PTT radio system

• US 6,311,052 B1
• Filed: 04/13/1999
• Issued: 10/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PVP Communications, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Golden West Communications, Inc
• Inventors: Lenz, Vernon C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Congvan
• Application Number:
  US09/291,449
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• Field of Search: 455/15, 455/5.1, 455/352, 455/418, 455/419, 455/420, 455/31.1, 455/31.3, 455/39, 455/517, 455/519, 455/66, 455/151.2, 455/344, 455/345, 455/152.1
• US Class Current: 455/305
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/44 Transmit/receive switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3855 carried in a belt or harness
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3866 carried on the head
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 9/00 Arrangements for interconnection not involving centralised switching

Abstract

A 2-way radio system for use by a driver of a vehicle such as a motorcycle, enables operation of the PTT (push-to-talk) switch to transmit voice communications, without requiring the driver to raise his/her hand to a PTT switch button on the 2-way radio and without requiring a cable connection. A self-contained separate PTT control unit (40) lies at the driver'"'"'s finger for operation by the finger without taking the driver'"'"'s hand off the steering bar (12). During operation, the unit transmits a short range radio signal (70) to a PTT receiver (90) on the 2-way radio to switch the radio to the transmit mode. The PTT control unit can be mounted on the driver'"'"'s finger or on the steering bar.

Claims

1. A radio system for use by a vehicle driver who has his/her hands on a steering bar of the vehicle, comprising:

a 2-way radio that includes a microphone and speaker, and that normally is in a receive mode but which can be switched to a transmit mode to transmit at a first radio frequency and that has PTT (push-to-talk) circuitry;

a PTT control unit which includes a switch positioned for manual activation by the driver'"'"'s hand and a short range radio PTT transmitter which transmits a PTT signal when said switch is manually activated, with said PTT circuitry on said 2-way radio including a radio receiver circuit that operates said PTT circuitry to place said 2-way radio in said transmit mode when said radio receiver circuit receives a radio PTT signal from said short range radio PTT transmitter;

said PTT control unit has an exposed switch-activation area and said PTT control unit includes a finger mount constructed to mount on one of the driver'"'"'s fingers with said switch-activation area exposed and constructed to be activated when that driver'"'"'s finger is pushed against the vehicle steering bar.

2. The apparatus described in claim 1 including:

a manually operable auxiliary switch mounted on said 2-way radio and connected to said PTT circuitry to place said radio in said transmit mode when said auxiliary switch is manually operated.

3. A PTT radio system for use by a driver of a vehicle that has a steering bar, to communicate with a remote station, comprising:

a 2-way radio which includes a microphone, a speaker and an antenna, for wearing by the driver, where said 2-way radio can be switched from a receive mode to receive voice signals and energize said speaker, and to a transmit mode to transmit voice signals detected by said microphone;

a PTT control unit that has a manually actuatable switch and a radio transmitter that is constructed to transmit PTT signals when said switch is activated;

said 2-way radio has a PTT circuit which switches said 2-way radio from said receive mode to said transmit mode when said PTT circuit detects said PTT signals;

said PTT control including a flexible band that is constructed to be wrapped about said steering bar to mount therein, with said switch having an exposed actuator.

4. The system described in claim 3 including said vehicle and driver, and wherein:

said PTT control unit has a mount in the form of a band that is mounted on a finger of the driver.

5. The system described in claim 3 including said vehicle and driver, where said vehicle is a bicycle or motorcycle which has a handlebar, and wherein:

said PTT control unit has a mount in the form of a band mounted on said handle bar of said vehicle.

6. Apparatus for use by a driver who holds a vehicle steering bar, for operating a 2-way radio that includes a microphone and speaker, where the 2-way radio is normally in a receive mode to receive radio waves modulated by signals that energize said speaker to generate sounds, but which can be switched to a transmit mode to transmit radio waves representing sounds detected by said microphone when said 2-way radio receives a PTT (push-to-talk) signal, comprising:

a PTT control unit that has a manually actuatable switch and a flexible finger band that encircles one of said driver'"'"'s fingers, with said switch exposed so said one finger can be pressed against the steering bar to actuate said switch, said PTT control unit having a short range radio transmitter that transmits a PTT signal when said switch is actuated.

7. A method for operating a 2-way radio that includes a microphone and speaker, and that is worn by a person who is a driver that rides and steers a vehicle with a steering bar, where the 2-way radio normally receives radio signals and uses them to energize said speaker, but said 2-way radio switches to a transmit mode to transmit radio signals representing sounds detected by said microphone when it receives a PTT signal, comprising:

constructing said 2-way radio so it can receive a radio signal that represents a PTT signal, and so upon such receipt said 2-way radio switches to said transmit mode;

mounting on said driver, a PTT control unit, which includes a short range radio transmitter and a manually operable switch, where said short range radio transmitter transmits a PTT signal to switch said 2-way radio to a transmit mode when said manually operated switch is actuated, including mounting said switch on a finger of the driver and pressing said finger toward the steering bar of the vehicle to press said switch against said steering bar to actuate said switch.

8. A method for operating a 2-way radio that includes a microphone and speaker, and that is worn by a person who is a driver who rides and steers a two-wheel vehicle by moving a handlebar of the vehicle, where the 2-way radio normally receives radio signals and uses them to energize said speaker, but said 2-way radio switches to a transmit mode to transmit radio signals representing sounds detected by said microphone when it receives a PTT signal, comprising:

constructing said 2-way radio so it can receive a radio signal that represents a PTT signal, and upon such receipt thereof said 2-way radio switches to said transmit mode;

mounting on said vehicle, a PTT control unit, which includes a short range radio transmitter and a manually operable switch, where said short range radio transmitter transmits a PTT signal to switch said 2-way radio to a transmit mode when said switch is actuated, including mounting said switch on said handlebar and pressing a finger of said driver toward said switch on the handlebar of the vehicle to actuate said switch, and upon actuation of said switch transmitting a wireless radio signal from said PTT control unit on said handlebar to said 2-way radio on the person, with said radio signal switching said 2-way radio to a transmit mode.

9. A radio system for use by a vehicle driver who has his/her hand on a handlebar of a two-wheel vehicle, comprising:

a 2-way radio that includes a microphone and speaker, and that normally is in a receive mode but which can be switched to a transmit mode to transmit at a first radio frequency and that has PTT (push-to-talk) circuitry;

a PTT control unit which includes a switch positioned for manual activation by the driver'"'"'s hand and a short range radio PTT transmitter which transmits a PTT signal when said switch is manually activated, with said PTT circuitry on said 2-way radio including a radio receiver circuit that operates said PTT circuitry to place said 2-way radio in said transmit mode when said radio receiver circuit receives a radio PTT signal from said short range radio PTT transmitter;

said steering bar is a handlebar of a vehicle, where said handlebar has two laterally spaced bars each for grasping by a hand of the driver, and said PTT control unit is constructed to mount on of said handlebars and to be activated when the driver'"'"'s finger is pushed against said switch.

10. Apparatus for operating a 2-way radio that includes a microphone and speaker and that is worn by a person who is a driver who rides and steers the vehicle by moving a handlebar of the vehicle, where the 2-way radio normally receives radio signals and uses them to energize said speaker, but said 2-way radio switches to a transmit mode to transmit radio signals representing sounds detected by said microphone when it receives a PTT signal, wherein:

said 2-way radio can receive a radio signal that represents a PTT signal, and upon such receipt thereof said 2-way radio switches to said transmit mode; and

including

a PTT control unit which includes a short range radio transmitter that transmits a PTT signal by wireless radio signals to switch said 2-way radio to a transmit mode when said switch is actuated,

said switch is mounted on said handlebar to enable a driver of said vehicle to actuate said switch to transmit a wireless radio signal from said PTT control unit on said handlebar to said 2-way radio to switch said 2-way radio to a transmit mode.