Abstract: A pager receives a wireless telecommunication message from central paging terminal. Upon successful transmission of the message to the pager, the message is acknowledged initiating transmission of an acknowledge signal from the pager. The pager transmits the acknowledge signal to one of a variety of different secondary transmission sources. The secondary transmission source then relays the acknowledge signal back to a receiver associated with the central paging terminal. The acknowledge signal is either physically initiated by depressing a switch on the pager or is automatically initiated by the pager upon receiving the message. Energy efficiency of the pager is further increased by periodically broadcasting and polling for available secondary transmission sources.

Abstract: Integrated circuit design contemplating alternate applications incorporates devices, e.g. a gatable pull-down FET resistor, responsive to signal activity at an integrated circuit pin. Signal activity, as opposed to traditional configuration mechanisms, dictates integrated circuit functions including level-pulling functions and bus configuration functions.

Abstract: A paging system repeatedly broadcast each message and associates a sequential message number with each paging message. The message number in each message serves two functions. First, the message number is used to determine if the same message was previously received and second, when a subscriber reviews the messages, missing messages can be readily detected by skipped message numbers. All messages that are transmitted are also stored at a clearinghouse and a subscriber can telephone the clearinghouse facility and request that particular missed messages be retransmitted or given by voice response over the telephone.

Abstract: Advertising information is preloaded into a collection of remote receiving and presentation devices. A presentation command delivered to the device then causes presentation of the stored advertisement. Each stored advertisement is also associated with one or more presentation conditions causing, when detected, automatic presentation. Such presentation conditions include proximity to a given location, scheduled periodic presentation, time of day presentation, and a variety of other conditions detectable at the remote presentation device. The illustrated method and apparatus for advertising presentation requires but a single broadcast signal transmission of a given advertisement, but provides multiple presentations of such advertisement at the presenting devices. In this manner, the advertiser enjoys efficient use of broadcast signal transmission time.

Abstract: Two separate subcarriers are used to transmit portions of a single message to one or more receivers on an FM radio signal. The synchronization and addressing data necessary to identify the message to a target receiver is located in the first subcarrier. The second subcarrier, in turn, consists almost entirely of raw message data. Thus, transmitting multiple subcarriers substantially increases the overall data transmission payload when transmitting digital messages. Because each subcarrier is located within a different frequency band, the communication system is also adaptable to different subcarrier allotments in the FM baseband.

Abstract: A system including primary and secondary PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) buses which do not "livelock". The system includes two PCI to PCI bridges between the primary and secondary buses. One of the bridges is configured to only act as a target on the primary bus and as a master on the secondary bus, the second bridge is configured to only act as master on the primary bus and as a target on the secondary bus. The determination of which data path is chosen is not made by the bridges and thus the bridges do not bias the direction of transmissions to one bus or to the other bus.

Abstract: A receiver operates in both a first polling protocol and in a selectable data acquisition protocol to both conserve power while quickly read long messages in wireless one-way communication systems. The receiver first polls data transmissions at a relatively slow periodic rate to identify messages. When the receiver identifies a corresponding address in the data transmission, a format packet directs the receiver to acquire data using a second data acquisition protocol independent of the polling protocol. The data acquisition protocol enables long messages to be communicated in a fast, highly reliable manner. After the long message is successfully transmitted, the receiver automatically reverts back into a polling protocol to conserve power.

Abstract: A vehicle information device and collects information concerning specific geographic points of interest. The operator recalls for display such information, including a display showing direction and distance of travel to a designated geographic point of interest relative to a then-current vehicle location. Dual channel advertising is transmitted by voice broadcast and by data broadcast. Upon hearing in the voice broadcast an advertisement of interest, the operator captures the associated data broadcast including, among other detailed text message information, the location of the advertiser. Distance and relative direction of travel from the current vehicle location to the geographic point of interest is thereby presented. Multiple geographic points of interest are stored for selective review whereby the user constructs a database containing locations of particular interest to a particular person.

Abstract: Packets are transmitted in different block sizes according to the speed of motion of the receiver. The packet block size is selected to minimize the effects of burst errors that occur at the receiver. The burst errors are disbursed between all packets in the packet block by interleaving the packets together prior to transmission. The receiver then deinterleaves the packets into their original format disbursing burst errors between all packets in the packet block. Since each packet will only contain a small proportion of the burst error, standard ECC schemes can be used to correct for bit errors in each packet increasing the probability that all packets will be transmitted successfully.

Abstract: Integrated circuit components automatically establish or disable a level-pulling condition relative to a given input IC pin as a function of detected signal activity at such IC pin, A logic signal responsive to signal activity at the IC pin drives the gate of a field effect transistor (FET) to dynamically establish or disable level-pulling function at the IC pin. Alternative embodiments include a flop-flop register and an OR gate driving the gate of the FET.

Abstract: A paging receiver as part of a wristwatch. Received messages are displayed using an analog mechanism. A plurality of disks largely hidden behind a watch face, but having a small area visible through an aperture in the watch face, can be independently rotated to display standard messages, coded messages, and number sequences. Other analog watch mechanisms such as drums and sliding bars visible through respective apertures in the watch face can include marks representing standard paging messages. These other analog watch mechanisms can be moved such that a selected mark is visible through the respective aperture in response to receiving a paging message. A special hand on the watch may be controlled to point to markings on the watch's face or bezel which signify standard paging messages received by the pager.

Abstract: A wide area paging system is disclosed in which paging messages input to the system in one local area can be broadcast to a receiver in any other local area without necessarily broadcasting the message in all areas. A local area clearinghouse in each area stores resident subscriber data including current location and receiver serial number. This data is used to transfer messages over a data network to the correct clearinghouse. The system uses a TDM data protocol. The data is encoded and transmitted at a very high rate (e.g. , 19,000 baud) in short packets (256 bits/13 milliseconds) via stereo FM sidebands. Receivers are assigned to receive sequentially numbered time slots matching a portion of their address. The addresses of intended receivers are included in the data packets. Battery-powered receivers are deactivated between packets and reactivated in accordance with the sequential time slot number scheme to receive an incoming packet.

Abstract: A wrist watch radio pager which includes a microprocessor and which receives different types of messages. Normal messages received by the wrist watch pager are displayed in a conventional fashion. However, one type of message is transmitted together with a code which indicates that the message is a "private" or "secure" message. A private message can for example be used to automatically transmit a user's bank balance to the wrist watch pager. Private messages are not automatically displayed on the wrist watch pager as are normal messages. When a private message arrives at the pager, it is stored in the pager's memory. When the user seeks to display the message, a special display appears which asks for entry of a security code. The security code entered by the user must match a security code previously delivered to the pager by way of a security code message. The security code is entered in the same manner that the time digits on a digital watch are entered.

Abstract: Battery saving can be achieved in a selective call receiver (i.e. in a radio pager) by only periodically activating the receiver. The activation rate or time cycle of the receiver determines how often the receiver can receive messages and the amount of time between the periods when messages can be received. The present invention provides a selective call receiver which has variable cycle rates. A system includes a plurality of receivers, some of which have a first cycle rate and some of which have a second cycle rate.

Abstract: A wireless communication system uses transmitted data signals to monitor and control redundant modulator hardware. A modulator unit signature identifying the modulator unit currently transmitting data is embedded into each data frame carried by the transmission signal. Each modulator unit can then independently monitor the transmission signal to determine which modulator is currently transmitting data. Each modulator unit then monitors the transmission signal in case the modulator unit actively generating the transmission signal fails. In a failure situation, the active modulator unit disconnects itself from the transmission circuity while the backup modulator unit independently connects to the transmission circuitry to begin active transmission.

Abstract: A low cost acknowledge-back system for a pager includes a small, portable plug-in module with a telephone connector for coupling to an existing telephone network. Paging devices interact with plug-in modules through a wireless infrared (IR) link. When a paging device comes within communication range of a module, automated interaction therebetween allows the paging device to acknowledge to a paging system successful delivery of a given paging message. The system further includes multiple levels of acknowledgement including acknowledgement of message receipt and message read events at the paging device. Further, the system includes automatic and manual response functions allowing the user of the paging device to initiate automatically or manually a telephone connection using the telephone number of a telephone number message to respond to a given telephone number message.

Abstract: A subcarrier signal generator includes a finite impulse response (FIR) filter responsive to selected FIR coefficients. A first set of FIR coefficients represents an ideal subcarrier shape and center frequency. A calibration step monitors the resulting subcarrier signal and produces a new set of FIR coefficients corresponding generally to the ideal subcarrier signal shape and center frequency, but predistorted according to the compliment of error detected in the actual subcarrier signal. By then loading the new set of FIR coefficients and operating the subcarrier generator, frequency-dependent distortions in the output stage of the subcarrier generator cancel predistortion reflected in the new FIR coefficients. As a result, a high quality subcarrier signal results without use of expensive output stage devices in the subcarrier signal generator.

Abstract: A paging device includes a cryptographic function and a password accessed cryptographic key look-up table associating each stored key with a password. When an cryptographic message is collected by the paging device, the user can select a relatively long cryptographic key by entering a relatively shorter password. The paging device then applies a cryptographic function to a received message using a selected relatively long cryptographic key, the selection being a function of user entry of a relatively short password. Overall, paging messages in transit, i.e., while broadcast by radio signal, enjoy a high level of security by encryption with a relatively long cryptographic key by a message source. As accessed by the user, however, the cryptographic messages are reviewed in readable form by use of a relatively short password designating a relatively long stored cryptographic key.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for automatically tuning an antenna includes adaptive antenna tuning based on a current radio reception frequency and on prior antenna tuning cycles to establish a predictor value. The predictor value establishes an antenna tuning voltage sub-range most likely to contain the optimum antenna tuning voltage, but is a smaller range than the full antenna tuning voltage range. The antenna tuning voltage sub-range is then traversed while monitoring a signal strength indicator to identify an antenna tuning voltage providing optimum tuning conditions. Because only a sub-range of the full antenna tuning voltage range need be traversed, by virtue of the predictor value, relatively small increments in antenna tuning voltage may be used in traversing this sub-range. As a result, the execution time and accuracy of the antenna tuning method of the present invention is improved relative to prior automatic antenna tuning methods.

Abstract: Group message delivery in a time multiplexed paging system is accomplished by providing in normal message packets a group ring indicator. A paging device collecting a message interrogates the group ring indicator to determine availability of a pending group message. If a group message is available, the paging device can target a dedicated time slot associated with group message transmission. In this manner, a single transmission of a group message is made available to all paging devices of the paging system. In one embodiment, the group ring indicator is a single bit indicating merely availability of a pending group message, the paging device then targeting and collecting the available group message to determine whether the paging device subscribes to that particular group message service. In a second embodiment, the group ring indicator indicates not only availability of a group message, but also the type of group message available.