Abstract: A system and method for providing adjustable levels of information density in a communicated data stream in response to monitored communication link conditions is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment the data stream is a time division multiple access data stream providing data communication to a plurality of geographically separated systems. The information density of time bursts associated with each such system may be independently adjusted according to the disclosed invention based upon each such system's link conditions. A preferred embodiment of the invention utilizes a mapping technique in order to utilize a modulator adjusted for a high level information density to emulate lower level information density transmission.

Abstract: A system and method for transparently transporting SONET virtual tributaries over a airlink are shown and described. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention a hub is coupled to a SONET fiber optic channel which is adapted to receive and transmit SONET data packets over the fiber and to receive and transmit this information in a more efficient transport container over a wireless link to a remote subscriber system. Efficiency of bandwidth is achieved in the preferred embodiment through the use of compression of overhead bytes, dropping unnecessary path overhead information, dropping of redundant information, discarding reserved space, carrying payload in place of repetitive overhead information, and utilizing efficient error correction techniques.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting duplicate messages and correcting garbled messages in a wireless communication device are provided. According to one aspect of the present invention, erred messages received by a wireless communication device are corrected. A first message fragment is received by the wireless communication device. The first message fragment is corrected based upon a second message fragment after it has been determined that the first message fragment contains one or more errors. According to another aspect of the present invention, a wireless communication device includes a receiver configured to receive messages transmitted over a forward channel from a messaging system; a transmitter configured to transmit responses over a reverse channel to the messaging system; and a processor. The processor is coupled to the receiver to receive messages from the messaging system. The processor is further coupled to the transmitter to transmit acknowledgments to the messaging system.

Abstract: A network operations center comprised of hardware and software that tests paging devices, such as two-way paging devices to determine that they conform to a specified protocol.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for service level recognition and registration processing in a wireless communication device are provided. According to one aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for transitioning between service modes and indicating a current service mode to a user of a wireless communication device. The status of a signal associated with a forward channel from a messaging system to the wireless communication device is determined. A quality metric is determined based upon the status over a predetermined period of time. Three service modes, including a full service mode, a basic service mode, and a storing service mode are provided. In the storing service mode, after determining the quality metric is better than a first predetermined threshold a transition is made to the basic service mode. In the basic service mode, after verification of a reverse channel from the wireless communication device to the messaging system a transition is made to the full service mode.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for wide range automatic frequency control. A control signal indicating a frequency within one of a plurality of frequency bands is received by an oscillator. In response, the oscillator generates a tuning signal having the indicated frequency. Based on the tuning signal, receive logic receives an input signal to obtain a sequence of values. Compare logic compares the sequence of values to a predetermined pattern. If the sequence of values does not match the predetermined pattern, frequency control logic outputs a different control signal to the oscillator to adjust the frequency of the tuning signal to another one of the plurality of frequency bands. Another input signal is received to obtain a new set of values and the new set of values is compared the predetermined pattern.

Abstract: A small antenna comprising an unequal current density center-fed dipole employing a conductive trace and a ground plane counterpoise positioned substantially perpendicular to each other. According to one embodiment, a conductive trace is etched onto a dielectric substrate to form a printed circuit. According to a further embodiment, the conductive trace has two sets of orthogonal components; one set of components captures the desired electric field polarization and the second set of components cancels out the undesired cross polarization. A portion of a signal received on the first set of components adds together to produce a desired resultant vector and a portion of the signal received on the second set of components adds together to cancel out the undesired vector.

Abstract: An over-the-air programming (OTAP) technique in which programming messages are sent to a communication device in order to change operational parameters in the communication device. These operational parameters may comprise functional characteristics of the communication device. The programming is secure in that the communication device is only responsive for a predetermined period of time when enabled.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for combined timing recovery, frame synchronization and frequency offset correction in a digital receiver is provided. In general, the present invention provides a pair of correlators that operate on a set of samples output by a discriminator. A positive correlator generates a positive correlation value and a negative correlator generates a negative correlation value. The positive and negative correlation values are used to determine frame synchronization, frequency offset and timing recovery values so that timing recovery, frame synchronization and frequency offset correction may be performed simultaneously.

Abstract: A pager including a housing and a control button interface, where the housing has an opening having at least one recess area around a portion of the opening and the control button interface is coupled to the housing and has multiple buttons arranged with at least one of the controlled buttons positioned between the other buttons. One of the buttons is located near the one recess area so as to enable its depression without causing other buttons from being depressed.

Abstract: A multi-level quadrature (I/Q) mixer for use in a communication system such as a paging device, where the mixer includes first and second I/Q downconversions followed by demodulation. The first I/Q downconversion converts an I/Q signal pair to a first IF, and the second I/Q downconversion converts an I/Q signal pair to a second IF. The first IF may or may not be the center frequency depending on the number of subchannels in the single channel being downconverted.

Abstract: A demodulation circuit providing for detection of multiple zero-crossings in an FSK signal. High data rate signals are demodulated by generating, for each pair of baseband signals I and Q, additional I and Q pairs which are phase shifted from the original I and Q pair. By generating zero crossing signals for the original baseband signals and for the phase shifted signals, additional zero crossings may be detected allowing demodulation of relatively high data rate modulated signals.

Abstract: A communication portable radio frequency (RF) communication device such as a pager that receives messages and formats selected messages and stores the formatted messages on a removably attached integrated circuit card (IC) computer card. After receiving and formatting messages, the card may be removed and coupled to a computer system. Then the computer system may access the data on the card.

Abstract: A integrated circuit card having a rigidized frame to surround the electronic devices on a printed circuit (PC) board. The card includes a frame and integral cover for the top and bottom. The top and bottom are constructed out of a material that does not interfere with the use of an antenna coupled to the board assembly within the card. The bottom and top are coupled together using pins. When the two are coupled together the frame is better supported.

Abstract: A power generation technique to generate power for use in, for instance, a communication device having a transmitter and a receiver, where communication occurs over atmosphere, or airways (e.g., wireless). The present invention provides a battery-based system that generates power at a high current and high voltage while accommodating the required duty cycles using batteries with sizes that are not prohibitive given the size constraints associated with portable devices in general.

Abstract: A integrated circuit card having a rigidized frame to surround the electronic devices on a printed circuit (PC) board. The card includes a frame and integral cover for the top and bottom. The top and bottom are constructed out of a material that does not interfere with the use of an antenna coupled to the board assembly within the card. The bottom and top are coupled together using pins. When the two are coupled together the frame is better supported.