Radio alert system and method

• US 9,942,731 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2016
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otto Engineering, Inc.,
• Original Assignee: Otto Engineering, Inc.,
• Inventors: Johnson, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): REGO, DOMINIC E
• Application Number:
  US15/165,232
• Publication Number:
  US 20160352545A1
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• Field of Search: 455 412, 455 413, 455507
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/143 for modulated signals H04L5/1469 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/1492 with time compression, e.g. operating according to the ping-pong technique
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services

Abstract

Various embodiments include a system and method that automatically communicate data using a nonlinear, time-varying voice channel. The system may include one or more sensors, a controller, and a radio transmitter. The one or more sensors may be operable to detect a condition. The controller may be configured to receive an indication of the detected condition from the at least one sensor. The controller may be configured to generate a message including information of the detected condition based on the received indication of the detected condition. The radio transmitter may be configured to wirelessly transmit the generated message on the voice channel.

Claims

1. A system configured to automatically communicate data indicative of a detected condition, the system comprising:

at least one sensor operable to detect a condition;

a controller configured to;

receive an indication of the detected condition from the at least one sensor, and

generate a message comprising information of the detected condition based on the received indication of the detected condition; and

a radio transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit the generated message on a nonlinear, time-varying voice channel.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the message is a modulated data packet.

3. The system of claim 2, comprising:

a radio receiver configured to wirelessly receive the modulated data packet transmitted by the radio transmitter;

a decoder configured to decode the received data packet; and

a device configured to one or more of;

log the decoded data,

generate one or more of a visual alert and an audible alert, and

communicate the decoded data to an external device.

4. The system of claim 3, comprising:

a push-to-talk switch, wherein one or more of the push-to-talk switch and the controller are operable to assert a push-to-talk signal;

a microphone operable to provide audio signals for transmission if the push-to-talk signal is asserted, and

an audio transducer configured to one or more of;

block the audio signals if the modulated data packet is being transmitted by the radio transmitter, and

generate audio in response to the audio signals.

5. A push-to-talk communication device configured to automatically communicate data indicative of a detected condition, the system comprising:

at least one sensor operable to detect a condition;

a PTT switch configured to assert a push-to-talk signal;

a controller configured to;

receive an indication of the detected condition from the at least one sensor, and

generate a data message comprising information of the detected condition based on the received indication of the detected condition,

wherein the generated data message is an audible alert that is one or more of played or synthesized by the controller; and

a radio transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit the generated data message and signals responsive to the push-to-talk signal via a nonlinear, time varying voice channel.

6. The push-to-talk communication device of claim 5, comprising a microphone operable to provide audio signals for transmission if the push-to-talk signal is asserted.

7. The push-to-talk communication device of claim 6, comprising an audio mixer configured to one or more of mute or reduce the audio signals provided by the microphone if the radio transmitter is transmitting the generated message.

8. The push-to-talk communication device of claim 6, comprising an audio mixer configured to combine the audio signals provided by the microphone and the generated message if the radio transmitter is transmitting the generated message.

9. The push-to-talk communication device of claim 5, wherein the at least one sensor is one or more of:

a biometric monitor,

a level-sensing apparatus, and

a remote monitoring system.

10. The push-to-talk communication device of claim 5, wherein the at least one sensor is one or more of a user-activated button, switch, and trigger.

11. A method for automatically communicating data using a nonlinear, time-varying voice channel, the method comprising:

detecting, by at least one sensor, a condition;

receiving, by a controller, an indication of the detected condition from the at least one sensor;

generating, by the controller, a message comprising information of the detected condition based on the received indication of the detected condition; and

wirelessly transmitting, by a radio transmitter, the generated message via a nonlinear, time-varying voice channel.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the message is a modulated data packet.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising:

wirelessly receiving, at a radio receiver, the modulated data packet transmitted by the radio transmitter;

decoding, at a decoder, the received data packet; and

one or more of;

logging the decoded data,

generating one or more of a visual alert and an audible alert, and

communicating the decoded data to an external device.

14. The method of claim 13, comprising:

generating, by one or more of the controller and a push-to-talk switch, an asserted push-to-talk signal;

providing, by a microphone, audio signals for transmission if a push-to-talk signal is asserted, and

one or more of;

blocking, by an audio transducer, the audio signals if the modulated data packet is being transmitted by the radio transmitter, and

generating, by the audio transducer, audio in response to the audio signals.

15. A method for automatically communicating data indicative of a detected condition via a push-to-talk communication device, the method comprising:

detecting, by at least one sensor, a condition;

receiving, by a controller, an indication of the detected condition from the at least one sensor;

generating, by the controller, a message comprising information of the detected condition based on the received indication of the detected condition, wherein the message is an audible alert that is one or more of played or synthesized by the controller; and

wirelessly transmitting, by a radio transmitter, the generated message via a nonlinear, time-varying voice channel of the push-to-talk device.

16. The method of claim 15, comprising asserting, by one or more of a push-to-talk switch and the controller, a push-to-talk signal to activate the radio transmitter.

17. The method of claim 16, comprising providing, by a microphone, audio signals for transmission if the push-to-talk signal is asserted.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising one of:

muting the audio signals provided by the microphone if the radio transmitter is transmitting the generated message,

reducing the audio signals provided by the microphone if the radio transmitter is transmitting the generated message, or

combining the audio signals provided by the microphone and the generated message if the radio transmitter is transmitting the generated message.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one sensor is one or more of:

a biometric monitor,

a level-sensing apparatus, and

a remote monitoring system.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one sensor is one or more of a user-activated button, switch, and trigger.

21. The method of claim 15, comprising:

wirelessly receiving, by a radio receiver, the audible alert transmitted by the radio transmitter;

receiving, by an audio transducer, the audible alert from the radio receiver; and

producing, by the audio transducer, audio based on the audible alert.