Patent ID: 8259690

Claim:
A method for pausing a transmitting mobile or portable radio in a communication system comprising: transmitting, by the transmitting mobile or portable radio, a communication on a forward channel of a communication system while listening to a reverse channel wherein the forward channel comprises a first timeslot of a TDMA communication, and the reverse channel comprises a portion of a second timeslot of the TDMA communication; receiving, at the transmitting mobile or portable radio, from a second mobile or portable radio operating in a direct mode, or from a base station when the second mobile or portable radio is not operating in the direct mode, on the reverse channel, a request to pause signal; ceasing transmission of the communication on the forward channel by the mobile or portable radio for a period of time in response to the request to pause signal; and automatically resuming transmission of the communication on the forward channel by the mobile or portable radio after the period of time has elapsed; wherein the reverse channel is used for the second mobile or portable radio to send reverse channel signaling on an inbound channel to another radio via a base station and is also used to allow the second mobile or portable radio to directly send reverse channel signaling to another radio when operating in a direct mode; and wherein the period of time is based on whether or not the second radio is operating in the direct mode.