Patent ID: 8180358

Claim:
A method for joining a session in a communication network supporting multimedia group calls, the method comprising the steps of: at a subscriber unit: receiving, from a service entity for each stream of a plurality of streams of a multimedia group call, a separate indicator of the resources required for the corresponding stream; with respect to each separate indicator, ascertaining whether the subscriber unit has sufficient capabilities and resources to receive the corresponding stream; determining a first portion of the plurality of streams for which the subscriber unit has sufficient capabilities and resources with respect to the separate indicators to receive the corresponding streams and a second portion of the plurality of streams for which the subscriber unit does not have sufficient capabilities and resources with respect to the separate indicators to receive the corresponding streams; communicating, to the service entity, acceptance of a partial session to receive only the first portion of the plurality of streams of the multimedia group call; and establishing a channel with the service entity for receiving only the first portion of the plurality of streams of the multimedia group call.