Method, device and system for temporarily selecting a timeslot

1. A method for temporarily selecting a time division multiple access (TDMA) timeslot by a radio communication device to thereby allow the radio communication device to communicate, through at least one repeater station, with a talkgroup of other radio communication devices, the method comprising:

the radio communication device having an assigned default timeslot for communicating with the talkgroup;

the radio communication device determining if the default timeslot is available for the radio communication device to communicate with the talkgroup;

the radio communication device searching for an available timeslot when the default timeslot is unavailable;

the radio communication device temporarily selecting the available timeslot as a temporary selected group timeslot for the talkgroup; and

the radio communication device re-selecting the default timeslot for communicating with the talkgroup when the default timeslot becomes available.

2. The method, as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the radio communication device temporarily selecting the available timeslot further comprises the subsequent step of communicating with the talkgroup using the temporary group timeslot.

3. The method, as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the searching is performed in a predefined slot order.

4. The method, as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the temporary selected group timeslot is one of only two available timeslots.

5. The method, as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the determining is performed by processing information sent from the repeater station.

6. The method, as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the information sent from the repeater station is provided in a common announcement channel sent from the repeater station.

7. The method, as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the searching is performed by processing information sent from the repeater station.

8. The method, as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the information sent from the repeater station is provided in a common announcement channel sent from the repeater station.

9. A radio communication device having an assigned default timeslot for communicating with a talkgroup of other radio communication devices, the radio communication device comprising:

radio communication circuitry; and

a processor coupled to the radio communication circuitry, wherein in operation the processor:

determines, from a signal provided by the radio communication circuitry, if the default timeslot is available for the radio communication device to communicate with the talkgroup,

when the default timeslot is unavailable the processor instructs the radio communication circuitry to search for an available timeslot and temporarily select the available timeslot as a temporary selected group timeslot for the talkgroup, and

when the default timeslot becomes available the processor instructs the radio communication circuitry to re-select the default timeslot for communicating with the talkgroup.

10. A radio communication device, as claimed in claim 9 , wherein radio communication circuitry performs communicating with the talkgroup using the temporary group timeslot.

11. The radio communication device, as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the search for an available timeslot is performed in a predefined slot order.

12. The radio communication device, as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the temporary selected group timeslot is one of only two available timeslots.

13. The radio communication device, as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the signal provided by the radio communication circuitry is generated from information sent from a repeater station.

14. The radio communication device, as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the information sent from the repeater station is provided in a common announcement channel.

15. A wireless communication system comprising:

a plurality of radio communication devices forming a talkgroup; and

at least one repeater station through which the radio communication devices communicate, wherein each of the radio communication devices have a common assigned default timeslot for communicating with the talkgroup, and wherein each one of the radio communication devices:

determines if the default timeslot is available to communicate with the talkgroup,

when the default timeslot is unavailable each of the radio communication devices searches for an available timeslot and temporarily selects the available timeslot as a temporary selected group timeslot for the talkgroup, and

when the default timeslot becomes available each of the radio communication devices re-select the default timeslot for communicating with the talkgroup.

16. The wireless communication system, as claimed in claim 15 , wherein each of the radio communication devices communicate with the talkgroup using the temporary group timeslot.

17. The wireless communication system, as claimed in claim 15 , wherein each of the radio communication devices concurrently searches for an available timeslot in a predefined slot order.

18. The wireless communication system, as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the temporary selected group timeslot is one of only two available timeslots.

19. The wireless communication system, as claimed in claim 15 , wherein each one of the radio communication devices determines if the default timeslot is available from information sent from a repeater station.