Voice messaging prioritization

• US 8,315,592 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2011
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• 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, Bradley W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Figueroa, Marisol
• Application Number:
  US13/311,738
• Publication Number:
  US 20120077465A1
• Time in Patent Office: 350 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 713/716, 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 system to present multiple voice radio transmissions, the system comprising:

a receiver to receive a plurality of voice radio transmissions;

a storage device coupled to the receiver to store the plurality of voice radio transmissions;

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

a display to present the plurality of voice radio transmissions automatically, in real-time, based on the priority of each voice radio transmission.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a speaker to present an audible transmission of the plurality of voice radio transmissions.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the display presents a text display representative of the plurality of voice transmissions.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the priority of the voice radio transmission is based in part on in-flight operational conditions of an aircraft including cruise, takeoff, and landing conditions.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a user interface which enables a user to manually select one of said plurality of voice radio transmissions.

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

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising an analog-to-digital converter.

8. A system to perform voice radio communications with an aircraft, comprising:

a receiver to receive, in the aircraft, a plurality of voice messages;

a software module to;

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

assign 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;

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

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a storage device coupled to the receiver to store the plurality of voice radio transmissions.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein information in the watermark comprises source identification.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising an analog-to-digital converter.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein information in the watermark comprises a user requested priority.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein information in the watermark comprises a time stamp.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the priority of the voice radio transmission is based in part on in-flight operational conditions of an aircraft including cruise, takeoff, and landing conditions.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the priority level is low, medium, high, or emergency.

16. The system of claim 8, wherein one or more of a time stamp, a source identification, a priority level, and a designation of whether the message are presented on the display.

17. The system of claim 8, further comprising a speaker to play back the recorded voice communication.