Voice messaging prioritization

• US 8,095,107 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2006
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: O'Neill, Kenneth R., Snow, Michael P., Offer, Brad W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Figueroa, Marisol
• Application Number:
  US11/614,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20080153529A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,846 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 713/176
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication

Abstract

A voice radio communication system prioritizes radio voice communications so that higher priority voice transmission is given precedence. The communication system comprises a transmitter that inserts a digital watermark into a voice communication. Software in a receiver decodes the digital watermark to determine a priority requested by the sender, and other information about the sender and the message. The software determines the message priority based on multiple factors. Voice transmissions are digitally recorded and played in order of priority. Options exist for the user to control the playback.

Claims

1. A method for presenting multiple voice radio transmissions, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of voice radio transmissions at a radio receiver;

digitally recording said plurality of voice radio transmissions at the radio receiver;

decoding one or more watermarks embedded in said plurality of voice radio transmissions received at the radio receiver to determine a sender identification and a sender-defined priority for each of said plurality of voice radio transmissions; and

presenting each of said plurality of voice radio transmissions automatically, in real-time, based on the priority of each voice radio transmission;

wherein said priority of the voice radio transmission is based in part on in-flight operational conditions of an aircraft including cruise, takeoff, and landing conditions.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting each of said plurality of voice radio transmissions comprises presenting an audible transmission.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting each of said plurality of voice radio transmissions comprises presentation of a text display representative of the voice transmission.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising manually selecting one of said plurality of voice radio transmissions.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a plurality of voice radio transmissions comprises receiving a first voice radio transmission of said plurality of voice radio transmissions that overlaps in time with receiving a second voice radio transmission.

6. A method of performing voice radio communications with an aircraft, comprising the steps of:

receiving, in a receiver in the aircraft, a plurality of voice messages;

decoding one or more digital watermarks embedded in the plurality of voice messages;

assigning a priority level to the plurality of voice messages based on sender-defined priority information in the watermark and in-flight operational conditions on the aircraft;

displaying automatically, in real-time based on the priority of the plurality of voice messages, information about the voice communication to a user;

wherein the in-flight operational conditions of the aircraft include cruise, takeoff, and landing conditions.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising recording the voice communication.

8. The method of claim 6, in which the information in the watermark comprises source identification.

9. The method of claim 6, in which the information in the watermark comprises a user requested priority.

10. The method of claim 6, in which the information in the watermark comprises a time stamp.

11. The method of claim 6, in which the priority level is low, medium, high, or emergency.

12. The method of claim 6, in which displaying step comprises displaying one or more of a time stamp, a source identification, a priority level, and a designation of whether the message has been played by a user.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of playing back the recorded voice communication.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

pausing playback of the recorded voice communication.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

rewinding the recorded voice communication.