Patent ID: 7174168

Claim:
A method of processing a public call through a public/private communication system, comprising the steps of: providing a private communication device, a public communication device and a radio accessory extension (RAE) coupled therebetween, the RAE providing audio and display functionality; configuring at least one of the private communication device, the public communication device and the RAE to alert a user to an incoming call (public or private) call, thereby providing at least one configured device; detecting the presence of the public communication device being coupled to the RAE; monitoring for the incoming public call at the public communication device; alerting the user of the incoming public call using the at least one configured device; determining whether a higher priority private call is being received by the private communication device, and if so, operating the RAE in a default private mode to process the higher priority private call; if a higher priority private call was not received, then: determining whether the incoming public call is an audio call or a data call; for a data call, porting the data to a display of the RAE or the public communication device; for an audio call, determining whether the public communication device is a dispatch device or a duplex device; routing the audio call through the RAE to the at least one configured device; for dispatch, detecting transmitted audio via a push-to-talk (PTT) press; for duplex, detecting audio via a microphone of the at least one configured device; and ending the public call.