Method and apparatus for creating a communication group using an address book

摘要

A method and apparatus for creating a communication group using an electronic address book to facilitate Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PoC) group communication sessions are disclosed. A group definition for determining members of the new PoC Group is composed from one or more contacts from the electronic address book such as by selecting from the address book using the mobile station. The group definition may include logical operators to define the combination of contacts. A name may be specified for the new group. The assembly of the PoC Group list of members may be performed by the mobile station, a communication network server for maintaining PoC Groups (e.g. a Group and List Management Server (GLMS)) or an email server.

主权项

1. A method of creating a Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PoC) group using a mobile station for initiating PoC communication sessions among mobile stations, the method comprising:
receiving as input from a user of the mobile station a single logical expression for defining a list of members for the PoC group, the single logical expression containing two or more identifiers each associated with one of a contact, contact group, and PoC group in an electronic address book, and the single logical expression containing at least one selectable logical operator for logically combining the two or more identifiers; and creating, in one step at call time, the list of members from the respective two or more contacts, contacts groups, or PoC groups in the electronic address book in accordance with the single logical expression.