COMMUNICATION SYSTEM AND METHOD OF OPERATION

• US 20140227990A1
• Filed: 02/28/2014
• Published: 08/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: WALKER, GLENN A.
• Application Number:
  US14/193,100
• Publication Number:
  US 20140227990A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/343.4
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1615 Switching on; Switching off, e.g. remotely battery saving circuits associated with selective call operation H04W52/00; details of power consumption reduction in a PLL, H03L7/0802, H03L7/14, H03L2207/08, H03L2207/18; muting amplifiers by gain control see H03G3/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals

Abstract

A communication system configured to communicate receiver-specific information from a transmitter to a plurality of receivers. Each of the receivers is assigned to one of a plurality of groups based on a group identification value stored in each receiver. A first receiver group is configured to operate during a first information-expected time interval. The first information-expected time interval is determined based on a reception time of a time-reference signal and a first group identification value. A second receiver group is configured to operate during a second information-expected time interval distinct from the first information-expected time interval. The second information-expected time interval is determined based on the reception time of the time-reference signal and a second group identification value.

Claims

1. A communication system (10) configured to communicate receiver-specific information (26) from a transmitter (18) to a plurality of receivers (12), wherein each of the receivers (12) is assigned to one of a plurality of groups based on a group identification value stored in each receiver, wherein the system (10) comprises:

a first receiver group (12A) configured to operate from an off-state to an on-state to receive receiver-specific information (26) during a first information-expected time interval (34A), wherein the first information-expected time interval (34A) is determined based on a reception time (36) of a time-reference signal (24) and a first group identification value (42A); and

a second receiver group (12B) configured to operate from an off-state to an on-state to receive receiver-specific information (26) during a second information-expected time interval (34B) distinct from the first information-expected time interval (34A), wherein the second information-expected time interval (34B) is determined based on the reception time (36) of the time-reference signal (24) and a second group identification value (42B).

2. The system (10) in accordance with claim 1, wherein the receiver-specific information (26) during the first information-expected time interval (34A) is distinct from the receiver-specific information (26) during the second information-expected time interval (34B).

3. The system (10) in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first receiver group (12A) is further configured to operate from the on-state to the off-state before the second information-expected time interval (34B) starts.

4. The system (10) in accordance with claim 1, wherein the second receiver group (12B) is configured to operate from an off-state to an on-state after the first receiver group (12A) operates from the on-state to the off-state.

5. The system (10) in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first information-expected time interval (34A) is based on the reception time (36) and a portion of the first group identification value (42A).

6. The system (10) in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first group identification value (42A) is based on a particular vehicle identification number (VIN) of a particular vehicle in which a particular receiver is installed.

7. The system (10) in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first receiver group (12A) is configured to operate during a synchronization time interval (40) to determine the reception time (36) of the time-reference signal (24), and operate during the first information-expected time interval (34A) to receive receiver-specific information (26).

8. The system (10) in accordance with claim 7, wherein the first receiver group (12A) is configured to operate only during a predetermined number of the first information-expected time interval (34A) that occur after the synchronization time interval (40) and then wait for a subsequent synchronization time interval.

9. A method (300) of operating a communication system (10) configured to communicate receiver-specific information (26) from a transmitter (18) to a plurality of receivers, wherein each of the receivers is assigned to one of a plurality of groups based on a group identification value stored in each receiver, wherein the transmitter (18) is configured to transmit periodically a time-reference signal (24) and the receiver-specific information (26), wherein information for a first receiver group (12A) is transmitted during a first information-expected time interval (34A) that is determined based on a reception time (36) of a time-reference signal (24) and a first group identification value (42A), and information for a second receiver group (12B) is transmitted during a second information-expected time interval (34B) that is determined based on the reception time (36) of the time-reference signal (24) and a second group identification value (42B), wherein the second information-expected time interval (34B) is distinct from the first information-expected time interval (34A), said method (300) comprising:

determining a receiver identification value of a first receiver group (12A) and a second receiver group (12B) of the system (10);

operating the first receiver group (12A) and the second receiver group (12B) to determine the reception time (36);

operating the first receiver group (12A) during the first information-expected time interval (34A) to receive receiver-specific information (26) if the receiver identification value corresponds to the first group identification value (42A); and

operating the second receiver group (12B) during the second information-expected time interval (34B) to receive receiver-specific information (26) if the receiver identification value corresponds to the second group identification value (42B).

10. The method (300) in accordance with claim 9, wherein the step of operating the first receiver group (12A) during the first information-expected time interval (34A) is repeated a predetermined number of times before repeating the step of operating the first receiver group (12A) to determine the reception time (36).

11. The method (300) in accordance with claim 10, wherein the step of operating the second receiver group (12B) during the second information-expected time interval (34B) is repeated the predetermined number of times before repeating the step of operating the second receiver group (12B) to determine the reception time (36).