Enhanced bypass operation in simulcast radio communication system

1. A method for enhanced bypass operation in a simulcast radio communication system, comprising:

conducting a simulcasting communication session in which a common signal is broadcast wirelessly at the same frequency synchronously from a plurality of transmit/receive (T/R) sites to a plurality of mobile radio units dispersed in a plurality of coverage areas respectively associated with each of the T/R sites;

using a packet switched network to communicate simulcast communications from a control point system to the plurality of T/R sites participating in the simulcasting communication session, where the control point system controls simulcast operations of the plurality of T/R sites;

facilitating dispatch communications by using the packet switched network to receive at the control point system dispatch data originating from a dispatch console and to communicate the dispatch data from the control point system to the plurality of T/R sites participating in the simulcasting communication session;

responsive to a determination of a malfunction at a first T/R site of said plurality of T/R sites,

terminating participation of said first T/R site in said simulcasting communication session, without disabling the simulcasting communication session in progress at a remainder of the plurality of T/R sites,

dynamically reconfiguring said first T/R site to function in a multisite mode of operation in which said first T/R site transmits data to the mobile radio units within the coverage area of the first T/R site during a non-simulcast communication session established with a network switching center (NSC), where the data from the first T/R site is transmitted to the mobile radio units in its coverage area asynchronously and at different frequencies relative to the times and frequencies employed by the remainder of said T/R sites still participating in said simulcasting communication session;

automatically registering said first T/R site as a multisite T/R communication site with the (NSC) remote from and in communication with said control point system via said packet switched network; and

when the first T/R site is operating in the multisite mode, selectively suspending communication of the dispatch data from the control point system to the first T/R site, and instead addressing said dispatch data from the NSC to the first T/R site when said dispatch data is intended for mobile radio units in a coverage area of the first T/R site.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the dispatch communications further comprise

communicating said dispatch data from the dispatch console to said NSC;

communicating a plurality of data packets comprising said dispatch data from said NSC to said packet switched network;

receiving said dispatch data in at least one of said plurality of T/R sites; and

transmitting with at least one of said plurality of T/R sites a RF transmission comprising said dispatch data.

3. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising specifying a destination address of said plurality of data packets to be a network address of said control point system if said dispatch data is intended for transmission by said plurality of T/R sites participating in said simulcasting communication session.

4. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising communicating over said packet switched network said dispatch data from said control point system to said plurality of T/R sites participating in said simulcasting communication session.

5. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising specifying a destination address of said plurality of data packets to be a network address of said first T/R site when said first T/R site is operating in said multisite mode.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a radio transmission at one or more of said plurality of T/R sites; and

communicating from said one or more T/R sites to said packet switched network a plurality of data packets including data comprising said radio transmission.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein said radio transmission is received at one of said T/R sites participating in said simulcasting communication session, and wherein said communicating of said plurality of data packets from said T/R site further comprises specifying said control point system as the network destination address for said plurality of data packets.

8. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising communicating using said packet switched network said data comprising said radio transmission from said control point system to said NSC.

9. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising selectively communicating said data comprising said radio transmission from said NSC to said first T/R site when said T/R site is operating in said multisite mode.

10. The method according to claim 6 , wherein said radio transmission is received at said first T/R site operating in said multisite mode, and wherein said communicating of said plurality of data packets from said T/R site further comprises specifying said NSC as a destination address for said plurality of data packets.

11. A method for enhanced bypass operation in a simulcast radio communication system, comprising:

simulcasting from a plurality of transmit/receive (T/R) sites in a simulcasting communication session in which a common signal is broadcast wirelessly at the same frequency synchronously from a plurality of transmit/receive (T/R) sites to a plurality of mobile radio units dispersed in a plurality of coverage areas respectively associated with each of the T/R sites, said T/R sites responsive to a control point system which controls simulcast operations of the plurality of T/R sites;

facilitating dispatch communications by using a packet switched network to receive at the control point system dispatch data originating from a dispatch console and to communicate the dispatch data from the control point system to the plurality of T/R sites participating in the simulcasting communication session;

responsive to a determination of a malfunction at a first T/R site of said plurality of T/R sites, automatically:

terminating participation of said first T/R site in said simulcasting communication session, without disabling the simulcasting communication session in progress at a remainder of the plurality of T/R sites;

communicating with a network switching center (NSC) using the packet switched network to register said first T/R site with the NSC as a multisite communication node, where the NSC is located remote from and in communication with the control point system via the packet switched network;

reconfiguring said first T/R site to function in a multisite mode of operation in which said first T/R site transmits data during a non-simulcast communication session established with the NSC, where the data is transmitted at times and frequencies which are different from those employed by the remainder of said T/R sites participating in said simulcasting communication session; and

when the first T/R site is operating in the multisite mode, selectively suspending communication of the dispatch data from the control point system to the first T/R site, and instead addressing said dispatch data from the NSC to the first T/R site when said dispatch data is intended for mobile radio units in a coverage area of the first T/R site.

12. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising using said NSC to route communications between the dispatch console participating in said simulcasting communication session, and said first T/R site operating in said multisite mode.

13. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising using said NSC to route communications between said first T/R site operating in said multisite mode, and said control point.

14. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising responsive to elimination of said malfunction automatically terminating said multisite mode of operating by said first T/R site, and communicating at least one message from said first T/R site to said control point system to re-establish participation of said first T/R site in said simulcasting communication session.

15. A simulcast radio communication system with enhanced bypass operation, comprising:

a plurality of transmit/receive (T/R) sites participating in a simulcasting communication session in which a common signal is broadcast wirelessly at the same frequency synchronously from a plurality of transmit/receive (T/R) sites to a plurality of mobile radio units dispersed in a plurality of coverage areas respectively associated with each of the T/R sites;

each of said plurality of T/R sites responsive to a control point system controlling simulcast operations thereof, said control point system facilitating dispatch communications by using the packet switched network to receive dispatch data originating from a dispatch console and to communicate the dispatch data from the control point system to the plurality of T/R sites participating in the simulcasting communication session;

a site control processor provided at each of said plurality of T/R sites, each responsive to determination of a malfunction at a respective T/R site of said plurality of T/R sites where said site control processor is located, each said site control processor automatically:

terminating participation of said respective T/R site in said simulcasting communication session when said respective T/R site is determined to be malfunctioning, without disabling the simulcasting communication session in progress at a remainder of the plurality of T/R;

communicating with a network switching center (NSC) using a packet switched network to register said respective T/R site that is malfunctioning with the NSC as a multisite communication node, the NSC being located remote from and in communication with the control point systems via the packet switched network;

reconfiguring said respective T/R site which is malfunctioning to function instead in a multisite mode of operation in which said respective T/R site transmits data to the mobile radio units within the coverage area of the respective T/R site during a non-simulcast communication session established with the NSC, where the data is transmitted at times and frequencies which are different from those employed by the remainder of said T/R sites still participating in said simulcasting communication session; and

wherein said control point system selectively suspends communications of the dispatch data to the respective T/R site when said T/R site is in said multisite mode of operation, and said NSC instead addresses said dispatch data to the respective T/R site when the dispatch data is intended for the mobile radio units in the coverage area of the respective T/R site.

16. The system according to claim 15 , wherein said NSC routes communications between the dispatch console participating in said simulcasting communication session, and said respective T/R site which is malfunctioning when said respective T/R site which is malfunctioning is operating in said multisite mode.

17. The system according to claim 15 , wherein said NSC routes communications between said respective T/R site that is malfunctioning, and said control point system.

18. The system according to claim 15 , wherein said site control processor is responsive to elimination of said malfunction to cause termination of said multisite mode of operating by said respective T/R site which had been malfunctioning, and to cause at least one message to be communicated from said respective T/R site to said control point system to re-establish participation of said respective T/R site in said simulcasting communication session.

19. A method for enhanced bypass operation in a simulcast radio communication system, comprising:

simulcasting from a plurality of transmit/receive (T/R) sites in a simulcasting communication session in which a common signal is broadcast wirelessly at the same frequency synchronously from a plurality of transmit/receive (T/R) sites to a plurality of mobile radio units dispersed in a plurality of coverage areas respectively associated with each of the T/R sites, said T/R sites responsive to a control point system controlling simulcast operations thereof;

responsive to a determination of a malfunction at a first T/R site of said plurality of T/R sites, automatically:

terminating participation of said first T/R site in said simulcasting communication session, without disabling the simulcasting communication session in progress at a remainder of the plurality of T/R;

communicating with a network switching center (NSC) using a packet switched network to register said first T/R site with the NSC as a multisite communication node, where the NSC is located remote from and is in communication with the control point system via the packet switched network;

reconfiguring said first T/R site to function in a multisite mode of operation in which said first T/R site transmits data during a non-simulcast communication session established with the NSC, where the data is transmitted at times and frequencies which are different from those employed by the remainder of said T/R sites participating in said simulcasting communication session; and

reconfiguring at least one of said T/R sites still in simulcasting communication session to use a modified site timing offset which has been optimized for a scenario in which said first T/R site functions in said multisite mode;

wherein the NSC selectively addresses dispatch data directly to the first T/R site when the first T/R site is in a multisite mode of operation.

20. The method according to claim 19 , further comprising:

responsive to elimination of said malfunction automatically terminating said multisite mode of operating by said first T/R site; and

reconfiguring said at least one T/R site still in said simulcasting communication session to discontinue use of said modified site timing offset and to revert to a site timing offset optimized for a scenario in which said first T/R site is functioning in simulcast mode.