Voice hub processing

• US 8,280,423 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2007
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Inventors: Siegel, Neil G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Lana N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sorowar, Golam
• Application Number:
  US11/960,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20080096600A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,749 Days
• Field of Search: 370400-402, 370/432, 370254-256, 370/338, 370/395.5, 455/519, 455/11.1, 455/517, 455/518
• US Class Current: 455/519
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for routing voice communications to groups in a voice communication system using a voice hub system. The voice hub system allows a user to group communication devices into one or more logical networks and/or unit task organizations. The user can then select one or more of the communications groupings to transmit and receive voice communications. A user can change the communication grouping selections automatically changing the communication group that the voice hub system is transmitting and receiving voice messages.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting voice messages to communication groups in a two-way radio system from a voice hub system, the method comprising:

defining a plurality of logical networks by a user employing an editor at the voice hub system;

assigning individual two-way mobile communication units as members of different ones of the plurality of logical network groups by the user employing the editor at the voice hub system;

selecting individual two-way mobile communication units from more than one of the plurality of logical network groups as members of a given one of a plurality of different unit task organizations by the user employing the editor at the voice hub system, wherein the logical network groups and unit task organizations form a plurality of communication groups;

generating configuration information based on member groupings in response to completion of the member groupings;

transmitting the configuration information from the voice hub system to at least one router, the at least one router generating a router database based on the configuration information;

selecting by the user employing an organization selector at the voice hub system at least one communication group of the plurality of communication groups to transmit and receive voice communications between the user and members of the selected at least one communication group; and

routing the voice communications between the user and the members of the at least one communication group via a router.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting voice messages from the voice hub system to a selected communication group, the voice messages routed to the two-way mobile communication units in the group using information in the message and the router database.

3. The method of claim 2, the transmitting voice messages comprising transmitting voice messages in a multicast transmission to members grouped across different logical networks.

4. The method of claim 2, the voice messages being processed as at least one digitized voice packet having a header portion containing routing information.

5. The method of claim 2, the configuration information comprising a network operational database defining logical network grouping connections and task organization grouping connections and management information blocks having data for reconfiguring the router.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the editor comprises a first user interface screen that allows the user to define the plurality of logical network groups, assign the individual two-way mobile communication units, and select the individual two-way mobile communication units, and wherein the organization selector comprises a second user interface screen that allows the user to select the at least one communication group of the plurality of communication groups to transmit and receive voice communications between the user and the members of the selected at least one communication group.

7. A voice hub system that provides voice communication with communication groups of a two-way radio system, comprising:

means for defining a plurality of logical network groups and for assigning individual two-way mobile communication units as members of different ones of the plurality of logical network groups by a user interface at the voice hub system;

means for selecting individual two-way mobile communication units from more than one of the plurality of logical network groups as members of a given one of a plurality of different unit task organizations at the voice hub system, wherein the logical network groups and unit task organizations form a plurality of communication groups;

means for selecting by the user at least one of the plurality of communication groups for voice communications between the user at the voice hub system and the members of the selected at least one communication group of the plurality of communication groups;

means for automatically disseminating configuration information based on the groupings, the configuration information used to route voice messages between the voice hub system and the selected communication group, the configuration information comprising a network operational database defining logical network grouping connections and task organization grouping connections and management information blocks having data for reconfiguring the router; and

means for routing voice messages between the user at the voice hub system and the members of the selected at least one of the plurality of communication groups.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein at least one unit task organization group comprising a group of two-way radio devices across a plurality of logical networks.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the unit task organization groups include selected individual members from at least two different logical network groups, such that the selected individual members form a given logical network group is less than a number of members forming the logical network group.