Relaying device

• US 9,742,483 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2015
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ICOM Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ICOM Incorporated
• Inventors: Uwamori, Keishiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Kassim, Khaled
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ali, Syed S
• Application Number:
  US14/801,324
• Publication Number:
  US 20150333817A1
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/155 Ground-based stations H04B7/204 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15507 Relay station based processing for cell extension or control of coverage area, network planning with network coordinated processing with regard to cell extension H04W16/26; network topologies using dedicated repeater stations H04W84/047; terminal devices adapted for relaying to or from an other terminal H04W88/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/568 audio processing specific to telephonic conferencing, e.g. spatial distribution, mixing of participants echo suppression in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/02; sound field processing per se H04S7/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/047 using dedicated repeater stations

Abstract

A relaying device includes a wireless apparatus interface, a signal processing unit connected to the wireless apparatus interface, a network interface, and a packet processing unit connected to the network interface. The relaying device is provided with multiple communication paths including the wireless apparatus interface, the signal processing unit, and the packet processing unit, and each communication path has a mixing unit configured to additively synthesize an uplink audio signal and a downlink audio signal of other communication path to the uplink audio signal and input the synthesized signal to the packet processing unit, and configured to additively synthesize an uplink audio signal and a downlink audio signal of other communication path to the downlink audio signal and input the synthesized signal to the signal processing unit.

Claims

1. A relaying device connecting wireless transceivers for audio communication therebetween through a plurality of relaying transceivers that are wired to the relaying device, comprising:

a plurality of interfaces, each of the interface connecting to one of the relaying transceivers wherein the one of the relaying transceivers communicates with the connected wireless transceiver through their employed communication mode, further each of the interfaces inputting an uplink signal from the connected relaying transceiver and outputting a downlink signal to the connected relaying transceiver;

a plurality of signal processing units, each of the signal processing units assigned to one of the interfaces, the one being defined as the assigned interface, and

a plurality of mixers that makes the downlink signal, each of the mixers assigned to one of the signal processing units and connected to the other signal processing units, the one being defined as the assigned signal processing unit and the other being defined as remaining signal processing units, wherein

when one of the signal processing units inputs an audio signal for communication from the assigned interface, the one of the signal processing units generates an audio detection signal,

each of the mixers

mixes uplink signals input from the remaining signal processing units except the uplink signal from the assigned signal processing unit to make the downlink signal and outputs the downlink signal to the assigned interface through the assigned signal processing unit, and

calculates an ORed audio detection signal by logical adding the audio detection signals input from the remaining signal processing units and outputs the ORed audio detection signal to the assigned signal processing unit,

each of the signal processing units outputs a PTT signal to the assigned interface when a value of the ORed audio detection signal from the mixer to which the signal processing unit is assigned is positive, that is any one of the remaining signal processing units generates the audio detection signal, the PTT signal causing the relaying transceiver to transmit the audio signal,

each of the interfaces outputs the PTT signal to the connected relaying transceiver when the PTT signal is input from the signal processing unit to which the interface is assigned, to cause the relaying transceiver to transmit the downlink signal,

each of the mixers has a ON/OFF switch that is operated by a user, and

when the switch is OFF, the mixer makes the downlink signal only by the signal received from the Internet not mixing the uplink signals from the remaining signal processing units, and

when the switch is ON, the mixer mixes the uplink signals input from the remaining signal processing units and the signal received from the Internet to make the downlink signal.

2. The relaying device according to claim 1, wherein

the relaying transceivers that are different types include two or more of a half-duplex analog transceiver, a full-duplex analog transceiver, a digital transceiver, and a calling device.

3. The relaying device according to claim 1, further comprising;

a selection unit that selects two or more of the signal processing units as a group;

wherein

the mixer assigned to the signal processing unit belonging to the group inputs the uplink signal from another signal processing unit belonging to the group.

4. The relaying device according to claim 3, wherein

the selection unit stores one or more groups selectable by a user.

5. The relaying device according to claim 1, wherein

the relaying device is connected to the Internet for audio communication therethrough, and

the each of the mixers mixes the signal received from the Internet as well as the uplink signals input from the remaining signal processing units to make the downlink signal.

6. The relaying device according to claim 1, wherein

the audio detection signal is generated either by inputting a squelch signal, by inputting the audio signal that is above a predetermined level, or by inputting an audio packet.

7. The relaying device according to claim 1, wherein

the signal processing unit outputs the PTT signal in a condition where the signal processing unit itself does not generate the audio detection signal in addition to the condition where any one of the remaining signal processing units generates the audio detection signal.