METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING PRIORITIZED MULTI-PARTY COMMUNICATION SESSIONS IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

A wireless communication system that includes an MS that is a member of multiple talkgroups provides for a prioritization of the multiple talkgroups. A database included in the system maintains an MS identifier associated with the MS and maintains multiple talkgroup identifiers in association with the MS identifier, wherein each talkgroup identifier of the multiple talkgroup identifiers corresponds to a talkgroup of the multiple talkgroups. The database further maintains a prioritization associated with at least one talkgroup of the multiple talkgroups. In one embodiment of the invention, the MS may dynamically prioritize the multiple talkgroups to which it belongs. In another embodiment of the present invention, the prioritization may be statically maintained. In still another embodiment of the invention, the system utilizes the maintained prioritizations to determine whether to interrupt the MS when the MS is involved in a multi-party communication session.