Abstract: A method and apparatus eliminates an audible noise burst after reestablishment of an external timing signal in a radio base station (102). After a loss of the external timing signal, the base station (102) temporarily operates from an internal timing signal generator (226) to provide digital communications over a radio link (106) with a portable communication unit (120). After reestablishment of the external timing signal, the base station (102) detects (304) the presence of the signal, waits (306) for the signal to stabilize, and controls (312) the portable communication unit (120) to disable audio while switching (316) back to the external timing signal.

Abstract: The present invention allows for communication devices (106 and 108) operating in a communication system (100) to be guaranteed of not missing any important system message sent by the communication system controller (104). By transmitting a system time code to the communication devices (106 and 108) the system controller (104) can inform the communication devices when they need to be ready to receive information from the system controller (104). Once the time to receive a message is determined, the communication devices (106 and 108) turn on even if they were presently turned off or in a battery saving (low power) condition.

Abstract: A method and apparatus allows a user to selectively store (604) a portion of a received message in a selective call receiver (100). The selective call receiver (100) includes first and second memory elements (118) for storing the received message and the portion thereof, respectively. The second memory element has a plurality of partitions (122, 124, 126, 128) corresponding to a plurality of file types. The user defines (FIG. 5) the portion of the received message stored in the first memory element, which portion is to be stored in the second memory element, and then selects (602) one of the plurality of partitions (122, 124, 126, 128) for storing the defined portion of the received message. The defined portion of the received message is then stored (604) in the selected one of the plurality of partitions (122, 124, 126, 128).

Abstract: A method and apparatus completes inbound calls for portable communication units (120) in a wireless communication system comprising portable communication units (120) and fixed communication units (102). The fixed communication unit (102) provides wireless communications over a limited coverage area (108, 110, 112) and provides coupling to a telephone system (114). The fixed communication unit (102) has at least one wireless transmission channel carrying call set-up signaling in a first mode and user communications in a second mode. The method includes in the fixed communication unit (102) the step of generating (708) more than one sequence of periodic call set-up polls on a wireless transmission channel for polling a portable communication unit (120) having an inbound call. The sequence coexists with other sequences of periodic call set-up polls being generated concurrently on the same wireless transmission channel.

Abstract: An apparatus (100) couples first and second electronic devices (206, 202), the first electronic device (206) having an optical communications port (208) and the second electronic device (202) having an electrical communications port (204). The apparatus (100) includes an electrical interface (102) functionally compatible with the electrical communications port (204), and an optical interface (107) functionally compatible with the optical communications port (208) and electrically coupled to the electrical interface (102) for communicating with the electrical interface (102). The electrical interface (102) and the optical interface (107) provide communications between the electrical communications port (204) and the optical communications port (208) when the electrical interface (102) is electrically coupled to the electrical communications port (204), and the optical interface (107) is optically coupled to the optical communications port (208).

Abstract: A latching device (110) for use in a latch system for a housing comprising first and second housing sections (102, 104), comprises a battery compartment (107) and a latch member (112) adjacent to the battery compartment. The latch member (112) is for coupling to the second housing section (104) to latch the first and second housing sections (102, 104) when the latch member (112) is in a first position and to unlatch the first and second housing sections (102, 104) when the latch member (112) is in a second position. The latching device (110) further comprises a movable extender member (114) coupled between the first housing section (102) and the latch member (112) for extending the latch member (112) into the second housing section (104) and for allowing the latch member (112) to move between the first and second positions, the latch member (112) being prevented from moving into the second position when a battery (106) is in the battery compartment (107).

Abstract: A method of transmitting and receiving encoded data generated from input data comprising readable text characters (102) in a communication system having an optical character recognition element (206) and a graphic encoding element (208), the communication system also having a transmitter (114) and a receiver (116), comprises accepting (602) the input data comprising the readable text characters (102) by a facsimile input (202). The method further comprises encoding (620, 622) as character code format data the readable text characters (102) received that are recognizable by the optical character recognition element (206), and encoding (610, 612, 614) as graphic code format data the readable text characters (102) received that are not recognizable by the optical character recognition element (206).

Abstract: The present invention comprises a method and apparatus for selecting one of at least two antennas (202, 204) in a communication unit (102) for use in a wireless communication system (100). A signal is received by a radio frequency receiver (208) during a receiving period from one of the at least two antennas (202, 204) currently selected by an antenna switch (206), the signal transmitted in a digital communications format comprising a plurality of valid data patterns and having an invalid data pattern that is not transmitted. The number of data patterns in the signal received that comprise the invalid data pattern is determined by an antenna diversity control circuit (222), and for a subsequent receiving period one of the at least two antennas (202, 204) is selected based upon the number of occurrences of the invalid data pattern determined.

Abstract: A resonant armature system (109, 114, 116) for generating a vibrating motion in response to an alternating excitation force includes at least two planar suspension members (109), substantially parallel to each other and separated by a distance. The planar suspension member (109) includes a plurality of independent planar spring members (112) arranged regularly about a central planar region (110) within a planar perimeter region (108). The resonant armature system (109, 114, 116) further includes at least one movable mass (114) positioned between and coupled to the at least two planar suspension members (109) for resonating with the at least two planar suspension members (109) at a fundamental mode resonant frequency.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for completing an inbound call from a telephone system to a portable communication unit (104) operating in a communication system comprising a base station (102) coupled to the telephone system (106, 124). The telephone system (106, 124) can complete the inbound call by different procedures requiring differing responses. The portable (104) receives (502) a selective call message (400) comprising a Call-Type Identifier (402) and a Call-Completion Number (412, 414, 416), and then transmits (520, 522, 524) to the base (102) the Call-Completion Number (412, 414, 416) and a Call-Type Code corresponding to the received Call-Type Identifier (402). The base (102) originates (606, 624) a call to the telephone system (106, 124) in accordance with the Call-Completion Number (412, 414, 416) and the Call-Type Code, and then completes the inbound call according to the Call-Type Code.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for use in forming pre-positioned solder bumps (104) on a pad arrangement (100) of a substrate (101) include placing a predetermined pattern (306) of solder preforms (304) in contact with a meltable adhesive fluxing agent (302) on a carrier tape (402), and then heating the fluxing agent (302) to melt it. Next, the fluxing agent (302) is cooled to resolidify it, thereby securing the solder preforms (304) to the carrier tape (402). The carrier tape (402) is then aligned over the pad arrangement (100) and the solder preforms (304) are transferred to the pad arrangement (100) by heating the solder preforms (304) to form the solder bumps (104) in the predetermined pattern (306).

Abstract: A data communication receiver (100) includes a first antenna feed (106) coupled to a first receiver element (110) for demodulating (502) a radio signal containing data bits and for deriving a first phase-locked loop error signal. The data communication receiver (100) also includes a second antenna feed (108) coupled to a second receiver element (112) for demodulating (502) the radio signal and for deriving a second phase-locked loop error signal. A received signal strength indicator (134, 144) measures signal strength of the radio signal from the first antenna feed (106) during reception of a data bit, and concurrently measures signal strength from the second antenna feed (108). A processor (146) then defines (506, 508, 512) the data bit as received from the antenna feed (106, 108) having the greater signal strength to be the optimum data bit.

Abstract: An electronic device (100) includes a housing (222), a circuit supporting substrate (902) within the housing (222) and mechanically coupled thereto, and electronic circuitry (904) mechanically coupled to the circuit supporting substrate (902). A mechanical shock isolator (502) is located within the housing (222), and is mechanically coupled to the circuit supporting substrate (902) for substantially increasing the natural mechanical frequency of vibration of the circuit supporting substrate (902). The mechanical shock isolator (502) includes an electrically conductive structure (504) that is electrically coupled to the electronic circuitry (904). Additionally, a method is provided for sensing the integrity of an electrical loop formed between the electrically conductive structure (504) and the electronic circuitry (904).

Abstract: A wireless communication system (WCS) comprises a plurality of portable communication units (PCUs) (109) each PCU having a telephone number for receiving incoming calls. The WCS is coupled to the public switched telephone network (PSTN) (106), and has a plurality of locations (102) defined by radio coverage of a plurality of fixed communication units (FCUs) (108) at each location. The FCUs (108) are coupled to the PSTN, each FCU having at least one transceiver channel, and each transceiver channel having a telephone access number. The WCS further comprises a routing controller (RC) (104) for routing (514) incoming calls for PCUs, a location database (116) for storing (408) information used in the routing, and a plurality of location controllers (LCs) (110) each assigned an identification. One LC is at each location and is coupled to the FCUs thereat. The LCs communicate (304, 602, 604) with the RC and control (610, 612) the FCUs in response to messages (410, 412, 510) from the RC.

Abstract: A paging system (100) includes a transmitter (104) for transmitting first information including a transmitted page, a receiver (108) for receiving second information, and a diagnostic controller (106) coupled to the transmitter (104) and the receiver (108) for monitoring the first and second information to determine whether the transmitted page was correctly received by the receiver (108).

Abstract: A wireless communication system includes a portable communication unit (PCU) (120) and a plurality of fixed communication units (FCUs) (102) covering a plurality of radio coverage areas (108, 110, 112). The FCUs are coupled to a telephone system (114) by telephone lines (116) shared in common by the FCUs (102). The PCU (120) is associated with one of the telephone lines (116) for receiving an incoming call. THE FCUs (102) are coupled to the telephone line (116) in response to an incoming call, and signals are transmitted from the FCUs (102) to establish a wireless link with the called PCU (120). When one of the FCUs (102) receives a response from the called PCU (120), the receiving FCU (102) establishes the wireless link and the rest of the FCUs (102) stop further signal transmissions.