Patent ID: 8705377

Claim:
A two-way radio system for combining a short-range, handheld radio that is part of a wireless conferencing system using time-division multiplexing, without using a base station, with a long-range, handheld radio, the two-way radio system comprising: a first radio, the first radio comprising: a first transmitter that operates in a first frequency band to transmit wireless communication to a third radio and a fourth radio, wherein the third radio and the fourth radio are two-way, handheld radios, and a first receiver that operates in the first frequency band to receive time-division multiplexed wireless communication from the third radio and the fourth radio without using a base station; and a signal compounder comprising: a first connection to the first radio, wherein the signal compounder receives a first signal from the first radio through the first connection; a second connection to a second radio, wherein: the second radio has a second transmitter that operates in a second frequency band to transmit wireless communication to a fifth radio, the second radio has a second receiver that operates in the second frequency band to receive wireless communication from the fifth radio, and the signal compounder receives a second signal from the second radio though the second connection; and a third connection to a headset, wherein: the headset has a microphone and a speaker, the signal compounder receives a third signal from the headset, the signal compounder sends the third signal to the first radio through the first connection, and the signal compounder sends the third signal to the second radio through the second connection.