Transmission trunk multichannel dispatch system with priority queuing
First Claim
1. Control apparatus in a communication system having a central control station for assigning a limited number of information channels to a plurality of remote stations, each of said remote stations communicating a message, comprising a plurality of individual transmissions, on its assigned channel, the apparatus comprising:
- each remote station havingmeans to request a channel assignment from the central station;
means responsive to an assigned channel signal to operate on said channel;
means generating an end of transmission signal at the conclusion of each remote station transmission; and
the central station havingmeans to assign a channel to a requesting remote station; and
means detecting the end of transmission signal from a remote station and truncating said remote station'"'"'s channel assignment in response thereto.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A communication system of the type wherein a central station assigns a limited number of information channels to a requesting one of a plurality of remote stations is disclosed. The requesting station sends its identification signal along with the request signal to the central station on a signal channel. The central station classifies the requesting station in either a priority or a nonpriority queue. The priority queue corresponds to those stations which are continuing an on-going interchange, whereas the nonpriority queue contains those stations which wish to initiate an interchange. Stations are prioritized in the queues on a first-in/first-out basis.
The central station constantly monitors the information channels and, as channels become available, assigns the channels first to stations in the prioirty queue, then to nonpriority queue stations. A channel becomes "available" when the central station detects a pause, such as a momentary release of a push to talk microphone switch, in transmission on that channel. By this transmission trunking method, the system makes optimum use of the limited number of available channels.
Additional central station processing provides an acknowledgement signal, which indicates that the request was received and a channel will be assigned as soon as one becomes available. Also, the identification of a requesting station is compared with an associate memory. The memory provides the identifications of all stations to whom the requesting station would transmit. Once a channel is available, it is assigned to the requesting station and to its associated stations, whereby the associated stations are notified of, and prepared for, the impending transmission.
112 Citations
40 Claims
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1. Control apparatus in a communication system having a central control station for assigning a limited number of information channels to a plurality of remote stations, each of said remote stations communicating a message, comprising a plurality of individual transmissions, on its assigned channel, the apparatus comprising:
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each remote station having means to request a channel assignment from the central station; means responsive to an assigned channel signal to operate on said channel; means generating an end of transmission signal at the conclusion of each remote station transmission; and the central station having means to assign a channel to a requesting remote station; and means detecting the end of transmission signal from a remote station and truncating said remote station'"'"'s channel assignment in response thereto. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. In a communication system having a central control station and a plurality of identifiable remote stations, the central station routing communications between remote stations over a limited number of identified information channels, communication between the remote stations and the central station occurring on a signal channel, each remote stations adapted for generating an end of transmission signal at the conclusion of its transmission, the central station comprising:
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means for transmitting to the remote stations; means for receiving transmissions from remote stations; channel request responsive means, coupled to the receiver, sensing for the presence of a signal indicating a remote station request to transmit a message on an information channel; station identification responsive means, coupled to the receiver, sensing the identification signal of said requesting remote station; means for detecting and storing the identification signal of available information channels; assigning means, coupled to the transmitter, and responsive to the request responsive means, for assigning an available channel to the requesting remote station, the assign means having a. a nonpriority queue register for storing the identification of remote stations requesting an information channel, b. a priority queue register for storing the identification of remote stations to which channels have been assigned, and c. priority means for assigning available channels to the stations in the priority queue register before channels are assigned to stations in the nonpriority queue register, and transmission trunking means, coupled to the receiver, for detecting the end of transmission signal generated by a remote station on an assigned channel, and, in response thereto, transferring the identification of said channel to the information channel storage means such that the channel is available for assignment to another remote station. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. In a communication system having a central control station and a plurality of identifiable remote stations, the central station routing communications between remote stations over a limited number of identified information channels, communication between the remote stations and the central station occurring on a signal channel, each communication including a message by each remote station, which message comprises a plurality of individual transmission, each remote station comprising:
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controllably tuned transmitter means for transmitting on the signal channel or on an assigned information channel; controllably tuned receiver means for receiving transmissions on the signal channel or on an assigned information channel; channel requesting means coupled to the transmitter, for generating and sending a channel request signal, on the signal channel, to the central station; identification means, coupled to the transmitter, for generating and sending a predetermined identification signal in conjunction with the request signal; channel assigning means, coupled to the receiver, for receiving a channel assignment signal from the central station and, in response thereto, controllably tuning the transmitter and receiver to the assigned channel; and end of transmission signalling means for transmitting an end of transmission signal to th central station at the conclusion of each of said individual transmissions. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method of assigning one of a limited number of information channels to a requesting one of a plurality of remote stations for communication by each of said remote stations of a message on said assigned channel, said message comprising a plurality of individual transmissions, the method comprising the steps of:
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a. receiving the requesting signal; b. identifying the requesting station; c. monitoring said requesting station; and d. truncating the assignation of said channel to said requesting station at the conclusion of each of the transmission of said identified requesting station, such that the channel is available for assignation to a second requesting station. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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Specification