RF trunking multisite switch configuration and diagnostics interface

• US 5,566,388 A
• Filed: 01/19/1994
• Issued: 10/15/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pine Valley Investments, Inc. (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Teel, James L. Jr., Gulliford, Philip C., Brame, Charles P., Downs, Stephen R., Cree, Timothy F., Imron, Wim A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Safourek, Benedict V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chau T.
• Application Number:
  US08/183,250
• Time in Patent Office: 1,000 Days
• Field of Search: 370/95.1, 370/95.2, 370/95.3, 370/85.1, 370/85.7, 370/85.8, 370/85.9, 370/85.11, 370/67, 370/110.1, 370/110.2, 370/110.4, 370/68.1, 455/17, 455/53.1, 455/54.1, 455/15, 455/34.1, 455/56.1, 379/59, 379/63
• US Class Current: 370/340
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/08 Trunked mobile radio systems

Abstract

In a multisite radio frequency (RF) signal transmission system, a multisite switch routes audio and data information throughout the system. This switch has a node through which a system manager and system operator can configure and diagnose each site, console and channel in the (RF) system.

Claims

1. In a radio frequency (RF) communications network with a plurality of digitally trunked RF sites interconnected by a multisite switch, each of the RF sites having a plurality of repeating transceivers and said RF sites each selectively broadcasting from said repeating transceivers a same RF voice communication on different trunked channels, wherein said multisite switch routes audio signals corresponding to said RF communication between said RF sites, said multisite switch comprising:

an interface module for connection to a system controller, said interface module passing messages from said system controller, through said multisite switch to said RF sites, said messages contain configuration messages regarding said trunked channels and are applied by said RF sites to configure the plurality of transceivers at each of said RF sites.

2. In a RF communications network as in claim 1, said interface module comprising a node in said multisite switch including a communications controller operatively coupled to said system controller and a message bus in said multisite switch, said message bus operatively coupled to nodes of said multisite switch interfacing with said RF sites.

3. In a RF communications network as in claim 1, wherein said configuration messages contain information for said RF sites to adjust transmit or receive gains for said trunked channels.

4. In an RF communications network with a plurality of digitally trunked RF sites interconnected by a multisite switch each of said RF sites having a plurality of repeating transceivers for communicating on trunked channels and capable of broadcasting a 2175 Hz tone, said multisite switch routing audio and data signals between said RF sites, said multisite switch comprising:

an interface module for connection to a system controller, said interface module passing configuration messages from said system controller, through said multisite switch to said RF sites,

wherein said configuration messages contain information for said RF sites to enable or disable said 2175 Hz tone for broadcasting on said trunked channels by the sites.

5. In an RF communications network with a plurality of digitally trunked RF sites interconnected by a multisite switch, each of said RF sites having a plurality of repeating transceivers for communicating on trunked channels, said multisite switch routing audio signals between said RF sites, said multisite switch comprising:

an interface module for connection to a system controller, said interface module passing messages from said system controller, through said multisite switch to said RF sites, said messages contain configuration messages regarding said trunked channels and are applied by said RF sites to configure the plurality of transceivers at each of said RF sites,

wherein said configuration messages contain information for said RF sites to enable or disable a notch filter in each of said sites for each of said trunked channels.

6. In a radio frequency (RF) communications network having a plurality of digitally trunked RF sites interconnected by a multisite switch, each of said RF sites having a plurality of repeating transceivers operating on trunked channels and said RF sites selectively transmitting from said transceivers a same RF voice communication on a plurality of said trunked channels operating at different frequencies, said multisite switch routing audio and data signals corresponding to said same RF communication between said RF sites, said multisite switch comprising:

a plurality of nodes interfacing with said RF sites, said nodes communicating messages to other nodes;

a message bus operatively coupled to each node for conveying said messages between nodes; and

a controller node interface coupled to said message bus and having means for logging said messages.

7. In a RF communications network as in claim 6, said means for logging messages comprising a data log buffer.

8. In a RF communications network as in claim 6, said means for logging messages further comprises means for designating said messages by time.

9. In a RF communications network as in claim 6, said means for logging messages further comprises means for conveying said logged messages to said system controller.

10. In a RF communications network having a plurality of digitally trunked RF sites interconnected by a multisite switch, each of said RF sites having a plurality of repeating transceivers operating on trunked channels, said multisite switch routing audio and data signals between said RF sites for transmission from said transceivers, said multisite switch comprising:

a plurality of nodes interfacing with said RF sites, said nodes communicating messages to other nodes;

a message bus operatively coupled to each node for conveying said messages between nodes;

a controller node operatively coupled to said message bus and having means for logging said messages, wherein said means for logging messages further comprises means for reducing the traffic volume of messages on said message bus upon detecting a predetermined high traffic condition on said message bus.

11. In a radio frequency (RF) communications network with a plurality of digitally trunked RF sites interconnected by a multisite switch, each of said RF sites having a plurality of repeating transceivers operating on trunked channels and where said sites selectively transmit from said transceivers a same RF voice communication on different channels, wherein each transceiver includes channel configuration data indicative of one of the channels, said multisite switch routing audio signals between said RF sites, said multisite switch comprising:

a plurality of nodes and each one said nodes interfaces with a distinct one of said RF sites wherein said sites sends channel configuration data to said nodes; and

a controller node interface to a system controller and operatively coupled to said nodes, said controller node interface having means for receiving from said nodes channel configuration data and means for conveying channel configuration data to said system controller.

12. In a radio frequency (RF) communications network with a plurality of digitally trunked RF sites interconnected by a multisite switch, each of said RF sites having a plurality of repeating transceivers each operating on trunked channels, wherein a plurality of said sites selectively transmit from said transceivers a same RF voice communication on different trunked channels, and said a multisite switch routing audio signals between said RF sites, said multisite switch comprising:

nodes interfacing with said RF sites, to convey a video signal between the multisite switch and RF sites;

a plurality of audio buses operatively coupled to said nodes and conveying audio signals between said nodes, said nodes each having one or more assigned audio buses for transmitting audio signals to other nodes; and

a controller node interface operatively coupled to said nodes, said controller node interface operatively having means for assigning said assigned audio buses to individual nodes.