Radio communications system
First Claim
1. A radio communications system comprisinga plurality of discrete communications channels, a plurality of talkgroups, each said talkgroup comprising a plurality of individual radio units, said plurality of individual radio units of at least one of said plurality of talk groups capable of being in communication with each other or not being in communication with each other, and control means arranged to select a communication channel that is idle from said communication channels and to transmit a free channel signal on the selected communication channel, said individual radio units that are not in communication with each other being tuned to said selected communication channel in response to said free channel signal transmitted by said control means such that when a said individual radio unit that is tuned to said selected communication channel initiates communication with other radio units in its talkgroup, said individual radio unit initiating communication starts transmitting on said selected communication channel, said control means being arranged to assign said selected communication channel to said talkgroup of said individual radio unit initiating communication in response to said individual radio unit initiating communication transmitting on said selected communication channel whereby all of the individual radio units of said talkgroup of said individual radio unit initiating communication are enabled to communicate with each other on said selected communication channel.
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Abstract
A radio communications system includes a plurality of talkgroups. Each talkgroup comprises a number of individual radio units having the capability to communicate with each other on one of a number of discrete communications channels temporarily assigned to that talkgroup by a control unit (CU). The control means identifies a communication channel (the selected channel) which is currently idle and transmits a “Free Channel” signal in that channel. A radio unit initiating communication with the other radio units in the same talkgroup starts to transmit on the selected channel, and the control unit (CU) assigns the selected channel to the respective talkgroup in response to the transmission to enable all the radio units in the talkgroup to communicate with each other on the selected channel.
21 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A radio communications system comprising
a plurality of discrete communications channels, a plurality of talkgroups, each said talkgroup comprising a plurality of individual radio units, said plurality of individual radio units of at least one of said plurality of talk groups capable of being in communication with each other or not being in communication with each other, and control means arranged to select a communication channel that is idle from said communication channels and to transmit a free channel signal on the selected communication channel, said individual radio units that are not in communication with each other being tuned to said selected communication channel in response to said free channel signal transmitted by said control means such that when a said individual radio unit that is tuned to said selected communication channel initiates communication with other radio units in its talkgroup, said individual radio unit initiating communication starts transmitting on said selected communication channel, said control means being arranged to assign said selected communication channel to said talkgroup of said individual radio unit initiating communication in response to said individual radio unit initiating communication transmitting on said selected communication channel whereby all of the individual radio units of said talkgroup of said individual radio unit initiating communication are enabled to communicate with each other on said selected communication channel.
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3. A method for operating a radio communications system including a plurality of discrete communication channels and a plurality of talkgroups, each said talkgroup comprising a plurality of individual radio units, the method comprising the steps of
selecting a communications channel that is idle, transmitting a free channel signal on the selected communication channel, tuning said radio units that are not in communication to said selected communication channel in response to said free channel signal, causing a radio unit that is tuned to the selected communication channel to start transmitting on said selected communication channel when said radio unit initiates communication with other radio units of a talkgroup to which said transmitting radio unit belongs, and assigning the selected communication channel to said talkgroup to which said transmitting radio unit belongs in response to said transmission of said transmitting radio unit that is tuned to the selected communication channel to enable all the radio units of said talkgroup to which said transmitting radio unit belongs to communicate with each other on said selected communication channel.
Specification