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: 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: 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 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 paging receiver as part of an analog wristwatch. A received paging message is displayed using an analog watch mechanism which includes hands that are independently controllable. Around the perimeter of the watch face or on the watch bezel are marks representing paging messages, such as "Call Home", "Call Office" etc. Paging messages are displayed by using one of the hands which normally is used to indicate time to point to one of the marks or messages on the perimeter of the watch. Optional features include using the watch hands not used to point to a mark representing a received paging message to point to a predetermined location to alert the user that a message has been received and using an LED can be used to indicate that a message has been received or that a message is pending. Other analog mechanisms, such as disks, drums, and sliding bars visible through respective apertures in the watch face can be used to display information concerning paging messages.