Method for automatic transceiver selection in a mobile multiple RF transceiver apparatus

• US 6,006,106 A
• Filed: 03/07/1997
• Issued: 12/21/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Cook, David P., Schmidt, Robert E., Schaufert, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): TO, DORIS HA
• Application Number:
  US08/813,494
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 455/426, 455/421, 455/422, 455/552, 455/553, 455/432, 455/517-520, 455/67.1, 455/226.1-226.3, 455/8 B, 455/3, 455/436, 455/550, 455/575, 455/73
• US Class Current: 455/552.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/006 using switches for selecting the desired band H04B1/0057 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/16 for PBS [Private Base Station] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/08 Trunked mobile radio systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A multi-radio equipment arrangement comprises multiple transceivers of different band splits. A preferred arrangement utilizes at least one transceiver for communicating on digital "trunked" RF communications system and at least one transceiver for communicating on a wide-area "conventional" RF communications system. The multi-radio equipment transceivers communicate with each other and with an equipment control unit via a common internal serial data bus to form a multi-radio local network. Each transceiver incorporates a microprocessor controller that includes appropriate task management and serial bus interface software routines for operating and communicating with other devices on the bus. The control unit provides a user interface comprising conventional radio equipment front-panel controls. A "trunked" system transceiver is automatically selected whenever its measured audio quality exceeds a predetermined user-programmable minimum level. When audio quality falls below the predetermined level, an auto-select control task (ASCT) automatically switches to the "conventional" RF transceiver in a manner transparent to the user. Evaluations of the audio quality on each transceiver are assessed on a continuing periodic basic individually by each transceiver and provided to the ASCT. In addition, a radio-roaming feature automatically switches back and forth between two or more "trunked" communications transceivers depending on audio quality available from each trunked system and a preference selected by the mobile user.

Claims

1. In a multiple radio communications apparatus having both trunked and conventional transceiver equipment, a transceiver selection arrangement for automatically switching between transceiver equipment for communicating via a trunked radio frequency (RF) communications system and transceiver equipment for communicating via a conventional RF communications system, comprising:

a multiple radio equipment serial data communications bus connecting each transceiver of said multi-radio apparatus so as to create a hard-wired local network between transceivers for exchanging data and command information;

a trunked communications transceiver connected to the bus and having a microprocessor controller including means for determining audio quality of a receiver RF signal;

a conventional RF communications transceiver connected to the bus and having a microprocessor controller;

a multiple radio communications apparatus control-head unit connected to the bus, said control-head unit providing a user interface for inputting information and controlling a transceiver connected to the bus; and

a transceiver auto-select means for automatically selecting and switching RF communications control between transceivers based on a determination of a presently available level of audio quality attainable via the trunked communications system, said transceiver auto-select means utilizing a user-programmable memory containing alterable auto-selection configuration data including an audio signal quality value representing a minimum acceptable quality level for communications over said trunked RF communications system.

2. In a multiple radio communications apparatus having both trunked and conventional transceiver equipment, a method for automatically switching between transceiver equipment for communicating via a trunked radio frequency (RF) communications system and transceiver equipment for communicating via a conventional RF communications system, said apparatus including a user-programmable memory containing alterable transceiver auto-selection data, comprising the steps of:

sampling a received RF signal of each trunked communications transceiver on a periodic basis;

determining an available audio quality measurement value for each trunked communications transceiver based at least in part on a received signal strength;

comparing an audio quality measurement value of each trunked communications transceiver against a predetermined threshold value stored in said user-programmable transceiver auto-selection memory, said threshold value representing a minimum acceptable quality level for trunked communications; and

selecting the conventional RF communications system transceiver under a condition that a trunked RF communications system transceiver is currently in use and develops a measured audio quality value below the threshold value and selecting a trunked RF communications system transceiver under a condition that an available audio quality value corresponding to a trunked communications transceiver is at or above the threshold value, wherein the selected transceiver equipment assumes control over ongoing communications in a manner that is transparent to a user.

3. The multiple radio communications apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said auto-selection data further comprises a value representing a maximum allowable number of unacceptable audio signal quality samples obtained said trunked system transceiver before switching a transceiver.

4. In a multiple radio communications apparatus having a plurality of trunked RF communications system transceivers, each transceiver operating on a different trunked communications system, said apparatus including a user-programmable memory containing alterable transceiver auto-selection data and said apparatus comprising a selected transceiver for conducting ongoing trunked communications and at least one other non-selected transceiver, a method for implementing an automated roaming feature that provides for automatically switching from a selected trunked system transceiver to a non-selected trunked system transceiver among said plurality of trunked system transceivers, comprising the steps of:

sampling a received RF signal of each trunked system transceiver on a periodic basis;

determining an audio quality value for each transceiver based at least in part on a received signal strength;

determining if an audio quality value for said selected transceiver has degraded below a predetermined threshold value stored in said user-programmable memory as transceiver auto-selection data, said threshold value representing a minimum acceptable quality level for trunked communications, and if the audio quality value for said selected transceiver has degraded below said predetermined minimum quality threshold value;

comparing an audio quality value of each non-selected transceiver to an audio quality value of said selected transceiver; and

selecting and switching to a non-selected transceiver if the audio quality value of a non-selected transceiver is substantially better than the audio quality of said selected transceiver, wherein a selected transceiver assumes control over ongoing communication in a manner that is transparent to a user.

5. The multiple radio communications apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein said auto-selection data further comprises a value representing a maximum allowable number of unacceptable audio signal quality samples obtained from each trunked system transceiver before switching a selected transceiver.

6. In a multi-radio RF transceiver apparatus having both trunked and conventional wide-area RF communications transceiver radios, wherein said radios are each individually microprocessor controlled and include memory and appropriate control software, and wherein each said microprocessor controlled radio is connected via a common bus allowing exchange of control information between microprocessors of each radio to form a local multi-radio network and includes interface task software for communicating with other radios and devices connected to said bus, an automated radio selection arrangement, comprising:

a master interface task program routine executed by a microprocessor controller associated with a radio transceiver in said multi-radio apparatus, said master interface task routine regularly receiving audio signal quality information from at least each trunked communications system transceiver via said common bus and determining which radio in said multi-radio apparatus is selected to provide RF communications based on predetermined minimum acceptable signal quality value levels;

a user-programmable memory containing alterable transceiver auto-selection data, said auto-selection data comprising at least an audio signal quality value representing minimum acceptable quality levels for each radio in said multi-radio apparatus, said user-programmable memory associated with said transceiver microprocessor controller; and

an auto-select control task, operating as a sub-process of said master interface task, said auto-select control task effecting said master task to automatically select a radio transceiver to provide and control current RF communications in response to a comparison of said regularly received audio signal quality information with auto-selection data stored in said user-accessible memory.

7. The multi-radio RF transceiver apparatus according to claim 6, wherein communication between radios and other devices connected to said common bus in the multi-radio network is in the form of serial digital messages.

8. The multi-radio RF transceiver apparatus according to claim 6, wherein each radio or device connected to said common bus has an associated ID for facilitating communications within the multi-radio network.

9. The multi-radio RF transceiver apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said messages include a portion containing ID information indicating a radio or device which originated said messages.

10. A multi-radio communication apparatus including both trunked and conventional wide-area RF transceivers, comprising:

a digital trunked communications transceiver having a microprocessor controller;

a conventional wide-area RF communications transceiver having a microprocessor controller;

a multi-radio apparatus control-head unit having user-interface transceiver controls;

a user-programmable memory containing alterable auto-selection data, said auto-selection data comprising an audio signal quality value representing a minimum acceptable quality level for each radio in said multi-radio apparatus; and

a common serial digital communications bus connected to the digital trunked communications transceiver, the wide-area RF communications transceiver, and the control unit to form a local multi-radio network for exchanging control information between transceivers and said control unit, wherein said multi-radio communication apparatus includes an auto-select control task program routine executed by at least one microprocessor controller associated with a transceiver in said multi-radio apparatus, said auto-select control task determining which transceiver to be used based on a comparison of available audio signal quality against auto-selection data stored in said user-accessible memory.