In-band vehicular repeater for trunked radio system

• US 5,857,144 A
• Filed: 08/09/1996
• Issued: 01/05/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pine Valley Investments, Inc. (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Pitcher, Gary J., Butler, Clyde R. Jr., Mangum, Peter M., La Fratta, Laurence A., Priest, Mark D., Dreon, Steven T.
• Primary Examiner(s): BRITTON, HOWARD W
• Application Number:
  US08/694,745
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 455/11.1, 455/509, 455/512, 455/517, 455/518, 455/524, 455/525
• US Class Current: 455/11.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/08 Trunked mobile radio systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A vehicular repeater system communicates with a portable mobile radio using the same RF communication band and digital trunking protocol that it communicates with a base site. The repeater station may employ an operational radio within a vehicle which communicates with the base site. A separate repeater radio module is connected to the operational radio, preferably through hardwired links. The separate repeater radio module includes a transmitting section which receives messages from the base site through the operational radio, and forwards these messages through a passive RF interface to a portable radio. The separate repeater also includes a receiving section which receives messages from the portable radio, and forwards these messages through the operational radio to the base site. Additionally, the receiver section may include a padded receiving section with low power amplification and additional receiver attenuation for monitoring other nearby vehicular repeater systems for potential interference prior to allowing its own vehicular repeater to become active.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system for a trunked system, comprising:

a base site station;

one or more vehicular repeaters; and

one or more mobile radios for direct communication with said base site station in a communication band, or for indirect communication with said base site station via said one or more vehicular repeaters in said same communication band;

wherein said one or more vehicular repeaters communicate with said one or more mobile radios using at least one radio communication channel which operates alternatively in a control channel mode and in an assigned channel mode, with an idle mode being the control channel mode.

2. A wireless communication system for a trunked system, comprising:

a base site station;

one or more vehicular repeaters; and

one or more mobile radios for direct communication with said base site station in a communication band, or for indirect communication with said base site station via said one or more vehicular repeaters in said same communication band,

wherein at least one of said one or more vehicular repeaters comprises;

a first operational radio for communicating with said base site station;

an in-band vehicular repeater module, connected to said first operational radio, for communicating with at least one of said one or more mobile radios.

3. The wireless communication system of claim 2, wherein said repeater module comprises:

a transmitter section for forwarding a message received from said base site station to said at least one of said one or more mobile radios; and

a first receiver section for forwarding a message received from said at least one of said one or more mobile radios to said base site station.

4. The wireless communication system of claim 3, wherein said repeater module comprises:

a second receiver section with padded input for receiving input from only nearby radio communication sources.

5. The wireless communication system of claim 4, wherein said first transmitter section and said second receiver section are provided by a second radio, and wherein said first receiver section is provided by a third radio.

6. The wireless communication system of claim 4, wherein said first transmitter section and said first and second receiver sections are provided by one duplexed radio system.

7. A vehicular repeater system for providing communication with a base site station in the same wireless communication band in which it communicates with one or more mobile radios, comprising:

a first operational radio for communicating with said base site station;

an in-band vehicular repeater module, connected to said first operational radio, for communicating with at least one of said one or more mobile radios.

8. The repeater of claim 7, wherein said vehicular repeater communicates with said one or more mobile radios using at least one radio communication channel which operates alternatively in a control channel mode and in an assigned channel mode, with an idle mode being the control channel mode.

9. The repeater of claim 7, wherein said repeater module comprises:

a transmitter section for forwarding a message received from said base site station to said at least one of said one or more mobile radios; and

a first receiver section for forwarding a message received from said at least one of said one or more mobile radios to said base site station.

10. The repeater of claim 9, wherein said repeater module comprises:

a second receiver section with padded input for receiving input from only proximate radio communication sources.

11. The repeater of claim 10, wherein said first transmitter section and said second receiver section are provided by a second radio, and wherein said first receiver section is provided by a third radio.

12. The repeater of claim 10, wherein said first transmitter section and said first and second receiver sections are provided by one duplexed radio system.

13. The repeater of claim 10, further including a memory storing a list identifying the mobile radios associated with said repeater, and the groups to which each of said associated mobile radios belong.

14. A method for communicating radio messages in a system comprising at least a portable radio unit, a repeater unit, and a base station, comprising the steps of:

communicating messages directly between said portable unit and said base station if said base station is available, wherein said communication with said base base station employs a prescribed communication frequency band; and

communicating messages between said portable unit and said repeater unit if said base station in not available, wherein said communication with said repeater unit employs said same prescribed communication frequency band employed by said portable unit in communicating directly with said base station.

15. A method for communicating radio messages according to claim 14, further wherein said communication with said base station and said communication with said repeater unit employ compatible digital message protocol.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said step of communicating messages between said portable unit and said repeater unit comprises first establishing a repeater communication channel such that said channel does not interfere with other nearby repeater communication channels currently in use by other repeaters.

17. A method for communicating radio messages in a system comprising at least a portable radio unit, a repeater unit, and a base site, comprising the steps of:

inquiring, by said portable unit, the availability of a control channel associated with said base site;

if said control channel associated with said base site is available then;

locking onto, by said portable unit, said control channel associated with said base site; and

transmitting or receiving a message on said control channel associated with said base site by converting said control channel associated with said base site to a working channel;

and if said control channel associated with said base site is not available then;

inquiring, by said portable unit, the availability of a control channel associated with said repeater unit;

locking onto, by said portable unit, said control channel associated with said repeater unit if said repeater control channel is available; and

transmitting or receiving a message on said control channel associated with said repeater unit by converting said control channel associated with said repeater unit to a working channel.

18. A method for communicating radio messages in a system comprising at least a portable radio unit, a repeater unit, and a base site, comprising the steps of:

transmitting, by said portable radio unit, a message to said repeater unit, said message informing said repeater unit of the identity of said portable radio unit, and the identity of a group of portable radio units to which said portable unit belongs;

storing indicia at said repeater unit representative of said identity of said portable radio unit and the identity of said group;

monitoring, by said repeater unit, a control channel for messages addressed to said portable unit by making reference to said indicia; and

upon determining that a message is addressed to said portable unit, allowing said portable unit to receive said message.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of:

deleting said indicia representative of said identity of said portable radio unit and the identity of said portable radio'"'"'s group when said portable unit disassociates itself with said repeater unit.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of:

deleting said indicia representative of said identity of said portable radio unit and the identity of said portable radio'"'"'s group after a prescribed amount of time.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of:

requesting said portable radio to repeat said transmitting step after a prescribed amount of time.

22. A vehicular repeater for providing communication with a base site station in the same wireless communication band in which it communicates with one or more mobile radios, comprising:

a first operational radio for communicating with said base site station;

an in-band vehicular repeater module, connected to said first operational radio, for communicating with at least one of said one or more mobile radios;

a receiver with attenuated input for receiving input from proximate radio communication sources to determine the presence of other nearby vehicular repeaters.