AFRL Licenses Patent Military Audio Recording System to B5 Systems

The Air Force Research Laboratory has licensed a patent radio interface technology to B5 Systems for device production and marketing.

The non-exclusive patent licensing agreement between the AFRL 711th Human Performance Wing and the Ohio-based company will facilitate the manufacture and sale of the Handheld Electronic Audio Recording System (HEARS), the U.S. Air Force said Wednesday.

Gregory Burnett, a scientist at AFRL/711HPW and HEARS invention team member, said the technology will allow warfighters to review previous communications and capture details for after action reports to provide accountability and support the development of approaches, tactics, procedures and training curriculum.

HEARS will accommodate configurations or embodiments to provide additional functions to military handheld radio and commercial systems.

The company will produce an adapter configuration that will initiate wireless transmissions and recording and playback of incoming and outgoing communications on the connected tactical radio.

B5 Systems has delivered test and evaluation samples from its HEARS production facility in Xenia, Ohio.

Mark Keller, B5 Systems vice president, said: “The feedback from the test samples has been extremely positive.”  “We expect the product to add to the capabilities of Air Force Special Operations Command and various Department of Defense training programs.”