INTEROPERABILITY GATEWAY FOR LAND MOBILE RADIO SYSTEM

• US 20160036624A1
• Filed: 07/31/2015
• Published: 02/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: E F Johnson Company (JVC Kenwood Corporation)
• Original Assignee: E F Johnson Company (JVC Kenwood Corporation)
• Inventors: Roy, Arindam, Yarbrough, Brandon Hudson, Bartosch, Jon, Newman, Steve
• Granted Patent: US 9,800,460 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0668 by dynamic selection of recovery network elements, e.g. replacement by the most appropriate element after failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition

Abstract

Disclosed is an interoperability gateway system that provides backup connection between a dispatch center and a Land Mobile Radio (LMR) system in the event the dispatch center is disconnected from the LMR system. In general, this may be accomplished by providing an RF link between the disconnected site and the interoperability gateway via a controller, or interoperability site network interface (ISNI), that is activated when the dispatch center is disconnected from the LMR system. The interoperability gateway provides the backup connection by allocating a control station for each channel available at the disconnected LMR system. When compared to conventional dispatch console backup schemes, the disclosed interoperability gateway system greatly reduces the equipment needed to provide dispatch console backup, thereby decreasing equipment and operation costs, and simplifying operation by providing a solution that is virtually transparent to the dispatcher.

Claims

1. A gateway system for providing backup connection between a dispatch center and a Land Mobile Radio (LMR) system when the dispatch center is disconnected from the LMR system, the gateway system comprising:

a controller configured to detect the disconnection between the dispatch center and the LMR system;

a plurality of control stations coupled to the controller via an IP network, wherein each of the control stations are configured to establish a communication link between the dispatch center and the disconnected LMR system;

wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to detecting the disconnection, allocate a first one of the plurality of control stations as a control channel for the disconnected LMR system, and allocate a second one of the plurality of control stations as a voice channel for communicating with the disconnected LMR system over the voice channel.

2. The gateway system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of control stations mirror a channel supported by the disconnected LMR system.

3. The gateway system of claim 1, wherein the communication link is a Radio Frequency connection between the disconnected LMR system and at least one of the plurality of control stations.

4. The gateway system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of control stations are configured to monitor a control channel of the disconnected LMR system.

5. The gateway system of claim 1, wherein the disconnected LMR system is a trunking LMR system.

6. The gateway system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to provide an interface between the gateway system and one or more consoles comprising the dispatch center.

7. The gateway system of claim 1, wherein the gateway system is configured to process calls received from the disconnected LMR system via the control station allocated as the voice channel.

8. The gateway system of claim 1, wherein the gateway system is configured to process calls placed from the dispatch center to the disconnected LMR system via the control station allocated as the voice channel.

9. A system for providing backup connection between a dispatch center and a Land Mobile Radio (LMR) system when the dispatch center is disconnected from the LMR system, the system comprising:

a controller configured to detect the disconnection between the dispatch center and the LMR system;

two or more control stations coupled to the controller via an IP network, wherein at least one of the two or more control stations is configured to establish a communication link between the dispatch center and the disconnected LMR system;

wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to detecting the disconnection, allocate a first one of the two or more control stations as a control channel for the disconnected LMR system, and allocate a second one of the two or more control stations as a voice channel for communicating with the disconnected LMR system over the voice channel.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein each of the two or more control stations mirror a channel supported by the disconnected LMR system.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the communication link is a Radio Frequency connection between the disconnected LMR system and at least one of the two or more control stations.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein each of the two or more control stations are configured to monitor a control channel of the disconnected LMR system.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the disconnected LMR system is a trunking LMR system.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to provide an interface between the system and one or more consoles comprising the dispatch center.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the system is configured to process calls received from the disconnected LMR system via the control station allocated as the voice channel.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the system is configured to process calls placed from the dispatch center to the disconnected LMR system via the control station allocated as the voice channel.

17. A method for providing backup connection between a dispatch center and a Land Mobile Radio (LMR) system when the dispatch center is disconnected from the LMR system, the method comprising:

detecting, via a controller, the disconnection between the dispatch center and the LMR system;

establishing, via at least one of a plurality of control stations, a communication link between the dispatch center and the disconnected LMR system; and

allocating, via the controller in response to detecting the disconnection, a first one of the plurality of control stations as a control channel for the disconnected LMR system, and a second one of the plurality of control stations as a voice channel for communicating with the disconnected LMR system over the voice channel.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising providing control channel functionality via the first one of the plurality of control stations.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising providing voice channel functionality via the second one of the plurality of control stations.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

processing calls received from the disconnected LMR system via the control station allocated as the voice channel; and

processing calls placed from the dispatch center to the disconnected LMR system via the control station allocated as the voice channel.