Abstract: In a communication system (100) that includes an operator station (105-107), a functions processor (104) and peripheral communication devices (108-109), the operator station (105-107) may perform functions when the functions processor (104) is unable in the following manner. When the operator station (105-107) receives a request for a particular function from an operator, it determines whether the functions processor (104) is unable to perform the requested function. If the functions processor (104) is unable, the operator station (105-107) determines whether it will perform the requested function or whether a peripheral communication device (108-109) will perform the requested function. If the operator station (105-107) is to perform the requested function, it performs the requested function. If the peripheral communication device (108-109) is to perform the requested function, the operator station (105-107) transports the requested function to the peripheral communication unit (108-109).

Abstract: In a communication system that comprises a plurality of communication groups, a plurality of transceivers, and a plurality of consoles which monitor selected communication groups, a console may quickly monitor an unmonitored communication in the following manner. When the console detects activity in a particular unmonitored communication group, that communication group is placed into a receive queue. Once the communication group is in the receive queue, a dispatcher of the console may select the communication group and place it into a monitoring queue. Once in the monitoring queue, the dispatcher has full monitoring capabilities over that communication group. Once the dispatcher is done with the communication group, or call activity ends in the communication group, the communication group is placed back into a system group list.