Mobile unit for distributing voice item to direct mode channel communication

Assign voice items to mobile units communicating on direct mode channels

The present invention relates to a method of allocating voice items to mobile units communicating on a direct mode channel. This method includes the following steps: on the direct mode channel, a transmission of the first mobile unit is sent during the speech item of the first mobile unit; a second mobile unit has the right to speak; the second mobile on the direct mode channel During the unit voice item, a transmission of the second mobile unit is issued.

The method of the present invention is specially designed for the application on the PMR (Private Mobile Radio or Professional Mobile Radio) network; that is, the trunk network, which is a typical corporate network or public official network, and all of its channels are covered by one or more Shared by user organizations. In these networks, users have the number of individual users and the number of groups, which indicate the communication group or user group to which the user belongs. In this way, calls to users in a particular group are forwarded to members of that group.

The invention is suitable for mobile communication systems, including digital radio channels and analog radio channels. Analog mobile communication system, for example, has been revised and republished in MPT1327, A Signalling Standard for Trunked Private Land Mobile Radio System, January 1988, November 1991, and MPT1343, Performance Specification, January 1988, revised September 1991 It was republished and described in these two documents as examples. Both documents are published by the British Department of Trade and Industry and the Radiocommunication Bureau.

A group call is one of the basic functions of a dedicated mobile radio system. A group call is used, for example, in all operations involving more than one participant, especially when the entire group must keep abreast of developments. A group call is a conference call in which all participants can speak in sequence and hear each other. In a group call, the entire group is called through a public number. A single radio unit, such as a mobile unit or a wireless phone, that is, a subscriber station, can belong to several groups that are grouped into radio units. The programming can be fixed, but it can also be changed by the user of the mobile unit. The system stores information on the base stations involved in each group number. Group calls can cover one, several or all base stations in the service area of one or several mobile exchanges. When a group call is established, a traffic channel is assigned to all base stations involved in the group, and each of these base stations sends a group call message on the assigned traffic channel, which includes the group number and information. When the mobile unit recognizes the group number contained in the group call information, it will transfer to the communication path specified in the group call information. Therefore, as long as the mobile unit is located in the predetermined operating area of the group and it is not often used in another group call, the mobile unit can in principle be used for the group call.

In addition to system channels in mobile radio systems, radio systems can use direct mode channels, that is, their operation is in direct mode. The subscriber station communicating in the direct mode does not directly communicate with the radio network or its base station. The direct mode channel is a frequency division multiple access (FDMA) frequency or a time division multiple access (TDMA) time slot, and wireless telephone devices or other units can directly communicate with each other outside the system, or communicate with a system base station or other mobile units via a relay station.

In places far away from the base station that the system channel cannot be used, when many portable handheld phones communicate with each other, the direct mode channel is the typical method used in this type of situation.

Another important application of the direct mode channel is the expansion capability when the system's traffic is increasing rapidly (for example, in an accident) in a part of the system service area, such as a concentrated part of it.

A direct mode channel is called a simplex channel or simplex connection. A direct mode channel is a typical channel that cannot be used for system applications at all. For example, it may be a channel whose channel interval is equal to the channel interval of a mobile communication system, such as 12.5 kHz or 25 kHz. In a wireless telephone device that communicates on a direct mode channel, the transmitter tunes its transmitter to the channel and transmits voice or data information. Other wireless telephone devices using the direct mode channel can directly receive the transmitted information by tuning their receivers to the same channel.

Analog modulation or digital modulation can be used to operate on a direct mode channel. A wireless phone communicating on a channel can also transmit signaling information, such as information about user rights and priorities, or information about the group communicating on the channel, or data traffic. A direct mode channel can use encryption or transmit plaintext speech.

In a group call service typically used in a PMR system, since there are usually only two users talking and other users just want to listen, it is necessary to provide a general "free space" feature. In this case, the two users participating in the call can complete their conversation before the third user can interrupt the communication with his voice item, which is very attractive. In the prior art, there has not been any solution that can solve the above-mentioned problems for the operation of a mobile unit communicating on a direct mode channel.

The prior art solution still has a problem, that is, for the direct mode channel, there is no system that can use the following method to prioritize the start of the voice item of the mobile unit participating in a group call, so that, for example, two users who have just participated in the communication , Before a third user is given the right to speak, can have the opportunity to complete their conversation.

The following description uses the following conditions: a current user is the same user who spoke before the user was suspended. A suspending user is a user who suspends his speech right, that is, a user who suspends his voice item.

It is an object of the present invention to solve the problems existing in the prior art solutions. Therefore, the object of the present invention is to use the current user priority in a group call communicating in a direct mode channel. This means that the current user has priority in a group call on a direct mode channel.

This new method of allocating speech items is implemented by the method of the present invention, which is characterized in that it further comprises the following steps: send priority information from the second mobile unit of the direct mode channel, which indicates which one (some) is on the direct mode channel The mobile user has the priority to occupy the next speaking right, and in response to the priority information, the next speaking right is given to the mobile unit indicating the priority, and the transmission information of the mobile unit is sent during the next speaking right period.

A second embodiment of the present invention relates to a method for allocating a voice item to a mobile unit communicating on a direct mode channel. The method includes the following steps: sending out the first mobile unit's voice item on the direct mode channel. A transmission of a mobile unit, a second mobile unit gets the right to speak, and a transmission of the second mobile unit is issued during the voice item of the second mobile unit on the direct mode channel.

According to the second embodiment of the present invention, the method is characterized in that it further comprises the following steps: transmitting priority information from the second mobile unit of the direct mode channel, which indicates which mobile user(s) are on the direct mode channel Priority is given to the next speaking right, in response to the priority information, the next speaking right is given to the mobile unit indicating the priority, and the mobile unit's transmission information is sent during the next speaking right period.

The invention further relates to a mobile unit communicating on a direct mode channel, including a storage device, a transceiver and a control unit for controlling the operation of the mobile unit.

The mobile unit of the present invention is characterized in that it includes a controller device that controls the mobile unit, and operates in such a way that after the voice item of the second mobile unit is suspended, it can communicate with other mobile units on the direct mode channel. Prior to starting a voice item or applying for a speaking right.

The present invention is based on the current user priority idea, so that a speaker can get a new speaking right more quickly than other mobile units communicating on the direct mode channel. The purpose is to enable the speaker before the suspension of the speaker, if he wishes, to obtain a right to speak immediately after the suspension of the speech item of the suspended speaker, so there is no other speaker/mobile unit before such a current user Can get a right to speak.

The basis of the present invention is that the priority of the speaker before the suspension of the speaker (to obtain the next right to speak) is increased in such a way that it is easier for him to obtain a right to speak than other speakers. The current user priority can also be expanded to several voice items, so that not only the previous speaker but also one (or several) speakers before him are supported.

The idea of the present invention is to obtain a speech right after the speech item of the first mobile unit and suspend its speech item (ie give up its speech right) to the second mobile unit, add the following information to its transmission information, that is, when the speaker is suspended The previous speaker, that is, the first mobile unit, has priority to get the next speaker right. In response to this information, the first mobile unit, if it wants to, can get the next right to speak, and the other (third) mobile units on the direct mode channel that want to get the right to speak cannot speak to him by transmitting their voice items. Interfere. Obviously, the priority of the current user can be given to the previous (ie first) mobile unit or to several current users.

One of the advantages of the method and the radio unit of the present invention is that they eliminate the problem of the prior art solution, that is, when the next voice item is specified on a direct mode channel, the speaker before the suspended speaker has priority .

The present invention will be described in detail below, with reference to the following drawings, in which Figure 1 is a simplified state diagram of a user participating in a group call on a direct mode channel, and Figure 2 shows a radio on a direct mode channel according to the present invention. Fig. 3a and Fig. 3b are flowcharts showing the operation of a mobile unit to find a transmission right. Figs. 4a and 4b are flowcharts showing the method according to the present invention. Fig. 5 is in a direct mode according to the present invention. A block diagram of a mobile unit communicating on the channel.

Figure 1 is a simplified diagram of the state of a user participating in a group call. Users S1, S2, S3, using the mobile units involved in the present invention, belong to the same group call G1; other users participating in this group call are not listed. This group call is conducted in a direct mode channel DM. Users S1 and S2 join the group call in turn by voice, thus forming a conversation. According to the present invention, the two voice users S1 and S2 mainly allocate speech rights to each other in this way, so that the dialogue between the two users can be realized. User S3 wants to obtain a right to speak, but according to the present invention, the right to speak is only allocated between users S1 and S2. In this way, the user S3 is restricted until the dialogue between the users S1 and S2 ends, and the previous speaker has suspended his voice item before he can get a speaking right. The arrow 10 in the figure indicates the exchange of voice items between users S1 and S2, where the user S1 suspended according to the present invention adds the following information to the transmission of his voice items, namely the speaker S2 before the suspended speaker S1 Occupy the priority of the next call. In response to this information, the previous speaker S2, if desired, can take the next right to speak, and the other (third) mobile unit S3 that wants to talk on the direct mode channel cannot pass his application for the right to speak or voice. Item interferes with it.

Figure 2 shows the communication of radio units RU1, RU2, RU3 on a direct mode channel DM according to the invention. The radio unit can be a mobile unit, or any other entity provided by a radio device that can communicate on a direct mode channel. The radio unit can also be a relay station of a mobile communication system. In principle, the operation of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1. The method of the present invention can be implemented in the following ways: 1.) After each new voice item is terminated, the calculator of the mobile unit is added up, which is illustrated in Figure 3, and 2.) The speaker is terminated by clear The addressing indicates which user(s) has the next right to speak on the direct mode channel, which will be explained in Figure 4.

Figures 3a and 3b show a flow chart of the method of the present invention. A current user priority counter constructed in the mobile unit is used here. In this way, the mobile unit has a record of how much speech right has been occupied since the mobile unit took the first speech right. The method of operation of this method is that when the next voice item is allocated, the mobile unit that suspends its voice item adds information about how many current users have priority to its transmission.

In this embodiment of the present invention, the counter is optional, and its process is as follows. Whenever a mobile unit relinquishes a speaking right, such as suspending speaking and possibly stopping pressing the "Push to Talk" (PTT) switch, it will reset it. The priority counter (refer to Figure 5) is set to an initial value, such as 1. Whenever another mobile unit has the right to speak and starts to speak, the value of the counter increases. When a message informs the mobile unit that another mobile unit has relinquished its right to speak, the counter may also increase accordingly. Or it is called that the mobile unit suspends its voice item, that is, when it relinquishes its right to speak, it informs other mobile units of this fact during transmission. The mobile units transmission may also include an application to other mobile units for a right to speak. The method is that when two previous speakers will be given the right to speak, that is, when they will have priority, this command only applies to those A mobile unit whose priority counter has a given value, such as 1 or 2, gives a priority to a speaking right. Of course, the abandonment information can include any priority parameter value, depending on how close or far the previous mobile unit will be prioritized.

In this method, the mobile unit of the suspended user indicates to other mobile units how many current users have priority. Typically, only one current user/mobile unit has priority. However, this method can also grant privileges to several previous mobile units. It is worth noting that the information on how many current users have priority, which is included in the suspension of the speakers transmission, can also be used as a specific parameter of a direct mode channel.

When a current user wants to speak after the speech item is suspended, the mobile unit must be notified, even before the abandonment of the speaker's speech item is suspended. One way of displaying is to press the "push to talk" switch in the mobile unit whose user wants to get the next right to speak.

A mobile unit that is looking for a transmission right will store the information about how much speech right has been occupied after it issued its transmission for the last time as the relevant voice item of the group call. If this mobile unit specifically transmitted a previous voice item, the current user counter parameter of the mobile unit is 1.

Using the starting position of the first random access frame and the current user counter of the mobile unit trying to transmit, the transmitting position can be calculated.

If all previous launch positions have not been used, the mobile unit can start launching. The mobile unit is determined by receiving a confirmation message sent from the suspended mobile unit. If there is no confirmation message from the suspended mobile unit or the confirmation is negative, the mobile unit starts to issue an application for a speaking right in the normal way (first attempt).

The flowchart shown in Figs. 3a and 3b illustrates the operation 301 of a mobile unit RU searching for a transmission right. The mobile unit receives communications at 302 on a direct mode channel. At the same time, the mobile unit RU monitors at 303 whether the current user's voice item is about to be suspended. If this voice item has not ended, the operation of the mobile unit will go to the previous step 302, and the mobile unit will continue to receive communications. Conversely, if the voice item is suspended, the mobile unit RU checks at 305 whether its user has applied for a speaking right. If there is no application, namely 306, the mobile unit RU waits at 307 for the user's voice item or the start of communication. In the next step 310, it will be checked whether it is exercising or creating user priority. Conversely, if it is found in step 310 that the user has not applied for a speaking right, namely 311, it will be checked in the next step 312 whether the communication has started. If the answer is negative, the operation of this method goes from 313 to step 307, that is, waiting for the start of the user's voice item or communication. Conversely, if the communication starts, the current user counter is incremented by one step.

If in step 310 the user has applied for a speaking right, namely 315, the method continues to step 316, which is to check whether the present invention is exercising or creating the current user priority. If the answer is negative, the method continues to step 317, that is, the first starting position is set to the same transmitting position of the first application for the right to speak, and the number of current users is appended. The first starting position can also be set to be higher than the above-mentioned value, that is, higher than the sum of the transmitting position of the first application for one speaking right and the number of current users. Thereafter, 318 adopts the normal first trial procedure of this method.

On the contrary, if it has been found in step 316 that the current user priority is exercised or established according to the present invention, that is, step 319, the method continues to step 320. In this step, it is checked whether the number of current users is higher than or equal to the value of the current user counter. If the answer is negative, the operation of the method continues to step 317, from where the method proceeds to the first trial program through step 318. Conversely, if the number of current users in 322 is higher than the value of the current user counter in 320, the transmission position of an application for the right to speak in step 323 will be set to the transmission position of the first application for the right to speak and the current user counter The sum of the values. After that, it will wait for the next launch position in step 325. Then, in step 326, the launch position of an application for the right to speak is checked. If the position is incorrect, that is, step 327, the method continues to step 324, which is to check whether the communication has started. Conversely, if the launch position is correct, an application for the right to speak is issued in step 330 using the alternate launch position, and thereafter, in step 331, it is checked whether a positive confirmation from the suspended mobile unit RU has arrived. If the answer is negative, 332, the operation of this method continues to step 317, which is to set the starting position of the first attempt. Conversely, if the confirmation from the suspended mobile unit RU is positive, the method continues to step 333, where the mobile unit sends out its transmission. After that, the method continues to step 334, which is to check whether there is a voice item from the user to terminate the application. If there is no voice item from the user to terminate the application, that is, step 315, the operation of this method goes to step 333, that is, the communication is initiated. Conversely, if a voice item suspension application from the user arrives, the operation of this method will continue from step 336, that is, the mobile unit that has given up the right to speak will pass priority information to other mobile units communicating on the direct mode channel, where this information In this case, other mobile units will be told that if their current user counter value is 1, they can try to get the next right to speak. The value 1 is a typical value that gives priority to the speaker who immediately has the right to speak before suspending the user. Of course, the priority parameter can also be set to other values to show that another current user or more than one current user has priority.

The flowcharts shown in Figures 4a and 4b show another method according to the present invention. This method utilizes explicit addressing when a suspended speaker assigns a voice item to a mobile unit that wants the next right to speak.

In this embodiment, the procedure is that when a mobile unit receives a clear indication from its user that the user wants to get the next speaking right, the mobile unit stores the identifier of the current user (mobile user). When the user subsequently terminates his voice item, the mobile unit sends a reminder to the current user during its transmission. According to this prompt, it can be obtained if the current user wants to have the right to speak.

In this method, if the user suspends his voice item, the suspending user, that is, the mobile unit RU, clearly displays the address of the current user.

When the current user wants to speak after the voice item, it must be displayed to the mobile unit RU before the voice item is suspended. In Figure 4, it is shown in step 408, that is, it is checked whether the user has applied for a speaking right. If the current user wants a right to speak, he can send out his signal by pressing his PTT button.

If the address of the mobile unit RU is the same as the address of the previous mobile unit (the current user) that transmitted the voice item of the suspended mobile unit RU, this mobile unit may get a speech right reserved for the previous mobile unit.

The transmission position is counted using the start position of the first random access frame.

If there is no confirmation from the suspended mobile unit RU or the confirmation is negative, the mobile unit RU will start an application for a speaking right in a general manner according to the above-mentioned first trial procedure.

Steps 401-415 in the flowcharts of Figures 4a and 4b correspond to steps 301-319 in Figures 3a and 3b. In FIGS. 4a and 4b, if it is found in step 412 that the current user priority is exercised or established in the mobile unit that was speaking during the previous right to speak, then the method continues to step 416. In this case, it is checked at step 416 whether the address of the current user is the same as the address of the mobile unit itself. If they are not the same, the operation of this method continues from step 417 to step 413, the content of which has been described in step 317 in the flowchart of FIG. 3a. Conversely, if the current user's address is the same as the address of the mobile unit itself, the operation of this method continues to step 418, that is, the mobile unit sends an application for suspending the mobile unit's right to speak, and the suspending unit has sent a message to indicate its The suspension of the launch. In the next step 419, the mobile unit that wants to obtain a right to speak will monitor whether there is a message from the suspending unit about the mobile unit that wants to speak, and the affirmative confirmation of an application for the right to speak has arrived. If the confirmation is negative, that is, step 420, or if the confirmation is not reached, the operation of the method continues to step 413, the content of which is as described above, and from this step to the first trial procedure. Conversely, if the confirmation from the suspended mobile unit is affirmative, the operation of the method continues to step 421, that is, the mobile unit stores the address of the previous (suspended) speaker and starts transmitting, that is, it has the right to speak. As long as the user of this mobile unit does not give a voice item to suspend the application, step 423, press the PTT button, the mobile unit will send out its transmission, that is, maintain its right to speak, when a voice from the user of the mobile unit When the item suspension application arrives, that is, when the user releases the PTT button, if the current user priority is exercised or created, in step 424 the mobile unit transmits the priority information to the direct mode by adding the current users address to the transmitter. Other mobile units communicating on the channel.

When operating according to another embodiment of the present invention, the procedure is that the priority information is the voice item identifier information to represent the identifier of one or more previous voice items, and the speakers of these previous voice items have the ability to get the next one. Priority of the right to speak. The voice item identifier information is compared in the mobile unit that has received the priority information with the information stored in the mobile unit about the voice item identifier information that the mobile unit has. If the comparison shows that the mobile unit has priority to occupy the next speaking right, and the user of the mobile unit has indicated that he needs the next speaking right, the mobile unit can occupy the next speaking right, Unless another mobile unit that shows priority has reserved the next speaking right in advance.

Figure 5 is a block diagram of a mobile unit 500 communicating on a direct mode channel, that is, a wireless telephone device used by a user, a mobile unit, or a subscriber station. The task of the radio transceiver (TX/RX) 501 is to tune to the radio channel used in various situations. The radio transceiver 501 includes an antenna 502 connected to a radio wave path RP. Radio frequencies between 60 MHz and 1000 MHz (VHF and UHF bands) are generally used, although other frequencies can also be used. Analog modulation can be used on the radio wave path RP, and the modulation method is usually phase modulation. Other modulation methods can also be used. For example, an audio frequency subcarrier (FFSK) can be used for signal transmission. The radio wave path can also be transmitted digitally. The mobile unit can use the uplink/downlink frequency of the direct mode channel and communicate on this basis.

The user interface 505 includes electro-acoustic conversion devices, typically a headset 506 and a microphone 507 and possible buttons for starting and stopping calls and dialing. Since in the trunk system, especially on a direct mode channel, it is advantageous to communicate in a simplex manner on a radio wave path RP, usually the handset also has a push-to-talk (PTT) button, which must be pressed during the speech item. The push-to-talk key is not shown in Figure 7.

The task of the control unit 503 is to control the operation of the mobile unit. The control unit 503 has a channel leading to the user interface 505, from where it can obtain the start and end pulses of a call, for example. The control unit 503 may also send audio signals or video signals related to wireless telephone devices and/or mobile radio systems to the user through the user interface 505.

The control unit 503 is connected to the radio transceiver TX/RX 501. The channel used by the radio transceiver is determined by the control unit 503. This accidentally tunes the radio transceiver 501 to the channel determined by the control unit 503, that is, the radio frequency, and the appropriate time slot. The mobile unit of the present invention can be tuned to the uplink and downlink channels (frequency) of a direct mode channel and a system channel, and to an expected time slot on a channel. The radio transceiver 501 is also converted under the control of the control unit 503. The control unit 503 receives and transmits signal information through the radio transceiver 501. For example, a mobile unit communicating on a direct mode channel according to the present invention is also used in a radio system that includes a radio communication network. The radio communication network includes at least one base station and some subscriber stations, and may have one or Multiple relay/gateway stations that transmit information between at least one base station and subscriber stations communicating on direct mode channels.

The mobile unit communicating on a direct mode channel includes a storage device 510, a radio transceiver 501 and a control unit 503 for controlling the operation of the mobile unit.

According to the present invention, a mobile unit RU1, RU2, 500 (FIG. 5) includes a control device 516 for controlling the mobile unit RU1, so that the mobile unit RU1 operates in such a way that it obtains priority before other mobile units RU3 communicating on the direct mode channel Right to start a voice item or apply for a speaking right after the voice item of a second mobile unit RU2 is suspended.

The mobile unit according to the present invention is characterized in that the operation mode of the controller device 516 for controlling the operation of the mobile unit RU1 is suitable for giving priority to the first mobile unit RU1 so that it is in the position of the second mobile unit RU2. Within a predetermined period of time before the termination of the voice item, start a voice item or apply for a speaking right.

The mobile unit RU1,500 (FIG. 5) of the present invention further includes an adder device 517. When the mobile unit RU1 relinquishes its previous speaking right, it adds the following information to the transmission of the mobile unit RU1. This information indicates that the mobile unit RU1 RU1 needs to have priority, so that after the voice item of the second mobile unit RU2 that has occupied the next speaking right is suspended, a voice item is started or an application for a speaking right is immediately started.

The mobile unit of the present invention further includes a transmitting device for transmitting priority information, which indicates which mobile unit(s) has priority, and applies for a speaking right on the direct mode channel.

The mobile unit of the present invention further includes a priority counter 512. The value displayed on the counter indicates the number of speech rights occupied by other mobile units after the voice item of the mobile unit.

In the mobile unit of the present invention, the transmitting device can insert the priority parameter value into the priority information to indicate how many current speakers have priority.

The mobile unit of the present invention further includes a comparator device 513 for comparing the priority parameter value contained in the priority information received by the mobile unit with the priority parameter value stored in the priority counter 512 of the mobile unit in step 320 In response to the above comparison, if the above comparison shows that the mobile unit has the priority to obtain the next speaking right, the mobile unit is guided to obtain the next speaking right, unless another mobile unit shows that it has the priority The next speaking right has been reserved in advance.

Moreover, the transmitter device in the predetermined unit can insert the identifier of the mobile unit into the priority information according to which of the previous mobile units obtains the next speaking right.

The mobile unit of the present invention further includes a voice item initiating device 514, which responds to the identifier of the first mobile unit contained in the priority information sent by the second mobile unit RU2, so that the mobile unit can get the next speech right.

Another feature of the mobile unit of the present invention is that the transmitter device 511 can include voice item identifier information in the priority information to indicate that the speaker has the priority of the next voice. The identifier of the item.

The mobile unit of the present invention further includes a comparator device 515 for combining the voice item identifier information contained in the priority information received by the mobile unit and the information about the mobile unit stored in the mobile unit. The information of the identifier of the occupied speaking right is compared, and in response to the above comparison, if the above comparison shows that the mobile unit has the priority of obtaining the next speaking right, the mobile unit is guided to obtain the next speaking right, unless another It is shown that the mobile unit possessing the priority has reserved the next speaking right in advance.

The illustrations and descriptions about them are only used to illustrate the idea of the present invention. The method and mobile unit for allocating voice items to mobile units communicating on a direct mode channel according to the present invention can vary in details within the scope of the claims. Although in the above we have mainly described the present invention with the PMR mobile unit as the background, the present invention can also be applied in combination with other wireless phones or other mobile units or mobile phones.