Abstract: A combination pager and cordless telephone (40) has a receiver (414) for receiving paging signals including a location identifier associated with a geographic location (202) of a paging controller transmitting the paging signals. A decoder (416) coupled to the receiver (414) decodes the paging signals to recover a page and the location identifier. A memory (422, 423) stores the page and the location identifier identifying the geographic location (202) of the transceiver (40). A message processor (606), coupled to the memory (423), determines when a new location identifier is received; and a controller (420) couples to a home paging controller (10) in response to the message processor (606) determining that the new location identifier has been received.

Abstract: A method for coordinating an inbound channel in a selective call communication system (100) includes the steps of encoding (702) an expected time for an inbound response and a number of bits in the inbound response with an outbound message requesting information from a selective call device; transmitting (704) the outbound message to the selective call device; allocating (706) an inbound channel; determining (708) the number of bits to be encoded in at least one time slot of the inbound channel; transmitting (710) the inbound channel, the number of bits to be transmitted in the at least one time slot to the selective call device; encoding (712) the information being requested on the inbound channel with the number of bits in the at least one time slot; and transmitting (714) the inbound response on the inbound channel with the number of bits specified for each of the at least one time slot.

Abstract: A selective call device (130) has a receiver (204) for receiving information at a first rate and a switch (229, 230) for selecting a streaming mode for providing the information. A processor (210) for determining when the streaming mode is selected, and in response thereto, creates a buffer (221, 222) for retaining the information. The processor (210) transfers the information from the buffer (221, 222) at a second rate for a display (228) to present the information that is transferred from the buffer (221, 222) as a continuous stream.

Abstract: An updateable message encoder/transmitter (100) has a processor (109) for encoding messages and message updates. A message includes an origination time (191), a version number (410) and an update lifetime indicator (424), and a message update includes the origination time (191) and the version number. A transmitter (120) broadcasts the message and the message update message receiver/decoder (130) receives the message and the message update, a processor (212) processes the message to determine when the message update is being received. The processor checks the update lifetime indicator of the message indicated by the message update to determine if the message to which the message update is intended can be updated. A comparator compares the origination time of the message with the origination time of the message update to determine if the message update is an out-of-sequence message update.

Abstract: A selective call receiver (24) that receives signals transmitted by orbiting satellites (A, B) uses certain information transmitted by the satellites to calculate an estimate of its position. Using that estimate and other information, the selective call receiver (24) is able to save power by disregarding certain information contained in transmitted signals that are not intended for it.

Abstract: Application of power to a transmitter in a messaging device is preceded by measuring a quality of at least one base station down-link signal received by a receiver in the device, and producing a transmit threshold signal when the measured signal quality corresponds to a substantial likelihood of accurate detection by a base station of an up-link signal to be transmitted from the device. The device transmitter is powered on only if the transmit threshold signal is present over a given interval prior to a transmitter operation. Thus, a relatively low-power battery and small antenna can be used effectively by the device, and its overall size kept at a minimum.

Abstract: A communication system (700) comprises a plurality of base sites (702-708) which include a first antenna (712) for transmitting a synchronous communication protocol such as a paging protocol and a second antenna (714) for transmitting a rotating phase signal. A communication device (250) takes the synchronous communication protocol and develops a reference signal (220) from the received protocol. The communication device (250) takes the reference signal (220) and the received rotating phase signal (214) and uses a phase detector (216) to produce a phase difference signal (232) which is substantially equal to the angle of the communication device (250) with respect to the particular base site (702-708) which transmitted the signals. In order to determine the location of the communication device at least two such phase difference signals (232), one phase difference signal from at least two different base sites is determined.

Abstract: A radio communication device (100) for displaying information about a signal includes a display (120) for presenting the information. A measurer (110) measures signal quality of the signal received by the radio communication device (100), and an entry element (145) determines from the signal quality whether the radio communication device (100) is out of range. The entry element (145) then stores times of out-of-range conditions in a history table (130). A report element (150) can be activated to drive the display (120) for presentation of the times of the out-of-range conditions. The report element (150) can, for instance, be activated by the user, at periodic times, at specified times, or in response to specific events.

Abstract: A communication system (100) that selects alternative data channels for communication has a base station (106) coupled to a plurality of alternative data communication systems (112, 114, 116) that receive messages intended for a selective call device designated by an address. A data scheduler (104), coupled to the base station (106) and the plurality of alternative data communication systems (112, 114, 116), has a categorizer (404) for categorizing the message as being suitable for transmission on an alternative data channel, a controller (402) for coordinating a list of the alternative data communication systems suitable for transmitting the message and a selector (406) for selecting the alternative data channel for transmitting the message.

Abstract: A method for transmitting a paging message on the cellular communication system (126) includes the steps of: acquiring a paging signal as a control channel for a selective call device (120), the paging signal indicating a geographic location, receiving a control flag indicating a cellular channel to the selective call device (120), registering with the cellular communication system (126) on the cellular channel indicated by the control flag of the paging signal, sending status information from the cellular communication system (126) to the paging communication system for authenticating the selective call device (120), receiving the paging message on the control channel of the paging communication system (350), transmitting an address and a vector on the control channel to the selective call device (120) directing the selective call device to the cellular channel of the cellular communication system (126) for receiving the paging message, reading a flag in the paging signal to determine if the paging communica

Abstract: A selective call device (130) has a receiver (204) for receiving a selective call signal including an address (312) and a topic sub-address (504) indicative of a subscribed information, a processor (212, 214) for correlating the address (312) in the selective call signal to determine when the selective call signal is directed thereto, a decoder (212), in response to the processor (212, 214) determining that the selective call signal is directed thereto, for decoding the topic sub-address (504) to determine when the selective call signal includes the subscribed information, and a battery saver, coupled to the receiver (204), for initiating battery saving when the address (312) does not correlate with a predetermined address of the selective call device (130) and for initiating battery saving when the topic sub-address (504) is absent from the selective call signal.

Abstract: A selective call device (200) has a preassigned address port and a plurality of assignable sub-address ports (246), a receiver (204) for receiving a directory of information services and designated address assignments corresponding to the directory of information services on the preassigned address port and a user interface (216) for selecting an information service from the directory of information services to be received on an assignable sub-address port corresponding to a designated address assignment. The selective call device (200) also has transmitter (208) for transmitting a selection of a selected information service, a programmer (244) for programming the assignable sub-address port in response to a receipt of an authorization and for disabling the assignable sub-address port when a time period for the selected information service has expired and the receiver (204) for receiving the selected information service on the assignable sub-address port (246.

Abstract: A selective call device (100) has a plurality of first alerts and a second alert and includes a decoder/controller (106) generating a plurality of icons associated with the plurality of first alerts and the second alert (116) and a switch for selecting an alert. The decoder/controller (106), in response to the switch (118), positions a second alert icon adjacent to a selected icon when the selected icon is not the second alert icon. A display (108) displays the second alert icon adjacent to the selected icon and the decoder/controller (106) regenerates the plurality of icons wherein the second alert icon is repositioned adjacent to a reselected alert icon.

Abstract: A selective call receiver (100) comprises a receiver (104) for receiving a message and a controller (112) having the capability of determining the length of a received message. At least one of at least two displays (110, 120) is selected to display the received message according the received message length.

Abstract: A selective call receiving device (14) and method distinguishes between received message words with no errors and received message words with correctable errors so as to display a corrected message word with a predetermined number of correctable errors to a user while advising the user that the corrected word may be false or in error.

Abstract: A selective call communication system (10) transmits a frequency hopped spread spectrum signal as a Reed Solomon code word modulated as a four-level frequency shift keying (4FSK) signal. A base site transceiver (150) receives the signal on a plurality of narrow band channels and a DSP (152) performs an FFT on the signal. The DSP (152) has a comparator (342) that computes energy of an 4FSK symbol. The comparator (342) establishes a ratio of a maximum energy and a next largest energy to an eye-opening threshold to indicate a probability of error. A determinator (344) in response to the probability of error determines when there is a fade, an erasure marker (346) marks a position of a Reed Solomon symbol in the fade as an erasure and error correcting code (348) corrects errors in the Reed Solomon code word with the marked erasure.

Abstract: A selective call communication system (10) has a selective call device (100) for transmitting a frequency hopped spread spectrum signal (320) encoded as Reed Solomon code words and modulated as a four-level frequency shift keying (4FSK) signal. A base site transceiver (156) receives the signal on a plurality of narrow band channels. A digital signal processor (DSP)(152) performs a fast fourier transform on the signal to generate frequency samples. The DSP (152) has a comparator (342) that compares an 4FSK symbol to a predetermined threshold, a determinator (344), in response to the comparator (342), determines when there is an interference signal jamming the narrow band channel, an erasure marker (346) marks a position in the Reed Solomon symbol determined to be jammed as an erasure and an error correcting code (348) corrects errors in the Reed Solomon code words marked with erasures.

Abstract: A selective call receiver (100) for receiving and transmitting paging signals has a transceiver (104) having an integer divide synthesizer (105) for achieving a fast lock time. The transceiver (104) has a reference oscillator (202) that generates a reference signal in a direct injection path and a modulator (206) coupled in the direct injection path modulates the reference signal to generate a modulated reference signal. A phase locked offset loop (220) coupled to the direct injection path generates a low frequency signal derived from the reference signal, a multiplier (210) coupled to the modulator (206) multiplies the modulated reference signal, and a mixer (214) coupled to the multiplier (210) receives the modulated reference signal in the direct injection path and an output signal from the phase locked offset loop (220) to generate a first local oscillator output signal and a modulated transmit carrier.

Abstract: A system (10) for transmitting a synchronous stream of data is set forth. The system (10) includes a universal asynchronous transmitter/receiver (30) includes a circuit for asynchronously transmitting a data character; a timing circuit for generating a signal (255, 260) upon completion of the asynchronous transmission of the data character; and an output line (140, 145) controllable to go to a data state independent of the data states of the bits of the data character. The system further includes a central processing circuit (15, 20, 25) that is responsive to the timing circuit of the UART (30). The central processing circuit (15, 20, 25) controls the output line (140, 145) of the UART (30) to go to a series of data states corresponding to individual bits of the synchronous data stream. The period of the individual bits corresponds to the signal generated by the timing circuit.