Wireless portable radio vehicle communication system

• US 8,195,253 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2011
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• 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:
  US13/185,448
• Publication Number:
  US 20110275401A1
• Time in Patent Office: 323 Days
• Field of Search: 455/575.2, 455/11.1, 455/575.1, 455/575.9, 455/569.1, 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 first portable transceiver capable of being carried on a vehicle user'"'"'s person;

a second portable transceiver, capable of being carried on a vehicle user'"'"'s person;

a vehicle-mounted transceiver, supported by a vehicle, wherein the vehicle-mounted transceiver is capable of communicating with the first portable transceiver, wherein coded information contained in a transmission from the vehicle-mounted transceiver may be received by the first portable transceiver and thus activates a push to talk function of the second portable transceiver; and

a vehicle-mounted public address system in communication with the vehicle-mounted transceiver, wherein the user provides sound to the first portable transceiver, the first portable transceiver converts the sound to first signals and transmits the first signals to the vehicle-mounted transceiver, wherein the vehicle-mounted transceiver receives the first signals from the first portable transceiver and transmits the first signals to the vehicle-mounted public address system, wherein the vehicle-mounted public address system converts the first signals to sounds, wherein the first signals represent at least audio received from the vehicle user by the first portable transceiver.

2. The communications system of claim 1, further comprising at least one of a helmet-mounted speaker and a helmet-mounted microphone capable of being carried on a vehicle user'"'"'s person.

3. The communications system of claim 1, further comprising a lapel speaker-microphone capable of being carried on a vehicle user'"'"'s person.

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

5. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the second 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.

6. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the communication from the vehicle-mounted transceiver to and from the first portable transceiver takes place over the frequency range of about 902 MHz to about 928 MHz.

7. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the communication from the vehicle-mounted transceiver to and from the first portable transceiver takes place in a 2.4 GHz frequency band.

8. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the communication from the vehicle-mounted transceiver to and from the first portable transceiver takes place in conformance with Bluetooth standards.

9. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the communication from the vehicle-mounted transceiver to and from the first portable transceiver takes place in a 5.8 GHz frequency band.

10. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the first portable transceiver and the second the portable transceiver receive electricity from a single battery.

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

12. The communications system of claim 11, wherein communication takes place reliably in the presence of a second portable transceiver having a radio-frequency output of at least about 5 watts and a high-gain antenna.

13. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the first portable transceiver is enclosed by a water-resistant enclosure.

14. The communications system of claim 13, wherein the enclosure causes the first portable transceiver to comply with the International Electrotechnical Commission 60529 IPX7 standard.

15. A method of activating and deactivating a vehicle-mounted public address system, comprising:

providing a portable transceiver, capable of being carried on a vehicle user'"'"'s person;

providing a second portable transceiver system, capable of being carried on a vehicle user'"'"'s person;

providing a vehicle-mounted transceiver in communication with a vehicle-mounted public address system;

providing sound to the first portable transceiver, wherein the first portable transceiver generates first signals based at least in part on the sound and transmits the first signals to the vehicle-mounted transceiver; and

receiving, by the vehicle-mounted transceiver, the first signals from the first portable transceiver system, transmitting the first signals to the vehicle-mounted public address system, wherein the vehicle-mounted public address system converts the first signals to sounds, and wherein the first signals represent at least audio received from the vehicle user by the first portable transceiver.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein coded information contained in a transmission from the vehicle-mounted transceiver may be received by the first portable transceiver and thus activates a push to talk function of the second portable transceiver.