DISTRIBUTED SIMULCAST ARCHITECTURE

• US 20140273916A1
• Filed: 03/17/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: E F Johnson Company (JVC Kenwood Corporation)
• Original Assignee: E F Johnson Company (JVC Kenwood Corporation)
• Inventors: Roy, Arindam, Emmett, Larry
• Granted Patent: US 9,774,386 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/14 Relay systems
• 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: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems

Abstract

A system and method for providing communication in a distributed LMR system architecture is provided herein, wherein the system includes a plurality of LMR subsystems interconnected by a data network. In some embodiments, a subsystem may include a distributed simulcast architecture comprising a plurality of LMR sites, each site having a subsystem controller and a plurality of repeaters. In one embodiment, one subsystem controller operates in an active mode and the remaining subsystem controllers operate in standby to provide redundancy. The repeaters include integrated voter comparator and simulcast controller functionality and circuitry. In some embodiments, the repeaters are operable in an active or standby mode, wherein repeaters in the active mode perform voter comparator and simulcast controller functionality. The distributed simulcast architecture provides simulcast controller and voter comparator redundancy, network failure redundancy, and site redundancy.

Claims

1. A system for providing communication in a distributed land mobile radio (LMR) system architecture, the distributed LMR system architecture comprising one or more subsystems in communication with a data network, the system comprising:

one or more LMR sites comprising at least one of the one or more subsystems;

one or more subsystem controllers disposed at each of the one or more LMR sites comprising the at least one subsystem, each subsystem controller having at least an active mode and a standby mode, wherein at least one subsystem controller is operable in the active mode to control communication between the one or more LMR sites in the at least one subsystem; and

one or more repeaters disposed at each of the plurality of LMR sites in the at least one subsystem, each of the repeaters operable to provide a communication channel,

wherein each repeater has at least an active mode and a standby mode, and wherein at least one repeater is operable in the active mode to perform at least one of a simulcast controller operation and a voter comparator operation.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the voter comparator operation includes comparing a strength of one or more received signals to determine a strongest signal to use for communication.

3. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the simulcast controller operation includes synchronizing a transmit time of calls transmitted by one or more of the repeaters.

4. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein a repeater in the active mode is configurable to perform the simulcast controller operation for the communication channel provided by the repeater in the active mode.

5. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein a repeater in the active mode is configurable to perform the simulcast controller operation for a communication channel provided by a different repeater.

6. The system as set forth in claim 5, wherein the communication channel provided by the repeater in the active mode is a first frequency, and the communication channel provided by the different repeater is a second frequency different than the first frequency.

7. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein repeaters in a standby mode are configurable to switch to the active mode upon failure of a repeater operating in the active mode.

8. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein subsystem controllers in a standby mode are configurable to switch to the active mode upon failure of a subsystem controller operating in the active mode.

9. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein subsystem controllers in a standby mode are configurable to switch to the active mode upon failure of at least a portion of the one or more sites comprising a subsystem controller operating in the active mode.

10. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the subsystem controller is further configurable to provide communication between two or more subsystems comprising the distributed LMR system architecture.

11. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the data network is an Internet Protocol network.

12. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the at least one subsystem is a simulcast subsystem.

13. A method for providing communication in a distributed land mobile radio (LMR) system architecture, the distributed LMR system architecture comprising one or more subsystems in communication with a data network, the method comprising:

providing a subsystem controller in each of a plurality of LMR sites comprising one of the subsystems, each subsystem controller having at least an active mode and a standby mode;

operating one of the subsystem controllers in the active mode to control communication between the plurality of LMR sites;

operating the remaining subsystem controllers in the standby mode;

providing a plurality of repeaters at each of the plurality of LMR sites comprising the subsystem, each repeater having at least an active mode and a standby mode;

operating at least one of the repeaters in the active mode to perform at least one of a simulcast controller operation and a voter comparator operation; and

operating the remaining repeaters in the standby mode.

14. The method as set forth in claim 13, wherein performing the voter comparator operation includes comparing a strength of one or more received signals to determine a strongest signal to use for communication.

15. The method as set forth in claim 13, wherein performing the simulcast controller operation includes synchronizing a transmit time of calls transmitted by one or more of the repeaters.

16. The method as set forth in claim 13, further comprising providing a communication channel via one or more of the repeaters.

17. The method as set forth in claim 16, further comprising performing the simulcast controller operation for a communication channel provided by the repeater operating in the active mode.

18. The method as set forth in claim 16, further comprising performing the simulcast controller operation for a communication channel provided by a different repeater.

19. The method as set forth in claim 18, wherein the communication channel provided by the repeater operating in the active mode is a first frequency, and the communication channel provided by the different repeater is a second frequency different than the first frequency.

20. The method as set forth in claim 13, further comprising switching a repeater from the standby mode to the active mode upon failure of a repeater operating in the active mode.

21. The method as set forth in claim 13, further comprising switching a subsystem controller from the standby mode to the active mode upon failure of a subsystem controller operating in the active mode.

22. The method as set forth in claim 13, further comprising switching a subsystem controller from the standby mode to the active mode upon failure of the LMR site comprising a subsystem controller operating in the active mode.

23. The method as set forth in claim 13, further comprising providing communication, via a subsystem controller, between two or more subsystems comprising the distributed LMR system architecture.

24. The method as set forth in claim 13, wherein the subsystem is a simulcast subsystem.