Abstract:
A communications system having a plurality of radio communication modes with an audio component, the audio component of the radio communication modes being controlled through an audio panel, and a radiotelephony mode with an audio component being controlled by a radiotelephony device, the audio component of the radiotelephony mode having an audio input for supplying audio to the radiotelephony device. The radiotelephony audio component is integrated with the audio panel, by providing an interface between the audio panel and the radiotelephony device, coupling the audio input of the radiotelephony mode to the audio panel, and directing the audio input of the radiotelephony mode to the interface, the interface coupling the audio input of the radiotelephony mode to the radiotelephony device.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/324,035, filed Sep. 20, 2001. 
     
    
     
       TECHNICAL FIELD  
         [0002]    The present invention relates to an aircraft communications system, and more particularly to a telephony communications system.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Aircraft telephony communications systems are systems that allow an aircraft crewmember to place telephone calls through a ground based telephone system such as a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). Thus a crew member may place telephone calls to ground based telephone customers or mobile telephone customers similarly as a person on the ground may place a call to another terrestrial user.  
           [0004]    In present aircraft telephony systems there exists a radio link between the aircraft and the terrestrial PSTN system. One such link may be through a SatCom digital radio system that accesses terrestrial PSTN through communications satellites. Another possible link is through a conventional Flight Phone system as is employed in many commercial aircraft today, that may have either an analog or a digital radio link to the PSTN.  
           [0005]    In order for a crewmember to place a telephone call through the PSTN, typically either the crewmember must remove his headset and utilize a separate telephone handset with a separate control apparatus for, for example, dialing a desired number, or he accesses the radio link to the PSTN through a Multifunction Control and Display Unit (MCDU). The MCDU is a common on-board system that performs many aircraft functions including flight plan management, communications, and the like. An MCDU has a display screen, which may be a CRT, LCD, flat panel display, or other suitable display and an associated control panel consisting of keypads and switches to select the various functions performed by the unit. To place a telephone call through a PSTN, a crewmember must select the telephone function on the MCDU and, using a keypad or other selection mechanism, usually on the MCDU, select or dial the desired number. After selecting the function and number, the crewmember must select the proper function (telephone) on an audio panel to initiate the call. Since the MCDU and the audio panel are usually not conterminously located, the crewmember is required to divert his attention unnecessarily from device to device, thus increasing the workload on the crewmember.  
           [0006]    Consequently, it would be desirable to provide a system in which all, or virtually all, audio related functions may be controlled through a single control point, such as the audio panel.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    In a communications system having a plurality of radio communication modes with an audio component, the audio component of the radio communication modes being controlled through an audio panel, and a radiotelephony mode with an audio component being controlled by a radiotelephony device, the audio component of the radiotelephony mode having an audio input for supplying audio to the radiotelephony device the invention comprises a method for integrating the radiotelephony audio component with the audio panel, by providing an interface between the audio panel and the radiotelephony device, coupling the audio input of the radiotelephony mode to the audio panel, and directing the audio input of the radiotelephony mode to the interface, the interface coupling the audio input of the radiotelephony mode to the radiotelephony device. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    The present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawing figures, where:  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 1 shows a generalized block diagram of an aircraft telephony system.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 2 shows a detailed block diagram of one implementation of the aircraft telephony system of the instant invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0011]    The following detailed description of preferred embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the invention or the application and uses of the invention.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 1 shows a generalized block diagram of an aircraft telephony system  100  in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. The cockpit telephony system comprises an audio panel  102  having a telephony control panel  104  as illustrated in the enlarged view. An aircraft operator (not shown) located within the cockpit  106  of the aircraft can initiate and control a communication session between the cockpit  106  and a communication device  108  connected to a Public Switched Telephone Network  110 .  
         [0013]    In this embodiment of the invention, the audio panel  102  comprises a plurality of buttons or switches  112 ,  114 ,  116 ,  118 ,  120 , and  122  for selecting the particular radio the audio of which it is desired to hear through the earphones  124  of a headset  126  worn by the pilot or a crewmember of the aircraft. The headset  126  also has a microphone  128  through which the crewmember can provide audio input to the audio panel. Each of the switches  112 - 122  selects one of the radios on board the aircraft, which may include a first communications radio (not shown) selected by switch  112  for communicating with other communications radios whether airborne, terrestrial, or satellite. Likewise, a second communications radio (not shown) may be selected by switch  114 . Switches  116  and  118  may select first and second navigation radios (not shown) and switch  120  may select another navigation radio such as an Automatic Direction Finder (ADF). These navigation radios may be selected so that a crewmember may listen on his headset to the audio identifier of the navigation facility to which the radio is tuned to verify that the navigation radio is, in fact, properly tuned and the navigation facility is operative. Switch  122  may select a telephony communications radio whereby the crewmember may communicate through his headset with a terrestrial Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).  
         [0014]    As previously noted, typically in order for a crewmember to place a telephone call through a PSTN, either the crewmember must remove his headset and utilize a separate telephone handset with a separate control apparatus for, for example, dialing a desired number, or he accesses the radio link to the PSTN through a Multifunction Control and Display Unit (MCDU). To place a telephone call through a PSTN, a crewmember must select the telephone function on the MCDU and, using a keypad or other selection mechanism, usually on the MCDU, select or dial the desired number. After selecting the function and number, the crewmember must select the proper function (telephone) on an audio panel to initiate the call. Since the MCDU and the audio panel are usually not conterminously located, the crewmember is required to divert his attention unnecessarily from device to device, thus increasing the workload on the crewmember.  
         [0015]    By integrating the audio of the telephony system into the audio panel  102 , and incorporating a telephone keypad  104  into the audio panel, a crewmember may now use his usual communications headset  126  to provide audio input to the audio panel 102 . Since the audio panel  102  also has integrated therewith a telephone keypad having a dialing mechanism and the required function keys, the audio panel may be interfaced to an audio controller  132  which converts the signals from the audio panel to the appropriate signals to drive a telephony device  134  which includes a transceiver for communicating with the PSTN  110 .  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of another embodiment of the invention. In this case, an audio panel  202  is provided and an expansion bus  204  couples the audio panel to a cell pad  206 , the function of which is to provide the necessary telephonic control functions such as dialing the phone number and initiating the telephone call. The expansion bus  204  also couples the audio panel  202  to other control panels  208 , such that the audio of other radios  242  may be controlled by the audio panel. The audio panel itself has a series of buttons or switches  210 ,  212 ,  214 ,  216 , and  218  for selecting one of the radios  242  the audio of which it is desired to hear through the earpieces  124  of a headset  126 . The headset  126  also has a microphone  128 .  
         [0017]    The audio panel  202  additionally has a switch  220  which is used to select the telephony system as will be discussed below. On the audio panel there is also a display  222  and a selection knob or switch  224  the functions of which will be explained below.  
         [0018]    An audio processor  226  is coupled to the audio panel  202  by a microphone (mic) bus  228 . The mic bus  228  carries audio and control information between the audio panel  202  and the audio processor  226 . For example, audio input to the audio panel  202  by the microphone  128  of headset  126  is carried to the audio processor  226  and then either to a selected one of the other radios  242  or to the telephony device  230  in the event that the phone switch  220  is selected.  
         [0019]    A telephony device  230  is coupled to the audio processor  226  by a bus  231  which carries audio and discrete signaling such as “off hook”, “ring”, etc. between the audio processor and the telephony device  230 . The telephony device  230  comprises interfaces to phones on the aircraft  232 , such as phones used by cabin crewmembers and “flight phones” that may be used by passengers on the aircraft to place telephone calls through a terrestrial PSTN to other telephones on the PSTN network. Telephony device  230  also comprises a radiotelephony transceiver to which the phones  232  are interfaced, and which, through antenna  234  or other radiating means, transmits and receives audio to and from a terrestrial PSTN  236 . Depending upon the radio modulation technique employed by the telephony transceiver and the PSTN, of course, the audio transmitted and received by the telephony transceiver may be analog or digital and may be in one of many different forms. The telephony device  230  may be of several types, including SatCom (with which transmissions to and from a terrestrial system are directed through a satellite system) or flight phone systems such as Magna Star.  
         [0020]    Also coupled to the audio processor  226  by means of an MAU  244  and an ASCB bus  238  is an MCDU  240 , the functions of which have previously been discussed. One of the functions of the MCDU/MAU pair is to store telephone identification numbers and the like to assist in placing calls through the PSTN. The MCDU/MAU is capable of entering and storing a large number of telephone numbers and other data.  
         [0021]    In operation, a crewmember, using headset  126 , may wish to communicate with an air traffic controller. The crewmember selects the appropriate radio  242  by activating one of the switches  210 ,  212 . The audio panel directs the audio from microphone  128  over the microphone bus  228  to the appropriate radio  242  for transmission to the air traffic controller. The audio from the air traffic controller is likewise passed over an audio bus  246  to the audio panel and then to the earphones  124  of headset  126 . If it is desired only to monitor one of the navigation radios to confirm the radio&#39;s settings, switch  214 ,  216 , or  218  may be activated to select the desired radio  242 . The audio identifier or other information from the navigation facility will be directed over the audio bus  246  to the earphone  124  of the headset  126 .  
         [0022]    If, however, the crewmember desires to place a telephone call to another telephone on the aircraft  232  or to a terrestrial PSTN, phone switch  220  on the audio panel  202  is selected. The crewmember then selects the identifier of the desired phone by means of selection knob  224  or another selection mechanism such as a cell pad  206  or the like. An electronic rotary switch can access a large number of phone identifiers, such as telephone numbers in a local memory. Alternatively, the numbers or identifiers may be stored only in the MCDU/MAU. Display  222  on the audio panel  202  displays the selected identifier. The identifier may be a series of numbers, such as telephone numbers, or may be textual, such as “Cabin” or “Rear” for phones on-board the aircraft, or “operations” for a terrestrial phone of a particular airline office.  
         [0023]    When switch  220  is selected and the telephone identifier is selected, the audio panel directs the control information (phone identifier) and a “send” or other signal over the mic bus  228  to the audio processor. If the actual phone number is stored only in the MCDU/MAU  240 , the audio processor  226  may request the identifier from the MCDU/MAU  240 . The audio processor  230 , through it&#39;s interfacing circuitry, converts the telephone identifier, other control information, and audio levels to signals and levels compatible with the particular telephony device in use, and passes those signals and levels over bus  231  to the telephony device  230 . If the identifier is associated with one of the phones on the aircraft, the telephony device connects the crewmember&#39;s headset to the appropriate phone. If the identifier relates to a telephone or other user connected to the PSTN, the control and audio from the headset  126  and the audio panel  202  is directed to the telephony transceiver that forms a part of the telephony device  230  for transmission to the PSTN  236 . Likewise, audio returned from the PSTN over the radio link to the telephony transceiver is directed to the audio processor  226  and converted to levels and signals usable by the audio panel  202  over the audio bus  246 . The audio panel  202  then passes the audio information to the headset  126 .  
         [0024]    Thus has been described an aircraft telephony control system wherein telephony features are combined with other radio communications feature in a single control location in order to reduce crew workload when switching from radio communication to radiotelephony. Of course, while the system has been described in terms of an aircraft implementation, the principles can be applied broadly to other similar communication systems.  
         [0025]    While preferred exemplary embodiments have been presented in the foregoing detailed description of preferred exemplary embodiments, it should be appreciated that other variations may exist. It should also be appreciated that these preferred exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the ensuing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing a preferred embodiment of the invention. It being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary preferred embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.