SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IMPLEMENTING CALLS USING PRE-ESTABLISHED MULTICAST GROUPS IN A MULTICAST IP NETWORK

摘要

Systems and methods for implementing dispatch and/or point-to-point calls include setting up and semi-permanently maintaining pre-established multicast group(s) ('PMG') in advance of prospective call(s), and utilizing the semi-permanent multicast groups when certain call requests are received. A zone controller (128) identifies groups of endpoints (106) that are expected to collectively participate in prospective call(s), and causes PMG to be established between the endpoints (106) by distributing respective multicast group addresses to the endpoints (106) in advance of prospective call(s). Upon a call request (608) being received for a particular call, the zone controller (128) identifies participating endpoints (106) for the call. If the participating endpoints (106) are members of a PMG, the zone controller (128) may cause payload for the call to be addressed to the multicast group address of the PMG so that it may be distributed via the already-established multicast routing tree; otherwise, the zone controller (128) may establish a multicast group for the duration of the call.