Patent ID: 6895254

Claim:
An apparatus that facilitates dispatch calls between remote units, the apparatus comprising: a hang timer configured to expire upon reaching a first time threshold that corresponds to inactivity during the dispatch call; and a session timer configured to expire upon reaching a second time threshold, which is longer in duration than first time threshold, and likewise corresponds to inactivity during the dispatch call; and a controller, coupled to the hang timer and the session timer, and configured to: link a first plurality of the remote units, link a second plurality of the remote units by dropping or adding an over-the-air channel for at least one designated remote unit, activate the hang timer and session timer when transmissions between the remote units cease, drop all the over-the-air channels for the remote units upon expiration of the hang timer, upon receipt of a dispatch call request from one among the second plurality of remote units, link the first plurality of the remote units if the session timer has expired, or link the second plurality of the remote units if the session timer has not expired.