Communications interface adapter

{
  "publication_number": "US6480723B1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B1",
  "title": "Communications interface adapter",
  "abstract": "A communications interface adapter facilitates both wired and wireless communications between crew members of a vehicle having a wired intercom and has an intercom communications circuit having an input/output port for providing electrical communication between the interface adapter and the wired intercom and also has a fixed radio transceiver. The fixed radio transceiver comprises a receive circuit for receiving radio communications and for communicating the received radio communications via the intercom communications circuit to the wired intercom of the vehicle and a transmit circuit for transmitting communications received via the intercom communication circuit from the wired intercom of the vehicle. A crew member is provided wired communications with the wired intercom when the crew member's headset is in electrical communication with the wired intercom and is provided wireless communications with the wired intercom via the fixed radio transceiver and the crew member's portable radio transceiver when the crew member's headset is not in electrical communication with the wired intercom.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A communications interface adapter in communication with first and second antennas for providing full duplex communication between multiple users having radio transceivers, the communications interface adapter comprising: a) first and second mount connectors, the first mount connector being in communication with the first antenna, the second mount connector being in communication with the second antenna; b) a radio receiver for receiving a plurality of wireless radio communications by activating the second antenna when the adapter is in a reception mode of operation; c) a multiplexer for multiplexing the plurality of wireless radio communications to form a composite signal therefrom to facilitate simultaneous communication of the plurality of wireless radio communications to the radio transceivers; and d) a radio transmitter for transmitting the composite signal by activating the first and second antennas together when the adapter is in a transmission mode of operation, wherein each of the radio transceivers receive the plurality of wireless radio communications embedded therein.",
    "2. The communications interface adapter as recited in claim 1, wherein the multiplexer comprises a summer for summing the plurality of wireless radio communications together.",
    "3. The communications interface adapter as recited in claim 1, wherein the multiplexer is configured to sum the plurality of wireless radio communications over a predetermined time interval.",
    "4. The communications interface adapter as recited in claim 1 wherein: a) the radio receiver is configured to receive a plurality of wireless audio signals; and b) the multiplexer is configured to multiplex the plurality of wireless audio signals into a composite audio signal.",
    "5. The communications interface adapter as recited in claim 1 wherein: a) the radio receiver is configured to receive at least one wireless audio signal and at least one wireless data signal; and b) the multiplexer is configured to multiplex the at least one wireless audio signal and the at least one wireless data signal into a composite audio/data signal.",
    "6. A communications system having first and second antennas for facilitating full duplex communication within a transceiver network defined by a plurality of transceivers via a communications interface adapter, the communications system comprising: a plurality of transceivers defining a transceiver network; and a communications interface adapter interfacing the transceiver network to communicate signals therebetween in full duplex communication mode, the communications interface adapter having a first mount connector in communication with the first antenna and a second mount connector in communication with the second antenna, the communications interface adapter being operative to receive signals from the plurality of transceivers by activating the second antenna when placed in a reception mode, the communications interface adapter further being operative to form a composite signal therefrom for simultaneous communication to the plurality of transceivers by activating the first and second antennas together when placed in a transmission mode, wherein each of the transceivers receive signals embedded therein.",
    "7. The communications system of claim 6 wherein the communications interface adapter comprises a receiver for receiving the signals from the plurality of transceivers.",
    "8. The communications system of claim 6 wherein the communications interface adapter comprises a multiplexer for multiplexing the signals to form the composite signal therefrom.",
    "9. The communications system of claim 6 wherein the communications interface adapter comprises a transmitter for transmitting the composite signal to the plurality of transceivers.",
    "10. The communications system of claim 8 wherein the multiplexer comprises a summer for summing the signals together.",
    "11. The communications system of claim 8 wherein the multiplexer is configured to sum the signals over a predetermined time interval.",
    "12. The communications system of claim 6 wherein the communications interface adapter comprises: a receiver operative to receive audio signals from the plurality of transceivers; and a multiplexer operative to multiplex the audio signals into a composite audio signal.",
    "13. The communications system of claim 6 wherein the communications interface adapter comprises: a receiver operative to receive at least one audio signal and at least one data signal from the plurality of transceivers; and a multiplexer operative to multiplex the at least one audio signal and the at lest one data signal into a composite audio/data signal."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention relates generally to telecommunications and more particularly to a communications interface adapter for facilitating both wired and wireless communications between crew members of a vehicle having a wired intercom.\n\nWired intercoms for facilitating communications between crew members of military vehicles such as tanks and armored personnel carriers are well known. Such contemporary wired intercom systems comprise a wired communications system within the vehicle itself, as well as headsets which must be worn by the crew members and plugged into the wired intercom system of the vehicle.\n\nHowever, those skilled in the art will appreciate that such wired intercom systems possess the inherent limitation of being unusable by a crew member who is physically disconnected, i.e., not plugged into, the wired intercom system of the vehicle. Thus, when it is necessary for a crew member to bail out or leave the vehicle, that crew member can no longer communicate directly with the vehicle wired intercom system according to such contemporary technology.\n\nIn an effort to mitigate the problems associated with bailing out of a vehicle, crew members may be provided with two-way walkie-talkies or radio transceivers. However, as those skilled in the art will appreciate, such radio transceivers do not communicate directly with the wired intercom system of the vehicle, but rather communicate only with a radio transceiver of the vehicle, typically operated by a radioman or other crew member.",
  "cpc": [
    "H04B 1/38"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "H04B 1/38"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Northrop Grumman Corp"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Steven Frederic Davidson",
    "Daniel Gerard Maglaya",
    "Donald A. Sofia",
    "Stuart John Collar",
    "Jeffrey Jay Stone"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2000-08-28",
  "publication_date": "2002-11-12",
  "grant_date": "2002-11-12",
  "priority_date": "1998-05-15",
  "application_number": "US-64920500-A",
  "family_id": "22152736",
  "cited_by_count": 53,
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