Patent ID: 7269435

Claim:
A method for facilitating communications amongst a plurality of mobile units in a network, comprising: establishing a plurality of underlay communication cells; positioning at least two of the plurality of mobile units in at least one of the plurality of underlay communication cells such that one of the at least two of the plurality of mobile units being in one of the plurality of underlay communication cells and that another of the at least two of the plurality of mobile units being in another of the plurality of underlay communication cells, the units being capable of communications via the underlay communication cells; establishing an overlay communication cell, the overlay communication cell covering the same area as at least the underlay cells that comprise the at least two of the plurality of mobile units; establishing an association between underlay cells that comprise the at least two mobile units and the overlay communication cell; and establishing a group communication call in which at least one of the plurality of mobile units communicates with at least another of the plurality of mobile units using the overlay cell wherein the establishing the group call includes listening for a page to set up the group call.