Vehicle crew communications system
First Claim
1. A vehicle crew communications system comprising:
- a. at least one base station having a first plurality of channels, wherein each channel of said plurality of channels comprises a second plurality of slots;
b. an intercom communicatively coupled to said at least one base station via a microphone input in said intercom;
c. at least one wireless headset wirelessly communicatively coupled via a wireless Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) link to a particular one base station of said at least one base station;
d. wherein the system further comprises;
i. a plurality of wireless headsets, of said at least one wireless headset, concurrently usable with one base station of said at least one base station;
ii. full duplex communication over digitally encrypted Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT) protocol links from one said base station; and
iii. automatic selection of said slot and said channel to avoid interference, wherein said selection is transparent to said users.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The vehicle crew communication system provides up to sixty wireless headsets that can be used with one base station, a range of 1600 feet from the base station for operation of the headsets, full duplex operation communication over digitally encrypted DECT protocol links from one base station to a plurality of headsets, pairing of each headset to a particular base station, use of wireless technology inside and outside of the vehicle, automatic channel and link selection to transparently avoid interfered-with channels and links, removal of the need to manually select a channel on the headset, and the combination of the noise-cancelling microphone with noise threshold, noise attenuation, and line echo cancellation tuned to intercom parameters. The invention may be used with or without a vehicle.
-
Citations
31 Claims
-
1. A vehicle crew communications system comprising:
-
a. at least one base station having a first plurality of channels, wherein each channel of said plurality of channels comprises a second plurality of slots; b. an intercom communicatively coupled to said at least one base station via a microphone input in said intercom; c. at least one wireless headset wirelessly communicatively coupled via a wireless Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) link to a particular one base station of said at least one base station; d. wherein the system further comprises; i. a plurality of wireless headsets, of said at least one wireless headset, concurrently usable with one base station of said at least one base station; ii. full duplex communication over digitally encrypted Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT) protocol links from one said base station; and iii. automatic selection of said slot and said channel to avoid interference, wherein said selection is transparent to said users. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. A vehicle crew communications system comprising:
-
a. at least one base station; b. an intercom communicatively coupled to said at least one base station via a microphone input in said intercom and also communicatively coupled to at least one radio; c. at least one wireless headset wirelessly communicatively coupled via a TDMA link to a particular one base station of said at least one base station; d. wherein the system further comprises; i. one of; 1. up to sixty headsets of said at least one wireless headset usable at once with one base station of said at least one base station; and 2. up to one hundred twenty headsets of said at least one wireless headset usable at once with one base station of said at least one base station; ii. one of; 1. a range of up to sixteen hundred feet from said at least one base station over which said at least one wireless headset is operable; and 2. a range of up to twenty eight hundred feet from said at least one base station over which said at least one wireless headset is operable, respectively; iii. full duplex communication over digitally encrypted DECT protocol links from one said base station; iv. pairing of each particular headset of said at least one wireless headset to a particular base station of said at least one base station; v. automatic link and channel selection to avoid interference, wherein said selection is transparent to said users; i. non-manual selection of a channel for said at least one wireless headset; and ii. a noise-cancelling microphone with noise threshold, noise attenuation, and line echo cancellation tuned to parameters of said intercom. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
-
-
31. A vehicle crew communications system comprising:
-
a. a plurality of base stations wherein; i. each base station of said plurality of base stations provides at least one of; 1. five channels each having; a. twelve full-duplex TDMA links; b. a DECT protocol in the 1920-1930 MHz sub-band; c. an adaptive Digital Signal Processing (DSP) algorithm incorporated in firmware for attenuating side tones; and d. encryption; and 2. ten channels each having; a. twelve full-duplex TDMA links; b. a DECT protocol in the 1880-1900 MHz sub-band; c. an adaptive DSP algorithm incorporated in firmware for attenuating side tones; and d. encryption; and ii. said plurality of base stations comprises no more than five base stations; b. an intercom communicatively coupled to; i. at least one base station of said plurality of base stations via a microphone input in said intercom, wherein; 1. audio levels from said intercom to said base station are frequency and gain matched to said base station; and 2. audio levels from said base station to said intercom are frequency and gain matched to said intercom ; and ii. at least one radio; c. four or fewer wireless headsets each wirelessly communicatively coupled via respective TDMA links to particular respective base stations of said plurality of base stations, wherein each said wireless headset comprises; i. a head-engaging web; ii. a noise-cancelling microphone coupled to said web; iii. a microphone circuit coupled to said microphone; iv. a pair of noise-reduction ear covers coupled to said web; v. a volume control switch coupled to one noise-reduction ear cover of said pair of said noise-reduction ear covers; vi. a push-to-talk (PTT) switch coupled to one noise-reduction ear cover of said pair of said noise-reduction ear covers, wherein said PTT switch is operable to at least one of; 1. access said radio; 2. switch said microphone from off to continuously on; and 3. switch said microphone from off to momentarily on; and d. further comprising; i. one of 1. up to sixty wireless headsets of said at least one wireless headset usable at once with one base station of said at least one base station; and 2. up to one hundred twenty wireless headsets of said at least one wireless headset usable at once with one base station of said at least one base station; and ii. a range that is one of; 1. up to sixteen hundred feet over which said at least one wireless headset is operable; and 2. up to twenty eight hundred feet over which said at least one wireless headset is operable, respectively; iii. full duplex communication over digitally encrypted DECT protocol links from each said base station of said plurality of base stations; iv. pairing of each particular wireless headset of said at least one wireless headset to a particular base station of said plurality of base stations; v. automatic link and channel selection to avoid interference, wherein said selection is transparent to said users; vi. non- manual selection of a channel for said at least one wireless headset; and vii. a noise-cancelling microphone with noise threshold, noise attenuation, and line echo cancellation tuned to parameters of said intercom.
-
Specification