VEHICLE COMMUNICAITONS SYSTEM

• US 20100087218A1
• Filed: 09/25/2009
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonetics Holdings Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonetics Corporation
• Inventors: Hannosh, Sarmad, VanderPloeg, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 8,126,492 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/518
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 9/082 using echo cancellers echo cancellers per se H04B3/23

Abstract

The improved vehicle crew communication system provides an increase in the number of wireless headsets that can be used with one base station, an increase range from the vehicle for operation of said headsets, full duplex operation communication over digitally encrypted DECT protocol links from one base station to a plurality of headsets, pairing of each headset to a particular base station, use of wireless technology inside and outside of the vehicle, automatic channel and link selection to transparently avoid interfered-with channels and links, removal of the need to manually select a channel on the headset, and the combination of the noise-cancelling microphone with noise threshold, noise attenuation, and line echo cancellation tuned to intercom parameters.

Claims

1. An improved vehicle crew communications system comprising:

a. a vehicle capable of carrying a crew, such crew comprising a plurality of human crew members who are users of said system;

b. at least one base station coupled to said vehicle;

c. an intercom communicatively coupled to said at least one base station via a microphone input in said intercom and also communicatively coupled to at least one radio;

d. at least one wireless headset wirelessly communicatively coupled via a wireless TDMA link to a particular one base station of said at least one base station;

e. wherein the improvements comprise;

i. increase in number of said at least one wireless headset usable at once with one base station of said at least one base station;

ii. increase in a distance from said vehicle at which said at least one wireless headset is operable;

iii. full duplex communication over digitally encrypted DECT protocol links from one said base station;

iv. pairing of each particular headset of said at least one wireless headset to a particular base station of said at least one base station;

v. wireless communications within and exterior to said vehicle;

vi. automatic slot and channel selection to avoid interference, wherein said selection is transparent to said users;

vii. removal of the need to manually select the channel for said at least one wireless headset; and

viii. a noise-cancelling microphone with noise threshold, noise attenuation, and line echo cancellation tuned to parameters of said intercom.

2. The improved vehicle crew communications system of claim 1, wherein said at least one base station comprises five or less base stations.

3. The improved vehicle crew communications system of claim 2, wherein said at least one wireless headset comprises four or less said wireless headsets per base station.

4. The improved vehicle crew communications system of claim 1, wherein each base station of said at least one base station provides five channels each having:

a. twelve full-duplex TDMA links;

b. a DECT protocol in the 1920-1930 MHz sub-band;

c. a firmware digital signal processing algorithm for reducing line echo; and

d. encryption.

5. The improved vehicle crew communications system of claim 1, wherein a particular said wireless headset of said at least one wireless headset comprises:

a. a head-engaging web;

b. a noise-canceling microphone coupled to said web;

c. a microphone circuit coupled to said microphone, wherein said microphone circuit employs noise-gating;

d. noise-reduction ear covers coupled to said web;

e. a volume control switch; and

f. a push-to-talk (PTT) switch.

6. The improved vehicle crew communications system of claim 5, wherein microphone is automatically constantly on and said PTT switch provides access to said at least one radio when said PTT switch is activated.

7. The improved vehicle crew communications system of claim 5, wherein microphone is not automatically constantly on and said PTT is operable to switch said microphone to constantly on.

8. The improved vehicle crew communications system of claim 5, wherein said microphone is never constantly on and said PTT switch comprises an off-biased button PTT switch operable to turn on said microphone only while said off-biased button PTT switch is depressed.

9. The improved vehicle crew communications system of claim 5, wherein said microphone circuit employs noise gating tuned to said microphone input of said intercom and further provides balancing of an audio level to allow the user'"'"'s voice to break over said noise gate.

10. The improved vehicle crew communications system of claim 1, wherein said base station comprises firmware comprising an adaptive digital signal processing algorithm to reduce side tone from said at least one wireless headset.

11. The improved vehicle crew communications system of claim 1, wherein said at least one wireless headset comprises at least one rechargeable headset battery, the system further comprising a battery charger coupled to said vehicle for charging said at least one rechargeable battery.

12. The improved vehicle crew communications system of claim 1, wherein said at least one wireless headset comprises at least one rechargeable headset, the system further comprising a charger coupled to said vehicle for charging said at least one rechargeable headset.

13. An improved vehicle crew communications system comprising:

a. a vehicle capable of carrying a crew, such crew comprising a plurality of human crew members who are users of said system;

b. at least one base station coupled to said vehicle wherein each base station of said at least one base station provides five channels each having;

i. twelve full-duplex TDMA links;

ii. a DECT protocol in the 1920-1930 MHz sub-band;

iii. a firmware digital signal processing algorithm for reducing line echo; and

iv. encryption;

c. an intercom communicatively coupled to said at least one base station via a microphone input in said intercom and also communicatively coupled to at least one radio;

d. at least one wireless headset wirelessly communicatively coupled via a TDMA link to a particular one base station of said at least one base station;

e. wherein the improvements comprise;

i. increase in number of said at least one wireless headset usable at once with one base station of said at least one base station;

ii. increase in a distance from said vehicle at which said at least one wireless headset is operable;

iii. full duplex communication over digitally encrypted DECT 6.0 protocol links from one said base station;

iv. pairing of each particular headset of said at least one wireless headset to a particular base station of said at least one base station;

v. wireless communications within and exterior to said vehicle;

vi. automatic link and channel selection to avoid interference, wherein said selection is transparent to said users;

vii. removal of the need to manually select a channel for said at least one wireless headset; and

f. a noise-cancelling microphone with noise threshold, noise attenuation, and line echo cancellation tuned to parameters of said intercom.

14. The improved vehicle crew communications system of claim 13, wherein said at least one base station comprises five or less base stations.

15. The improved vehicle crew communications system of claim 14, wherein said at least one wireless headset comprises four or less said wireless headsets

16. The improved vehicle crew communications system of claim 13, wherein microphone is automatically constantly on and said PTT switch provides access to said at least one radio when said PTT switch is activated.

17. The improved vehicle crew communications system of claim 13, wherein a particular said wireless headset of said at least one wireless headset comprises:

a. a noise-cancelling microphone;

b. a microphone circuit coupled to said microphone, wherein said microphone circuit employs noise gating tuned to said microphone input of said intercom and further provides balancing of an audio level to allow the user'"'"'s voice to break over said noise gate;

c. noise reduction ear covers;

d. a volume control switch; and

e. a push-to-talk (PTT) switch.

18. The improved vehicle crew communications system of claim 13, wherein said at least one wireless headset comprises at least one rechargeable headset battery, the system further comprising a battery charger coupled to said vehicle for charging said at least one rechargeable headset battery.

19. The improved vehicle crew communications system of claim 13, wherein said base station comprises firmware comprising an adaptive digital signal processing algorithm to reduce side tone from said at least one wireless headset.

20. An improved vehicle crew communications system comprising:

a. a vehicle capable of carrying a crew, such crew comprising a plurality of human crew members who are users of said system;

b. a plurality of base stations coupled to said vehicle wherein;

i. each base station of said plurality of base stations provides five channels each having;

1. twelve full-duplex TDMA links;

2. a DECT protocol in the 1920-1930 MHz sub-band;

3. an adaptive DSP algorithm incorporated in firmware for attenuating side tones; and

4. encryption; and

ii. said plurality of base stations comprises no more than five base stations;

g. an intercom communicatively coupled to;

i. at least one base station of said plurality of base stations via a microphone input in said intercom, wherein;

1. audio levels from said intercom to said base station are frequency and gain matched to said base station; and

2. audio levels from said base station to said intercom are frequency and gain matched to said intercom; and

ii. at least one radio;

c. four or fewer wireless headsets each wirelessly communicatively coupled via respective TDMA links to particular respective base stations of said plurality of base stations, wherein each said wireless headset comprises;

i. a head-engaging web;

ii. a noise-cancelling microphone coupled to said web;

iii. a microphone circuit coupled to said microphone;

iv. a pair of noise-reduction ear covers coupled to said web;

v. a volume control switch coupled to one noise-reduction ear cover of said pair of said noise-reduction ear covers;

vi. a push-to-talk (PTT) switch coupled to one noise-reduction ear cover of said pair of said noise-reduction ear covers, wherein said PPT switch is operable to at least one of;

1. access said radio;

2. switch said microphone from off to continuously on; and

3. switch said microphone from off to momentarily on; and

h. wherein the improvements comprise;

i. increase in number of said at least one wireless headset usable at once with one base station of said plurality of base stations;

ii. increase in a distance from said vehicle at which said at least one wireless headset is operable;

iii. full duplex communication over digitally encrypted DECT protocol links from each said base station of said plurality of base stations;

iv. pairing of each particular headset of said at least one wireless headset to a particular base station of said plurality of base stations;

v. wireless communications within and exterior to said vehicle;

vi. automatic link and channel selection to avoid interference, wherein said selection is transparent to said users;

vii. removal of the need to manually select a channel for said at least one wireless headset; and

viii. a noise-cancelling microphone with noise threshold, noise attenuation, and line echo cancellation tuned to parameters of said intercom.