Electronic device with a situational awareness function

• US 8,552,881 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2011
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: L3Harris Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nylund, Blake J.
• Primary Examiner(s): CROSLAND, DONNIE L
• Application Number:
  US13/023,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20120200419A1
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• Field of Search: 340/686.1
• US Class Current: 340/686.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4061 Push-to services, e.g. push-to-talk or push-to-video
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/576 associated with a pictorial or graphical representation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

A method (600, 700) for providing situational awareness to a first individual using a first electronic device (102, 106, 108, 112). The method comprises generating a situational awareness display (400, 500) comprising a first image (404a, 404b, 404c, 504a, 504b, . . . , 504e) of a second individual using a second electronic device and information indicating a location of the second individual relative to the first individual. The situational awareness display is then displayed on the display screen of the first electronic device and/or the second electronic device. The situational awareness display can be generated and displayed prior to, concurrent with or subsequent to the start of a call. The image may be highlighted or otherwise marked to show when the second individual is speaking during the call. Additional images of individuals can be displayed within the situational awareness display if the call is a group call.

Claims

1. A method for providing situational awareness to a first individual using a first electronic device, comprising:

generating, by at least one electronic circuit, a situational awareness display concurrently comprising a first photo of a second individual using a second electronic device and information indicating a distance between said first electronic device and said second electronic device; and

displaying the situational awareness display on a display screen of the first electronic device;

wherein at least one of said first electronic device and said second electronic device is a mobile electronic device having a non-stationary location within a geographic area.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the situational awareness display is an electronic map or matrix of images.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the situational awareness display is generated concurrently with the start of a call.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising highlighting or marking the first photo in response to the reception of a transmission from the second electronic device.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising changing a size of the first photo in response to the reception of a transmission from the second electronic device.

6. The method according claim 1, further comprising retrieving image data defining the first photo from a data store in response to a call transmission received on a channel associated with a particular talkgroup.

7. The method according claim 1, further comprising retrieving image data defining the first photo from a data store based on a source unit identifier, a destination unit identifier and/or a destination talkgroup identifier contained in a received transmission.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising updating the situational awareness display to include at least one second photo of a third individual using a third electronic device that has recently joined an active call.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising updating the situational awareness display to remove the first photo therefrom when an active call is terminated or a new call begins.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising generating a call report including call information and an image of at least one individual who participated in a call identified by the call information.

11. A method for providing situational awareness to an individual using an electronic device, comprising:

receiving, at a first electronic device, a transmission for establishing a communications link between the first electronic device and a second electronic device;

in response to the reception of the transmission, concurrently displaying on a display screen of the first electronic device a first photo of an individual using the second electronic device and information indicating a location of the first electronic device relative to the second electronic device.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the first photo is displayed within a geographic map or a matrix of images.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the first photo is located a distance from a reference point within the geographic map so as to show a location of the second electronic device within a geographic area relative to a location of the first electronic device within the geographic area.

14. The method according to claim 11, further comprising displaying on the display screen a second photo of an individual using a third electronic device which is currently logged into a talkgroup to which at least one of the first electronic device and the second electronic device belong.

15. The method according to claim 11, further comprising displaying on the display screen an indicator when the individual using the second electronic device is speaking during an active call.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising removing the indicator from the display screen when the individual using the second electronic device is not speaking during the active call.

17. The method according to claim 11, further comprising changing the size of the first photo in response to a reception of a call transmission from the second electronic device.

18. A system, comprising:

at least one electronic circuit configured to

generate a situational awareness display concurrently comprising a first photo of a first individual using a first electronic device and information indicating a distance between said first electronic device and said second electronic device, and

present the situational awareness display to a second individual using the second electronic device;

wherein at least one of said first electronic device and said second electronic device is a mobile electronic device having a non-stationary location within a geographic area.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the situational awareness display is a geographical map or a matrix of images.

20. The system according to claim 18, wherein the situational awareness display is generated concurrently with the start of a call.

21. The system according to claim 18, wherein the electronic circuit is further configured for highlighting or marking the first photo in response to a reception of a call transmission from the first electronic device.

22. The system according to claim 18, wherein the electronic circuit is further configured for changing a size of the first photo in response to a reception of a call transmission from the first electronic device.

23. The system according to claim 18, wherein the electronic circuit is further configured for retrieving image data defining the first photo from a data store in response to a call transmission received on a channel associated with a particular talkgroup.

24. The system according to claim 18, wherein the electronic circuit is further configured for retrieving image data defining the first photo from a data store based on a source unit identifier, a destination unit identifier and/or a destination talkgroup identifier contained in a received call transmission.

25. The system according to claim 18, wherein the electronic circuit is further configured for updating the situational awareness display to include at least one second photo of a third individual using a third electronic device that has recently joined an active call.

26. The system according to claim 18, wherein the electronic circuit is further configured for updating the situational awareness display to remove the first photo therefrom when an active call is terminated or a new call begins.

27. The system according to claim 18, wherein the electronic circuit is further configured for generating a call report including call information and an image of at least one individual who participated in a call identified by the call information.

28. A system, comprising:

at least one electronic circuit configured to

receive a transmission for establishing a communications link between a first electronic device and a second electronic device;

in response to the reception of the transmission, concurrently display on a display screen of the first electronic device a first photo of an individual using the second electronic device and information indicating a location of the first electronic device relative to the second electronic device.

29. The system according to claim 28, wherein the first photo is displayed within a geographic map or a matrix of images.

30. The system according to claim 29, wherein the first photo is located a distance from a reference point within the geographic map so as to show a location of the second electronic device within a geographic area relative to a location of the first electronic device within the geographic area.

31. The system according to claim 28, wherein the electronic circuit is further configured for displaying on the display screen a second photo of an individual using a third electronic device which is currently logged into a talkgroup to which at least one of the first electronic device and the second electronic device belong.

32. The system according to claim 28, wherein the electronic circuit is further configured for displaying on the display screen an indicator when the individual using the second electronic device is speaking during an active call.

33. The system according to claim 32, wherein the electronic circuit is further configured for removing the indicator from the display screen when the individual using the second electronic device has stopped speaking during the active call.

34. The system according to claim 28, further comprising changing the size of the first photo in response to a reception of a call transmission from the second electronic device.