Patent ID: 8589678

Claim:
A method, comprising: receiving rules from an interoperability server at a plurality of endpoints coupled to a variable source content stream via a multicast network, wherein the plurality of endpoints include a first endpoint and a second endpoint, wherein at each endpoint in the plurality of endpoints that receives the variable source content stream, the rules are implemented and control access to the variable source content stream; and receiving, at each endpoint in the plurality of endpoints, using in-band controls of the variable source content stream via the multicast network: a description of content streams available for selection; a procedure for selecting an available content stream; and a notification sent by a peer that is accessing a same selected content stream, the notification including command packets that instruct the plurality of endpoints to change their tuned frequency, wherein the notification is periodically sent until the peer changes to a different frequency or another endpoint in the plurality of endpoints changes to another frequency, wherein each endpoint in the plurality of endpoints uses the rules to determine whether a channel is to be disabled such that particular content at the tuned frequency is not rendered or to determine whether the channel is rendered, and wherein the second endpoint is configured to use dynamic switching while push to talk is invoked at the second endpoint.