Radio communication system including indication that communication link is established

In a radio communication system for transmitting a voice signal from an operator of a source transceiver to an operator of a destination transceiver, the improvement comprising:

• means included in said source transceiver for transmitting an interrogate signal from the source transceiver to the destination transceiver to determine whether a communication link exists between said source transceiver and said destination transceiver;
• means included in said destination transceiver for transmitting an acknowledge signal to said source transceiver, the acknowledge signal being automatically transmitted upon receipt of the interrogate signal to indicate that said communication link exists between said source transceiver and said destination transceiver, without any action by the operator of said destination transceiver;
• and
• means included within said source transceiver for receiving the acknowledge signal and based thereon producing a feedback signal that indicates to the operator of said source transceiver that said communication link has been established between said source transceiver and said destination transceiver, said means for producing a feedback signal including earphones for allowing the operator of said source transceiver to hear the operator's voice signal as the voice signal is transmitted from the source transceiver to the destination transceiver only when said communication link has been established.

A method of determining if a communication link has been established between a source transceiver and a particular one of a plurality of destination transceivers, each of which is identified by a unique address, so that an operator of said source transceiver is allowed to communicate with an operator of said particular destination transceiver, comprising the steps of:

• transmitting an interrogate signal from said source transceiver to said particular destination transceiver, said interrogate signal including the unique address of said particular destination transceiver and being transmitted to determine whether a communication link exists between said source transceiver and said particular destination transceiver;
• transmitting an acknowledge signal from said particular destination transceiver to said source transceiver automatically upon receipt of the interrogate signal by said particular destination transceiver to indicate that said communication link exists between said source transceiver and said particular destination transceiver without any action by the operator of said particular destination transceiver;
• analyzing the acknowledge signal upon receipt of the acknowledge signal by said source transceiver to determine if the acknowledge signal was transmitted from said particular destination transceiver;
• and
• providing an indication to the operator of said source transceiver that said communication link has been established between said source transceiver and said particular destination transceiver as a result of said analysis by allowing the operator of said source transceiver to hear via earphones signals transmitted from the source transceiver to the particular destination transceiver.