Methods for enhanced communication between a plurality of communication systems

• US 20060046697A1
• Filed: 09/02/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Koren, Eitan, Tooba, Abraham, Aharonson, Itamar, Farhuma, Nissim
• Granted Patent: US 7,580,706 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/412.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• 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

The present invention includes methods in an interoperability system for: notifying a user in a first communication system that a trunked radio system is ready to receive data; broadcasting or distributing an emergency announcement from a trunked radio system to the other radio systems in the interoperability system; a user of one communication system using vocalic commands to establish a patch with another radio system; and enabling a PSTN device to more effectively communicate with radio systems in the interoperability system.

Claims

1. A method in an interoperability system for notifying a first communication system that a second communication system is ready to receive data, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving from a first communication system a request to communicate with a user of at least a second communication system;

forwarding the request to communicate to the at least a second communication system;

sending a first signal to the first communication system indicating that the at least a second communication system is not ready to receive the data; and

upon receipt of notification that the at least a second communication system is ready to receive the data, sending at least a second signal to the first communication system indicating that the at least a second communication system is ready to receive the data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and at least a second signals are each audible signals.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the audible signals are each tones.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least a second communication system is a trunked radio system.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first communication system is one of a conventional radio system and a trunked radio system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to communicate is a push-to-talk request and the notification from the at least a second communication system is a push-to-talk grant signal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to communicate is received at a first packet-switched apparatus and the first packet-switched apparatus sends the first signal to the first communication system, the method further comprising forwarding the request to communicate a plurality of times to at least a second pack-switched apparatus, wherein the at least a second packet-switched apparatus forwards the request to communicate to the at least a second communication system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the notification from the at least a second communication system is received at the at least a second packet-switched apparatus, the method further comprising forwarding the notification a plurality of times to the first packet-switched apparatus for causing the first packet-switched apparatus to send the at least a second signal to the first communication system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is at least one of audio and video.

10. A method in an interoperability system for a user of a first communication system to be notified that at least a second communication system is ready to receive data, the method comprising the steps of:

a first user of a first communication system sending a request to communicate with at least a second user of at least a second communication system;

receiving a first signal indicating that the at least a second communication system is not ready to receive the data; and

receiving at least a second signal indicating that the at least a second communication system is ready to receive the data.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the request to communicate is a push-to-talk (PTT) request, and the first user pushes a PTT button on a communication device coupled to the first communication system for sending the request to communicate.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of the first user releasing the PTT button to enable receipt of the first signal.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first user releases the PTT button upon receipt of a talk permit tone from the first communication system.

14. A method in an interoperability system for emergency announcement, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving an indication of an emergency from a first communication system;

converting the emergency indication into an emergency message for a second communication system; and

sending the emergency message to the second communication system.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the emergency message is one of an audible message and a data message having a short message format.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the emergency indication includes an identification of a distressed user of a communication unit that is coupled to the first communication system.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first communication system is a trunked radio system and the emergency indication is generated by the distressed user pressing an emergency button on the communication unit.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the emergency indication is received by a first packet-switched apparatus, the method further comprising forwarding the emergency indication a plurality of times to a second packet-switched apparatus for causing the second packet-switched apparatus to convert the emergency indication to the emergency message and send the emergency message to the second communication system.

19. A method for establishing a vocalic radio patch between two communication systems in an interoperability system comprising the steps of:

receiving an audible signal from a first user of a first communication system;

detecting that the audible signal is a request to be connected to a second communication system in an interoperability system; and

creating a connection between the first and second communication systems based on the request.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising verifying the request prior to setting up the connection.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of verifying the request includes sending an audible request for verification to the first user;

and

receiving an audible verification of the request to connect to the second communication system from the first user.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the request to be connected is detected in and the request for verification is generated by an interactive voice response device included in the interoperability system, and the connection is created in response to a digital message from the interactive voice response device directing the creation of the connection.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the connection is established between a first packet-switched apparatus coupled to the first communication system and a second packet-switched apparatus coupled to the second communication system.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the connection is established using a session layer protocol.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the session layer protocol is a Session Initiation Protocol.

26. A method for enabling a public switched telephone network (PSTN) device to communicate with a communication system in an interoperability system, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a first signal indicating that the communication system is not sending data to the PSTN device;

upon receipt of the first signal, causing the communication system to be keyed up to receive voice data; and

sending voice data from a user of the PSTN device to the communication system.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising the step of receiving a second signal while sending the voice data indicating that the communication system is receiving the voice data.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the first and second signals are generated by a packed-switched device and forwarded to the PSTN device via a PSTN gateway using a Voice Over Internet Protocol.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the first and second signals are audible signals.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the audible signals are tones.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein the communication system is keyed up based upon the voice data.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein the communication system is keyed up based upon a tone signal from the PSTN device.

33. A method for enabling communication between a public switched telephone network (PSTN) device and a communication system in an interoperability system, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting that the communication system is not sending data;

sending a first signal to the PSTN device indicating that the communication system is not sending data;

causing the communication system to be keyed up to receive voice data; and

sending voice data from a user of the PSTN device to the communication system.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the communication system is keyed up using a push-to-talk signal.

35. The method of claim 33 further comprising the step of sending a second signal to the PSTN device indicating that the communication system is receiving the voice data.