Registration in a broadcast communications system

• US 20040192302A1
• Filed: 08/07/2002
• Published: 09/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Casaccia, Lorenzo, Sinnarajah, Ragulan, Achour, Baaziz
• Granted Patent: US 8,320,922 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services

Abstract

Systems and techniques are disclosed relating to communications. The systems and techniques include an input device, generating a time period in response to a broadcast channel selection from the input device, generating a request to register the broadcast channel if the time period ends before receiving a second broadcast channel selection, and transmitting the request to an access network. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or the meaning of the claims.

Claims

1. A method of communications, comprising:

selecting a broadcast channel;

confirming that the broadcast channel remains selected for a period of time following the selection of the broadcast channel; and

registering the broadcast channel with an access network in response to the end of the time period.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising tuning a frequency to receive the broadcast channel from the access network.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising receiving a page from the access network at the tuned frequency.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the registration of the broadcast channel comprises storing data relating to the broadcast channel at the access network, and determining the tuned frequency for the page from the stored data.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising confirming that the broadcast channel does not remain selected at the end of the second time period, and removing the data from storage in response to the end of the second time period.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising confirming that the broadcast channel remains selected for a second period of time following the registration of the broadcast channel, and reregistering the broadcast channel with the access network in response to the end of the second time period.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising tuning a first frequency to receive the broadcast channel, deselecting the broadcast channel during a second period of time following the registration thereof, selecting a second broadcast channel, and tuning to a second frequency to receive the second broadcast channel.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising receiving a page from the access network at both the first and second frequencies before the second time period ends.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising receiving a page from the access network at the second frequency after the second time period ends.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising deselecting the broadcast channel during a second period of time following the registration thereof, reselecting the broadcast channel during the second time period, and reregistering the broadcast channel with the access network in response to the end of a third period of time following the reselection of the broadcast channel.

11. A method of communications, comprising:

selecting a first broadcast channel;

establishing a first time period in response to the first broadcast channel selection;

preventing the first broadcast channel from being registered with an access network by deselecting the first broadcast channel before the end of the first time period;

selecting a second broadcast channel;

confirming that the second broadcast channel remains selected for a second period of time following the selection of the second broadcast channel; and

registering the second broadcast channel with the access network at the end of second time period.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising tuning a frequency to receive the second broadcast channel from the access network.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising receiving a page from the access network at the tuned frequency.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the registration of the second broadcast channel comprises storing data relating to the second broadcast channel at the access network, and determining the tuned frequency for the page from the stored data.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising confirming that the second broadcast channel remains selected for a third period of time following the registration of the second broadcast channel, and reregistering the second broadcast channel with the access network in response to the end of the third time period.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising confirming that the second broadcast channel does not remain selected at the end of the third period, and removing the data from storage in response to the end of the third time period.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising tuning a first frequency to receive the second broadcast channel, deselecting the second broadcast channel during a third period of time following the registration thereof, selecting a third broadcast channel, and tuning to a second frequency to receive the third broadcast channel.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising receiving a page from the access network at both the first and second frequencies from the access network before the third time period ends.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising receiving a page from the access network at the second frequency from the access network after the third time period ends.

20. The method of claim 11 further comprising deselecting the second broadcast channel during a third period of time following the registration thereof, reselecting the second broadcast channel during the third time period, and reregistering the second broadcast channel with the access network in response to the end of a fourth period of time following the reselection of the broadcast channel.

21. The method of claim 11 wherein the registration of the second broadcast channel comprises sending a registration request to the access network, the registration request including information identifying the second broadcast channel.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the registration request further includes information identifying the first broadcast channel.

23. An apparatus, comprising:

an input device;

a processor having a timer responsive to a broadcast channel selection from the input device, the processor being configured to generate a request to register the broadcast channel if the timer expires before receiving a second broadcast channel selection from the input device; and

an analog front end configured to transmit the request to an access network.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the analog front end further includes a tuner, the processor further being configured to set the tuner to a frequency in response to the broadcast channel selection from the input device.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the tuner is further configured to couple a page from the access network to the processor when the tuner is set to the frequency.

26. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the processor further comprises a second timer responsive to the expiration of the timer, the processor further being configured to generate a second request to register the broadcast channel if the second timer expires before receiving a second broadcast channel selection from the input device, the analog front end further being configured to transmit the second request to the access network.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the timer is further responsive to a second channel selection from the input device before the second timer expires, the processor further being configured to generate a request to register the second broadcast channel if the timer responsive to the second channel selection expires before receiving a third broadcast channel selection from the input device, the analog front end further being configured to transmit the request to register the second broadcast channel to the access network.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein the timer is further responsive to a reselection of the broadcast channel from the input device, the processor further being configured to generate a second request to register the broadcast channel if the timer expires before receiving a third broadcast channel selection from the input device, the analog front end further being configured to transmit the second request to the access network.

29. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the registration request generated by the processor includes information relating each of the broadcast channels selected by the input device following a previous registration request.

30. Computer readable media embodying a program of instructions executable by a computer program to perform a method of communications, the method comprising:

receiving a broadcast channel selection;

confirming that the broadcast channel remains selected for a period of time following the selection of the broadcast channel; and

generating a request to register the broadcast channel with an access network in response to the end of the time period.

31. The computer readable media of claim 30 wherein the method further comprises tuning a frequency to receive the broadcast channel from the access network.

32. The computer readable media of claim 31 wherein the method further comprises receiving a page from the access network at the tuned frequency.

33. The computer readable media of claim 30 wherein the method further comprises confirming that the broadcast channel remains selected for a second period of time following the generation of the registration request, and generating a second request to register the broadcast channel with the access network in response to the end of the second time period.

34. The computer readable media of claim 30 wherein the method further comprises tuning a first frequency to receive the broadcast channel, receiving a broadcast channel deselection during a second period of time following the generation of the registration request, receiving a second broadcast channel selection, and tuning to a second frequency to receive the second broadcast channel.

35. The computer readable media of claim 34 wherein the method further comprises receiving a page from the access network at both the first and second frequencies before the second time period ends.

36. The computer readable media of claim 34 wherein the method further comprises receiving a page from the access network at the second frequency after the second time period ends.

37. The computer readable media of claim 30 wherein the method further comprises receiving a broadcast channel deselection during a second period of time following the registration request for the broadcast channel, receiving a broadcast channel reselection during the second time period, and generating a second request to register the broadcast channel with the access network in response to the end of a third period of time following the reselection of the broadcast channel.

38. Computer readable media embodying a program of instructions executable by a computer program to perform a method of communications, the method comprising:

receiving a first broadcast channel selection;

establishing a first time period in response to the first broadcast channel selection;

preventing the generation of a request to register the first broadcast channel with an access network in response to a first broadcast channel deselection before the end of the first time period;

receiving a second broadcast channel selection;

confirming that the second broadcast channel remains selected for a second period of time following the selection of the second broadcast channel; and

generating a request to register the second broadcast channel with the access network at the end of the second time period.

39. The computer readable media of claim 38 wherein the method further comprises tuning a frequency to receive the second broadcast channel from the access network.

40. The computer readable media of claim 39 wherein the method further comprises receiving a page from the access network at the tuned frequency.

41. The computer readable media of claim 38 wherein the method further comprises confirming that the second broadcast channel remains selected for a third period of time following the registration of the second broadcast channel, and reregistering the second broadcast channel with the access network in response to the end of the third time period.

42. The computer readable media of claim 38 wherein the method further comprises tuning a first frequency to receive the second broadcast channel, receiving a second broadcast channel deselection during a third period of time following the generation of the request to register the second broadcast channel with the access network, receiving a third broadcast channel selection, and tuning to a second frequency to receive the third broadcast channel.

43. The computer readable media of claim 42 wherein the method further comprises receiving a page from the access network at both the first and second frequencies before the third time period ends.

44. The computer readable media of claim 42 wherein the method further comprises receiving a page from the access network at the second frequency after the third time period ends.

45. The computer readable media of claim 38 wherein the method further comprises a second broadcast channel deselection during a third period of time following the registration request for the broadcast channel, receiving a second broadcast channel reselection during the third time period, and generating a second request to register the second broadcast channel with the access network in response to the end of a fourth period of time following the reselection of the broadcast channel.

46. The computer readable media of claim 38 wherein the registration request includes information identifying the second broadcast channel.

47. The computer readable media of claim 46 wherein the registration request further includes information identifying the first broadcast channel.

48. An apparatus, comprising:

an input device;

means for generating a time period in response to a broadcast channel selection from the input device;

means for generating a request to register the broadcast channel if the time period ends before receiving a second broadcast channel selection; and

means for transmitting the request to an access network.

49. The apparatus of claim 48 further comprising means for tuning to a frequency to receive the broadcast channel selection.

50. The apparatus of claim 49 further comprising means for processing a page from the access network at the frequency.

51. The apparatus of claim 48 further comprising means for generating a second time period in response to the end of the first time period, means for generating a second request to register the broadcast channel if the second time period ends before receiving a second broadcast channel selection from the input device, and means for transmitting the second request to the access network.

52. The apparatus of claim 51 further comprising means for generating a third time period in response to a second channel selection from the input device before the second time period ends, means for generating a request to register the second broadcast channel if the third time period ends before receiving a third broadcast channel selection from the input device, and means for transmitting the request to register the second broadcast channel to the access network.

53. The apparatus of claim 52 further comprising means for generating a fourth time period in response to a reselection of the broadcast channel from the input device, means for generating a second request to register the broadcast channel if the fourth time period ends before receiving a third broadcast channel selection from the input device, and means for transmitting the second request to the access network.

54. The apparatus of claim 48 wherein the registration request generated by the processor includes information relating each of the broadcast channels selected by the input device following a previous registration request.