Transportable base station for a trunked radio communication system

• US 6,047,160 A
• Filed: 08/29/1996
• Issued: 04/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pine Valley Investments, Inc. (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Dreon, Steven T., Priest, Mark D., Mangum, Peter M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Wellington
• Assistant Examiner(s): SOBUTKA, PHILIP
• Application Number:
  US08/705,553
• Time in Patent Office: 1,314 Days
• Field of Search: 455/422, 455/450, 455/451, 455/452, 455/454, 455/455, 455/462, 455/507, 455/509, 455/516, 455/524, 455/62, 455/63, 455/67.1, 455/561, 455/575, 455/11.1, 455/520
• US Class Current: 455/11.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3216 where the road or rail vehicle is only used as transportation means
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/10 Dynamic resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/08 Trunked mobile radio systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A base station is configured to facilitate its rapid deployment to provide trunked radio communication system. The base station includes a receiving section and a transmitting section functioning as a repeater operating on a single trunked duplex channel. The base station also includes another receiving section for interrogating the presence of pre-existing RF energy in a given geographic area before allowing the base station to become active. This prevents a newly introduced deployable base station from interfering with pre-existing deployable or fixed base stations.

Claims

1. A deployable base station for providing trunked radio communication service, comprising:

a control module for selecting a channel on which to conduct radio communication with one or more radios;

a first receiving module for receiving messages from at least one radio on said selected channel; and

a transmitting module for transmitting messages to at least one radio on said selected channel;

wherein said channel which is selected for radio communication comprises a dual-mode channel which serves as both a control channel and working communication channel;

further comprising;

a second receiving module for ascertaining whether a channel selected by said control module will interfere with one or more pre-existing radio communication sources operating in the vicinity of said deployable base station;

wherein, in the event of said selected channel is determined to interfere, said control module selects another available channel.

2. A deployable base station according to claim 1, further including:

means for monitoring said selected channel, in a control mode of said channel, for message activity; and

means for converting said selected channel from said control mode to a working mode when message activity is detected by said means for monitoring; and

means for returning said selected channel to its control mode after a message is transmitted in said working mode.

3. A deployable base station according to claim 1, further comprising:

a profile stored in said control module for listing a series of channels for potential use by said deployable base station in communicating with said one or more portable radios;

wherein said control module selects a channel from said profile, and said second receiving means ascertains whether said channel selected from said profile interferes with one or more pre-existing radio communication sources operating in the vicinity of said deployable base station.

4. A deployable base station according to claim 1, further wherein said deployable base station is housed within a mobile carrier.

5. A deployable base station according to claim 4, wherein said deployable base station is operational while in said mobile carrier.

6. A deployable base station according to claim 5, wherein said deployable base station is operational while said mobile carrier is in motion.

7. A method for providing trunked radio communication services, comprising the steps of:

transporting a deployable base station to a given geographic area where said radio communications services are desired;

operating an interrogating receiving module of said deployable base station to ascertain the presence of one or more pre-existing radio sources at said given geographic area;

selecting a communication channel which does not interfere with any pre-existing radio sources ascertained in said step of operating, wherein said channel which is selected for radio communication comprises a dual-mode channel which serves as both a control channel and working communication channel; and

conducting communication, using a transmitting module and another receiving module, between one or more radios at said given geographic area using said selected communication channel which does not interfere with any pre-existing radio sources.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein said step of operating includes the steps of:

accessing a personality profile of said deployable base station, and selecting a channel from one or more channels listed thereat;

operating said interrogating receiving module to ascertain whether said selected channel from said profile will interfere with a preexisting radio source at said geographic area;

choosing another channel listed in said profile in the event that said interrogating receiving section determines that said channel selected in said step of accessing will interfere with a preexisting radio source at said geographic area.

9. A method according to claim 7, wherein said step of conducting communication includes the steps of:

monitoring said selected channel, in a control mode of said channel, for message activity;

if the event activity is detected in said step of monitoring, converting said selected channel from said control mode to a working mode;

communicating a message on said selected channel in said working mode; and

returning said selected channel to its control mode.

10. A method according to claim 7, wherein said step of transporting comprises transporting said deployable base station on a mobile carrier.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein said given geographic area at which radio communication is desired is an area defined in reference to a location of said mobile carrier.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein said steps of operating, selecting and conducting are performed while said mobile carrier, carrying said deployable base station, is in motion.

13. A method for providing trunked radio communication services, comprising the steps of:

activating a radio within a coverage area of at least one of;

a fixed base station and a deployable base station;

interrogating, by the radio, the availability of a control channel associated with said fixed base station;

if said control channel associated with said fixed station is available, then acquiring said control channel associated with said fixed station;

if said control channel associated with said fixed station is unavailable, then interrogating the availability of a control channel associated with said deployable base station; and

if said control channel associated with said deployable base station is available, then acquiring said control channel associated with said deployable station.