Wireless conferencing system using narrow-band channels

• US 10,136,426 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2016
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dominant Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Dominant Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Fraser, Ronald H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Chuong T
• Application Number:
  US15/072,123
• Publication Number:
  US 20160198463A1
• Time in Patent Office: 979 Days
• Field of Search: 370280, 370281
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2656 for structure of frame, burst
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/00 Time-division multiplex systems H04J14/00 takes precedence; relay systems H04B7/14; selecting techniques H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4061 Push-to services, e.g. push-to-talk or push-to-video
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/08 Trunked mobile radio systems

Abstract

A wireless-conferencing system enables two or more radios to communicate with each other in full-duplex communication, such as by using time division multiple access (TDMA). To use the wireless-conferencing system in a narrowband radio service system, such as GMRS having channel spacing of 25 kHz, one or more techniques are used to implement the wireless-conferencing system.

Claims

1. A system of duplex radios for communicating on a narrowband radio service, the system comprising:

a first radio, the first radio comprising;

a transmitter;

a receiver; and

electronics configured to;

cause the transmitter of the first radio to transmit a first communication using a time division multiple access protocol, wherein;

transmitting the first communication uses a bandwidth equal to or less than 30 kHz and equal to or greater than 1 kHz;

the first communication comprises voice data; and

the first radio is assigned a first time slot of the time division multiple access protocol to transmit voice data;

receive a second communication from the receiver of the first radio, wherein;

the first radio receives the second communication after transmitting the first communication; and

the first radio switches between transmitting the first communication to receiving the second communication in less than 15 ms and greater than 1 μ

s; and

generate a first audio stream based on the second communication and the time division multiple access protocol; and

a second radio, the second radio comprising;

a transmitter;

a receiver; and

electronics configured to;

receive the first communication from the receiver of the second radio, wherein the receiver of the second radio directly receives the first communication transmitted from the transmitter of the first radio;

cause the transmitter of the second radio to transmit the second communication using the time division multiple access protocol, wherein;

transmitting the second communication uses a bandwidth equal to or less than 30 kHz and equal to or greater than 1 kHz;

the second communication comprises voice data; and

the second radio is assigned a second time slot of the time division multiple access protocol to transmit voice data; and

generate a second audio stream based on the first communication and the time division multiple access protocol.

2. The system of duplex radios for communicating on the narrowband radio service as recited in claim 1, wherein the narrowband service is General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) and the first communication and the second communication are transmitted on a channel of GMRS.

3. The system of duplex radios for communicating on the narrowband radio service as recited in claim 1, wherein the narrowband service is Family Radio Service (FRS) and the first communication and the second communication are transmitted on a channel of FRS.

4. The system of duplex radios for communicating on the narrowband radio service as recited in claim 1, wherein the transmitter of the first radio and the receiver of the first radio are combined into a transceiver.

5. The system of duplex radios for communicating on the narrowband radio service as recited in claim 1, further comprising a third radio that directly receives communications from the first radio and the second radio.

6. The system of duplex radios for communicating on the narrowband radio service as recited in claim 5, wherein the third radio is assigned a time slot to transmit voice data using the time division multiple access protocol.

7. The system of duplex radios for communicating on the narrowband radio service as recited in claim 1, wherein the time division multiple access protocol has no more than three time slots in a given frame for transmitting voice data.

8. A system of duplex radios for communicating on a narrowband radio service, the system comprising:

a first radio, the first radio comprising;

a transmitter;

a receiver; and

electronics configured to;

cause the transmitter of the first radio to transmit a first communication using a time division multiple access protocol, wherein;

transmitting the first communication uses a bandwidth equal to or less than 30 kHz and equal to or greater than 1 kHz;

the first communication comprises voice data; and

the first radio is assigned a first time slot of the time division multiple access protocol to transmit voice data;

receive a second communication from the receiver of the first radio;

use a group ID in a preamble as a parallel correlator; and

generate a first audio stream based on the second communication and the time division multiple access protocol; and

a second radio, the second radio comprising;

a transmitter;

a receiver; and

electronics configured to;

receive the first communication from the receiver of the second radio, wherein the receiver of the second radio directly receives the first communication transmitted from the transmitter of the first radio;

cause the transmitter of the second radio to transmit the second communication using the time division multiple access protocol, wherein;

transmitting the second communication uses a bandwidth equal to or less than 30 kHz and equal to or greater than 1 kHz;

the second communication comprises voice data; and

the second radio is assigned a second time slot of the time division multiple access protocol to transmit voice data; and

generate a second audio stream based on the first communication and the time division multiple access protocol.

9. The system of duplex radios for communicating on the narrowband radio service as recited in claim 8, wherein the electronics of the first radio are further configured to use a frequency division multiple access protocol for transmitting or receiving, or both transmitting and receiving.

10. A method of duplex radio communication using a narrowband radio service, the method comprising:

generating a first communication, wherein the first communication comprises voice data from a user of a first radio;

transmitting the first communication using the first radio, wherein;

transmitting the first communication uses a bandwidth equal to or less than 30 kHz and equal to or greater than 1 kHz; and

transmitting the first communication uses a time division multiple access protocol;

switching the first radio from transmitting to receiving within a frame of the time division multiple access protocol;

receiving a second communication and a third communication, wherein;

the second communication comprises voice data from a user of a second radio;

the second communication comprises a preamble;

the second communication is received after the first communication is transmitted; and

the third communication is received after the second communication;

using an identifier in the preamble as a pattern for a parallel correlator to identify a clock edge of the second communication; and

generating an audio stream using the second communication, the third communication, and the time division multiple access protocol.

11. The method of duplex radio communication using the narrowband radio service as recited in claim 10, wherein the second communication and the third communication are received from the second radio.

12. The method of duplex radio communication using the narrowband radio service as recited in claim 10, wherein:

the second communication is received from the second radio; and

the third communication is received from a third radio.

13. The method of duplex radio communication using the narrowband radio service as recited in claim 10, wherein, in the audio stream, the second communication and the third communication at least partially overlap in time.

14. The method of duplex radio communication using the narrowband radio service as recited in claim 10, further comprising switching from using the time division multiple access protocol to using the first radio to communicate using half-duplex communication.

15. The method of duplex radio communication using the narrowband radio service as recited in claim 14, wherein:

the first radio operating in half duplex transmits analog signals; and

the first radio using the time division multiple access protocol transmits digital signals.

16. The method of duplex radio communication using the narrowband radio service as recited in claim 10, wherein the time division multiple access protocol has no more than three time slots in a frame for voice data.

17. The method of duplex radio communication using the narrowband radio service as recited in claim 10, wherein the time division multiple access protocol has no more than two time slots in a frame for voice data.

18. The method of duplex radio communication using the narrowband radio service as recited in claim 10, wherein the identifier in the preamble is one of several possible identifiers of a known set of identifiers.