Patent ID: 8649814

Claim:
A method of managing a group call involving a plurality of mobile devices which are registered with a telecommunications network via a serving node that is in communication with a plurality of radio access nodes to facilitate communication with the mobile devices, the method comprising: a first radio access node establishing a data communications channel with a given mobile device for conducting the group call; identifying a radio access node adjacent to the first radio access node; the serving node receiving data identifying a group call area, wherein the group call area is defined based upon the first radio access node and the adjacent radio access node; the serving node transmitting to the radio access nodes defined by the group call area signaling instruction messages to establish a signaling channel prior to establishing a traffic channel, within a cell corresponding to the adjacent radio access node, wherein the signaling channel includes an identifier corresponding to the group call area; broadcasting via the signaling channel a notification message for the group call within the group call area; receiving from another mobile device a notification response message having the identifier; and establishing the traffic channel for use in the group call within the cell corresponding to the adjacent radio access node.