Abstract: In aspects of conditional device application activation responsive to a notification trigger, a dual-screen device has a secondary screen to display a notification associated with a device application, and has a primary screen to display a user interface of the device application responsive to activation of the notification. The dual-screen device implements a notification control module to receive a trigger input of the notification to activate the device application, and determine one or more conditions that facilitate activation of the device application in a current configuration of the dual-screen device. The notification control module can then maintain the notification for subsequent display if the one or more conditions are not conducive to facilitate the activation of the device application responsive to the trigger input of the notification.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing access delay in push-to-talk (PTT) over Cellular (PoC) communication sessions is provided in a wireless communication device (120) including a quality level controller (230) which controls the quality level at which the transmit talkburst controller (226) provides talkbursts to transmitter circuitry (206). A processor (208) signals the quality level controller (230) and the transmit talkburst controller (226) to provide a first talkburst to the transmitter circuitry (206) for transmitting at a first quality level (310), and thereafter signals the quality level controller (230) to adjust the quality level from the first quality level to a second quality level (314) so that the transmit talkburst controller (226) will provide at least one subsequent talkburst to the transmitter circuitry (206) for transmitting at the second quality level (316).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing access delay in push-to-talk (PTT) over Cellular (PoC) communication sessions is provided in a wireless communication device (120) including a quality level controller (230) which controls the quality level at which the transmit talkburst controller (226) provides talkbursts to transmitter circuitry (206). A processor (208) signals the quality level controller (230) and the transmit talkburst controller (226) to provide a first talkburst to the transmitter circuitry (206) for transmitting at a first quality level (310), and thereafter signals the quality level controller (230) to adjust the quality level from the first quality level to a second quality level (314) so that the transmit talkburst controller (226) will provide at least one subsequent talkburst to the transmitter circuitry (206) for transmitting at the second quality level (316).

Abstract: A method of transmitting scheduling information by a wireless communication device (200) to a network (112) for allocation of resources to the wireless communication device, comprises the steps of transmitting (500) to the network first scheduling information (SI1) relating to a first resource requirement and re-transmitting (516) the first scheduling information when the first scheduling information is not received by the network. Second scheduling information (SI2) relating to a second resource requirement subsequent to the first resource requirement is transmitted (512) to the network (112) in response to one of the first scheduling information having been received by the network and the first scheduling information having not been received by the network after a predetermined number of re-transmissions of the first scheduling information. The generation of scheduling information may be initiated in response to a trigger event such as a periodic trigger event or a non-periodic trigger event.

Abstract: A method for dynamically determining a community of entities in a communications system having a plurality of entities is described. The method includes the steps of: determining (210) the location of at least a portion of the plurality of entities within a first coverage area; computing (220) an entity density function for a plurality of density calculation zones within the first coverage area as a function of the determined location of the entities; detecting (230) that a predetermined proximity density threshold has been exceeded in at least one of the density calculation zones; generating a list (240) of entities that are in proximity to the density calculation zone within which the proximity density threshold was exceeded; and determining (230) whether at least one community can be defined that includes at least two entities from the list.

Abstract: A method for dynamically determining a community of entities in a communications system having a plurality of entities is described. The method includes the steps of: determining (210) the location of at least a portion of the plurality of entities within a first coverage area; computing (220) an entity density function for a plurality of density calculation zones within the first coverage area as a function of the determined location of the entities; detecting (230) that a predetermined proximity density threshold has been exceeded in at least one of the density calculation zones; generating a list (240) of entities that are in proximity to the density calculation zone within which the proximity density threshold was exceeded; and determining (230) whether at least one community can be defined that includes at least two entities from the list.

Abstract: A data communication system employs a method (400) for transmitting packetized data (100) using a combination of well known transmission techniques, such as TCP/IP and a novel compression process. A message type identifier (300) for the packet to be transmitted is first identified, which identifier comprises a packet type identifier (113) and a protocol identifier (114). The packet type identifier (113) distinguishes between control information and user information in the data packet. The packet is then selectively encoded (407, 411) using either a first or a second header compression technique, depending on the packet type identifier (113) and the protocol identifier (114). In this manner, an improved packet transmission scheme is envisaged, which gives a reliable solution for data transmission in a noisy RF environment and/or a bandwidth-limited environment.

Abstract: In a communication system, a method comprises the steps of receiving (401) at least one information bundle intended for subsequent outbound transmission, receiving (403) at least one reservation request that corresponds to at least one information bundle intended for subsequent inbound transmission, and selecting (407) from amongst the at least one information bundle and the at least one reservation request to provide at least one selected information bundle to be transmitted. At least a part of a communication resource is assigned (409) to support transmission of the at least one selected information bundle.

Abstract: A method for providing adaptive modulation in a radio communication system employs a plurality of data modulation techniques (207). A two-way communication unit (100) automatically selects (318) from amongst the plurality of data modulation techniques (207), and uses the selected data modulation technique to transmit (308) data.

Abstract: A transmitting data unit (101) transmits a data message (110) comprising a plurality of data blocks (111-112) to at least one receiving data unit (102-103). Upon reception of the data blocks, at least one corruption metric is determined for the received data blocks. Using the at least one corruption metric, it is determined if a portion of received data blocks has been inadequately received. When the portion of received data blocks has been inadequately received, a resend counter is incremented. If the resend counter exceeds a counter limit value, transmission of resend requests is disabled. Transmission of resend requests may be re-enabled upon satisfaction of a re-enable condition or expiration of a predetermined period of time.

Abstract: A central controller (101) in the TDM wireless communication system (100) transmits a data channel update message (600), including an allocation profile (603) and an update interval (605) to a second group of communication units (107-109). The allocation profile indicates time slots used to form a data channel and the update interval indicates a period of time until transmission of the next data channel update message. The data channel update message, transmitted via the data channel, is sent in response to a request from a first group of communication units (104-106) or upon expiration of a period of time based on a previous update interval. Repetition of this process allows time slots to be dynamically allocated in response to changing system requirements, while minimizing use of the data channel for data channel update messages.

Abstract: Uplink time slots (108) may be allocated within a communication system (100) when a communication unit (102) transmits a first packet (501) to a time slot allocator (101). Upon receiving the first packet (501), the time slot allocator (101) determines whether the first packet (501) contains a request for allocation of N uplink time slots. When the first packet (501) contains the request for allocation of N uplink time slots, the time slot allocator (101) allocates the N uplink time slots to the communication unit (102) when the N uplink time slots are available, wherein the N uplink time slots are allocated contiguous in time. The time slot allocator (101) then transmits an allocation indication to the communication unit in each of N downlink time slots (110) corresponding to the N allocated uplink time slots (108) to inform the communication unit (102) of the allocation.

Abstract: A method of providing a radio communication unit (120) with information regarding radio communication services. The radio communication unit transmits a request regarding availability of one or more specific radio communication services. The radio communication unit then receives information regarding availability of the specified radio communication services.

Abstract: For each of a plurality of modulation techniques, corresponding data reception history information is stored. A particular modulation technique is selected from amongst the plurality of modulation techniques (52). At least one block of data is transmitted using the particular modulation technique (55). A message is received that provides information regarding reception of the at least one block of data, including whether reception of each of the at least one block of data occurred without error (56). The data reception history information is updated for the particular modulation technique using the information regarding reception (57). The data reception history information is used to determine an estimate of transmission signal quality (51).

Abstract: In a Radio Frequency (RF) communication system using Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) having time slots of a common duration, a quantity of information bits to be transmitted is provided. Based at least in part on the number of information bits to be transmitted, a modulation technique is selected from a plurality of modulation techniques. Based at least in part on the modulation technique selected and the common duration of the time slots, the information bits are formatted into blocks, each block containing an equal number of information bits. The blocks are transmitted in the time slots such that a predetermined symbol rate is maintained.

Abstract: A data message (201) is transmitted (301) to a plurality of communication units (103, 105, 107, and 109). The data message (201) is received (401) by the plurality of communication units, which determine (403) whether the quality of the received data message is acceptable. When at least one of the plurality of communication units determines that the received data message is of unacceptable quality, the at least one of the plurality of communication units transmits (411) an energy burst (203) in a predetermined time window. Upon detection of the energy burst (203), the transmitting device may retransmit (309) the data message to the plurality of communication units.

Abstract: Time slots may be allocated within a communication system when a communication unit transmits a first packet to a time slot allocator. Upon receiving the first packet, the time slot allocator determines whether the first packet contains a request for allocation of n-time slots or a request to transmit multiple packets. When the first packet contains the request for allocation of n-time slots, the time slot allocator allocates the n-time slots to the communication unit when the n-time slots are available, wherein the n-time slots are allocated contiguous in time. When the first packet contains the request to transmit multiple packets, the time slot allocator allocates time slots to the communication unit until the multiple packets have been transmitted, wherein the time slots are allocated contiguous in time.

Abstract: When data is ready for transmission, a quality measurement of a communication resource is determined (303). A preferred signalling technique is determined from a plurality of signalling techniques (305). A reservation request for allocation of the communication resource is transmitted, including in the reservation request the preferred signalling technique (307). A reservation grant is transmitted according to the preferred signalling technique (309).

Abstract: Within a transmitter (101), a quantity of data (201) to be transmitted is parsed into variable length, uniquely identified messages (202), which are in turn parsed into fixed-length, uniquely identified blocks (207-211). Messages are buffered and then transmitted to a receiver (103). Upon reception of a message-received communication by the transmitter (101) corresponding to a particular buffered message, that particular message is unbuffered. Upon reception of a message-partially-received communication by the transmitter (101) corresponding to a particular buffered message, those blocks corresponding to portions of the particular buffered message that were not adequately received (703) are retransmitted.

Abstract: A radio communication system controller embodies the present invention by providing extended use (306) of a communication resource (106) to a plurality of communication units. The inventive method includes the steps of assigning (402) a first communication resource to a first communication unit, and then temporarily configuring (406) the assigned communication resource as a reserved resource. The controller then receives (408), from a second communication unit, a request to transmit a second communication on the assigned communication resource. Lastly, the controller re-configures (412) the assigned communication resource to allow transmission of the second communication on the assigned communication resource.