Radio interoperability system and method

1. A method of initiating communication between a plurality of communication systems, at least two of the communication systems using different communication protocols, the method comprising:

maintaining interoperability data defining a plurality of scenarios, each scenario defining a mode of interoperability between a respective set of communication systems of the plurality of communication systems, at least one communication system in the respective set being a two-way radio system;

receiving a selection of a particular one of the scenarios and authorization information, wherein receiving a selection comprises receiving a scenario identifier from a device initiating the communication, the device configured to access one of the communication systems;

in response to receiving the selection and the authorization information, validating the authorization information and automatically initiating establishment of a communication session between the communication systems of the respective set of communication systems of the particular one of the scenarios; and

receiving a request to perform a task utilizing the communication session,

wherein maintaining interoperability data comprises maintaining a database including the scenarios, connection information related to the scenarios and scenario identifiers, and data indicative of routing data packets between the communications systems, each scenario identifier identifying one of the scenarios,

wherein each of the plurality of communication systems is selected from the group consisting of a radio system, a dispatch system, a PSTN, a public IP (Internet Protocol) network, an IP telephone network, an IP radio system and any combination thereof.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one scenario comprises communication with at least one gateway, the gateway enabling a respective communication system to communicate over a packet network and configured to convert signals received from a packet network into a protocol of a respective communication system and converting signals to be transmitted from the communication system into a packet protocol.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one scenario comprises communication with at least one user device selected from the group consisting of a telephone unit, a radio unit, an IP (Internet Protocol) radio unit, an IP telephone unit and a workstation.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the authorization information comprises a PIN (Personal Identification Number).

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selection is received over a packet network.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a request to perform a function selected from the group comprising: activating a predefined connection, deactivating a predefined connection, defining a connection, defining a gateway, managing users, defining schedules for one-time connections and defining schedules for recurring connections.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the scenario identifier is sent by a user device in the communication system.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein maintaining interoperability data comprises maintaining a database comprising the scenarios, connection information related to the scenarios and scenario identifiers, each scenario identifier identifying one of the scenarios.

9. An interoperability system for enabling interoperability between a plurality of communication systems having at least two different communication protocols and said communication systems in communication with a packet network, the interoperability system comprising:

an interoperability server in communication with the packet network, the interoperability server configured to:

maintain interoperability data defining a plurality of scenarios, each scenario defining a mode of interoperability between a respective set of communication systems of the plurality of communication systems, at least one communication system in the respective set being a two-way radio system;

receive authorization information and a selection of a particular scenario, wherein the selection comprises a scenario identifier received from a device initiating a communication, the device configured to access one of the communication systems; and

in response to receiving the selection and the authorization information, validate the authorization information and automatically initiate establishment of a communication session corresponding to the particular scenario for the device,

wherein interoperability data comprises a database including the scenarios, connection information related to the scenarios and scenario identifiers, and data indicative of routing data packets between the communications systems, each scenario identifier identifying one of the scenarios,

wherein each of the plurality of communication systems is selected from the group consisting of a radio system, a dispatch system, a PSTN, a public IP (Internet Protocol) network, an IP telephone network, an IP radio system and any combination thereof.

10. The interoperability system of claim 9 , wherein the packet network is enabled for multicasting.

11. The interoperability system of claim 9 , wherein the interoperability data is a database.

12. The interoperability system of claim 9 , wherein the interoperability data comprises the scenarios, connection information for each scenario and a scenario identifier for each scenario.

13. The interoperability system of claim 9 , wherein the interoperability server is located on a distributed call management module.

14. The interoperability system of claim 9 , wherein the interoperability data is located on the interoperability server.

15. The interoperability system of claim 9 , wherein any communication system that uses a protocol other than packet protocol is in communication with the packet network through a gateway that converts signals from the protocol of the communication system into packet protocol for sending over the packet network and converts signals from the packet protocol into the protocol of the communication system for sending over the communication system.

16. The interoperability system of claim 15 , further comprising the gateway(s).

17. A non-transitory computer readable memory for storing data for access by an application program being executed on an interoperability server, comprising:

an interoperability data structure stored in said memory, the data structure including information resident in a database used by said application program, the information accessible by a scenario identifier provided by a device initiating a communication, the interoperability data structure including:

a plurality of scenario identifier data objects comprising a scenario identifier for each of a plurality of scenarios, each scenario including connections required for a respective communication session between at least two user devices from at least two different communication systems, at least one of the two communication systems being a two-way radio system, and having at least two different communication protocols; and

a plurality of scenario interconnection data objects, the scenario connection data objects comprising connection information for the respective communication session, including any combination of connections between a plurality of radio units, IP Network unites, IP radio units, telephone units, IP telephone units, and workstations;

code for receiving and validating authorization information from the device initiating the communication; and

code for automatically initiating establishment of a communication session corresponding to the scenario identifier provided by the device initiating the communication,

wherein each of the plurality of communication systems is selected from the group consisting of a radio system, a dispatch system, a PSTN, a public IP (Internet Protocol) network, an IP telephone network, an IP radio system and any combination thereof.

18. An interoperability system for enabling interoperability between a plurality of communication systems having at least two different communication protocols and said communication systems in communication with a packet network, the interoperability system comprising:

means for maintaining interoperability data defining a plurality of scenarios, each scenario defining a mode of interoperability between a respective set of communication systems of the plurality of communication systems, at least one communication system in the respective set being a two-way radio system;

means for communicating with the packet network;

means for receiving authorization information and a scenario identifier from a device initiating a communication, the device configured to access one of the communication systems; and

means for, in response to receiving the authorization information and the scenario identifier, validating the authorization information and automatically initiating a communication session for the device,

wherein interoperability data comprises a database including the scenarios, connection information related to the scenarios and scenario identifiers, and data indicative of routing data packets between the communications systems, each scenario identifier identifying one of the scenarios,

wherein each of the plurality of communication systems is selected from the group consisting of a radio system, a dispatch system, a PSTN, a public IP (Internet Protocol) network, an IP telephone network, an IP radio system and any combination thereof.