Abstract: A personal area network that includes a wearable electronic device, a system and methods of using the personal area network that includes a wearable electronic device. The wearable electronic device can act as an aggregator of the data that is being acquired by the one or more sensors and from other devices that are within wireless signal range of the personal area network in order to send some or all of the data over a wireless low power wide area network to remote locations within a larger network for subsequent processing, user notification, analysis of location-determination, contact tracing or the like. Data may flow in a bidirectional manner between the wearable electronic device and at least some of the other devices within the personal area network. In one form, the aggregated data may be used to control access to a hazard-prone environment in order to reduce the likelihood of exposure of a service technician to unsafe conditions within such environment.

Abstract: A personal area network that includes a wearable electronic device, a system and methods of using the personal area network that includes a wearable electronic device. The wearable electronic device can act as an aggregator of the data that is being acquired by the one or more sensors and from other devices that are within wireless signal range of the personal area network in order to send some or all of the data over a wireless low power wide area network to remote locations within a larger network for subsequent processing, user notification, analysis of location-determination, contact tracing or the like. Data may flow in a bidirectional manner between the wearable electronic device and at least some of the other devices within the personal area network. In one form, the aggregated data may be used to provide information related to one or more operational parameters of an industrial asset and, if necessary, take control-based action in order to adjust one or more such operational parameters.

Abstract: A personal area network that includes a wearable electronic device, a system and methods of using the personal area network that includes a wearable electronic device. The wearable electronic device can act as an aggregator of the data that is being acquired by the one or more sensors and from other devices that are within wireless signal range of the personal area network in order to send some or all of the data over a wireless low power wide area network to remote locations within a larger network for subsequent processing, user notification, analysis of location-determination, contact tracing or the like. Data may flow in a bidirectional manner between the wearable electronic device and at least some of the other devices within the personal area network.

Abstract: A personal area network that includes a wearable electronic device, a system and methods of using the personal area network that includes a wearable electronic device. The wearable electronic device can act as an aggregator of the data that is being acquired by the one or more sensors and from other devices that are within wireless signal range of the personal area network in order to send some or all of the data over a wireless low power wide area network to remote locations within a larger network for subsequent processing, user notification, analysis of location-determination, contact tracing or the like. Data may flow in a bidirectional manner between the wearable electronic device and at least some of the other devices within the personal area network.

Abstract: Devices and methods for receiving a data file in a communication system. In one embodiment, the wireless communication device includes a transceiver, a memory, and an electronic processor. The transceiver is configured to send and receive data over a wireless communication network. The electronic processor is electrically coupled to the transceiver and the memory and configured to receive, with the transceiver, a first seed, a sequence of blocks, and a subsequent seed, cause the memory to save the sequence of blocks in the memory, and determine whether the subsequent seed is aligned with the first seed. When the subsequent seed is not aligned with the first seed, the electronic processor is configured to cause the memory to delete the sequence of blocks. When the subsequent seed is aligned with the first seed, the electronic processor is configured to cause the memory to maintain the sequence of blocks.

Abstract: A method for communicating half-rate encoded voice frames. The method includes receiving, by a digital signal processor, a half-rate encoded voice frame. The method further includes determining, by the digital signal processor, a network access code. The method further includes encoding, by the digital signal processor, a network identifier based on the network access code. The method further includes scrambling, by the digital signal processor, the network identifier to generate a scrambled network identifier. The method further includes generating, by the digital signal processor, an erasure pattern. The method further includes generating, by the digital signal processor, a half-rate embedded voice code word based on the erasure pattern and the half-rate encoded voice frame. The method further includes generating, by the digital signal processor, a half-rate embedded logical data unit based on the half-rate embedded voice code word and the scrambled network identifier.

Abstract: Devices and methods for receiving a data file in a communication system. In one embodiment, the wireless communication device includes a transceiver, a memory, and an electronic processor. The transceiver is configured to send and receive data over a wireless communication network. The electronic processor is electrically coupled to the transceiver and the memory and configured to receive, with the transceiver, a first seed, a sequence of blocks, and a subsequent seed, cause the memory to save the sequence of blocks in the memory, and determine whether the subsequent seed is aligned with the first seed. When the subsequent seed is not aligned with the first seed, the electronic processor is configured to cause the memory to delete the sequence of blocks. When the subsequent seed is aligned with the first seed, the electronic processor is configured to cause the memory to maintain the sequence of blocks.

Abstract: A method for communicating half-rate encoded voice frames. The method includes receiving, by a digital signal processor, a half-rate encoded voice frame. The method further includes determining, by the digital signal processor, a network access code. The method further includes encoding, by the digital signal processor, a network identifier based on the network access code. The method further includes scrambling, by the digital signal processor, the network identifier to generate a scrambled network identifier. The method further includes generating, by the digital signal processor, an erasure pattern. The method further includes generating, by the digital signal processor, a half-rate embedded voice code word based on the erasure pattern and the half-rate encoded voice frame. The method further includes generating, by the digital signal processor, a half-rate embedded logical data unit based on the half-rate embedded voice code word and the scrambled network identifier.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and systems for talkgroup-state-dependent routing of group data. An embodiment takes the form of a process that includes handling receipt of packet data addressed to a talkgroup by responsively: determining whether the talkgroup currently has an active voice session on a voice channel; if not, then routing the received packet data to the talkgroup on a data channel; and if so, then routing the received packet data to the talkgroup via metadata fields in the voice channel.

Abstract: A method of interoperating link layer encrypted (LLE) and non-LLE communications in a radio network include receiving, at a radio controller (RC), a new call request for an LLE call, determining that there are one or more currently active non-LLE calls, and causing a message to be transmitted on each channel carrying one of the one or more currently active non-LLE calls informing mobile stations (MSs) participating in the non-LLE calls that a new LLE call has been or is-to-be granted. MSs participating in one of the non-LLE calls and receiving the message determine from the message or via a call grant obtained via a control channel, whether the new LLE call is of interest, and if so, switching to a channel assigned to the new LLE call and participating in the new LLE call.

Abstract: Reduction of audio truncation when transcoding speech data from one coding format to another. Embodiments include receiving packets of a first communication session containing first encrypted speech data encoded according to a vocoder of a first type and encrypted using an encryption protocol, and containing a first encryption protocol identification information distributed among the received packets. Further embodiments include extracting the first encryption protocol identification information from the received packets and processing the received packets based on the first encryption identification information. Embodiments include transmitting one or more voice header packets containing a second encryption protocol identification information in a second communication session as well as transmitting packets in the second communication session containing second encrypted speech data encoded according to a vocoder of a second type.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and systems for talkgroup-state-dependent routing of group data. An embodiment takes the form of a process that includes handling receipt of packet data addressed to a talkgroup by responsively: determining whether the talkgroup currently has an active voice session on a voice channel; if not, then routing the received packet data to the talkgroup on a data channel; and if so, then routing the received packet data to the talkgroup via metadata fields in the voice channel.

Abstract: A method of interoperating link layer encrypted (LLE) and non-LLE communications in a radio network include receiving, at a radio controller (RC), a new call request for an LLE call, determining that there are one or more currently active non-LLE calls, and causing a message to be transmitted on each channel carrying one of the one or more currently active non-LLE calls informing mobile stations (MSs) participating in the non-LLE calls that a new LLE call has been or is-to-be granted. MSs participating in one of the non-LLE calls and receiving the message determine from the message or via a call grant obtained via a control channel, whether the new LLE call is of interest, and if so, switching to a channel assigned to the new LLE call and participating in the new LLE call.

Abstract: A method, a subscriber unit, and a system provide concurrent voice and data systems and methods that “steal bits” from voice frames for low-speed concurrent data. In this manner, concurrent voice and data is supported over protocols that require voice-only in current operation such as Project 25 (P25). The stealing of bits from voice is done in a manner that is transparent and not noticeable to users. The systems and methods enable replication of signaling on the downlink and wireline segments that is replaced on the uplink, encoding of interleaving blocks that extend across multiple Layer 2 voice logical data units (LDUs), flexibility in replacing voice data in LDUs, indication of the availability of the service and an interleaving schedule, notification of upcoming stealing events via signaling, and the like.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for synchronizing a communication device in a communication system includes receiving a transmission from another communication device. The transmission comprises a plurality of time slots and a plurality of signaling fields inserted between the time slots. The plurality of signaling fields include a set of signaling fields of a first information type and a set of signaling fields of a second information type. The method includes detecting at least two consecutive signaling fields of the first information type, recovering a received pattern contained in a nth signaling field of the second information type, predicting patterns corresponding to (n+1)th to (k?1)th signaling fields of the second information type, comparing previously predicted patterns corresponding to the (n)th signaling field with the recovered pattern in the received (n)th signaling field and achieving synchronization when at least ‘m’ matches are obtained between the predicted and the recovered patterns.

Abstract: Reduction of audio truncation when transcoding speech data from one coding format to another. Embodiments include receiving packets of a first communication session containing first encrypted speech data encoded according to a vocoder of a first type and encrypted using an encryption protocol, and containing a first encryption protocol identification information distributed among the received packets. Further embodiments include extracting the first encryption protocol identification information from the received packets and processing the received packets based on the first encryption identification information. Embodiments include transmitting one or more voice header packets containing a second encryption protocol identification information in a second communication session as well as transmitting packets in the second communication session containing second encrypted speech data encoded according to a vocoder of a second type.

Abstract: A method, a subscriber unit, and a system provide concurrent voice and data systems and methods that “steal bits” from voice frames for low-speed concurrent data. In this manner, concurrent voice and data is supported over protocols that require voice-only in current operation such as Project 25 (P25). The stealing of bits from voice is done in a manner that is transparent and not noticeable to users. The systems and methods enable replication of signaling on the downlink and wireline segments that is replaced on the uplink, encoding of interleaving blocks that extend across multiple Layer 2 voice logical data units (LDUs), flexibility in replacing voice data in LDUs, indication of the availability of the service and an interleaving schedule, notification of upcoming stealing events via signaling, and the like.

Abstract: Methods and systems for LLE encrypting and decrypting voice message streams (VMSs) already supporting eTe encryption are disclosed. In one example, LLE and eTe encryption initialization vectors (EIVs) are interleaved such that an LLE EIV retrieved from one of a header and a data unit is used to LLE decrypt both the header or data unit and a subsequent data unit. A recovered eTe EIV is used to eTe decrypt voice payloads in one or more subsequent data units. In another example, a base station dynamically LLE encrypts a VMS already supporting eTe encrypting by determining whether a received VMS is eTe encrypted, and ii it is not generating a new LLE EIV, and if it is, re-using the pre-existing eTe EIV for LLE encryption. The LLE encrypted (and perhaps eTe encrypted) VMS is then sent over the air to one or more mobile stations.

Abstract: Methods are provided for fade protection at infrastructure equipment in a wireless communication network. The disclosed fade protection methods quantify signal quality, and based on the signal quality can detect fade conditions and/or recovery from such fade conditions. In one implementation, the disclosed fade protection methods can be implemented at Fixed Network Equipment (FNE) in an Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) Project 25 (P25) compliant system.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for radio link maintenance at a mobile radio in a wireless communication network. The disclosed methods and apparatus help a mobile radio maintain a radio link by regularly monitoring frame synchronization, regularly checking a scrambling sequence of a mobile radio against that of infrastructure equipment, and regularly detecting and/or recovering from fade conditions. In the event the radio link can not be maintained, then the disclosed methods and apparatus will cause the mobile radio to switch to a control channel so that the synchronization, scrambling mismatch and/or fade issues may be corrected. In one implementation, the disclosed methods and apparatus can be implemented at mobile radios in an Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) Project 25 (P25) compliant system.