Abstract: A system and method are shown for registering a subscriber unit (10) in an integrated communication system having a number of subsystems (30, 50) that are capable of operating independently. The subscriber unit (10) stores in a memory (77) a list of outbound subsystems ordered according to the subscriber unit's preference for using the subsystem as a outbound home subsystem to which the subscriber unit registers. An inbound preferred home subsystem list is also stored in the memory (77). In order to register to the integrated system, the subscriber unit identifies the most preferred outbound subsystem that covers the current location of the subscriber unit as its outbound home subsystem. If the outbound home subsystem is a two-way subsystem having an inbound channel accessible by the subscriber unit, the subscriber unit uses the inbound channel of the outbound home subsystem to communicate the registration information to the integrated system.

Abstract: A battery-powered selective call transceiver, operating in two-way communication with an RF communication system, can be put in a power saving state. A user control on the transceiver allows a user to select the duration of a power saving interval. The transceiver sends to the communication system a signal requesting that the transceiver enter a power saving state for the selected interval. Upon receipt of an acknowledgment signal from the system, the transceiver enters the power saving state.

Abstract: A system and method are shown for selecting an outbound subsystem and an inbound subsystem to be used to communicate between a subscriber unit (10) and an integrated communication system having a number of subsystems (30, 50) that are capable of operating independently. The subscriber unit (10) stores in a memory (77) for each of the different types of messages that the subscriber unit (10) can handle, a list of the subsystems that can be used to communicate the message type wherein each list is ordered according to the subscriber unit's preference for using a subsystem for outbound messages of the particular type. When the subscriber unit receives control information from the integrated system identifying a particular type of message that the system expects to communicate to the subscriber unit, the subscriber unit identifies at least one outbound subsystem in the list stored for the received message type covering the area in which the subscriber unit is located.

Abstract: An etiquette controller (112) in a transmitter (14) in a first radio frequency (RF) communications system (10) enables radio frequency communications in a frequency bandwidth shared with heterogeneous RF communication systems (15). The etiquette controller (112) monitors the first RF signals in an isochronous frequency channel in a sub-band of the shared frequency bandwidth to determine whether (124) a frequency channel is free or whether (130, 136) the frequency channel comprises a communication channel which is free. In addition, the etiquette controller (112) causes the RF transceiver (102) to transmit (148) a channel relinquishment signal, monitors (150) the isochronous frequency channel for a predetermined monitoring time, and determines (152) whether the isochronous frequency channel is then free for the channel access.