless communication devices require to participate in the wireless group communication were successfully reserved.   
     
     
         19 . The apparatus recited in  claim 18 , further comprising:
 means for establishing the wireless group communication among the multiple wireless communication devices in response to the messages received from the resource managers in each communication system confirming that the resources that all of the multiple wireless communication devices require to participate in the wireless group communication were successfully reserved.   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus recited in  claim 18 , further comprising:
 means for periodically querying the resource managers to verify that the reserved resources that all of the multiple wireless communication devices require to participate in the wireless group communication are available.   
     
     
         21 . The apparatus recited in  claim 18 , further comprising:
 means for sending a session modification request to free at least a portion of the reserved resources or reserve additional resources to the resource manager resident in at least one of the multiple communication systems.   
     
     
         22 . The apparatus recited in  claim 18 , further comprising:
 means for failing the request to set up the wireless group communication in response to the messages received from the resource managers in each communication system indicating that the resources that all of the multiple wireless communication devices require to participate in the wireless group communication are unavailable.   
     
     
         23 . The apparatus recited in  claim 18 , wherein the resources that the wireless communication devices require to participate in the wireless group communication comprise bandwidth required for legs of the wireless group communication that terminate within the multiple communication systems, and wherein the apparatus further comprises:
 means for establishing the wireless group communication among one or more of the multiple wireless communication devices utilizing a first one of the communication systems to participate in the wireless group communication in response to the resource manager in the first communication system confirming that the bandwidth required for each leg of the wireless group communication terminating within the first communication system was successfully reserved; and   means for excluding each leg of the wireless group communication that terminates within one or more of the multiple communication systems where the required bandwidth was unavailable from the established wireless group communication.   
     
     
         24 . The apparatus recited in  claim 18 , further comprising:
 means for attempting to set up the wireless group communication among each of the multiple wireless communication devices that have indicated presence on a wireless network that includes the multiple communication systems.   
     
     
         25 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon, wherein executing the computer-executable instructions one or more processors causes the one or more processors to:
 receive a request to set up a wireless group communication among multiple wireless communication devices utilizing multiple communication systems to participate in the wireless group communication;   send a request to reserve resources that the multiple wireless communication devices require to participate in the wireless group communication to resource managers resident in each of the multiple communication systems prior to establishing the wireless group communication;   receive messages from the resource managers in each of the multiple communication systems indicating whether the resources that the wireless communication devices utilizing the respective communication systems require to participate in the wireless group communication were successfully reserved within the respective communication systems; and   determine whether to establish the wireless group communication based on whether the messages received from the resource managers in each of the multiple communication systems indicate that the resources that all of the multiple wireless communication devices require to participate in the wireless group communication were successfully reserved.   
     
     
         26 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium recited in  claim 25 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to:
 establish the wireless group communication among the multiple wireless communication devices in response to the messages received from the resource managers in each communication system confirming that the resources that all of the multiple wireless communication devices require to participate in the wireless group communication were successfully reserved.   
     
     
         27 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium recited in  claim 25 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to:
 periodically query the resource managers to verify that the reserved resources that all of the multiple wireless communication devices require to participate in the wireless group communication are available.   
     
     
         28 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium recited in  claim 25 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to:
 send a session modification request to free at least a portion of the reserved resources or reserve additional resources to the resource manager resident in at least one of the multiple communication systems.   
     
     
         29 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium recited in  claim 25 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to:
 fail the request to set up the wireless group communication in response to the messages received from the resource managers in each communication system indicating that the resources that all of the multiple wireless communication devices require to participate in the wireless group communication are unavailable.   
     
     
         30 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium recited in  claim 25 , wherein the resources that the wireless communication devices require to participate in the wireless group communication comprise bandwidth required for legs of the wireless group communication that terminate within the multiple communication systems, and wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to:
 establish the wireless group communication among one or more of the multiple wireless communication devices utilizing a first one of the communication systems to participate in the wireless group communication in response to the resource manager in the first communication system confirming that the bandwidth required for each leg of the wireless group communication terminating within the first communication system was successfully reserved; and   exclude each leg of the wireless group communication that terminates within one or more of the multiple communication systems where the required bandwidth was unavailable from the established wireless group communication.   
     
     
         31 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium recited in  claim 25 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to:
 attempt to set up the wireless group communication among each of the multiple wireless communication devices that have indicated presence on a wireless network that includes the multiple communication systems.