Communication system interconnecting radios and operators located at different positions

• US 4,519,069 A
• Filed: 10/27/1982
• Issued: 05/21/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1981
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GEC Avionics Ltd
• Original Assignee: GEC Avionics Ltd
• Inventors: Pudsey, David G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chin, Wellington
• Application Number:
  US06/437,165
• Time in Patent Office: 937 Days
• Field of Search: 370/85, 370/96, 370/90, 370/93, 370/95, 370/89, 370/110.1, 455/2, 455/69, 455/70, 340/825.54
• US Class Current: 370/439
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/407 with decentralised control

Abstract

A communication system using a control bus and an audio bus to interconnect operator positions and radio positions. Each position is allocated, by a timing circuit, time slots on the control bus during which it applies digital words to the control bus indicating its own identity and information to be transmitted to other positions. Because data applied to the control bus by the operator positions is time multiplexed, requests from operator positions for a particular radio facility are dealt with in turn by the radio positions so that operators at the operator positions cannot compete for the same ratio facility. The need for a general purpose computer and its associated software is avoided. Each radio at the radio positions is able to communicate to the operators at the operator positions its current mode of operation so that the operators can always be sure that the system is operating correctly. The system can employ a single timing circuit or a plurality of individual timing circuits each located at a respective position.

Claims

1. A communication system for interconnecting radios, each able to provide at least one radio facility, and operators located at different positions, the system comprising:

a control bus and an audio bus for interconnecting the operator positions and the radios, means at each operator position for applying, in turn to the control bus, a request code constituting a request for a particular radio facility, means associated with each radio for responding to receipt of a request code by applying to the control bus an availability code indicating the radio'"'"'s availability for providing the said facility, means at each operator position for applying to the control bus an instruction code instructing a particular radio to provide a facility requested and for connecting the operator position to a particular channel of the audio bus, and means at the said particular radio for providing the requested facility on the said particular channel of the audio bus.

2. A communication system according to claim 1 including a time multiplexing arrangement which allocates respective time periods to each operator position and to each radio for the application of codes therefrom onto the control bus.

3. A communication system according to claim 2 wherein the time multiplexing arrangement includes a central timer which allocates the time periods.

4. A communication system according to claim 2 in which the time multiplexing arrangement includes individual timers associated with respective operator positions and radios.

5. A communication system according to claim 1 and including means associated with each radio for providing on the control bus a code indicating the identity of that radio and the facility it is currently providing on the audio bus, and the operator position or positions to which it is directing that facility.

6. A communication system according to claim 1 and including a monitoring device for displaying or monitoring information available on the control bus.

7. A communications system according to claim 1 wherein said radios and operators are located at different positions on the same vehicle.