Patent ID: 8000731

Claim:
A method for managing call affiliations at a first communication unit in a communication system comprising: operating the first communication unit on a first communication channel; receiving a broadcast data message on the first communication channel instructing the first communication unit to affiliate to a voice call talkgroup; initiating a random affiliation request timer, wherein an affiliation request is transmitted by the first communication unit on a control channel upon expiration of the random affiliation request timer, the affiliation request being configured to request affiliation of the first communication unit to the voice call talkgroup indicated in the broadcast data message; monitoring the control channel for a presence of an affiliation grant being transmitted to the first communication unit or to a second communication unit attempting to affiliate to the voice call talkgroup; and joining the voice call talkgroup on a second communication channel upon either: (1) receiving the affiliation grant in response to the affiliation request transmitted by the first communication unit, or (2) detecting the affiliation grant being transmitted to the second communication unit attempting to affiliate to the voice call talkgroup.