METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ENHANCED NAVIGATION IN A DISPATCH COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20140226532A1
• Filed: 02/12/2013
• Published: 08/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Abbate, Alain A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,344,869 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/259
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/561 by multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

A method and apparatus provide enhanced navigational alerts for a vehicular two-way radio operating in a dispatch communication system. The integration and prioritization of navigational alerts with dispatch voice communication ensures that navigational alerts do not compromise mission critical voice communications. Navigational alerts in the form of navigational voice instructions and navigational tones are selectively prioritized based on predetermined parameters associated with the dispatch call.

Claims

1. A method for receiving navigational instructions at a vehicular two-way radio in a dispatch communication, comprising:

engaging or listening to a dispatch call;

monitoring the dispatch call;

based on the monitoring, transmitting a navigational tone during the dispatch call;

determining when the dispatch call has ended; and

rendering both a voice navigational instruction and a navigational tone at the end of the dispatch call.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring comprises at least one of:

monitoring the dispatch call to determine a criticality level of the dispatch call;

monitoring the dispatch call to determine a calling ID of participants in the dispatch call;

monitoring the dispatch call to determine a calling code of the dispatch call;

monitoring the dispatch call to determine emergency status of the dispatch call;

monitoring the dispatch call to determine a scan priority; and

monitoring the dispatch call to determine whether the dispatch call exceeds a predetermined time.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein monitoring the dispatch call to determine a calling ID of participants in the dispatch call, further comprises:

monitoring the dispatch call to determine a calling ID of a dispatcher of the dispatch call when the dispatch call takes place between the vehicular two-way radio and the dispatcher; and

listening to the dispatch call between other two-way radios and determining calling IDs for the other two-way radios.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring further comprises:

monitoring the dispatch call for a predetermined level of importance;

transmitting the navigational tone during the dispatch call when the dispatch call meets the predetermined level of importance; and

transmitting navigational voice instructions and navigational tones during the dispatch call when the dispatch call does not meet the predetermined level of importance.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically selecting between the voice navigational instruction and the navigational tone.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the automatic selection is made based on predetermined parameters associated with dispatch calls.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

rendering the voice navigational instruction and the navigational tone in between audio transmissions of the dispatch call.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

postponing rendering any navigational alerts when the dispatch call is in progress; and

rendering the navigational tone while the dispatch call is in progress when a time threshold has been reached at which navigation maneuver is required.

9. A communication system, comprising:

a vehicular two-way radio for dispatch communications; and

wherein navigational alerts comprising navigational tones and navigational voice instructions are selectively prioritized based on the dispatch communications.

10. The communication system of claim 9, wherein the navigational alerts comprising navigational tones and navigational voice instructions are selectively prioritized by the vehicular two-way radio.

11. The communication system of claim 9, further comprising:

a dispatch radio center for engaging in a dispatch call with the vehicular two-way.

12. The communication system of claim 9, wherein the vehicular two-way radio monitors dispatch calls between other vehicular two-way radios and selectively prioritizes the navigational tones and navigational voice instructions based on predetermined dispatch call parameters.

13. The communication system of claim 12, wherein the predetermined dispatch call parameters comprise at least one of:

criticality level of a dispatch call, user ID associated with a dispatch call, calling code associated with a dispatch call, scan priority of a dispatch call, emergency status of a dispatch call, an amount of time required for executing a navigational maneuver by a vehicle containing the vehicular two-way radio; and

navigational instruction type (turn/non-turn).

14. The communication system of claim 9, wherein navigational alerts are rendered during audio transmissions of a dispatch call, and both navigational tones and navigational voice instructions are rendered when the dispatch call has ended.

15. The communication system of claim 9, further comprising:

a dispatch center radio engaged in a dispatch call with the vehicular two-way radio; and

wherein navigational alerts comprising navigational tones are prioritized during the dispatch call, and navigational alerts comprising both voice navigational instructions and navigational tones are prioritized in between dispatch calls.

16. The communication system of claim 9, wherein the navigational alerts comprising navigational tones and navigational voice instructions are selectively prioritized based call on call code type, the call code type being set by an Official Ten-Code List from Association of Public Communications Officers (APCO).

17. The communication system of claim 9, wherein voice navigational instructions are rendered during a dispatch call when the dispatch call is determined to fall below a predetermined level of importance.

18. The communication system of claim 9, wherein the vehicular two-way radio monitors a dispatch call to automatically select navigational tones based on a predetermined prioritization level of the dispatch call.

19. A vehicular two-way radio, comprising:

a controller controlling navigational alerts to avoid conflict with dispatch voice communication.

20. The vehicular two-way radio of claim 19, wherein the navigational alerts comprise voice navigational instructions and navigational tones which are selectively transmitted by the vehicular two-way radio based on a dispatch call occurring.

21. The vehicular two-way radio of claim 20, wherein the selective transmission of voice navigational instructions and navigational tones is determined based on predetermined parameters associated with dispatch calls.

22. The vehicular two-way radio of claim 21, wherein the predetermined parameters associated with dispatch calls comprise one or more of:

a criticality level of the dispatch call;

a calling ID of participants in the dispatch call;

a calling code of the dispatch call;

an emergency status of the dispatch call; and

a scan priority of the dispatch call.

23. The vehicular two-way radio of claim 19, wherein the vehicular two-way radio provides the navigational alerts in a hands-free manner.

24. The vehicular two-way radio of claim 19, wherein the navigational alerts are prioritized amongst different types of navigational alerts.

25. The vehicular two-way radio of claim 24, wherein the navigational alerts for turns are prioritized over non-turn navigational alerts.