AINA PTT

AINA Wireless Inc., also known as AINA PTT or AINA, is a tech company providing real-time communication solutions using Voice over IP (VoIP) technology. PTT is an acronym for Push-to-Talk, used in Telecommunications. The company’s US headquarters is located in Boston, MA.

AINA PTT is part of a communication eco-system for critical communication which usually consists of a terminal (Smartphone or Tablet), a server platform (cloud or local installation) an application that can run on different operations systems (Windows, Android, iOS). For decades critical communications was conducted using Land-Mobile-Radios also known as walkie-talkies. With the growing popularity of Smartphones and Smartphone apps, growth of Push-to-Talk application has started. This growth was also accelerated by the decision of US Congress to build FirstNet, a wireless network for police and firefighters as a result of communication problems during the September 11 attacks. Some companies like Zello already counts for over 50 million downloads on Android alone. Other similar apps include Push-to-Talk Smartphone apps from ESChat, AT&T Enhanced PTT, Verizon PTT Plus, Kodiak PTT, Azetti, Talk-IP and GroupTalk. AINA's Bluetooth speaker-microphone emulate the microphones which used to be connected to Walkie-Talkie-radios, only that they are connected to smartphones instead. AINA received a grant to develop a communication device similar to a Walkie-Talkie, but purpose-built for the use with broadband.

History
AINA PTT was founded was founded in 2010 by Maximilian LeRoux. Prior to starting AINA PTT, LeRoux worked at several tech companies and is the author of a career book and entrepreneurship.

In 2014 AINA ran a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter to fund the development of a wireless speaker-mic that turns a smartphone into a Walkie-Talkie 2-Way Radio. The campaign ended on May 17, 2014 with unsuccessful funding. AINA started the production of its first product, the AINA PTT Voice Responder, in 2016 in Finland.

In 2016 AINA received a grant from the EU Commission's Horizon 2020 program to develop a "market-disrupting device that combines the resilience of a Tetra Radio with the versatility of smart technology". The project name was "IP Communicator" and was brought to market under the name AINA Kepler.

According to recent market research for the global Push-to-Talk market, AINA PTT is considered one of the emerging players on the Push-to-Talk Market, alongside AT&T, Azetti Networks, Bell Canada, ESChat, Grouptalk, Hytera, Iridium and others.

Products & Patents

 * AINA PTT Voice Responder - Bluetooth Remote Speaker-Microphone for Push-to-Talk apps, i.e. listed by the US First Responder Network FirstNet.


 * AINA Small Talk Push-to-Talk


 * Kepler – Small Talk 2 way radio Land-Mobile-Radio type device using a commercial wireless network. Kepler was co-financed by the EU Commission’s Horizon 2020 program.

Patents

 * US Patent: Mobile device control with external device US 9344860

Abstract as filed with the United States Patent Office:

''A mobile arrangement (102), such as a mobile communication device, including a user interface (UI) configured to receive user input, a wireless data transfer interface configured to receive a command, such as a PTT (Push-to-Talk) command, sent by an RSM (Remote Speaker Microphone) device (104a, 104b) or other accessory, such as an in-car device or a headset, wirelessly connected to the mobile arrangement, and an interfacing logic (114) configured to map the received command to a predetermined command locally providable via the user interface to a communication application (112) running on the mobile arrangement and capable of receiving user input via the user interface so as to enable utilization of the communication application through the RSM or other accessory. Corresponding method and computer program product are presented.''

Field of the invention:

The invention relates generally to wireless communication, in particular to the utilization of an accessory such as an RSM (Remote Speaker Microphone) device in connection with a mobile device.

Background:

In the field of Push-to-Talk there are a plethora of providers of communication software for a few operating system platforms on the market. The use of such applicaiton used on mobile phones are usually centric to the mobile phone as a stand-alone communication device and the application is focused solely on the user interface of the mobile device, such as the touch screen or key pad. To use a communication applications on mobile phones as a augmentation or replacement of traditional Land-Mobile-Radios or also called Walkie-Walkies, the use of a rugged and loud RSM device may be necessary. To support such use each application developer would in practice be required to modify their software in co-operation of the RSM device manufacturer.

Industry standards for Push-to-Talk
There are many standards for mobile communications starting with general rules by government authorities like Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The FCC was created by Congress in the Communications Act for the purpose of “regulating interstate and foreign commerce in communication by wire and radio so as to make available, so far as possible, to all the people of the United States." For push-to-talk over cellular with regards to broadband networks for first responder, the commonly used and required standards are made by 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). The standards set forth by the 3GPP define how a Mission Critical Push-to-Talk (MCPTT) application has to function with regards to the server and the network connection, especially latency, pre-emptive service and security. However, till this date there has not been established a standard for Bluetooth Remote-Speaker-Microphones (RSM) for the use of Push-to-Talk.

The patent on mobile device control with external device does not create or establish such standard. It is more a proof that there is no such standard yet established. Otherwise such a patent would not be granted.