Assignment of channels to radio communication talkgroups

摘要

A radio communications system comprising a plurality of talkgroups. Each talkgroup comprises a plurality of individual radio units able to communicate with each other on one of a plurality of discrete communication channels temporarily assigned to that talkgroup by a control unit. The control means identifies a communication channel (the selected channel), which is currently idle, and transmits a "Free Channel" signal in that channel. A radio unit initiating communication with other radio units in the same talkgroup starts to transmit on the selected channel. The control unit assigns the selected channel to the respective talkgroup in response to the transmission, to enable all the radio units in the talkgroup to communicate with each other on the selected channel.