Wireless portable radio vehicle communication system

• US 8,010,171 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2007
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rugged Solutions America LLC
• Original Assignee: Pinnacle Foods Holding Corp. (Conagra Brands, Inc.)
• Inventors: Roberts, James, Fettig, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord; Marceau
• Application Number:
  US11/899,354
• Publication Number:
  US 20080085679A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,456 Days
• Field of Search: 455/575.2, 455/11.1, 455/575.1, 455/575.9, 455/569.1, 455/90.3, 340/928
• US Class Current: 455/575.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3877 Arrangements for enabling portable transceivers to be used in a fixed position, e.g. cradles or boosters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/00 Near-field transmission systems, e.g. inductive or capacitive transmission systems

Abstract

A communications system for a vehicle user is provided. The system comprises a portable receiver which the vehicle user can easily carry on his or her person. The portable receiver is capable of receiving coded transmissions from a vehicle-mounted transmitter which is capable of activating a function in a portable transceiver.

Claims

1. A communications system for a vehicle user, comprising:

a portable receiver capable of being carried on a vehicle user'"'"'s person and powered by a first battery;

a portable transceiver, capable of being carried on a vehicle user'"'"'s person and powered by the first battery; and

a vehicle-mounted transmitter, supported by a vehicle and in electrical communication with the vehicle'"'"'s power source, wherein the vehicle-mounted transmitter is capable of communicating with the portable receiver, wherein coded information contained in a transmission from the vehicle-mounted transmitter may be received by the portable receiver and thus activates a push to talk function of the portable transceiver, wherein the portable receiver activates a function if the number of transmissions from the vehicle-mounted transmitter is equal to or above a predetermined number and the transmissions are identical, and does not activate the function if the number of transmissions from the vehicle-mounted transmitter is below the predetermined number or the transmissions are not identical.

2. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the portable receiver is helmet mounted.

3. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the portable receiver is mounted in a speaker-microphone enclosure.

4. The communications system of claim 1, further comprising a helmet-mounted speaker or a helmet-mounted microphone or both.

5. The communications system of claim 1, further comprising a lapel speaker-microphone.

6. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a motorcycle.

7. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a fire apparatus.

8. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the coded information is modulated onto the transmission from the vehicle-mounted transmitter using one or more of amplitude modulation, frequency modulation, and phase modulation.

9. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the portable transceiver is capable of transmitting over a public safety radio system and receiving information transmitted by other transmitters over the public safety radio system.

10. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the communication from the vehicle-mounted transmitter to the portable receiver takes place over the frequency range of about 902 MHz to about 928 MHz.

11. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the communication from the vehicle-mounted transmitter to the portable receiver takes place in a 2.4 GHz frequency band.

12. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the communication from the vehicle-mounted transmitter to the portable receiver takes place in conformance with Bluetooth standards.

13. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the communication from the vehicle-mounted transmitter to the portable receiver takes place in a 5.8 GHz frequency band.

14. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the portable receiver and the portable transceiver run off a single battery.

15. The communications system of claim 1, wherein communication between the vehicle-mounted transmitter and portable receiver takes place reliably in the presence of a portable transceiver having a radio-frequency output of at least about 5 watts.

16. The communications system of claim 15, wherein communication takes place reliably in the presence of a portable transceiver having a radio-frequency output of at least about 5 watts and a high-gain antenna.

17. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the portable receiver is enclosed by a water-resistant enclosure.

18. The communications system of claim 17, wherein the enclosure causes the receiver to comply with the International Electrotechnical Commission 60529 IPX7 standard.

19. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the function is deactivated following cessation of transmissions of the coded information.

20. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the function is deactivated if fewer than a percentage of expected transmissions of the coded information are received in a predetermined time period.

21. A method of activating and deactivating a push to talk function of a portable device, comprising:

by means of a first transmitter mounted on a vehicle used by the user, activating a radio signal containing repeated sequences of identical coded information,

upon receiving of a predetermined number of the sequences of identical coded information within a predetermined time interval, activating a push to talk function,

upon not receiving a second predetermined number of sequences containing the coded information within a second predetermined time interval, deactivating the push to talk function.

22. A communications system for a vehicle user, comprising:

a portable receiver capable of being carried on a vehicle user'"'"'s person; and

a vehicle-mounted transmitter, wherein the vehicle-mounted transmitter is capable of communicating with the portable receiver, wherein coded information contained in a predetermined number of identical transmissions from the vehicle-mounted transmitter may be received by the portable receiver, and wherein the portable receiver activates a function if the number of transmissions from the vehicle-mounted transmitter is equal to or above a predetermined number and the transmissions are identical, and does not activate the function if the number of transmissions from the vehicle-mounted transmitter is below the predetermined number or the transmissions are not identical.