Mobile radio communications system with join feature

• US 4,682,367 A
• Filed: 11/13/1985
• Issued: 07/21/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Com-Net Ericsson Canada Corp., Com-Net Ericsson Critical Radio Systems, Inc., General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Childress, Jeffery S., Dissosway, Marc A., Hughes, Houston H. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Jin F.
• Application Number:
  US06/797,503
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 455/15, 455/17, 455/32-34, 455/54, 455/77, 455/78, 370/24, 370/32, 379/59, 379/60, 379/63
• US Class Current: 455/17
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15542 Selecting at relay station its transmit and receive resources selection of wireless resources by user or terminal H04W72/02; arrangements affording multiple use of the transmission path by two-dimensional division of the resources H04L5/0003, or by allocating sub-channels H04L5/003
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/08 Trunked mobile radio systems

Abstract

Cooperation between two repeater transceivers of a radio trunking system causes a mobile radio transceiver to join or rejoin ongoing communications. To join ongoing communications, a radio transceiver attempts to acquire a free repeater communications channel by transmitting call signalling identifying a group of transceivers to be contacted. If the group to be contacted is already communicating on another repeater communications channel, the calling radio transceiver is forced to leave the communications channel it is trying to acquire and to begin scanning communications channels in search of call signalling identifying it. Meanwhile, the repeater permitting the ongoing communication interrupts the ongoing communications briefly and transmits the call signalling identifying the group of transceivers to be joined (including the radio transceiver which is to join the ongoing communications). The radio transceiver to be joined detects the call signalling transmitted by the repeater, locks onto the repeater channel over which the call signalling is being transmitted, and joins the ongoing communications. Land line callers are also permitted to join ongoing communications.

Claims

1. In a trunking radio transceiver of the type which operates on a plurality of channels, the improvement comprising:

means for controlling said transceiver to (1) transmit, on a non-used channel X, a request to join ongoing transceiver communications being conducted over a further channel Y, (2) thereafter leave said channel X and scan said plural channels, and (3) thereafter tune to said channel Y in response to signalling transmitted to said transceiver so as to permit transceiver participation in said ongoing transceiver communications thereon.

2. A method for establishing communication between a first radio transceiver and a further radio transceiver comprising the steps of:

(1) transmitting a first calling signal from said first radio transceiver to said further radio transceiver over a communication channel Y;

(2) in response to said calling signal transmitted by said transmitting step (1), transmitting, with said further radio transceiver, a further calling signal identifying said first radio transceiver over a communication channel X different from said channel Y;

(3) receiving said further calling signal with said first radio transciever; and

(4) in response to said received further calling signal, operating said first radio transceiver on said channel X.

3. A method of operating a trunking radio transceiver of the type having a plurality of communication channels, comprising the steps of:

(1) transmitting on a non-used channel X a request to join ongoing transceiver communications being conducted over a further channel Y;

(2) thereafter leaving said channel X and scanning said plural channels;

(3) thereafter operating on said further channel Y in response to signalling received by said radio transceiver; and

(4) thereafter staying tuned to said channel Y so as to permit transceiver participation in said ongoing transceiver

4. A method for establishing communication between radio transceivers via a fixed radio repeating station comprising the steps of:

(1) dedicating a radio communications channel Y to a group of radio transceivers;

(2) conducting transceiver communications over said channel Y between transceivers of said group via said fixed repeating station;

(3) transmitting, from a radio transceiver to said repeating station, a request over a further radio communications channel X that a further radio transceiver be permitted to join the communications conducted by said conducting step (2) over said channel Y;

(4) transmitting, with said repeating station over said channel Y, in response to said request, a pre-assigned calling sequence directed to said further radio transceiver; and

(5) operating said further radio transceiver on said channel Y in response to said calling sequence transmitted by said transmitting step (4).

5. A method for establishing communication between radio transceivers comprising the steps of:

(1) scanning plural repeater channels with a first radio transceiver to detect a non-used channel Y;

(2) transmitting a pre-assigned calling sequence from said first transceiver over said channel Y;

(3) re-transmitting said pre-assigned calling sequence with a repeater over said channel Y;

(4) detecting said re-transmitted calling sequence with at least a second radio transceiver and, in response thereto, operating said second radio transceiver on said channel Y so as to permit communications between said first and second transceivers;

(5) scanning said plural repeater channels with a third radio transceiver to locate a non-used channel X;

(6) transmitting said pre-assigned calling sequence from said third radio transceiver over said channel X; and

(7) in response to said sequence transmitted by said transmitting step (6), re-transmitting with said repeater said pre-assigned call signalling sequence over said channel Y.

6. A method as in claim 5 further including the steps, performed after said transmitting step (6), of:

(a) scanning said plural channels with said third transceiver and detecting said pre-assigned calling sequence transmitted by said re-transmitting step (7);

(b) operating said third radio transceiver on said channel Y in response to said calling sequence detected by said scanning and detecting step (a), thereby permitting communications between said third radio transceiver and said first and second transceivers over said channel Y.

7. In a radio communications system including (a) a radio repeater having plural communications channels C1-CN and (b) plural radio transceiver each capable of communications via any of said communications channels, a method for permitting communications between radio transceivers over one of said communications channels comprising the steps of:

(1) scanning said communications channels C1-CN with each of a plurality of radio transceivers;

(2) transmitting call signalling over a selected channel CK of said communications channels C1-CN with said radio repeater;

(3) receiving said call signalling transmitted by said transmitting step (2) with said plurality of radio transceivers;

(4) permitting communications over said repeater channel CK between said plurality of transceivers;

(5) transmitting call signalling from a further radio transceiver over another selected channel CL different from said channel CK;

(6) deciding in response to said signalling transmitted by said transmitting step (5) whether said further radio transceiver should join the communications permitted over said repeater channel CK by said permitting step (4); and

(7) if said further radio transceiver should join said communications over said channel CK, performing the following steps;

(a) scanning said communications channels C1-CN with said further radio transceiver,

(b) transmitting call signalling with said radio repeater over said communications channel CK while said further radio transceiver is scanning said communications channels,

(c) operating said further radio transceiver on said communications channel CK in response to said call signalling transmitting by such transmitting step (b), and

(d) thereafter permitting communications over said repeater channel CK between said plurality of transceivers and said further transceiver.

8. A method of operating an improved trunking radio transceiver of the type which operates on a plurality of channels C comprising the steps of:

(1) detecting a non-used channel C1 of said channels C;

(2) transmitting signals on said channel C1 identifying at least one transceiver originally operating on a further channel C2 of said channels C;

(3) leaving said acquired channel C1 and scanning said plural channels;

(4) tuning to said further channel C2 and detecting signals thereon; and

(5) staying tuned to said further channel C2 in response to said signals detected by said step (4) and communication thereover.

9. The method of claim 8 in which said trunking radio transceiver was originally operating on channel C2, lost communication thereon, and reaquires said lost communication.

10. The method of claim 9 in which said trunking radio transceiver was originally communicating with a telephone interconnect network over channel C2.

11. The method of claim 8 in which said trunking radio transceiver acquires communication over channel C2 with a further transceiver originally operating on channel C2.

12. A method as in claim 8 further including the step of transmitting signals on said further channel C2 with a further radio transceiver in response to said signals transmitted by said transmitting step (2).