Radio gateway system and method for interfacing a radio system and an IP network

• US 20060221912A1
• Filed: 04/01/2005
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions Connectivity Incorporated (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CML Emergency Services, Inc.
• Inventors: Olivier, Pierre, Roberts, Douglas Gordon
• Granted Patent: US 7,460,510 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/08 Trunked mobile radio systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A radio gateway system and method for interfacing one or more radio systems and a packet network. The system comprises a plurality of gateways, each gateway including a radio interface port, a protocol converter and packet interface. The gateways convert audio and signalling from the radio system into packet signals in a generic protocol. The gateways also convert packet signals in the generic protocol into audio and signalling in a protocol understandable by a respective radio system.

Claims

1. A communication system for enabling a plurality of radio systems to communicate over a packet network, each radio system communicating one of at least two different radio protocols, the communication system comprising:

a plurality of gateways adapted to communicate using a generic protocol;

for each radio protocol of the at least two radio protocols;

at least one gateway of the plurality of gateways converting audio and signalling in the radio protocol to and from audio and signalling in the generic protocol for at least one radio system that communicates using the radio protocol.

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the generic protocol comprises a plurality of events selected from a group consisting of:

activating a transmitter in a radio station;

releasing a transmitter in a radio station;

enabling coded squelch in a radio station;

disabling coded squelch in a radio station;

tuning a transmitter in a radio station to a specific RF channel;

switching a receiver in a radio station to a specific RF channel;

selecting a specific coded squelch frequency in a radio station;

monitoring the carrier status of a radio station;

sending a data packet to a specific subscriber unit via a radio station;

receiving a data packet from a specific subscriber unit via a radio station; and

sending a paging alert tone to a specific subscriber unit via a radio station.

3. The communication system of claim 1, further comprising a control system for determining if a gateway in the plurality of gateways is active and directing communications to and from at least one radio system through the gateway if the gateway is active.

4. The communication system of claim 3, wherein the control system comprises a plurality of distributed call management modules, each distributed call management module configured to understand the generic protocol.

5. The communication system of claim 4, wherein at least one gateway communicates with the packet network through at least one distributed call management module.

6. The communication system of claim 5, wherein the at least one gateway is hardwire connected to the at least one distributed call management module.

7. The communication system of claim 5, further comprising a LAN (Local Area Network) between the at least one gateway and the distributed call management module.

8. The communication system of claim 1, further comprising the plurality of radio systems.

9. The communication system of claim 8, wherein each radio system comprises a plurality of radio stations, each radio station in communication with at least one gateway.

10. The communication system of claim 8, further comprising the packet network.

11. A gateway comprising:

a radio interface port connectable to communicate with a radio system;

a packet interface operable to send and receive packet signals; and

a protocol converter adapted to convert audio and signalling received from the radio system via the radio interface port into packet signals in a generic protocol and to convert packet signals in the generic protocol received via the packet interface into audio and signalling in a protocol understandable by the radio system.

12. The gateway of claim 11, wherein the generic protocol comprises a plurality of events selected from a group consisting of:

activating a transmitter in a radio station;

releasing a transmitter in a radio station;

enabling coded squelch in a radio station;

disabling coded squelch in a radio station;

tuning a transmitter in a radio station to a specific RF channel;

switching a receiver in a radio station to a specific RF channel;

selecting a specific coded squelch frequency in a radio station;

monitoring the carrier status of a radio station;

sending a data packet to a specific subscriber unit via a radio station;

receiving a data packet from a specific subscriber unit via a radio station; and

sending a paging alert tone to a specific subscriber unit via a radio station.

13. The gateway of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of radio interface ports, each radio interface port operatively connectable to communicate with at least one radio station within the radio system.

14. The gateway of claim 11, wherein the packet interface is connectable to communicate over a LAN (Local Area Network).

15. The gateway of claim 11, wherein the packet interface is connectable to communicate over an IP (Internet Protocol) network.

16. The gateway of claim 11, wherein the packet interface provides a status of the radio gateway to a control system.

17. The gateway of claim 11, wherein the packet interface sends and receives packet signals in accordance with a MGCP (Media Gateway Control Protocol).

18. The gateway of claim 11, wherein the interface sends and receives packet signals in accordance with a MEGACO (Media Gateway Control) protocol.

19. The gateway of claim 11, wherein the packet interface sends and receives packet signals in accordance with an RTP (Real Time Protocol) audio protocol.

20. The gateway of claim 11, wherein the packet interface sends and receives packet signals in accordance with an audio protocol including packets in accordance with any one of G.711. G.723, G.729, GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), IMBE (Improved MultiBand Excitation) and TETRA (Terrestrial Trunked Radio) formats.

21. The gateway of claim 11, wherein the protocol converter comprises a digital signal processor and a communication processor.

22. The gateway of claim 21 further comprising a provisioning interface operatively connectable to communicate with a provisioning terminal.

23. A method of enabling a radio system to communicate via a packet network, said method comprising:

receiving audio and signalling from the radio system at a radio gateway;

converting the audio and signalling into packet signals in a generic protocol;

providing the packet signals in the generic protocol to the packet network for distribution to a desired destination;

receiving packet signals from the packet network, said packet signals being in the generic protocol;

converting the packet signals from the packet network into audio and signalling in a protocol understandable by the radio system; and

transmitting the converted audio and signalling to the radio system.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

determining a status of a radio gateway associated with a radio station; and

selecting the radio gateway to receive and convert audio and signalling from the radio system and to receive and convert packet signals from the packet network if the radio gateway is active.