Audio summing systems and methods in radio communication systems

A device in a communication system, the device comprising:

• a network interface communicatively coupled to the communication system;
• a processor communicatively coupled to the network interface;
• and
• memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:
• receive one or more concurrent transmissions from one or more sources via the network interface;
• responsive to the one or more concurrent transmissions comprising a single source transmission from a single source device, retransmit the single source transmission either clear or encrypted based on encryption parameters associated with the single source transmission;
• and
• responsive to the one or more concurrent transmissions comprising multiple transmissions from multiple source devices, perform one of:
• sum audio from each of the multiple transmissions to create a summed resultant stream and broadcast the summed resultant stream that is either clear or encrypted based on matching encryption parameters associated with each of the multiple transmissions;
• and
• broadcast only a selected transmission of the one or more concurrent transmissions from a higher priority source device of the multiple source devices based on an encryption parameter mismatch between the multiple transmissions, wherein the selected transmission is broadcast either clear or encrypted based on encryption parameters associated with the selected transmission.

A communication system, the communication system comprising:

• a plurality of subscriber units;
• infrastructure communicatively coupled to the plurality of subscriber units;
• a console communicatively coupled to the infrastructure;
• and
• a device comprising a network interface communicatively coupled to the infrastructure, the console, a processor, and memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor:
• receive a one or more concurrent transmissions from the console and/or a subscriber unit of the plurality of subscriber units;
• responsive to the one or more concurrent transmissions comprising a single source transmission from a single source device, retransmit the single source transmission either clear or encrypted based on encryption parameters associated with the single source transmission;
• and
• responsive to the one or more concurrent transmissions comprising multiple transmissions from multiple source devices, perform one of:
• sum audio from each of the multiple transmissions to create a summed resultant stream and broadcast the summed resultant stream that is either clear or encrypted based on matching encryption parameters associated with each of the multiple transmissions;
• and
• broadcast only a selected transmission of the one or more concurrent transmissions from a higher priority source device of the multiple source devices based on an encryption parameter mismatch between the multiple transmissions, wherein the selected transmission is broadcast either clear or encrypted based on encryption parameters associated with the selected transmission.