Remote radio spectrum information acquisition

• US 20040107288A1
• Filed: 06/17/2003
• Published: 06/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mobilify Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Body, Peter J., Menninger, Peter D., Quinn, James M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,406,543 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A scanner system provides real-time remote acquisition of a scanner'"'"'s audio signals and visual display, and real-time remote control of scanner operations, including settings and functions. The scanner system may be used to gather information in a regional market by listening to geographically distant broadcasts available on radio spectrum frequencies. By synchronizing multi-spectrum monitoring, audio delivery, visual cueing, and control of spectrum reception, geographically independent persons can process scanner information as if they were physically present in the market. Thus, operators can gather information from public agencies and radio broadcasts from a remote market as if they were present in the market. The scanner audio signals may be used to produce traffic reports.

Claims

1. A system for receiving audio signals from a scanner, the system comprising:

(a) a processing unit which receives an audio signal output of the scanner and prepares the audio signal for transmission over a network by encoding the audio signal output of the scanner to digitally encoded audio;

(b) a scanner workstation physically remote from the processing unit and the scanner, the workstation including an application for receiving the digitally encoded audio and decoding the digitally encoded audio to an original audio signal output of the scanner; and

(c) a transport network having at least two edge nodes, the transport network being in communication at one edge node with the processing unit to receive the digitally encoded audio and being in communication at the other edge node with the scanner workstation to provide the digitally encoded audio to the scanner workstation in real-time, or in near real-time, and without buffering of the digitally encoded audio.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the processing unit is physically connected to the audio signal output of the scanner.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the transport network is physically connected at the one edge node to the processing unit and is physically connected at the other edge node to the scanner workstation.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the transport network is a public or private network.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the transport network is a switched network.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the transport network is a wireless network.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the transport network delivers the digitally encoded audio via a voice over IP process.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the voice over IP process is unidirectional.

9. A system for controlling and monitoring selected functions and settings of a scanner in real time, the scanner including an input/output remote control port, the system comprising:

(a) a processing unit in communication with the input/output port of the scanner, the processing unit including;

(i) a digital interface associated with the scanner, and

(ii) a remote control and video encoding application;

(b) a scanner control workstation physically remote from the processing unit and the scanner, the scanner workstation including a remote control and video decoding application; and

(c) a transport network having at least two edge nodes, the transport network being in communication at one edge node with the processing unit and being in communication at the other edge node to the scanner control workstation, wherein the transport network, digital interface and remote control and video encoding and decoding applications allow the workstation to control and visually monitor selected functions and settings of a scanner in real time and to enter commands to selectively control functions and settings of the scanner in real time.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the transport network delivers the digitally encoded audio via a voice over IP process.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the voice over IP process is unidirectional.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the processing unit receives an audio signal output of the scanner and prepares the audio signal for transmission over a network by encoding the audio signal output of the scanner to digitally encoded audio, and the workstation includes an application for receiving the digitally encoded audio and decoding the digitally encoded audio to an original audio signal output of the scanner, and the transport network receives the digitally encoded audio and provides the digitally encoded audio to the scanner workstation in real-time, or in near real-time, and without buffering of the digitally encoded audio, wherein the audio signal output of the scanner is synchronized with the visually monitored functions and settings.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the processing unit is physically connected to the input/output port of the scanner.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein the transport network is physically connected at the one edge node to the processing unit and is physically connected at the other edge node to the scanner workstation.

15. The system of claim 9 wherein the transport network is a public or private network.

16. The system of claim 9 wherein the transport network is a switched network.

17. The system of claim 9 wherein the transport network is a wireless network.

18. The system of claim 9 wherein the remote control application in the workstation allows the workstation to enter commands to control volume of the scanner.

19. The system of claim 9 wherein the remote control application in the workstation allows the workstation to enter commands to control squelch of the scanner.

20. The system of claim 9 wherein the remote control application in the workstation allows the workstation to enter commands to control the frequency or channel of the scanner.

21. The system of claim 9 wherein the remote control application in the workstation allows the workstation to enter commands to control scanning banks of the scanner.

22. A system for creating traffic report information using one or more scanners, each scanner including an audio signal output, the system comprising:

(a) a processing unit which receives an audio signal output of the scanner and prepares the audio signal output for transmission over a network by encoding the audio signal output to digitally encoded audio, the audio signal output including events that affect traffic;

(b) a scanner workstation physically remote from the processing unit and the scanner, the workstation including an application for receiving the digitally encoded audio and decoding the digitally encoded audio to an original audio signal output of the scanner;

(c) a transport network having at least two edge nodes, the transport network being in communication at one edge node with the processing unit to receive the digitally encoded audio and being in communication at the other edge node with the scanner workstation to provide the digitally encoded audio to the scanner workstation in real-time, or in near real-time, and without buffering of the digitally encoded audio; and

(d) a user workstation including an audio output and a user interface which allows a human agent to hear the original audio signal output of the one or more scanners provided by the scanner workstation and enter traffic report information into the user interface based upon the events that affect traffic in the original audio signal output.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the transport network delivers the digitally encoded audio via a voice over IP process.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the voice over IP process is unidirectional.

25. The system of claim 22 wherein the processing unit is physically connected to the audio signal output of the scanner.

26. The system of claim 22 wherein the transport network is physically connected at the one edge node to the processing unit and is physically connected at the other edge node to the scanner workstation.

27. The system of claim 22 wherein the transport network is a public or private network.

28. The system of claim 22 wherein the transport network is a switched network.

29. The system of claim 22 wherein the transport network is a wireless network.

30. The system of claim 22 wherein there are a plurality of scanners and at least some of the scanners are in locations remote from one another.

31. A system for collecting traffic related information and producing traffic reports using one or more scanners, each scanner including an audio signal output, the system comprising:

(a) a processing unit which receives an audio signal output of the scanner and prepares the audio signal for transmission over a network by encoding the audio signal output of the scanner to digitally encoded audio;

(b) a scanner workstation physically remote from the processing unit and the scanner, the workstation including an application for receiving the digitally encoded audio and decoding the digitally encoded audio to an original audio signal output of the scanner; and

(c) a transport network having at least two edge nodes, the transport network being in communication at one edge node with the processing unit to receive the digitally encoded audio and being in communication at the other edge node with the scanner workstation to provide the digitally encoded audio to the scanner workstation in real-time, or in near real-time, and without buffering of the digitally encoded audio; and

(d) an entity which receives and converts the original audio signal output into a traffic report.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein the transport network delivers the digitally encoded audio via a voice over IP process.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein the voice over IP process is unidirectional.

34. The system of claim 31 wherein the processing unit is physically connected to the audio signal output of the scanner.

35. The system of claim 31 wherein the transport network is physically connected at the one edge node to the processing unit and is physically connected at the other edge node to the scanner workstation.

36. The system of claim 31 wherein the transport network is a public or private network.

37. The system of claim 31 wherein the transport network is a switched network.

38. The system of claim 31 wherein the transport network is a wireless network.

39. The system of claim 31 wherein the entity is a human agent.

40. The system of claim 31 wherein there are a plurality of scanners and at least some of the scanners are in locations remote from one another.