Radio system with universal communication interface

• US 20030114134A1
• Filed: 10/15/2002
• Published: 06/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Selex Communications Limited (Leonardo S.p.A.)
• Original Assignee: Davies Industrial Communications Ltd. (Marconi Holdings Company Limited)
• Inventors: Davies, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,058,384 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/345
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/088 with parts of the receiver detachable or collapsible
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3827 Portable transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/44 Transmit/receive switching

Abstract

A radio system comprises a radio (1) having a transmit mode activated by a press to talk (PTT) switch (16) mounted on a universal communication interface (12) for mounting on a radio interface (6) associated with the radio (1). The radio interface (6) may or may not form part of the radio (1) and a plurality of radio interfaces may be provided for different applications, such that a standard universal communication interface (12) can be used with different types of equipment.

Claims

1. A radio system (1, 12, 19, 33) comprising a radio (1) having a transmit mode and a press to talk (PTT) switch (16) to set the radio to a transmit mode, characterised in that the system further comprises a radio interface (6, 19) associated with the radio and a universal communication interface (UCI) (12) in which the PTT (16) switch is located, the radio interface (6, 19) arranged to releasably mount said UCI (12) and provide communication between the UCI (12) and radio (1) when mounted thereon.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1 comprising a plurality of radio interfaces (6, 19) which can each receive the UCI (12).

3. A system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the plurality of radio interfaces (6, 19) are of different types, being application specific and arranged to connect to different radio types and/or be mounted in different locations.

4. A system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the radio interface (6) is on the housing of the radio (1).

5. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the radio interface (19) is a remote interface located away from the radio (1) but connected thereto by a physical communication link (20), either a wire or optical fibre.

6. A system as claimed in claim 5 wherein the radio interface (19) is arranged to be worn by the operator.

7. A system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the radio (1) is a personal role radio arranged to be worn by the operator.

8. A system as claimed in one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the radio (1) is arranged to be mounted on a vehicle.

9. A system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the UCI (12) is arranged to be connected to said radio (1) by means of the radio interface (6, 19) and to be connected to a second radio by means of a wire or optical link (21).

10. A system as claimed in claim 9 wherein said wire or optical link (21) is arranged to terminate in a manner such that mounting the UCI (12) on the radio interface maintains the wire or optical link in contact with the UCI (12).

11. A system as claimed in claim 9 or 10 wherein said radio is a personal role radio (1) and said second radio is a network radio.

12. A system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the UCI (12) has two PTT switches (16, 17) mounted thereon, one associated with a first radio (1) and the second associated with a separate radio network.

13. A system as claimed in claim 12 wherein the UCI (12) contains circuitry to prevent cross connection between at least one transmission and one reception signal associated with different radios.

14. A system as claimed in claim 12 or 13 wherein the first radio (1) is a personal role radio and the second radio is a combat network radio.

15. A system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the UCI (12) comprises a connection (15) for an operator headset.

16. A system as claimed in any preceding claim further comprising a wired remote PTT module having a PTT switch (24, 25) which module is small relative to the UCI (12), the UCI having a connection for the wire (22) of the remote PTT switch so that the function of the PTT switch (16) of the UCI can be operated remotely of the UCI (12).

17. A system as claimed in any preceding claim further comprising a cordless remote PTT module (33) comprising a PTT switch (34), the remote module (33) comprising a short range, relative to the radio, transmitter (38), the UCI (12) comprising a receiver (42) for receiving signals from the remote module (33) to remotely activate the function of the PTT switch (16) of the UCI (12).

18. A system as claimed in claim 17 wherein the short range transmitter (38) is a radio transmitter.

19. A system as claimed in claim 17 wherein the short range transmitter is an infra-red transmitter.

20. A system as claimed in any one of claims 17 to 19 wherein the remote module (33) comprises two PTT switches associated with different radio networks.

21. A system as claimed in any one of claims 17 to 20 wherein a signal (37) transmitted from the remote module (33) comprises a code and the receiver of the UCI is responsive to the code.

22. A system as claimed in claim 21 wherein the receiver (42) of the UCI (12) is responsive to a plurality of codes associated with different remote modules (33).

23. A system as claimed in claim 21 or 22 wherein the receiver (42) has a learn mode in which it can learn the codes of a remote module.

24. A system as claimed in claim 23 wherein the UCI (12) comprises a magnetically operated switch (43) and the remote module (33) comprises a magnet (35), the magnet and magnetically operated switch being arranged such that the magnetically operated switch is caused to adopt a learn mode position when the remote module including said magnet is held in an appropriate position relative to the magnetically sensitive switch, in which position activation of the PTT switch (34) on the remote module (33) causes the UCI (12) to learn the code of the remote module.

25. A system as claimed in any one of claim 24 wherein depressing the PTT switch on the remote module (33) a number of times or for a period in excess of a predetermined period causes one or more codes to be removed from the UCI (12) so that the UCI is no longer responsive to those codes.

26. A Universal communications interface (UCI) (12) for a system as claimed in any preceding claim.

27. A personal role radio (1) comprising a radio interface (6) for a system of any preceding claim.

28. A cordless remote module (33) for a system as claimed in any one of claims 17 to 25.

29. A radio system substantially as hereinbefore described and/or as illustrated in one or more of the accompanying figures.