WO2006070105A1

WO2006070105A1 - Method and device for transferring group reference

Info

Publication number: WO2006070105A1
Application number: PCT/FR2005/003217
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bruno Corlay
Original assignee: Sagem Sa
Priority date: 2004-12-23
Filing date: 2005-12-20
Publication date: 2006-07-06
Also published as: FR2880230B1; FR2880230A1

Abstract

The invention concerns a method for transferring through a telecommunication terminal (10) a group reference (300) addressed to a cellular telephone network for setting up a telephone communication between the telecommunication terminal and a number of other communication terminals, wherein the group reference consists of at least two fields, a first field (310) comprising an identifier representing a predetermined group of communication terminals associated with the telecommunication network and a second field (320) comprising an identifier representing a predetermined sub-group of telecommunication terminals included in the predetermined group of telecommunication terminals associated with the telecommunication network.

Description

Method and device for transferring a group reference

The present invention relates to a method for transferring by a telecommunication terminal a group reference to a cellular telecommunication network for establishing a telephone communication between the telecommunication terminal and a plurality of other telecommunication terminals. communication.

The present invention also relates to a method for receiving a group telecommunication network from a group reference by a telecommunication terminal for establishing a telephone communication between the telecommunication terminal and a plurality of other communication terminals. . More particularly, the invention is in the field of mobile telephony and more specifically in the field of cellular telephony.

Cellular communication networks such as GSM-type networks allow the transmission of voice over a point-to-point link. The GSM standard also provides point-to-multipoint links that allow group calls to be made. There are two types of group calls, the call VBS (for Voice Broadcast Service) defined in the GSM specification 02.69 and the VGCS call for (Voice Group CaIl Service) as defined in ETSI GSM Specification 02.68, acronym for "European Telecommunications Standards Institute". A VBS or VGCS type call makes it possible to transmit a voice signal to a plurality of subscribers to these respective services, located in a given geographical area. While the VBS service allows only unidirectional communication, the VGCS service allows half-duplex communication.

A group call for a given geographic area is characterized by a GCR group call reference as part of the VBS or VGCS service. GCR stands for "Group CaIl Reference". A group call reference is coded on eight digits and is composed of a subscriber group identifier conventionally called "Group ID" and a geographic area identifier called "Group CaIl Area ID". The subscriber group identifier is stored in the SIM card of the mobile telephone, acronym for "Subscriber Identity Module" and is transmitted by the mobile phone to the cellular network when the user generates a request to establish a call for group.

The geographic area identifier defines the cells of the cellular network that are affected by the group call. The geographical area identifier is stored within the cellular network and is associated by the cellular network with the group identifier to form the group call reference when the cellular network receives the subscriber group identifier of a mobile phone subscribed to such a service. The cellular network is then responsible for establishing telephone communication between the caller and the different members of the group if they are present in the geographical area associated with the geographical area identifier.

Thus, a group call is closely linked to the definition of the geographic area associated with the Group CaIl Area ID. This limitation of the group call to a predetermined geographical area makes this system unattractive when part of the members of the group are roaming and therefore likely to be out of the geographical area when such a call is issued.

The invention attempts to solve the disadvantages of the prior art by proposing a method of transfer by a telecommunication terminal of a group reference to a cellular telecommunication network for recovery. a telephone communication between the telecommunication terminal and a plurality of other communication terminals, characterized in that the group reference consists of at least two fields, a first field comprising an identifier representative of a predetermined group of communication terminals associated with the telecommunication network and a second field comprising an identifier representative of a predetermined subgroup of telecommunication terminals included in the predetermined group of communication terminals associated with the telecommunication network.

Correlatively, the invention relates to a telecommunication terminal capable of transferring a group reference to a cellular telecommunication network for the establishment of a telephone communication between the telecommunication terminal and a plurality of other communication terminals, characterized in. the group reference consists of at least two fields, a first field comprising an identifier representative of a group of communication terminals associated with the telecommunications network and a second field comprising an identifier representative of a sub-group of telecommunication terminals included in the group of communication terminals associated with the telecommunication network.

Thus, a group call is no longer limited to a predetermined geographical area. Even if members of the group are homeless, it is possible to establish a telephone call with them.

In addition, by dividing the group reference into at least two fields, it is possible to prioritize the different group references that are likely to be used in the telecommunication network. A representative identifier of a group can thus correspond to a company, a group of companies or a part of a company. This identifier is for example defined during the subscription of the company to the group call service provided by the operator of the telecommunications network. The representative identifier of a subgroup may be a part of the employees of the company, group of companies or part of a company. According to another aspect of the invention, the identifier of the predetermined sub-group of telecommunication terminals included in the predetermined group of associated communication terminals is obtained by means of the man-machine interface of the telecommunication terminal. to the telecommunication network, it reads in a storage means associated with said terminal telecommunication system the identifier of the predetermined group of communication terminals associated with the telecommunications network comprising the predetermined subgroup of telecommunication terminals represented by the associated identifier obtained and transferring the group reference to the telecommunication network. Thus, it is not necessary for the telecommunication terminal user to dial the entire group reference to make a group call. From the representative identifier of the predetermined subgroup of telecommunication terminals it is possible to determine the predetermined group of communication terminals associated with the telecommunications network comprising the subgroup and thus to transfer the entire group reference. This feature, by judiciously using division of the two-field group reference, improves the man-machine interface of the telecommunication terminal.

According to another aspect of the invention, the telephone communication is a one-way communication from the telecommunication terminal to the other telecommunication terminals or a half-duplex telephone call.

Thus, the present invention finds application in the various types of multipoint point communications,

According to another aspect of the invention, the group reference consists of an eight-digit numeric string.

Thus, the present invention allows a very large number of combinations of group references.

The invention also relates to a method of reception by a telecommunication terminal of a group reference of a cellular telecommunication network for the establishment of a telephone communication between the telecommunication terminal and a plurality of other communication terminals. , characterized in that the group reference consists of at least two fields, a first field comprising an identifier representative of a predetermined group of communication terminals associated with the telecommunications network and a second field comprising an identifier representative of a predetermined subgroup of telecommunication terminals included in the predetermined group of communication terminals associated with the telecommunication network.

Correlatively, the invention relates to a telecommunication terminal able to receive from a cellular telecommunication network a group reference for the establishment of a telephone communication between the telecommunication terminal and a plurality of other communication terminals, characterized in that the group reference consists of at least two fields, a first field comprising an identifier representative of a predetermined group of communication terminals associated with the telecommunication network and τin second field comprising an identifier representative of a predetermined subgroup of telecommunication terminals included in the predetermined group of communication terminals associated with the telecommunication network.

Thus, a group call is no longer restricted to a predetermined geographical area.

In addition, by dividing the group reference into at least two fields, it is possible to prioritize the different group references that are likely to be used in the telecommunication network.

According to another aspect of the invention, the presence in a storage means associated with said telecommunication terminal of the identifier of the predetermined group of communication terminals associated with the telecommunication network included in the group reference received from the telecommunication network is verified. and displaying the representative identifier of the predetermined subgroup of telecommunication terminals included in the group reference received from the telecommunication network.

Thus, by presenting to the user of the telecommunication terminal only the identifier representative of the predetermined subgroup of telecommunication terminals included in the group reference received from the telecommunications network, it is provided to the latter only the information the most relevant, which makes the decision making of the user faster. The human machine interface of the telecommunications terminal is thus improved.

The invention also relates to computer programs stored on an information medium, said programs comprising instructions for implementing the methods described above, when they are loaded and executed by a computer system.

The characteristics of the invention mentioned above, as well as others, will appear more clearly on reading the following description of an exemplary embodiment, said description being given in relation to the attached drawings, among which: FIG. 1 represents a block diagram of a telecommunication device capable of executing the algorithms as described with reference to FIGS. 2a and 2b; FIG. 2a represents the algorithm for transferring at least one group reference according to the present invention; FIG. 2b represents the telecommunication device processing algorithm of a group reference according to the present invention; FIG. 3 represents a group reference transmitted or received by a telecommunication terminal according to the present invention for the establishment of a telephone communication between a telecommunication terminal and a plurality of other communication terminals.

Fig. 1 represents a block diagram of a telecommunication device, able to execute the algorithms as described with reference to FIGS. 2a and 2b.

The telecommunication device 10 is adapted to perform from a software the steps of the algorithms as described with reference to FIGS. 2a and 2b.

The telecommunication device 10 comprises means for obtaining, by means of the keyboard 11 of the telecommunication terminal 10, the identifier representative of the predetermined subgroup of telecommunication terminals included in a predetermined group of associated communication terminals. to the telecommunication network 150, means for reading the SIM card 109 associated with said telecommunication terminal 10, the identifier of the predetermined group of communication terminals associated with the telecommunication network 150 comprising the predetermined subgroup of telecommunication terminals shown in FIG. by the associated identifier obtained and transfer means 106 of the group reference to the telecommunications network.

The telecommunication device 10 also comprises means for verifying the presence, in the SIM card 109 associated with said telecommunication terminal 10, of the identifier of the predetermined group 310 of communication terminals associated with the telecommunication network 150 included in the reference of FIG. group 300 received from the telecommunication network 150 and the display means 12 of the identifier representative of the predetermined subgroup 320 of telecommunication terminals included in the group reference 300 received from the telecommunication network 150. The telecommunication device 10 is more precisely a mobile telephone 10 which comprises a communication bus 101 to which a processor 100, a read-only memory 102, a random access memory 103, a screen 12, a keyboard 11, a reader / writer information 108 on a SIM card 109 and a communication interface 106 with a cellular telecommunication network 150 such as the GSM network.

The read-only memory 102 stores the program implementing the invention, as well as the data enabling the algorithms to be described later with reference to FIGS. 2a and 2b. More generally, the programs according to the present invention are stored in storage means. This storage means is readable by a microprocessor 100. This storage means is integrated or not the device, and can be removable.

When powering up the mobile phone 10, the programs according to the present invention are transferred into the random access memory 103 which then contains the executable code of the invention as well as the data necessary for the implementation of the invention.

Fig. 2a represents the algorithm for transferring at least one group reference according to the present invention. This algorithm is executed when the user of the mobile telephone 10 controls the establishment of a group call according to the present invention by the human machine interface of the mobile telephone 10.

In step E200, the processor 100 of the mobile telephone 10 detects, via the keyboard 11 of the mobile telephone 10, the selection or composition by the user of the mobile telephone 10 of an alphanumeric sequence written u-gid composed three digits. This sequence is an identifier representative of a predetermined subgroup of telecommunication terminals included in a predetermined group of communication terminals associated with the telecommunication network. In the following step E202, the processor 100 interrogates a storage means associated with the telecommunication terminal 10, in this case the SIM card 109, in order to determine whether an identifier denoted m-gid of the predetermined group of communication terminals associated with the telecommunication network including the subgroup predetermined of telecommunication terminals represented by the identifier obtained in step E200 exists or not.

It should be noted here that according to the invention an m-gid is an identifier of a community and not a geographical area. This community is preferentially a society, a group of society or a part of a society. This identifier is for example defined during the subscription of the company to the group call service provided by the operator of the GSM network.

The u-gid is an identifier of a part of the employees of the company, the company group or the part of society. The u-gid corresponds, for example, to an identifier associated with all the maintenance personnel of a system or department of the company or a development team of the company. The u-gid identifier is for example defined during the subscription of the company to the group call service provided by the operator of the GSM network.

The m-gid and / or the u-gid are stored by the user of the mobile phone 10 in the SIM card 109 thereof and / or transferred to the SIM card 109 by the operator of the telecommunications network 150.

One or more u-gids are associated with an m-gid. When several u-gids are associated with an m-gid, each u-gid and the m-gid with which it is associated are stored in a common memory space of the SIM card 109. Step E204 consists in checking whether a gid is associated with the u-gid obtained at step

E200. If the u-gid is not associated with an m-gid, the present algorithm stops and an error message is transferred to the user of the mobile phone 10 via the screen 12. If the u-gid is associated with an m-gid, the processor 100 proceeds to the next step E206. In step E206, the processor 100 forms a group reference 300 comprising the m-gid and the u-gid previously obtained.

In the next step E208, the processor 100 controls the transfer of the group reference 300 to the telecommunication network 150. The telecommunication network 150 determines, from the group reference 300 which telecommunication terminals are part of of the predetermined sub-group of telecommunication terminals included in the predetermined group of communication terminals and establishes a telephone communication between the telecommunication terminal 10 and the determined telecommunication terminals. This unidirectional type communication or a half-duplex type communication. It should be noted here that in another embodiment of the present invention, the user of the mobile telephone 10 can dial the group reference comprising the m-gid and the u-gid directly from the keyboard 11. In this embodiment In this case, the processor 100 controls the transfer of the group reference to the telecommunication network 150.

Fig. 2b represents the telecommunication device processing algorithm of a group reference according to the present invention.

In step E220, the processor 100 detects the receipt of a group reference 300 according to the present invention. The group reference 300 is received from the telecommunication network 150 for the purpose of establishing a group call with inter alia the telecommunication device 10 having sent it. -

In the following step E222, the processor 100 checks whether the group identifier 300 included in the group reference received has previously been stored in storage means associated with the telecommunications terminal 10, for example the SIM card 109. negative, the processor 100 proceeds to step E226 and transfers the received group reference to the screen 12 of the telecommunication terminal 10 for display thereof. In parallel with this transfer, the processor 100 controls other means of notifying the reception of a call such as a vibrator or controls the generation of a sound message. When the user of the telecommunication terminal 10 accepts the call, a telephone call is established between the telecommunication terminal 10 and inter alia, the telecommunication device 10 having issued the group reference. This communication type unidirectional or half-duplex type.

If the group identifier 320 included in the received group reference 300 has been previously stored in storage means 109 associated with the telecommunication terminal 10, the processor 100 proceeds to step E228. At this step, the processor 100 transfers the identifier 320 representative of the predetermined subgroup of telecommunication terminals included in the group reference 300 received from the telecommunication network 150 to the screen 12 of the telecommunication terminal 10 for a display thereof . In parallel with this transfer, the processor 100 controls other means of notification of the reception of a call such as a vibrator or the control of a sound message. When the user of the telecommunication terminal 10 accepts the call, a telephone call is established between the telecommunication terminal 10 and, inter alia, the communication device. telecommunication 10 having issued the group reference 300. This communication type unidirectional or half-duplex type.

Fig. 3 represents a group reference transmitted or received by a telecommunication terminal according to the present invention for the establishment of a telephone communication between a telecommunication terminal and a plurality of other communication terminals.

According to the invention, the group reference 300 is an eight-digit coded reference. This group reference is divided into two fields 310 and 320. The group reference 300 is stored in storage means associated with the telecommunication terminal 10. This group reference 300 is preferably stored in the SIM card of the mobile telephone. The field 310 comprises an identifier representative of a predetermined group of communication terminals associated with the telecommunications network. The field 310 is advantageously coded on five digits. Field 320 comprises an identifier representative of a predetermined subgroup of telecommunication terminals included in the predetermined group of communication terminals associated with the telecommunication network. The field 320 is advantageously coded on three digits.

Alternatively, the group reference 300 is a hexadecimal coded reference.

According to another variant, the fields 310 and 320 are subdivided into subfields. For example the field 310 is subdivided into two fields, a first sub-field coded on four digits is representative of a company, a second sub-field coded on a figure is representative of each of the sites of the company. Of course, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein, but encompasses, on the contrary, any variant within the scope of those skilled in the art.

Claims

1) A method of transferring by a telecommunication terminal (10) a group reference (300) to a cellular telecommunication network (150) for restoring a telephone communication between the telecommunication terminal (10) and a plurality of other communication terminals, the group reference (300) consists of at least two fields, a first field (310) comprising an identifier representative of a predetermined group of communication terminals associated with the telecommunications network ( 150) and a second field (320) comprising an identifier representative of a predetermined subgroup of telecommunication terminals included in the predetermined group of communication terminals associated with the telecommunication network, characterized in that the method comprises the steps of:

obtaining (E200) via the man-machine interface of the telecommunication terminal the identifier representative of the predetermined subgroup of telecommunication terminals included in the predetermined group of communication terminals associated with the telecommunication network,

reading (E202) in storage means associated with said telecommunication terminal of the identifier of the predetermined group of communication terminals associated with the telecommunication network comprising the predetermined subgroup of telecommunication terminals represented by the associated identifier obtained,

transfer (E208) of the group reference (300) comprising the identifier lu (310) and the identifier obtained to the telecommunication network (150).

2) Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the telephone communication is a one-way communication from the telecommunication terminal to the other telecommunication terminals or a half-duplex telephone communication.

3) Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the group reference (300) consists of an alphanumeric string of eight characters. 4) A method of receiving by a telecommunication terminal (10) a group reference (300) of a cellular telecommunication network (150) for establishing a telephone communication between the telecommunication terminal and a plurality of telecommunication terminals. other communication terminals, characterized in that the group reference (300) consists of at least two fields, a first field (310) comprising an identifier representative of a predetermined group of communication terminals associated with the telecommunications network and a second field (320) comprising an identifier representative of a predetermined subgroup of telecommunication terminals included in the predetermined group of communication terminals associated with the telecommunication network characterized in that the method comprises the steps of:

- checking (E222, E224) the presence in a storage means associated with said telecommunication terminal of the identifier of the predetermined group (310) of communication terminals associated with the telecommunication network included in the group reference received from the telecommunication network ,

- displaying (E228) the identifier representative of the predetermined subgroup of telecommunication terminals included in the group reference received from the telecommunication network.

5) A telecommunication terminal (10) capable of transferring a group reference to a cellular telecommunication network (150) for establishing a telephone communication between the telecommunication terminal and a plurality of other communication terminals, the reference group (300) consists of at least two fields, a first field (310) comprising an identifier representative of a group of communication terminals associated with the telecommunication network and a second field (320) comprising a representative identifier of a subgroup of telecommunication terminals included in the group of communication terminals associated with the telecommunication network, characterized in that the telecommunication terminal comprises: means for obtaining via the human machine interface of the terminal of telecommunication of the representative identifier of the predetermined subgroup of telecommunication terminals mmunication included in the predetermined group of communication terminals associated with the telecommunication network, reading means in a storage means associated with said telecommunication terminal of the identifier of the predetermined group of communication terminals associated with the telecommunication network comprising the predetermined subgroup of telecommunication terminals represents, by the associated identifier obtained,

means for transferring the group reference (300) comprising the read identifier (310) and the identifier obtained to the telecommunication network (150).

6) A telecommunication terminal capable of receiving from a cellular telecommunication network a group reference for the establishment of a telephone communication between the telecommunication terminal and a plurality of other communication terminals, the group reference consists of at least two fields, a first field comprising an identifier representative of a predetermined group of communication terminals associated with the telecommunication network and a second field comprising an identifier representative of a predetermined subgroup of telecommunication terminals included in the group predetermined communication terminal associated with the telecommunication network characterized in that the telecommunication terminal comprises:

means for checking the presence in the storage means associated with said telecommunication terminal of the identifier of the predetermined group (310) of communication terminals associated with the telecommunications network included in the group reference received from the telecommunication network,

- Display means of the identifier representative of the predetermined subgroup of telecommunication terminals included in the group reference received from the telecommunications network.

7) computer program stored on an information carrier, said program comprising instructions for implementing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, when they are loaded and executed by a computer system.