Method and apparatus for operational control of a radio communication system

• US 6,184,882 B1
• Filed: 04/03/1995
• Issued: 02/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fumarolo, Arthur L., Coley, Casey Stuart Alan, Foster, William Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Application Number:
  US08/415,911
• Time in Patent Office: 2,136 Days
• Field of Search: 379/96, 379/93.17, 455/89, 455/158.5, 455/62, 395/156, 395/157, 395/159, 345/119, 345/120, 345/133, 345/130, 345/902, 345/113, 345/340, 345/357, 345/343, 345/331, 345/344, 345/345, 345/352, 345/332, 345/353, 345/970, 345/342, 340/825.69
• US Class Current: 715/797
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/0016 Indicating arrangements digital indication of tuning in general H03J1/048
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/97 Instrumentation and component modelling, e.g. interactive control panel

Abstract

A radio communication system (100) has an information display interface (201) to provide operator assisted operational control. The information display interface (201) has multiple control sheets (240, 250) each containing an operator configurable category of radio system control information. A particular control panel (263) for controlling a particular portion of the radio communication system is co-located on multiple control sheets (240, 250). One of the control sheets (240) is made active and displayed in a foreground display mode. Operational control of the particular portion of the radio communication system (100) is conducted through the particular control panel (263) on the active control sheet (240).

Claims

1. In a radio communication system having an information display interface to provide operator assisted operational control of the radio communication system, a method comprising the steps of:

forming first and second control sheets for selective activation on a display area of the information display interface such that the first and second control sheet represent operator configurable categories of radio system control information;

locating, on the first control sheet, a control panel for controlling a particular portion of the radio communication system;

locating the control panel on the second control sheet;

activating a selected control sheet from the first and second control sheets;

displaying the selected control sheet in a foreground display mode; and

performing operational control of the particular portion of the radio communication system through the control panel of the selected control sheet.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of forming first and second control sheets comprises the steps of:

forming the control panel to have a first level of detail when displayed on the first control sheet; and

forming the control panel to have a second level of detail, different from the first level of detail, when the control panel is displayed on the second control sheet.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of forming first and second control sheets comprises the steps of:

forming the control panel to have a first set of features when displayed on the first control sheet; and

forming the control panel to have a second set of features, different from the first set of features when the control panel is displayed on the second control sheet.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of forming first and second control sheets further comprises the step of forming the control panel to represent at least one communication channel.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of forming first and second control sheets further comprises the step of forming the control panel to have an icon representing a communication command.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of forming first and second control sheets further comprises the step of forming the control panel to have an icon representing a communication signal.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of forming first and second control sheets further comprises the step of forming the control panel to have a real-time notifier.

8. An apparatus for providing operator assisted operational control of a radio communication system, comprising:

a communication network;

a computer coupled to the communication network, the computer having a display unit;

an information display interface displayed on the display unit;

first and second control sheets being selectively active on the information display interface, the first and second control sheets each having radio system control information thereon pertaining to a configurable category, including a radio system control panel for controlling a particular portion of the radio communication system that is contemporaneously located on both the first and second control sheets; and

an activated control sheet, selected from among the first and second control sheets, and displayed in a foreground display mode;

wherein operational control of the particular portion of the radio communication system is conducted through the radio system control panel as displayed on the activated control sheet.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

the radio system control panel has a first set of features when displayed on the first control sheet; and

the radio system control panel has a second set of features, different from the first set of features, when the radio system control panel is displayed on the second control sheet.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

the radio system control panel has a first level of detail when displayed on the first control sheet; and

the radio system control panel has a second level of detail, different from the first level of detail, when the radio system control panel is displayed on the second control sheet.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the radio system control panel has controls for at least one communication channel.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the radio system control panel has an icon representing a communication command.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the radio system control panel has an icon representing a communication signal.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the radio system control panel has a real-time notifier.