MESSAGING DEVICES AND METHODS

• US 20140357209A1
• Filed: 08/19/2014
• Published: 12/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Messaging Services LLC (American Messaging Services LP)
• Original Assignee: American Messaging Services LLC (American Messaging Services LP)
• Inventors: Nagel, John F., Pottle, J. Roy, Barnett, Peter C., Kim, Sangsoo, Anderson, David, NIchol, Jamie Gordon
• Granted Patent: US 9,608,680 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/161.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1027 assessing signal quality or detecting noise/interference for the received signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/1072 by tuning the receiver frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/022 Selective call receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/023 with message or information receiving capability

Abstract

An electronic messaging device includes a receiver configured to receive a message at one of a first operational frequency and second operational frequency. The messaging device can operate using a time synchronous protocol and can receive commands through over-the-internet-programming (OTIP) and over-the-air-programming (OTAP).

Claims

1. An electronic messaging device, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a message at an operational frequency;

a controller operatively connected to the receiver;

a memory operatively connected to the controller and configured to store a message received by the receiver, a value of a first variable, and a value of a second variable; and

a power source configured to supply electrical power to the controller; and

wherein the controller is configured to;

operate the receiver at a first operational frequency;

determine a first filtered average received signal strength indication (RSSI) level of the first operational frequency;

increment the value of the first variable and reduce the value of the second variable when the value of the first variable is at a first threshold value when the determined first filtered average RSSI level of the first operational frequency is above a first threshold RSSI level,;

increment the value of the second variable when the determined first filtered average RSSI level of the first operational frequency is below the first threshold RSSI level; and

operate the receiver at a second operational frequency when the value of the second variable is at a second threshold value.

2. The electronic messaging device of claim 1, wherein the first filtered average received signal strength indication is based on a first plurality of measured RSSI levels.

3. The electronic messaging device of claim 2, wherein only measured RSSI levels that are within a target RSSI range are included in the first plurality of measured RSSI levels.

4. The electronic messaging device of claim 1, wherein the first threshold RSSI level is about −

110 dBm.

5. The electronic messaging device of claim 4, wherein the target RSSI range is about −

120 dBm to about −

60 dBm.

6. The electronic messaging device of claim 1, wherein the first threshold value is equal to the second threshold value.

7. The electronic messaging device of claim 6, wherein the first threshold value is three and the second threshold value is three.

8. The electronic messaging device of claim 1, wherein when the value of the first variable meets or exceeds the first threshold value, the value of the second variable is reduced to a value of zero.

9. The electronic messaging device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

when the receiver is operating at the second operational frequency, operate the receiver at the first operational frequency when a synchronization signal is received;

determine a second filtered average RSSI level of the first operational frequency based on a second plurality of measured RSSI levels, wherein only measured RSSI levels that are within the target RSSI range are included in the second plurality of measured RSSI levels; and

when the second determined filtered average RSSI level of the first operational frequency is below a second threshold RSSI level, operate the receiver at the second operational frequency.

10. The electronic messaging device of claim 9, wherein the second determined threshold RSSI level is greater than the first threshold RSSI level.

11. The electronic messaging device of claim 9 wherein the controller is configured to:

monitor a number of times that the second determined filtered average RSSI level of the first operational frequency is above the second threshold RSSI level; and

continue to operate the receiver at the first operational frequency when the number of times that the second determined filtered average RSSI level of the first operational frequency meets a third threshold.

12. The electronic messaging device of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to:

monitor a number of times that the second determined filtered average RSSI level of the first operational frequency is below the second threshold RSSI level; and

when the number of times that the second determined filtered average RSSI level of the first operational frequency is below the second threshold RSSI level and meets a fourth threshold number of times, reduce a count associated with the number of times that the second determined filtered average RSSI level of the first operational frequency is above the second threshold RSSI level.

13. The electronic messaging device of claim 12, wherein the second threshold RSSI level is about −

103 dBm.

14. The electronic messaging device of claim 12, wherein the third threshold number of times is three times and the fourth threshold number of times is ten times.

15. The electronic messaging device of claim 1, wherein the power source is a rechargeable power source.

16. The electronic messaging device of claim 15, comprising a data port, wherein the rechargeable power source is configured to receive a charge via the data port.

17. The electronic messaging device of claim 16, wherein the data port is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface.

18. The electronic messaging device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to decrypt messages received by the receiver using an encryption key.

19. A method, comprising:

electronically coupling a messaging device to a computing device, the messaging device locally storing a plurality of messages in a memory of the messaging device;

uploading the plurality of messages from the memory of the messaging device to the computing device through the coupling;

subsequent to the messaging device being added to a message distribution group comprising a plurality of existing messaging devices, receiving from the computing device a test communication through the coupling to test an operation of the messaging device and confirming the addition of the messaging device to the message distribution group without communicating with the existing messaging devices; and

when the test communication is successfully received, indicating receipt of the test communication.

20. The method of claim 19, comprising:

receiving an update to programming of the messaging device from the computing device via the coupling.

21. The method of claim 19, comprising:

charging a power source of the messaging device through an electrical charge received through the coupling.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein indicating receipt of the test communication comprises providing at least one of a visual alert and an audible alert.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the computing device is in communication with a host through a network connection and the update to the programming is received from the host by the computing device.

24. A messaging device, comprising:

a data communication interface;

a rechargeable power source;

a charging system operatively coupled to the data communication interface and the rechargeable power source;

a processor operatively coupled to the rechargeable power source; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by the processor cause the processor to;

receive messages on one of a local operational frequency and a wide-area operational frequency, wherein the local operational frequency is associated with a private network and the wide-area operational frequency is associated with a public carrier network using a synchronous paging protocol;

receive programming commands through the data communication interface;

receive an electrical charge through the data communication interface;

subsequent to the messaging device being added to a message distribution group comprising a plurality of existing messaging devices, receive from a computing device a test communication through the data communication interface to test an operation of the messaging device and confirm the addition of the messaging device to the message distribution group without communicating with the existing messaging devices; and

when the test communication is successfully received, indicate receipt of the test communication.

25. The messaging device of claim 24, comprising a wireless communication interface.

26. The messaging device of claim 25, wherein the wireless communication interface supports a Bluetooth wireless communication protocol.

27. The messaging device of claim 25, wherein the instructions, which when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

transfer a message using the wireless communication interface to the computing device.

28. An apparatus, comprising:

a dual-frequency messaging device, comprising;

means for wirelessly receiving a message sent at a first operational frequency;

means for wirelessly receiving a message sent at a second operational frequency;

means for switching operation from the first operational frequency to the second operational frequency when a first set of conditions is satisfied;

means for switching operation from the first operational frequency to the second operational frequency when a second set of conditions is satisfied;

means for coupling the messaging device to a computing device;

means for receiving programming commands from the computing device;

means for receiving test commands from the computing device, wherein the test commands test an operation of the dual-frequency messaging device to confirm the addition of the dual-frequency messaging device to a message distribution group without communicating with other messaging devices that are members of the message distribution group; and

means for transferring data from the messaging device to the computing device.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, comprising:

a rechargeable power source; and

means for supplying an electrical charge to the rechargeable power source.