Patent ID: 8681663

Claim:
A wireless-conferencing radio system implementing time division multiple access (TDMA), the wireless-conferencing radio system comprising: a master radio configured to: assign the master radio to a first transmission slot of a plurality of transmission slots, for transmitting audio communication during the first transmission slot, wherein the plurality of transmission slots are subdivisions of a segment of time used in implementing the TDMA protocol in the wireless-conferencing radio system; assign a first slave radio to a second transmission slot of the plurality of transmission slots, for transmitting audio communication during the second transmission slot; and assign, in response to a second slave radio operating in a transmit mode, the second slave radio to a third transmission slot of the plurality of transmission slots, for transmitting audio communication during the third transmission slot; the first slave radio configured to receive an assignment from the master radio to transmit during the second transmission slot; and the second slave radio configured to: operate in a listen mode, wherein operating in the listen mode comprises the second slave radio being configured to: receive, directly, wireless communication from the master radio during the first transmission slot; receive, directly, wireless communication from the first slave radio during the second transmission slot; and not receiving an assignment to transmit audio communication on any transmission slot of the plurality of transmission slots, even though the second slave radio is operable and there is an un-assigned transmission slot of the plurality of transmission slots; and operate in the transmit mode, wherein operating in the transmit mode comprises the second slave radio being configured to: receive, directly, wireless communication from the master radio during the first transmission slot; receive, directly, wireless communication from the first slave radio during the second transmission slot; and receive an assignment from the master radio to transmit audio communication during the third transmission slot of the plurality of transmission slots; receive an indication from an end user of the second slave radio to switch from the listen mode to the transmit mode or from the transmit mode to the listen mode; and switch from the listen mode to the transmit mode or from the transmit mode to the listen mode.