Abstract: A selective call device (130) has a receiver (204) for receiving a selective call signal including an address (312) and a topic sub-address (504) indicative of a subscribed information, a processor (212, 214) for correlating the address (312) in the selective call signal to determine when the selective call signal is directed thereto, a decoder (212), in response to the processor (212, 214) determining that the selective call signal is directed thereto, for decoding the topic sub-address (504) to determine when the selective call signal includes the subscribed information, and a battery saver, coupled to the receiver (204), for initiating battery saving when the address (312) does not correlate with a predetermined address of the selective call device (130) and for initiating battery saving when the topic sub-address (504) is absent from the selective call signal.

Abstract: A selective call system provides dynamic group calling by transmitting a paging message (FIG. 10) to each data communication receiver in a defined group. The paging message comprises a group call address (1040) and frame (1050) and phase (1060) information identifying when the group message will be transmitted. The group call message is then transmitted (326, 328) in the assigned frame and phase. When the paging messages comprising the group call address are received (1904) by the data communication receivers, the group call address is decoded and temporarily stored (1910) as an address of the receiver. Within the identified frame and phase, address correlation with the group call address is attempted (1918, 1926) and the group call message, when found (1920), is received and decoded (1922) as a paging message. After reception of the group call message, the group call address and associated stored information is erased (1924).