Abstract: A communication network including a plurality of intennediaries in which a request for information is generated by a first intermediary and a response to the request is generated by a second intermediary of the plurality of intermediaries. A location token requesting location information corresponding to the first intermediary is included in one or both of the request and the response, and the request and the response are transmitted between the intermediaries, with location information being inserted within the location token in response to receipt of the location token by certain ones of the plurality of intermediaries.

Abstract: A group selected from a plurality of portable subscriber units (122) is defined (402), and a plurality of locations corresponding to members of the group are identified (404) by a controller (112) in cooperation with a base station and the group members. The controller determines (406) from the plurality of locations at least one distance between selected ones of the members, and sends (408) a notification when the at least one distance satisfies a predetermined set of rules.

Abstract: A processor (208) selects a candidate message (214) from a message queue (212), and tests (306) whether an available space (216) in the current frame of data is sufficient to accommodate the candidate message. The processor records (320, 420) a skip indicator (218, 220) into a predetermined memory location, in response to the candidate message being a numbered message and the available space in the current frame being insufficient. The processor skips (316) the candidate message during the current frame even though available space is sufficient, when the skip indicator is recorded in the predetermined memory location and is applicable to the candidate message. The processor adds (332) the candidate message to the current frame of data, when the available space in the current frame is sufficient and the candidate message is a message not affected by the skip indicator. The processor continues (330) to select, test, record, skip, and add, as above, to form the current frame of data.

Abstract: A messaging system implements a group call in a controller (110, 120) by receiving (306) first and second messages intended for first and second recipients and determining (416) that the first and second messages are identical to one another. In response to making that determination, the controller transmits (522) the first and second messages as a single group call message.

Abstract: In a data communication system a first controller (102) selectively retrieves data from a database (316) in a second controller (106). Data corresponding to a plurality of entities is programmed (602) into the database. The data includes a plurality of parameters for each of the plurality of entities. Ones of the plurality of parameters are selectively defined (604) to belong to parameter groups in accordance with a predetermined grouping plan. The first controller generates (612) a request for the data corresponding to one of the plurality of entities from the database, the request further indicating a desired one of the parameter groups. The second controller returns (620) the desired one of the parameter groups corresponding to the one of the plurality of entities, in response to the request.

Abstract: A messaging system capable of transmitting messages to receivers which roam between coverage areas. In one configuration, a coverage area (600) is divided into a plurality of zones (605, 610, 615). A single simulcast system identification (SSID) number is assigned which consists of a local identification number which identifies the coverage area (600), a zone identifier which identifies a zone (610) within the coverage area, traffic splitting flags and a frequency. For larger roaming areas, a network is defined as consisting of a plurality of service areas and is identified by network identification information (NID). NID information and/or SSID information along with a priority value is stored in a receiver according to desired coverage and like information is transmitted in the corresponding zone or service area and the roaming pager operates on the frequency having the NID or SSID having the highest priority.

Abstract: A paging controller (10) schedules the transmission of pages of different protocol types, dynamically, taking into account both the airtime efficiency of transmitting a page of a particular protocol type and the fairness of transmitting pages of that protocol type. The paging controller (10) determines the efficiency of transmitting stored pages for each protocol type based upon the number of code words stored for the pages of the protocol type in a paging queue (27-30) and based upon the delay, if any, that is expected to be encountered in changing to the protocol type. The paging controller (10) determines the fairness of transmitting pages of a particular protocol type based upon the age of the pages of the protocol type that are stored in the paging queue (27-30).