GROUP COMMUNICATION SESSIONS THAT ARE AT LEAST PARTIALLY SUPPORTED OVER PERSONAL AREA NETWORKS IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM

摘要

In an embodiment, an application server receives a request to initiate a group communication session (GCS) over a Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) with a communication group. The application server obtains location information of a set of devices participating in the GCS and determines that the GCS can be supported between the set of devices via a Personal Area Network (PAN), after which the application server transitions support for the GCS from the WWAN to the PAN. In another embodiment, an originator begins a periodic broadcast of a local PAN signal announcing the GCS after failing to set-up the GCS via the WWAN. Target device(s) in the communication group receive the local PAN signal, determine not to transmit their own local PAN signal and then convey a session acceptance message to the originator. The GCS is then established between the target device(s) and the originator over the PAN.