Trunked radio monitoring system

• US 6,519,472 B1
• Filed: 09/20/1999
• Issued: 02/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Terence Brennan, Terence Sean Sullivan
• Original Assignee: Terence Brennan, Terence Sean Sullivan
• Inventors: Sullivan, Terence Sean, Brennan, Terence
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): PERSINO, RAYMOND B
• Application Number:
  US09/399,146
• Time in Patent Office: 1,240 Days
• Field of Search: 455/518, 455/519, 455/520, 455/521, 455/525, 455/526, 455/515, 455/434, 455/514, 370/330, 714/756, 714/748
• US Class Current: 455/518
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements

Abstract

A method and apparatus for passively monitoring communications in a trunked communication system. Digital messages transmitted over a control channel at a particular frequency are monitored with a receiver. Transmitted communication signals are demodulated and stored. The stored signals are tested to identify messages and to extract talk group and channel assignment codes. If the talk group is a talk group of interest, the receiver is tuned to the frequency corresponding to the channel assignment code so that voice communications are monitored. The receiver is tuned to the control channel after each voice communication so that a communication including multiple transmissions on different frequencies is coherently monitored by retuning the receiver in accordance with the received channel assignment codes. In an alternative embodiment, separate receivers are provided for the control channel and for voice communications. The voice receiver is continually tuned to different working channels in response to talk group and channel assignment codes extracted from stored information received by the control channel receiver.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring communications in a trunked communication system in which digital messages incorporating a talk group identification code identifying a talk group, and a channel assignment code identifying a working channel frequency on which a voice communication within the talk group takes place, are transmitted over a control channel and voice communications are transmitted over working channels that may change between communications, the method comprising:

with a frequency tunable receiver, monitoring and storing digital information transmitted on a control channel;

testing portions of the stored information for a pattern of bits identifying a message including a channel assignment code and a talk group identification code, to identify a message;

upon finding a message, extracting from the message the channel assignment code and the talk group identification code;

comparing the talk group identification code extracted from the message to a plurality of talk group identification codes of interest and, if the talk group identification code extracted from the message is one of the talk group identification codes of interest, tuning the receiver to the working channel corresponding to the channel assignment code extracted from the message; and

monitoring voice transmissions on the working channel without participating in the voice communications.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each message includes a first part having a fixed pattern of bits and a second part including a cyclic redundancy checkword, the method comprising testing the first parts of the portions of the stored information for the fixed pattern of bits and, upon failure to find the fixed pattern of bits, resuming testing of the first parts of portions of the stored information for the fixed patterns of bits to identify a message.

3. The method of claim 2 comprising, upon finding the fixed pattern of bits in the first part of a portion of the stored information, thereby identifying a message, verifying the message by applying a test to identify a cyclic redundancy checkword in the message and, if identification of a cyclic redundancy checkword is unsuccessful, resuming testing of the first part of portions of the stored information for the fixed pattern of bits identifying a message.

4. The method of claim 3 including, upon identifying a cyclic redundancy checkword in the message, further verifying the message by applying an alignment test to the message, determining whether another message exists in the stored information at any of a plurality of fixed bit length offsets from the message including the cyclic redundancy checkword and, if the alignment test is unsuccessful, resuming testing portions of the stored information for the fixed pattern of bits identifying a message.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein each message includes a second part having a cyclic redundancy checkword and a first part including a fixed pattern of bits, the method comprising testing the portions of the stored information by applying a test to identify a cyclic redundancy checkword and, upon failure of identification of a cyclic redundancy checkword, resuming testing of the second parts of portions of the stored information for the cyclic redundancy checkword.

6. The method of claim 5 comprising, upon identifying a cyclic redundancy checkword in a portion of the stored information, thereby identifying a message, verifying the message by testing the first part of the message for the fixed pattern of bits and, upon failure to find the fixed pattern of bits, resuming testing of portions of the stored information by applying the test to identify a cyclic redundancy checkword to identify a message.

7. The method of claim 6 including, upon finding the fixed pattern of bits, further verifying the message by applying an alignment test to the message, determining whether another message exists in the stored information at any of a plurality of fixed bit length offsets from the message having the fixed pattern of bits, and if the alignment test is unsuccessful, resuming testing of portions of the stored information by applying the test to identify a cyclic redundancy checkword to identify a message.

8. The method of claim 1 including, upon finding a message, verifying the message by applying an alignment test to the message, determining whether another message exists in the stored information at any of a plurality of fixed bit length offsets from the message and, if the alignment test is unsuccessful, resuming testing portions of the stored information for the pattern of bits identifying a message.

9. The method of claim 1 including testing portions of the stored information for the pattern of bits identifying a message and, upon a failure to detect a message within a specified time, tuning the receiver to a different control channel.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the talk group identification codes include subcodes comprising respective talk groups, the subcodes being obtained by truncating the talk group identification code, the method including extracting a subcode from a message, comparing the subcode to a list of subcodes of interest and, if the subcode extracted from the message and used in comparing is a subcode of interest, tuning the receiver to the working channel, and, if the talk group subcode extracted from the message and used in comparing is not a subcode of interest, resuming monitoring, storing, and testing portions of stored information received on the control channel for the pattern of bits identifying a message.

11. The method of claim 1 including, upon comparing the talk group identification code extracted from a message to the plurality of talk group identification codes of interest, if the talk group identification code obtained from the message is not a talk group identification code of interest, resuming monitoring, storing, and testing portions of stored information received on the control channel for the pattern of bits identifying a message.

12. The method of claim 1 including, after tuning the receiver to the working channel, detecting absence of transmissions on the working channel, and, in response, tuning the receiver to the control channel and resuming monitoring, storing, and testing portions of stored information received on the control channel for the fixed patterns of bits identifying a message.

13. The method of claim 1 including detecting on the working channel an end-of-transmission signal indicating ending of voice transmissions on the working channel, and, in response, tuning the receiver to the control channel and resuming monitoring, storing, and testing portions of stored information received on the control channel for the fixed patterns of bits identifying a message.

14. An apparatus for monitoring communications in a trunked communication system in which digital messages incorporating a talk group identification code identifying a talk group, and a channel assignment code identifying a working channel frequency on which a voice communication within the talk group takes place, are transmitted over a control channel and voice communications are transmitted over working channels that may change between communications, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver tunable in frequency for monitoring digital information transmitted on a control channel and voice communications on a plurality of working channels;

a demodulator for demodulating the digital information received by the receiver on the control channel and producing demodulated information;

a first memory storing demodulated information received on the control channel;

testing means for testing portions of the demodulated information stored in the first memory for a pattern of bits identifying a message including a channel assignment code and a talk group identification code, to identify a message;

analyzing means for extracting the channel assignment code and the talk group identification code from a message stored in the first memory;

a second memory storing a plurality of talk group identification codes of interest without participating in the voice communications;

comparing means for comparing the talk group identification code extracted from the message to the plurality of talk group identification codes of interest stored in the second memory and for generating an indication if the talk group identification code extracted from the message matches one of the plurality of talk group identification codes of interest; and

tuning means for tuning the receiver to a working channel corresponding to the channel assignment code extracted from the message when the comparing means indicates that the talk group identification code extracted from the message is a talk group identification code of interest.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein each message includes a first part having a fixed pattern of bits and a second part including a cyclic redundancy checkword, wherein the testing means comprises means for testing the first parts of the portions of the information stored in the first memory for the fixed pattern of bits to identify a message.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the apparatus comprises verification means for applying a test for identifying a cyclic redundancy checkword in a message, to verify the presence of the message in the stored demodulated information.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 including second verification means for applying an alignment test to a message to determine whether another message exists in the information stored in the first memory at any of a plurality of fixed bit length offsets from a message in which a cyclic redundancy checkword has been identified, to identify the message.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein each message includes a first part having a fixed pattern of bits and a second part including a cyclic redundancy checkword, wherein the testing means comprises means for applying a test for identifying a cyclic redundancy checkword in a portion of the demodulated information stored in the first memory, to identify a message.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the apparatus comprises verification means for testing the first part of the message for the fixed pattern of bits, to verify the message.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 including second verification means for applying an alignment test to a message to determine whether another message exists in the demodulated information stored in the first memory at any of a plurality of fixed bit length offsets from a message to verify the message.

21. The apparatus of claim 14 including verification means for applying an alignment test to a message to determine whether another message exists in the demodulated information stored in the first memory at any of a plurality of fixed bit length offsets from a message to verify the message.

22. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the talk group identification codes included a hierarchy of at least first and second subcodes, the first subcode pertaining to a first set of talk groups and the second subcode pertaining to a second set of talk groups including some but not all of the talk groups in the first set, the apparatus including second comparing means for comparing one of the first and second subcodes extracted from a message to a plurality of talk group identification subcodes of interest.

23. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the testing means includes means for detecting absence of a message in the demodulation information stored in the first memory and for indicating the absence, and the tuning means includes means for responding to the indication of the absence by tuning the receiver to a different control channel.

24. The apparatus of claim 14 including means for detecting an end-of-transmission signal transmitted on the working channel while the receiver is tuned to the working channel and for providing an indication of detection of the end-of-transmission signal, and wherein the tuning means includes means for tuning the receiver to the control channel in response to the indication of detection of the end-of-transmission signal.

25. An apparatus for monitoring communications in a trunked communication system in which digital messages incorporating a talk group identification code identifying a talk group, and a channel assignment code identifying a working channel frequency on which a voice communication within the talk group takes place, are transmitted over a control channel and voice communications are transmitted over working channels that may change between communications, the apparatus comprising:

a control channel receiver tunable in frequency for monitoring digital information transmitted on a control channel without participating in the voice communications;

a voice channel receiver tunable in frequency for monitoring voice communications on working channels;

a demodulator for demodulating the digital information received by the control channel receiver on the control channel and producing demodulated information;

a first memory storing demodulated information;

testing means for testing portions of the demodulated information stored in the first memory for a pattern of bits identifying a message including a channel assignment code and a talk group identification code, to identify a message;

analyzing means for extracting the channel assignment code and the talk group identification code from a message stored in the first memory;

a second memory storing talk group identification codes of interest;

comparing means for comparing the talk group identification code extracted from the message to the plurality of talk group identification codes of interest stored in the second memory and for generating an indication if the talk group identification code extracted from the message matches one of the plurality of talk group identification codes of interest; and

first tuning means for tuning the voice channel receiver to a working channel corresponding to the channel assignment code extracted from the message when the comparing means indicates that the talk group identification code extracted from the message is a talk group identification code of interest.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein each message includes a first part having a fixed pattern of bits and a second part including a cyclic redundancy checkword, wherein the testing means comprises means for testing the first part of portions of the information stored in the first memory for the fixed pattern of bits to identify a message.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the apparatus comprises verification means for applying a test for identifying a cyclic redundancy checkword in a message, to verify the presence of the message in the stored demodulated information.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 including second verification means for applying an alignment test to a message to determine whether another message exists in the information stored in the first memory at any of a plurality of fixed bit length offsets from a message in which a cyclic redundancy checkword has been identified, to identify a message.

29. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein each message includes a first part having a fixed pattern of bits and a second part including a cyclic redundancy checkword, wherein the testing means comprises means for applying a test for identifying a cyclic redundancy checkword in a portion of the demodulated information stored in the first memory, to identify a message.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the apparatus comprises verification means for testing the first part of the message for the fixed pattern of bits to verify the message.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 including second verification means for applying an alignment test to a message to determine whether another message exists in the demodulated information stored in the first memory at any of a plurality of fixed bit length offsets from a message having the fixed pattern of bits to verify the message.

32. The apparatus of claim 25 including verification means for applying an alignment test to a message to determine whether another message exists in the demodulated information stored in the first memory at any of a plurality of fixed bit length offsets from a message to verify the message.

33. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the talk group identification codes include a hierarchy of at least first and second subcodes, the first subcode pertaining to a first set of talk groups and the second subcode pertaining to a second set of talk groups including some but not all of the talk groups in the first set, the apparatus including second comparing means for comparing one of the first and second subcodes extracted from a message to a plurality of talk group identification subcodes of interest.

34. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the testing means includes means for detecting absence of a message in the demodulated information stored in the first memory and for indicating the absence, and including second tuning means for responding to the indication of the absence by tuning the control channel receiver to a different control channel.

35. In a trunked communication system in which digital messages incorporating a talk group identification code identifying a talk group, and a channel assignment code identifying a working channel frequency on which a voice communication within the talk group takes place, are transmitted over a control channel and voice communications are transmitted over working channels that may change between communications, a method of producing a frequency map of channel assignment codes and working channel frequencies comprising:

monitoring a working channel frequency until a message including a talk group identification code is received on the working channel;

extracting a talk group identification code from the message received on the working channel;

upon extracting the talk group identification code, monitoring the control channel for messages and extracting the talk group identification code and channel number of the working channel from each message received on the control channel; and

comparing the talk group identification code from the message received on the working channel with the talk group identification code of a message received on the control channel and, when the talk group identification codes match, entering the working channel frequency and corresponding channel number in a frequency map.

36. The method of claim 35 including, after entering the working channel frequency and corresponding channel in the frequency map, monitoring another working channel frequency and repeating the preceding processes until all working channel frequencies and corresponding channel assignment codes have been entered in the frequency map.

37. A method of monitoring communications in a trunked communication system in which digital messages incorporating a talk group identification code identifying a talk group, and a channel assignment code identifying a working channel frequency on which a voice communication within the talk group takes place, are transmitted over a control channel and voice communications are transmitted over working channels that may change between communications, the method comprising:

with a frequency tunable receiver, monitoring digital information transmitted on a control channel;

testing the digital information for a pattern of bits indicating presence of a message within the digital information;

upon identifying the presence of a message, locating the message, and, if present in the message, extracting from the message a channel assignment code and a talk group identification code;

comparing the talk group identification code extracted from the message to a plurality of talk group identification codes of interest and, if the talk group identification code extracted from the message is one of the plurality of talk group identification codes of interest, tuning the receiver to the working channel corresponding to the channel assignment code extracted from the message; and

monitoring voice transmissions on the working channel without participation in the voice communications.

38. The method of claim 37 including testing for a dotting pattern in the digital information transmitted on the control channel to determine whether a message is present within the digital information.

39. The method of claim 37 including testing for a fixed pattern of flag bits that is part of a message transmitted on the control channel to determine whether a message is present within the digital information.

40. The method of claim 37 including testing for presence of a cyclic redundancy checkword that is part of a message transmitted on the control channel to determine whether a message is present within the digital information.

41. The method of claim 37 including testing for a fixed sequence of bits transmitted on the control channel at intervals to determine whether a message is present within the digital information.