Voice bridging gateway for tactical communications

A method of bridging a radio communication network with a wired or a wireless telephone device, comprising:

• providing a network radio configured to operate according to a transmission protocol of the communication network;
• defining an audio terminal of the network radio for outputting first analog voice or audio signals detected by the radio over the network;
• defining a microphone terminal of the network radio for inputting second analog voice or audio signals for transmission by the radio over the network;
• converting the first analog signals output from the audio terminal of the network radio into corresponding first digital audio signals, and inputting the first digital audio signals to a selected port of a server;
• and
• configuring the server to implement a private branch exchange (PBX) application for bridging the network with the telephone device, including;
• converting the first digital audio signals input to the selected port of the server into corresponding second analog audio signals;
• applying the second analog audio signals to a telephone connector associated with the server;
• connecting the telephone connector with a public switched telephone network (PSTN) through which the telephone device can link with the server;
• and
• applying voice or audio signals corresponding to signals originating from the telephone device and input to the telephone connector, to the microphone terminal of the network radio.

A system for bridging multiple radio communication networks having transmission protocols that are incompatible with one another, comprising:

• a number of network radios each configured to operate according to the transmission protocol of an associated one of the radio communication networks;
• each network radio has an audio terminal for outputting first analog voice or audio signals detected by the radio over its associated network, and a microphone terminal for inputting second analog voice or audio signals for transmission by the radio over the associated network;
• a server or other processing platform that is programmed and configured to implement a private branch exchange (PBX) application for bridging the radio communication networks selectively with one another;
• a radio adapter for converting the first analog signals from the audio terminal of a given network radio into corresponding first digital audio signals, and inputting the first digital audio signals to a selected port of the server;
• and
• converting the first digital audio signals input to the selected port of the server into corresponding second analog audio signals, and applying the second analog audio signals to the microphone terminal of each network radio associated with a network with which the given network radio is to be bridged.

A system for bridging a radio communication network with a wired or a wireless telephone device, comprising:

• a network radio configured to operate according to a transmission protocol of the radio communication network;
• the network radio has an audio terminal for outputting first analog voice or audio signals detected by the radio over a radio frequency (RF) channel of the network, and a microphone terminal for inputting second analog voice or audio signals for transmission by the radio over the network;
• a server or other processing platform that is programmed and configured to implement a private branch exchange (PBX) application for bridging the radio communication network with the telephone device;
• a radio adapter constructed and arranged for converting the first analog signals output from the audio terminal of the network radio into corresponding first digital audio signals, and for inputting the first digital audio signals to a selected port of the server;
• a telephone connector arranged on the server for connection with a public switched telephone network (PSTN), wherein a user of a wired or a wireless telephone device can access the server via the PSTN to bridge the device with the radio communication network by operation of the PBX application on the server;
• and
• the server and the PBX application operate together to (i) convert the first digital audio signals input to the selected port of the server from the radio adapter into corresponding second analog audio signals, (ii) apply the second analog audio signals to the telephone connector on the server, and (iii) apply voice or audio signals corresponding to signals from the telephone device and input to the telephone connector, to the microphone terminal of the network radio.