Method and apparatus for audio prioritization

Abstract

A method and apparatus providing improved audio prioritization is provided. A public safety (PS) application programming interface (API) for an open source operating system provides a public safety extension to an audio management platform by providing configurable and updatable audio priority operation based on call type, call mode, and / or call characteristics.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates generally to communication devices and more particularly to a method and apparatus for audio prioritization in a communication device.BACKGROUND[0002]In the past and even in many of today's communication environments, land mobile radios (LMR) have operated over a narrowband network for use in public safety environments, such as law enforcement, fire rescue, and the like, while smartphone devices have operated over broadband networks for other business or consumer oriented applications. However, the power of broadband is reshaping public safety. With appropriate software applications and platforms some communication devices now offer group communication functionality carried out over a broadband network. In situations where different organizations may need to interoperate with each other, the larger availability of broadband frequencies and devices, along with the applications supported by broadband, such as telephony, text, a...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This solution enables seamless audio prioritization across LMR and broadband networks, ensuring mission-critical public safety communications are prioritized, allowing for flexible configuration to meet different customer needs and maintaining compatibility with existing third-party applications.

Problems solved by technology

However, the power of broadband is reshaping public safety.

However, the integration of LMR functionality over a broadband network has come with certain challenges.

For example, the ability to appropriately optimize such communication devices to prioritize public safety functions has heretofore been limited to the Emergency function.

Other public safety functions, such as public safety push-to-talk (PTT) audio and other audio applications related to public safety, have been facing challenges due to the fact that certain operating systems prioritize telephony calls, over incoming public safety calls.

However, any attempts to change priority must take care not to impact the operating system and / or third party applications which cannot be modified.

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