Abstract: A distributor of prepaid wireless services provides a prepaid card representing an amount of prepaid wireless service that may be applied to any of a plurality of wireless service providers. Prepaid cards applicable to any of several wireless service providers are sold at retail points of sale and activated at the time of purchase. The card is then registered with a universal host where the card owner enters the card account number, PIN and the wireless device telephone number for which the prepaid service is to be applied. The universal host automatically selects one of the plurality of service providers in response to the phone number. The purchased prepaid service is then enabled for the wireless device corresponding to the phone number.

Abstract: An insert is retained at the bottom of a portable liquid drink dispenser close to its nozzle. The insert has an inclined top surface for eliminating the need to tip the drink dispenser in order to dispense the final drinks. The insert has a coolant for cooling the fluid at the bottom of the drink dispenser in the area of the nozzle. The coolant may be water, gel or other high heat density material. The insert is chilled in a freezer prior to being retained in the drink dispenser. The insert is removably retained in the bottom of the drink dispenser using any or all of several retention means. The insert has the further advantage of allowing for the stacking of inserts during freezing and transport. Elimination of the need for tipping the drink dispenser allows for the stacking or mounting of drink dispensers while dispensing drinks.

Abstract: A TDD antenna array S-CDMA system for increasing the capacity and quality of a wireless communications is disclosed. By simultaneous exploiting the spatial and code diversities, high performance communications between a plurality of remote terminals and a base station is achieved without sacrificing system flexibility and robustness. The time-division-duplex mode together with the inherent interference immunity of S-CDMA signals allow the spatial diversity to be exploited using simple and robust beamforming rather than demanding nulling. Measurements from an array of receiving antennas at the base station are utilized to estimate spatial signatures, timing offsets, transmission powers and other propagation parameters associated with a plurality of S-CDMA terminals. Such information is then used for system synchronization, downlink beamforming, as well as handoff management.

Abstract: A wireless communication system has a protocol enabling synchronous code division multiple access (CDMA) communication on a time division duplex (TDD) frequency, and provides for a smart antenna system as an integral component of the system. The protocol has downlink time slots (DTS) which provide for synchronization and paging of all remote terminals from a base station on a omnidirectional code channel and while providing for traffic signals on directional traffic channels. The protocol has uplink time slots (DTS) which enable rapid link requests by remote terminals, as well as enabling improved spacial estimation, synchronization and power control of remote terminals by the base station.

Abstract: A communication system has a hierarchical system of nodes organized into multiple node trees (800-806, 820-826, and 835), the communication system for completing calls between various ports (810, 812, 826) for interfacing to various transceivers (840). The method used in the hierarchical system is capable of tracking the location of the transceiver as it moves between ports and trees of the system while substantially reducing the size and modification of a data base for tracking the location of the transceiver. The communication system provides a method of linking root nodes (800, 820, 835) of various trees while providing for the advantages of a reduced amount of memory necessary for tracking transceiver movement through the system. The method allows establishment and growth of node trees in various geographic locations while providing for links between the root nodes of the trees.

Abstract: A paging system has a signal for transmitting a variable amount of messages to paging receivers. The signal has a synchronization signal, an address field, an information and a boundary signal indicative of the boundary between the address field and the information field. Each message has addresses which are included within the address field and may have message information which is included in the information field. The information field includes two portions, a first portion having a plurality of packets for holding a predetermined amount of information and a second portion for holding a variable amount of information. If the information associated with a message is less than the predetermined amount, the message information is stored in the first portion of the information field.

Abstract: A radio receiver receives information on a radio carrier and switches portions of the receiver (12, 14, 18) OFF and ON at a rate greater than the bandwidth of the information, thereby reducing the power consumed by the radio receiver. A signal quality detector (42) determines the amount of distortion introduced by the switching and controls a duty cycle modulator (44) in order to maximize the OFF time while maintaining adequate signal quality. If receiving a data transmission, a synchronizer (46) may be used to synchronize the switching to the bit timing. A transmission gate (24) and capacitor (26) holds the input of filter (32) constant while portions of the receiver are OFF or generating transients due to being switched ON.

Abstract: An integrated circuit (70) is soldered to a printed circuit board (200) by first depositing flux (116) on bumps (75) of the integrated circuit. Solder (214) is deposited upon the bumps (75), and the integrated circuits is (70) placed in contact with pads (210) on the printed circuit board (200). After reflow, a solder joint (230) electrically and mechanically attaches the integrated circuit (70) to the printed circuit board (200).Alternatively, the solder tipped (214) bumps (75) may be placed in contact with a non-adhering flat plane (300) such as glass during the heating process. After reflow, each bump has a flat portion (350), and the flat portions of all the bumps form a plane (400) which further facilitates attaching the integrated circuit (70) to the printed circuit board (200).

Abstract: A selective call receiver (111) has a first mask (134A) stored within the selective call receiver (111) indicative of a first period of reception for receiving a transmitted communication signal (99) having a plurality of packets (100). Each of the transmitted packet (100) has message information (110). An identifier (106) identifies the packet (100). The control signal (108) is representative of a second mask (134B) indicative of a second period of reception. The second mask is compared with the first mask for determining the second period of reception of the selective call receiver (111). A correspondence between the first and second masks determines whether to change the first period of reception of the selective call receiver (111) for receiving at least one additional packet.

Abstract: A selective call receiver (106) receives a radio frequency signal having digital signals contained within symbols. The signal demodulated by the receiver (804) comprises a substantially constant DC offset voltage and an AC voltage (1810) indicative of the information contained within the symbols. A threshold level extraction circuit (808) which extracts the offset voltage is synchronously controlled (1840) providing for sampling of the received signal by the threshold level extraction circuit in substantially the center of each symbol.

Abstract: A selective call receiver (30) for receiving selective call signals in a universal synchronization code operating mode receives signals having the conventional POCSAG sync code and signals having dual sync codes and decodes the signals appropriately to recover personal and information services messages. Whether the receiver (30) is operating in a conventional POCSAG system or a dual sync code system, the receiver (30) conserves battery power by activating the high battery draining receiver circuit (34) only during frames (106) of the signal (100) wherein personal message addresses or database information is likely to appear. The frames (106) where the personal message addresses are likely to appear and where the database information appear are indicated by a frame byte stored in a memory (48) with the corresponding address.

Abstract: A selective call receiver comprises a receiver for receiving a signal, a processor for processing the received signal to detect an address code therein, a storage device for storing information representing at least one personalized alert signal, and a controller coupled to the storage device for presenting one of the personalized alert signals when an appropriate address code is detected.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing a signal is capable of determining the presence or absence of a signal having a predetermined baud rate. By initializing counting registers to either first or second values, and receiving the signal, either the presence or absence of the baud rate may be more rapidly detected. Rapid detection provides for improved battery savings when the invention is used within a portable receiver such as a pager. The invention provides for positive detection of the predetermined baud rate while rejecting a baud rate being an integer divisor of the predetermined baud rate. Additionally, as a result of the determination of the presence of the predetermined baud rate, a sample clock may be established for receiving data at the baud rate.

Abstract: A low power and low voltage frequency synthesizer includes a memory containing information to provide divisor information to the variable divider of a phase locked loop and information to select predetermined values of capacitance to connect to the frequency determining resonant network of the VCO to provide a coarse tuning. This tuning is then further modified by the normal operation of the phase locked loop.

Abstract: A timer which can be used to provide interrupt signals at predetermined but variable periods for multi-tasking microcomputers or serial data acquisition in pagers comprises a plurality of modulo counters. Each modulo counter has selectable clock inputs and has an output coupled via switches to a NOR gate and to the other modulo counters. Programmable configuring means control the switching means to configure the counters so as to produce desired outputs at the logic gate. The configuring means can also reset the modulus of the modulo counters to any desired value. Thus, the timer produces variable interrupt signals with little or no overhead processor time.

Abstract: A paging receiver and a method for minimizing spurious interference signals in the radio frequency (RF) stages and the intermediate frequency (IF) stages. The paging receiver includes a receiving means, a timing means, a voltage converting means, and a decoding means. A frequency for the timing signals generated by the timing means is selected to minimize spurious signal response. The timing signals are simultaneously applied to the decoding means and the voltage converting means. The frequency of the timing signal can be varied to minimize spurious signal response. The decoding means is notified of the timing signal frequency to effect the detecting and decoding of received coded information in real time.

Abstract: The antenna system of the present invention includes a single loop antenna connected in series with a ferrite core loop antenna. The single loop antenna is enclosed in a nonconductive housing, such as a band, which surrounds the wrist. The single loop antenna has a first end grounded and is connected in series with a first variable capacitive element for adjusting the resonant frequency of the single loop antenna. The ferrite core loop antenna is connected to a second variable capacitive element for adjusting the resonant frequency of the ferrite core loop antenna. One end of the ferrite core loop antenna is applied as an input to a communication receiver such as a paging receiver. The outstanding feature of the antenna system is that the axis of the single loop antenna is perpendicular to and noncoplanar with the ferrite core loop axis for enhancing the sensitivity and minimizing body effects caused by hand movements.

Abstract: A method of selecting an alert pattern for a pager receiver including calling the pager terminal on a telephone, providing a unit ID, a pattern select coded signal and identifying a new alert pattern. The pager terminal then transmits a "replace alert pattern signal", which prepares a reprogrammable memory in the pager receiver for reprogramming, and the selected new alert pattern, which is then programmed into the alert pattern memory.

Abstract: A communication system develops an information packet having a packet structure field and at least one message. The message has an address and information associated with the address. A central station accumulates and incorporates the at least one message into the information packet. The central station determines the occurrence of the at least one address and generates identifying data indicating where the address occurs within the information packet. The identifying data is incorporated into the packet structure field and the information packet is transmitted. The information packet is received by at least one selective call receiver capable of operating in a high power mode in order to receive the information packet and a low power mode when receiving is not being performed. The selective call receiver extracts the packet structure field and interprets the identifying data.

Abstract: A communication receiver is disclosed which can turn itself on or off depending upon the time of day. When the receiver is on, normal battery saving is performed. A time of day clock generates a time signal which is compared to predetermined turn on and turn off times. The turn on and turn off times may be permanently stored in memory or may be manually programmed at the receiver or may be received by the receiver and stored in a reprogrammable memory.