Push-to-talk event triggered location operation in a wireless communication device

BACKGROUND

0001This invention relates generally to wireless communication services, and more particularly to push-to-talk and location-based services in cellular telephones.

0002Due to the pervasiveness of cellular telephones and other wireless communication devices, manufacturers and service providers continue to explore features and/or services that will distinguish their products from their competitors' products. Currently, push-to-talk services and location-based services are particularly popular among consumers.

0003Push-to-talk services comprise half-duplex voice services where cellular telephones operate similarly to a walkie-talkie. Only one user speaks at a time while all other users listen. To talk, a participant presses a push-to-talk control or button and begins speaking while holding the push-to-talk button. After the participant finishes speaking, he/she releases the push-to-talk button to give other participants a chance to speak.

0004Location-based services provide cellular telephone users personalized services tailored to their location. These services determine the location of the user using one of several location determining technologies, such as GPS (Global Positioning System). Based on the determined location and other personalized information, the location-based service provides the user with personalized location-specific information. For example, location-based services may provide the user with a list of nearby businesses, directions to a specified location, etc.

0005Push-to-talk and location-based services currently operate independently on conventional cellular telephones. However, it may be beneficial if manufacturers and/or service providers develop enhanced push-to-talk and location-based services by taking advantage of complementary push-to-talk and location-based operations.

SUMMARY

0006An exemplary wireless communication device having push-to-talk and location-based service capabilities explicitly links the push-to-talk and location-based services. Specifically, an exemplary wireless communication device includes a processor configured to trigger a location operation responsive to a detected push-to-talk event. Exemplary push-to-talk events include floor control events, push-to-talk session events, etc., while exemplary location operations include location determining procedures, location electronics launch procedures, etc. According to one exemplary embodiment, the processor determines a location of the wireless communication device and/or one or more remote wireless communication devices when the processor detects a push-to-talk event.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

0007<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> illustrates a block diagram for a wireless communication device.

0008<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref> illustrates one exemplary wireless communication device according to the present invention.

0009<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3</figref> illustrates a flow chart for an exemplary process associated with the wireless communication device.

0010<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 4</figref> illustrates a flow chart for another exemplary process associated with the wireless communication device.

0011<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 5</figref> illustrates a flow chart for another exemplary process associated with the wireless communication device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

0012<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIGS. 1 and 2</figref> illustrate an exemplary wireless communication device <b>10</b> having push-to-talk and location-based service capabilities. Device <b>10</b> includes transceiver <b>12</b> with antenna <b>14</b>, user interface <b>16</b>, system processor <b>18</b>, memory <b>20</b>, and optional location electronics <b>22</b> with antenna <b>24</b>. Transceiver <b>12</b> communicates with one or more remote wireless communication devices (not shown) by transmitting signals to and receiving signals from one or more base stations via antenna <b>14</b> according to any known standard, including Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), cdma2000 etc. It will be appreciated that the remote wireless communication devices are similar to wireless communication device <b>10</b>. User interface <b>16</b> enables a user to interact with and control device <b>10</b>. The user interface <b>16</b> includes microphone <b>26</b>, speaker <b>28</b>, and one or more input controls <b>30</b>, and display <b>32</b>. Microphone <b>26</b> detects audible input and converts the audible input to electrical signals for processing in processor <b>18</b>. Speaker <b>28</b> receives electrical audio signals from processor <b>18</b> and converts them to audible output. Controls <b>30</b> include at least one of a keypad, joystick, soft key, etc., and enable the user to provide input to device <b>10</b>. In addition, controls <b>30</b> include a push-to-talk control <b>32</b> that triggers push-to-talk services responsive to user activation. Display <b>34</b> displays information for viewing by the user.

0013Processor <b>18</b> performs various processing tasks, including control of the overall operation of wireless communication device <b>10</b>, according to application programs stored in memory <b>20</b> and responsive to user input. According to one exemplary embodiment, memory <b>20</b> stores a push-to-talk application <b>36</b> and a location application <b>38</b> that is executed by processor <b>18</b>. Push-to-talk application <b>36</b> enables the wireless communication device <b>10</b> to operate in a push-to-talk mode to provide push-to-talk services to the user.

0014Location application <b>38</b> enables device <b>10</b> to operate in a location mode to provide location-based services to the user. Location application <b>38</b> may use any known procedure for determining the location of device <b>10</b>. For example, when device <b>10</b> includes location electronics <b>22</b>, such as a GPS receiver or other location-based service receiver, location application <b>38</b> retrieves navigation coordinates, such as GPS (Global Positioning System) coordinates, GLONASS (Global Navigation System) coordinates, Galileo coordinates, triangulation coordinates, etc., from location electronics <b>22</b>. In accordance with location application <b>38</b>, processor <b>18</b> computes the location of device <b>10</b> based on the navigation coordinates. It will be appreciated that location application <b>38</b> may also provide device <b>10</b> with location-based services relative to one or more remote wireless communication devices.

0015According to one exemplary embodiment, wireless communication device <b>10</b> explicitly links the available push-to-talk and location-based services by defining one or more push-to-talk events and initiating location operations responsive to the push-to-talk events. More particularly, processor <b>18</b> monitors the operation of device <b>10</b> for one or more push-to-talk events. Responsive to detecting a push-to-talk event, processor <b>18</b> triggers a predetermined location operation. It will be appreciated that processor <b>18</b> may trigger the location operation simultaneously with executing the push-to-talk operation associated with the push-to-talk event. Alternatively, processor <b>18</b> may trigger the location operation before or after executing the push-to-talk operation associated with the push-to-talk event.

0016A push-to-talk event may comprise any event related to push-to-talk services. Exemplary push-to-talk events include an application launch event that launches a push-to-talk application in device <b>10</b>, a floor control event that requests, grants, or releases floor control during a push-to-talk session, and a session entrance event that enters device <b>10</b> into a current push-to-talk session with other remote wireless communication devices. A push-to-talk event may also comprise trigger event that triggers a push-to-talk operation responsive to user input, such as user activation of push-to-talk control <b>32</b>. Alternatively, exemplary push-to-talk events may comprise one or more of an application close event that closes a push-to-talk application and a session exit event that disconnects device <b>10</b> from a current push-to-talk session with other remote wireless communication devices.

0017Push-to-talk events may be software-generated, user-generated, and/or network-generated. For example, software executed by processor <b>18</b> may generate a push-to-talk event while executing push-to-talk application <b>36</b>. In other embodiments, a push-to-talk event may be generated responsive to user input, such as user activation of push-to-talk control <b>32</b>, user selection of a push-to-talk event from a menu displayed on display <b>34</b>, etc. Push-to-talk events may also be generated by the network during push-to-talk sessions between one or more wireless communication devices. For example, the network may generate a push-to-talk event when granting floor control to a wireless communication device during a push-to-talk session.

0018A location operation may comprise any type of operation or procedure associated with location-based services and/or the operation of location electronics <b>22</b>. Exemplary location operations include state determining procedures, capability determining procedures, activation operations, launch operations, and location determining procedures. State determining procedures determine an operational state, such as on/off, current operational status, etc., of location electronics <b>22</b>. Capability determining procedures determine a capability, such as GPS, triangulation, etc., of the location electronics <b>22</b>. Activation operations activate or turn on the location electronics <b>22</b>, while launch operations launch a location application <b>38</b> in device <b>10</b>. Alternatively, exemplary location operations may include application terminating procedures, deactivating procedures, and location terminating procedures. Application terminating procedures terminate a push-to-talk application device <b>10</b>. Deactivating procedures deactivate location electronics <b>22</b>, while location terminating procedures terminate location determination requests or processes in device <b>10</b>. It will be appreciated that the above-described location operations may additionally or alternatively apply to any remote wireless communication devices in a push-to-talk group with device <b>10</b>.

0019<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3</figref> illustrates an exemplary process <b>100</b> as executed by processor <b>18</b> that links the push-to-talk and location-based services of device <b>10</b>. When processor <b>18</b> detects a push-to-talk event (block <b>105</b>), processor <b>18</b> triggers a location operation (block <b>110</b>). For example, the location operation may determine the location of device <b>10</b> or the location of a remote party responsive to a push-to-talk event, such as a floor control event.

0020Device <b>10</b> may provide results from the location operation to the user, the wireless network, and/or a remote wireless communication device. In one exemplary embodiment, processor <b>18</b> provides the location of a remote wireless communication device to an output of device <b>10</b>, such as a speaker <b>28</b>, display <b>34</b>, etc. For example, processor <b>18</b> may generate a map for display on display <b>34</b> that visually illustrates the location of the device <b>10</b> and/or a remote wireless communication device, as shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref>. Alternatively, speaker <b>28</b> may project an address, display <b>34</b> may display an address, etc. In another exemplary embodiment, device <b>10</b> sends its location to one or more remote wireless communication devices using a SIP message. In still another exemplary embodiment, device <b>10</b> sends a message to the wireless network indicating the location of device <b>10</b>. It will be appreciated that these examples are for illustrative purposes, and therefore are non-limiting.

0021In one non-limiting example, assume wireless communication device <b>10</b> operated by a taxi dispatcher is in communication with a plurality of remote wireless communication devices (WCD) operated by taxi drivers. <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 4</figref> illustrates an exemplary flow chart for this embodiment. When the dispatcher presses push-to-talk control <b>32</b>, processor <b>18</b> detects a floor control event (block <b>106</b>). Responsive to the floor control event, processor <b>18</b> determines the location of the remote devices according to any known means (block <b>115</b>). Processor <b>18</b> displays the location of each of the remote devices in a map on display <b>34</b> (block <b>120</b>). This enables the taxi dispatcher to quickly view the location of each taxi and determine assignments for each taxi driver.

0022In another non-limiting example, assume wireless communication device <b>10</b> is operated by a taxi driver in communication with a remote wireless communication device operated by a taxi dispatcher. In this embodiment, as illustrated in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 5</figref>, when the taxi driver enters a push-to-talk session with the taxi dispatcher (block <b>107</b>), processor <b>18</b> determines the location of the taxi driver's device <b>10</b> (block <b>125</b>). Subsequently, device <b>10</b> sends the location to the dispatcher's wireless communication device according to any known means. For example, wireless communication device <b>10</b> may use a SIP message to send the location to the dispatcher's device. In any event, providing the taxi's location to the dispatcher enables the dispatcher to intelligently and efficiently control the workflow of the taxi driver.

0023The above examples are illustrative only, and do not limit the invention described herein. Indeed, the above described wireless communication device <b>10</b> and process may be used by a wide variety of groups, including families, friends, businesses, etc. For example, parents may use the above-described invention to determine the location of a child while engaging in a push-to-talk session with the child.

0024While the above generally describes the invention in terms of a floor control event, session entrance event, and location determining procedures, any push-to-talk events may trigger any location operation. However, it will be appreciated that certain location operations more logically apply to certain push-to-talk events. For example, processor <b>18</b> may trigger a launch operation responsive to detecting a push-to-talk launch event. Alternatively, processor <b>18</b> my trigger a location determination operation responsive to detecting a session entrance event. In still another example, processor <b>18</b> may trigger a deactivation operation responsive to detecting a session exit event.

0025While the present invention describes triggering a single location operation responsive to a push-to-talk event, the present invention is not so limited. In one exemplary embodiment, processor <b>18</b> may periodically trigger location operations in response to a single push-to-talk event. For example, after detecting a session entrance event, processor <b>18</b> may trigger a location determination operation every 2 minutes.

0026The exemplary wireless communication device <b>10</b> and process described above links push-to-talk and location-based services. As a result, the user may trigger a single push-to-talk event to take advantage of both push-to-talk and location operations. Specifically, the user may advantageously determine location information for a member of their push-to-talk group and/or provide their location information to other members of their push-to-talk group without having to separately access the location application.

0027The above-described wireless communication device <b>10</b> may comprise any type of wireless communication device capable of transmitting and receiving signals in a wireless network. Exemplary wireless communication devices include cellular telephones, personal data assistants, laptop and palmtop computers, etc.

0028The present invention may, of course, be carried out in other ways than those specifically set forth herein without departing from essential characteristics of the invention. The present embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.