Radio channel-change warning

A method and apparatus for providing a channel-change warning is provided herein. During operation a radio will alert a user if the user rotates a knob that controls channel/talkgroup in a clockwise manner when the radio is in a noisy environment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

First responders in stressful or hazardous situations might trigger the wrong user interface (e.g. buttons or knobs). With current devices being voice centric, users in stressful situations might not rely on visual cues and may not be aware of the mistake. This accidental or mistaken use will take time to correct, and might even bring danger to mission critical users.

Consider the Example of a police officer in a dark and noisy place, the police officer turns a knob to turn up the volume on his device, but instead engages the wrong knob and changes the device's channel. As is evident, such a scenario will take time to correct, and might even bring danger to the officer. Therefore, a need exists for a method and apparatus for providing a warning to the officer that a possible error was made when changing the channel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In order to address the above-mentioned need, a method and apparatus for providing a channel-change warning is provided herein. During operation a radio will alert a user if the user rotates a knob that controls channel/talkgroup in a clockwise manner when the radio is in a noisy environment.

Expanding on the above, a radio will continuously monitor the environment and determine how noisy (for example in decibels(dBs)) the environment is. When the radio is within a noisy environment (e.g., above a predetermined threshold, for example 60 dBs) a user may attempt to increase a volume of the radio by turning the volume-control knob clockwise (clockwise when viewed from above). Instead, the user may turn the channel/talkgroup select knob instead. Therefore, when in a noisy environment, any clockwise rotation to the channel/talkgroup-change knob will cause the radio to provide a warning to the user while changing the channel/talkgroup.

In an alternate embodiment of the present invention, the warning is provided to the user only when the user has recently transitioned to the noisy environment. For example, only when the user has transitioned to a noisy environment within the last 5 seconds.

In one embodiment the warning comprises a visual warning on a display. For example, the display may flash a warning “TALKGROUP BEING CHANGED”. In another embodiment, an audible warning is provided, for example, a tone may be played from a speaker on the radio. In yet another embodiment, a haptic feedback to the knob may provide the warning. More particularly, the knob may provide a vibration to the user as part of the warning as described in US2015/0199012, entitled METHOD ANDAPPARATUS FORPROVIDING AHAPTICFEEDBACK TO AROTARYKNOB.

FIG. 1illustrates device100having multiple rotary knobs102and103. As shown, device100also comprises graphical user interface (GUI)107and speaker/microphone108. In a preferred embodiment, GUI107comprises a man-machine interface such as a touch-screen. Speaker/microphone combination108comprises a standard speaker for outputting audio and a standard microphone for receiving audio (voice). More particularly, speaker108converts an electrical signal generated from an active application to human-audible sound waves and microphone108converts sound waves to electrical signals for transmission.

Rotary knobs102and103allow the user to directly manipulate functions and settings of device100. Knobs102and103are approximately cylindrical, however alternatively be implemented as a variety of different objects, including conical shapes, spherical shapes, dials, cubical shapes, rods, etc., and may have a variety of different textures on their surfaces, including bumps, lines, or other grips, or projections or members extending from the circumferential surface.

During operation, a user preferably grips or contacts the circumferential surface of knob102and rotates it a desired amount to activate various functions. A first knob102/103controls a volume of speaker108.

A second knob102/103controls a channel/talkgroup of device100. More particularly, in a two-way radio system, each PTT radio typically communicates with one group of radios (talkgroup) at a time. Even though a radio may switch between talkgroups, the radio may still only be able to communicate with a single talkgroup at a time. For example, a firefighter may be affiliated with or using a firefighter talkgroup and a police officer may be affiliated with or using a police talkgroup. Talkgroups outside of those currently listened to by a radio will not be heard by other radios or consoles. Thus, a radio speaker will only output audio from a talkgroup associated with the radio, and the radio's transmission will only be heard by those communicating on a same talkgroup.

Instead of assigning, for example, a radio channel to one particular organization (group) at a time, users are instead assigned to a logical grouping, a “talkgroup”. When any user in that group wishes to converse with another user in the talkgroup, a vacant radio channel is found automatically by the system and the conversation takes place on that channel. Many unrelated conversations can occur on a channel, making use of the otherwise idle time between conversations. A knob102/103is provided, the rotation of which switches between channels/talkgroups.

FIG. 2is a more-detailed block diagram of the radio ofFIG. 1. As shown, radio100comprises display107, knob102(only one of two knobs are shown inFIG. 2), microprocessor (logic circuitry)203, and speaker201.

Logic circuitry203comprises a digital signal processor (DSP), general purpose microprocessor, a programmable logic device, or application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) and is utilized to provide the functionality described below.

Knob102includes an internal sensor (not shown) as knobn in the art to provide position and rotational direction information (clockwise/counter clockwise) to logic circuitry203to communicate knob position for selection of channels/talkgroups. Since the knob is preferably a continuous rotational device having an infinite range of rotational motion, an encoder, rather than continuous turn potentiometer, is a suitable sensor due to the encoder's accuracy and lower errors when transitioning between maximum and minimum values. Other types of sensors can, of course, be used in other embodiments, including magnetic sensors, analog potentiometers, etc.

Microphone202converts sound waves to electrical signals, and provides the signals to processor203.

Display107provides a man/machine interface for receiving an input from a user and displaying information. For example, display107may provide a way of conveying (e.g., displaying) information received from processor203. Part of this information may comprise a warning that a channel/talkgroup has been changed. In order to provide the above features (and additional features), display107may comprise any combination of a touch screen, a computer screen, or any other interface to provide information to the user.

Speaker201converts electrical signals provided to it from logic circuitry203into an audible output. The audible output may be a warning to a user that a channel/talkgroup change has occurred.

During operation, knob102outputs an angle of rotation to logic circuitry203. from the angle of rotation, logic circuitry203can infer if knob102has been rotated in a clockwise fashion.

Microphone202continuously monitors the audible environment and provides this information to logic circuitry203. From this information, microprocessor203can infer how noisy the environment is, and additionally, if any transition was made from a non-noisy to a noisy environment.

In a first embodiment of the present invention, when logic circuitry203determines that a noisy environment exists, and when knob102has been rotated in a clockwise fashion, logic circuitry causes a warning to be issued to the user that a channel change has occurred. As discussed above, the warning may comprise an audible warning output to speaker201, a visual warning output to display107, or a combination of both.

In a second embodiment of the present invention, when logic circuitry203determines that a transition to a noisy environment has been made, and when knob102has been rotated in a clockwise fashion, logic circuitry causes a warning to be issued to the user that a channel change has occurred. As discussed above, the warning may comprise an audible warning output to speaker201, a visual warning output to display107, or a combination of both. It should be noted that a “transition” to a noisy environment encompasses radio100moving from a non-noisy environment (noise below a threshold) to a noisy environment (noise above a threshold) within a predetermined period of time (e.g., the last 5 seconds).

In the second embodiment of the present invention, clock, or timer204is provided. When a transition is detected to a noisy environment, logic circuitry203will access timer to determine how long it has been since the transition was made to the noisy environment. Warnings will only be provided if a clockwise motion has been detected on the channel/talkgroup selection knob within a predetermined time period of transitioning to the noisy environment (e.g., 10 seconds).

The apparatus100, shown inFIG. 1andFIG. 2comprises a microphone configured to detect noise, a volume-control knob, a talkgroup/channel selection knob, a speaker, and logic circuitry. The logic circuitry is configured to detect when the noise is above a threshold, and also detect when the talkgroup/channel selection knob is rotated in a clockwise fashion and warn the user that the talkgroup/channel selection knob is rotated when the noise is above the threshold and the talkgroup/channel selection knob is rotated in a clockwise fashion.

As discussed above, a graphical-user interface may be provided, and the warning may comprise a message on the graphical-user interface. Alternatively, the warning may comprise an audible warning on the speaker.

The logic circuitry can also be configured to determine that a recent transition occurred from a non-noisy to a noisy environment, and wherein the warning is provided to the user only when the recent transition has occurred. When this is the situation, the apparatus100shown inFIG. 1andFIG. 2comprises a microphone configured to detect noise, a volume-control knob, a talkgroup/channel selection knob, a speaker, a timer, a graphical-user interface, and logic circuitry. The logic circuitry is configured to access the microphone to detect when the noise is above a threshold, access the talkgroup/channel selection knob to detect when the talkgroup/channel selection knob is rotated in a clockwise fashion, access the timer to determine a time period since the noise transitioned above the threshold, and warn the user that the talkgroup/channel selection knob is rotated when the noise is above the threshold and the time period is below a threshold, and the talkgroup/channel selection knob is rotated in a clockwise fashion.

FIG. 3is a flow chart showing operation of device100. The logic flow begins at step301where logic circuitry203accesses microphone202and determines that a noise level is above a predetermined threshold. At step303logic circuitry203accesses channel/talkgroup selection knob102and determines that the knob has been rotated in a clockwise manner. At step305, logic circuitry203provides a warning to a user based on the channel/talkgroup selection knob being rotated in a clockwise manner and the noise level being above the predetermined threshold.

As discussed above, the warning comprises a message on graphical-user interface (display)107, or the warning may comprise an audible warning output from logic circuitry203to speaker201.

Those skilled in the art will further recognize that references to specific implementation embodiments such as “circuitry” may equally be accomplished via either on general purpose computing apparatus (e.g., CPU) or specialized processing apparatus (e.g., DSP) executing software instructions stored in non-transitory computer-readable memory. It will also be understood that the terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary technical meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions by persons skilled in the technical field as set forth above except where different specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein.

The term “one of” when applied herein to two or more subsequently defined options such as “one of A and B” should be construed to mean any combination of any one of the options in the list alone (e.g., A alone or B alone) or any combination of two or more of the options, or all of the options, in the list together (e.g., A and B together).′