Mobile radio data communication system and method

A method of operating an RF communication system wherein a plurality of transceivers, at least one of which is stationary and at least one of which is mobile, can reliably communicate at a lower data rate over an area of mobile operation, and can reliably communicate at a higher data rate over only a portion of the area of mobile operation, said method comprising:

• transmitting by a first of said plurality of transceivers an RF test signal;
• at a second of said plurality of transceivers which receives the test signal, evaluating the RF test signal to determine whether communication between said first and second of said plurality of transceivers at a higher data rate would likely be reliable;
• for the case where the evaluation of the received RF test signal determines that communication at the higher data rate would likely be reliable, transmitting by said second of said plurality of transceivers a responsive RP transmission signalling for communication at the higher data rate;
• and
• for the case where the evaluation of the received RF test signal determines that communication at the higher data rate would not likely be reliable, transmitting by said second of said plurality of transceivers a responsive RF transmission signalling for communication at the lower data rate.

A method of operating an RF communication system wherein a plurality of transceivers, at least one of which is stationary and at least one of which is mobile, can reliably communicate at a high data rate when network conditions permit, said method comprising:

• communicating by a first and a second of said plurality of transceivers at a high data rate;
• transmitting by said first of said plurality of transceivers an RF test signal;
• at said second of said plurality of transceivers which receives the test signal, evaluating the received RF test signal to determine whether to continue communication at the high data rate;
• and
• for the case where the evaluation of the received RF test signal determines that continued communication at the high data rate would likely be unreliable, transmitting by said second of said plurality of transceivers a responsive RF transmission signalling an end of high data rate communication.