Patent ID: 8270583

Claim:
A method for enabling group communication, the method comprising: establishing a group identity for a communication group comprising a first set of communication devices, and storing an identity for each of the communication devices in the first set; establishing a session to associate a second set of communication devices with the group identity, wherein the communication devices in the second set are different from the communication devices in the first set, wherein the session with the second set of communication devices is set up without a call being initiated for the communication group; detecting a first event associated with the initiation of a call for the communication group; and in response to detecting the first event, using the stored identities to join at least one of the communication devices in the first set to the session; wherein the call comprises an exchange of related media transmissions between members of the communication group, wherein the call is characterized by an initiation and a termination; and wherein the session for the communication group indicates various resources are reserved for a communication device within the group, and the communication device is entitled to (and is in a state to) receive and/or transmit media for the communication group whenever the call occurs.