Method and apparatus for establishing a communication group

DETAILED DESCRIPTION A method and an apparatus have now been invented for establishing a communication group between wireless communication devices in a radio network.
The invention enables a user of a communication device to join an existing group of communication device users by employing an acceptance process based on the decision of the group members.
The applicant applies for membership separately from each group member, and after all group members have replied to the applicant, the applicant will receive information on whether his membership has been accepted or rejected.
Depending on the definitions of the acceptance process made inside the group, the applicant is accepted as a member unanimously, in which case all group members are for the applicant, by a majority decision, in which case more than half of the total number of members in the group are for the applicant, or by a decision in which a certain member or part of the group members are for the applicant.
According to a first aspect of the invention, a method is implemented for selecting a new member to a communication group of users of wireless communication devices, the communication group comprising at least two communication device users who are members of said group, and at least one communication device user who does not belong to said group, which (communication device not belonging to said group) applies for membership in said communication group and is capable of communicating with at least one member of the communication group through his communication device, characterized in that the method comprises the following steps: creating an apply message in said communication device not belonging to the group, said apply message comprising a request for membership in said communication group; transmitting the apply message wirelessly from the communication device not belonging to said group to the communication device of at least one member of said communication group for the purpose of becoming a member of said group; creating by at least one group member a feedback concerning joining said group in response to the received apply message; and forming a decision on joining said group in response to said at least one feedback