Paging system hub switch

• US 4,866,431 A
• Filed: 02/22/1988
• Issued: 09/12/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Flatt Morris Associates SA, Management And Investment, S.A.
• Original Assignee: Telefind Corporation
• Inventors: Campana, Thomas J. Jr., Thelen, Gary F., Andros, Andrew A., Kinast, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yusko, Donald J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pudpud, E. O.
• Application Number:
  US07/158,584
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.44, 340/825.49, 340/825.02, 340/311.1, 340/825.03, 340/825.06, 340/825.52, 379/220, 379/258, 379/242, 379/112, 379/58, 379/59, 379/56, 379/57, 379/60, 379/63, 379/170, 379/217, 358/84, 455/31, 455/32, 455/33, 455/34, 455/38, 370/93, 370/94, 370/54, 370/60, 370/61
• US Class Current: 340/7.27
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/022 One-way selective calling networks, e.g. wide area paging
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A paging network is disclosed which utilizes a plurality of distributed switches to transmit pages on a non-real time basis to achieve efficient and low cost transmission. Each of the switches processes packets of pages received from the network. Each of the switches also processes pages into packets of pages to be transmitted to another switch in the network or into batches of pages to be transmitted by a local paging service if the switch is a local switch. The network dynamically programs the reception channel(s) of the paging receivers in response to traffic conditons of a local switch or in accordance with service options specificed by a subscriber to a local paging service. The digits of the paging receiver identification code are transmitted in an order of increasing significance to conserve battery life of the paging receivers. Pages may be initiated by placing a local call to any lata switch in the network and service options may be varied by placing of a local call to a lata switch.

Claims

1. A hub switch, for use in a paging network having a plurality of switches located in separate geographic locations with the switches including a plurality of hub switches, a plurality of lata switches with each lata switch being under the jurisdiction of a hub switch and a plurality of local switches with each local switch being under the jurisdiction of a lata switch and coupled to a local paging service, comprising:

(a) means for receiving packets with each packet containing a variable number of pages and having the hub switch as an area destination with each packet being from a lata switch under the jurisdiction of the hub switch or from another hub switch, and for disassembling the packets into at least one individual page with each disassembled page having an area destination of one of the switches in the network determined by alocal switch originating the page where the page is to be transmitted in the network for broadcast;

(b) a memory having a plurality of storage areas comprised of a number of outbound lata storage areas which respectively correspond to each lata switch under the jurisdiction of the hub switch and a number of outbound hub storage areas which respectively correspond to each separate communication path between the hub switch and other hub switches;

(c) means for receiving pages stored in the lata and hub storage areas of the memory, forming each page into a packet with each packet containing a variable number of pages and having one of the switches as an area destination corresponding to the storage area from which each page was received from the memory, and transmitting each packet to a lata switch or hub switch corresponding to the destination of the packet; and

(d) processing means, coupled to the means for receiving packets and the means for receiving pages stored in the lata and hub storage areas for determining the area destination of each disassembled page, causing the storage of each page in the storage area which corresponds to the determined area destination of the page and causing the outputting of any pages stored in each storage area to the means for receiving pages stored in the lata and hub storage for forming each page into a packet.

2. A hub switch in accordance with claim 1 wherein:

the area destination of each individual page in each formed packet is a lata switch.

3. A hub switch in accordance with claim 1 wherein:

the area destination of each individual page in each formed packet is a local switch.

4. A hub switch in accordance with claim 1 wherein:

(a) the means for receiving packets of pages is an input from the network and includes a data module processor which disassembles each packet of pages into at least one individual page contained in the disassembled packet;

(b) the means for receiving pages stored in the lata and hub storage areas has an output to the network and includes the data module processor which forms the received pages into the packets of pages having one of the switches as an area destination corresponding to the storage area from which the pages were received; and

(c) the processing means is a central processing means.

5. A hub switch in accordance with claim 1 wherein:

(a) the memory includes;

an inbound lata storage area for storing disassembled pages received from at least one lata switch under the jurisdiction of the hub switch; and

an inbound hub storage area for storing disassembled pages received from other hub switches; and

(b) the processing means processes the pages stored in the inbound lata storage area and in the inbound hub storage area to determine an area destination and stores the processed pages in the outbound lata or outbound hub storage areas which correspond to the determined area destination of the pages.

6. A hub switch in accordance with claim 5 wherein:

(a) the inbound lata storage area is comprised of a number of individual inbound lata storage areas which are at least equal in number to the number of lata switches under the jurisdiction of the hub switch; and

(b) the inbound hub storage area is comprised of a number of individual hub storage areas which are at least equal in number to the number of other hub switches from which the hub switch directly receives packets of pages.

7. A hub switch in accordance with claim 4 wherein:

(a) the memory includes;

an inbound lata storage area for storing disassembled pages received from at least one lata switch under the jurisdiction of the hub switch; and

an inbound hub storage area for storing disassembled pages received form other hub switches; and

(b) the processing means processes the pages stored in the inbound lata storage area and in the inbound hub storage area to determine an area destination and stores the processed pages in the outbound lata or outbound hub storage areas which correspond to the determined area destination of the pages.

8. A hub switch in accordance with claim 7 wherein:

(a) the inbound lata storage area is comprised of a number of individual inbound lata storage areas which are at least equal in number to the number of lata switches under the jurisdiction of the hub switch; and

(b) the inbound hub storage area is comprised of a number of individual hub storage areas which are at least equal in number to the number of other hub switches from which the hub switch directly receives packets of pages.

9. A hub switch in accordance with claim 1 wherein:

(a) the memory includes a lata code table which stores an area destination of each lata switch under the jurisdiction of the hub switch and a hub routing code table which stores for each area destination outside the jurisdiction of the hub switch at least one hub switch to which pages are to be directly transmitted; and

(b) the processing means compares the area destination of each page with any area destinations stored in the lata code table and, if a match is found, causes the storage of the page in the outbound lata buffer having the matched area destination, and if a match is not found, the area destination of the page is compared with any area destinations in the hub routing code table to match the area destination of the page with an area destination in the hub routing table and causes the page to be stored in an area of the outbound hub buffer which corresponds with the matched area destination of the hub routing code table.

10. A hub switch in accordance with claim 9 wherein:

(a) each area destination in the hub routing code table stores at least one other hub switch to which a page may be directly transmitted with the at least one other hub switch being stored on a priority basis designating an order of choice of which hub switch should receive a page; and

(b) the processing means chooses the other hub switch to which a page should be transmitted for a matched area destination in the hub routing code table based upon the highest priority hub switch listed within the matched destination which is determined to be available to receive the page and causes storage of the page in the corresponding outbound hub storage area.

11. A hub switch in accordance with claim 4 wherein:

(a) the memory includes a lata code table which stores an area destination of each lata switch under the jurisdiction of the hub switch and a hub routing code table which stores for each area destination outside the jurisdiction of the hub switch at least one other hub switch to which pages are to be directly transmitted; and

(b) the processing means compares the area destination of each page with any area destinations stored in the lata code table and, if a match is found, causes the storage of the page in the outbound lata buffer having the matched area destination and, if a match is not found, the destination of the page is compared with any area destinations in the hub routing code table to match the area destination of the page with an area destination in the hub routing table and causes the page to be stored in an area of the outbound hub buffer which corresponds with the matched area destination of the hub routing code table.

12. A hub switch in accordance with claim 11 wherein:

(a) each area destination in the hub routing code table stores at least one other hub switch to which a page may be directly transmitted with the at least one other hub switch being stored on a priority basis designating an order of choice of which hub switch should receive a page; and

(b) the processing means chooses the other hub switch to which a page should be transmitted for a matched area destination in the hub routing code table based upon the highest priority hub switch listed within the matched area destination which is determined to be available to receive the page and causes storage of the page in the corresponding outbound hub storage area.

13. A hub switch in accordance with claim 5 wherein:

(a) the memory includes a lata code table which stores an area destination of each lata switch under the jurisdiction of the hub switch and a hub routing code table which stores for each area destination outside the jurisdiction of the hub switch at least one other hub switch to which pages are to be directly transmitted; and

(b) the processing means compares the area destination of each page with any area destinations stored in the lata code table and, if a match is found, causes the storage of the page in the outbound lata buffer having the matched area destination and, if a match is not found, the area destination of the page is compared with any area destinations in the hub routing code table to match the area destination of the page with an area destination in the hub routing table and causes the page to be stored in an area of the outbound hub buffer which corresponds with the matched area destination of the hub routing code table.

14. A hub switch in accordance with claim 13 wherein:

(a) each area destination in the hub routing code table stores at least one other hub switch to which a page may be directly transmitted to the matched area destination in the hub routing code table with the at least one other hub switch being stored on a priority basis designating an order of choice of which hub switch should receive a page; and

(b) the processing means chooses the other hub switch to which a page should be transmitted for a matched area destination in the hub routing code table based upon the highest priority hub switch listed within the matched area destination which is determined to be available to receive the page and causes storage of the page in the corresponding outbound hub storage area.

15. A hub switch in accordance with claim 6 wherein:

(a) the memory includes a lata code table which stores an area destination of each lata switch under the jurisdiction of the hub switch and a hub routing code table which stores for each area destination outside the jurisdiction of the hub switch at least one other hub switch to which pages are to be directly transmitted; and

(b) the processing means compares the area destination of each page with any area destinations stored in the lata code table and, if a match is found, causes the storage of the page in the outbound lata buffer having the matched area destination and, if a match is not found, the area destination of the page is compared with any area destinations in the hub routing code table to match the area destination of the page with an area destination in the hub routing table and causes the page to be stored in an area of the outbound hub buffer which corresponds with the matched area destination of the hub routing code table.

16. A hub switch in accordance with claim 15 wherein:

(a) each area destination in the hub routing code table stores at least one other hub switch to which a page may be directly transmitted with the at least one other hub switch being stored on a priority basis designating an order of choice of which hub switch should receive a page; and

(b) the processing means chooses the other hub switch to which a page should be transmitted for a matched area destination in the hub routing code table based upon the highest priority hub switch listed within the matched area destination which is determined to be available to receive the page and causes storage of the page in the corresponding outbound hub storage area.

17. A hub switch in accordance with claim 1 wherein:

the periodic outputting of pages stored in either the lata or hub storage areas occurs whenever either one of two conditions occur which are (1) the storage area has stored therein a predetermined number of characters or (2) pages have not been outputted within an immediately past time interval of a predetermined length.

18. A hub switch in accordance with claim 4 wherein:

the periodic outputting of pages stored in either the lata or hub storage areas occurs whenever either one of two conditions occur which are (1) the storage area has stored therein a predetermined number of characters or (2) pages have not been outputted within an immediately past time interval of a predetermined length.

19. A hub switch in accordance with claim 5 wherein:

the periodic outputting of pages stored in either the lata or hub storage areas occurs whenever either one of two conditions occur which are (1) the storage area has stored therein a predetermined number of characters or (2) pages have not been outputted within an immediately past time interval of a predetermined length.

20. A hub switch in accordance with claim 6 wherein:

the periodic outputting of pages stored in either the lata or hub storage areas occurs whenever either one of two conditions occur which are (1) the storage area has stored therein a predetermined number of characters or (2) pages have not been outputted within an immediately past time interval of a predetermined length.

21. A hub switch in accordance with claim 9 wherein:

the periodic outputting of pages stored in either the lata or hub storage areas occurs whenever either one of two conditions occur which are (1) the storage area has stored therein a predetermined number of characters or (2) pages have not been outputted within an immediately past time interval of a predetermined length.

22. A hub switch in accordance with claim 10 wherein:

outputting of pages stored in either the lata or hub storage areas occurs whenever either one of two conditions occur which are (1) the storage area has stored therein a predetermined number of characters or (2) pages have not been outputted within an immediately past time interval of a predetermined length.

23. A hub switch in accordance with claim 1 wherein:

the area destination of each transmitted page is a local switch.

26. A hub switch in accordance with claim 23 wherein:

(a) the memory includes;

an inbound lata storage area for storing pages received from the at least on lata switch under the jurisdiction of the hub switch; and

an inbound lata storage area for storing pages received from other hub switches; and

(b) the processing means processes each page stored in the inbound lata storage area and in the inbound hub storage area to determine an area destination and stores each processed page in the outbound lata or outbound hub storage areas which correspond to the determined area destination of the page.

27. A hub switch in accordance with claim 26 wherein:

(a) the inbound lata storage area is comprised of a number of individual inbound lata storage areas which are at least equal in number to the number of lata switches under the jurisdiction of the hub switch; and

(b) the inbound hub storage area is comprised of a number of individual hub storage areas which are at least equal in number to the number of other hub switches from which the hub switch directly receives pages.

28. A hub switch in accordance with claim 23 wherein:

(a) the memory includes a lata code table which stores an area destination of each lata switch under the jurisdiction of the hub switch and a hub routing code table which stores for each area destination outside the jurisdiction of the hub switch at least one other hub switch to which pages are to be directly transmitted; and

(b) the processing means compares the area destination of each page with any area destinations stored in the lata code table and, if a match is found, causes the storage of the page in the outbound lata buffer having the matched area destination and, if a match is not found, the area destination of the page is compared with any area destinations in the hub routing code table to match the area destination of the page with an area destination in the hub routing table and causes the page to be stored in an area of the outbound hub buffer which corresponds with switch area destination of the hub routing code table.

30. A hub switch in accordance with claim 23 wherein:

transmitting of any pages stored in either the lata or hub storage areas occurs whenever either one of two conditions occur for each area which are (1) the storage area has stored therein a predetermined number of characters or (2) pages have not been outputted within an immediately past time interval of a predetermined length.

24. A hub switch, for use in a paging network having a plurality of switches located in separate geographic locations with the switches including a plurality of hub switches, a plurality of lata switches with each lata switch being under the jurisdiction of a hub switch and a plurality of local switches with each local switch being under the jurisdiction of a lata switch and coupled to a paging service, comprising:

(a) means for receiving pages from each lata switch under the jurisdiction of the hub switch or from another hub switch with each page having an area destination determined by a local switch originating the page of where the page is to be transmitted in the network for broadcast;

(b) a memory having a plurality of storage areas comprised of a number of outbound lata storage areas which respectively correspond to each lata switch under the jurisdiction of the hub switch and a number of hub storage areas which respectively correspond to each separate communication path between the hub switch and other hub switches;

(c) means for receiving pages stored in the lata and hub storage areas of the memory and transmitting each page to a lata switch or to a hub switch corresponding to the area destination of the page; and

(d) processing means, coupled to the means for receiving pages and the means for receiving pages stored in the lata and hub storage areas, for determining the area destination of each page, causing the storage of each page in the storage area which corresponds to the determined area destination of the page and causing the outputting of each page stored in each storage area to the means for receiving pages stored in the lata and hub storage areas.

25. A hub switch in accordance with claim 24 wherein:

the area destination of each transmitted page is a lata switch.

31. A hub switch, for use in a paging network having a plurality of switches located in separate geographic locations with the switches including a plurality of hub switches, a plurality of lata switches with each lata switch being under the jurisdiction of a hub switch and a plurality of local switches with each local switch being under the jurisdiction of a lata switch and coupled to a local paging service comprising:

(a) an input coupling the hub switch to the network for receiving packets containing a variable number of pages having the hub switch as an area destination with each packet being from a lata switch under the jurisdiction of the hub switch or from another hub switch with each packet having an area destination and including at least one page with each page having an area destination in the network determined by a local switch originating the page of where the page is to be transmitted in the network for broadcast;

(b) an output, coupling the hub switch to the network, for transmitting packets to each lata switch under the jurisdiction of the hub switch and to at least one another hub switch with each packet including a variable number of pages;

(c) a memory having a plurality of storage areas comprised of a number of outbound lata storage areas which respectively correspond to each lata switch under the jurisdiction of the hub switch and a number of hub storage areas which respectively correspond to each separate communication path between the hub switch and each another hub switch; and

(d) processing means, coupled to the input and the output, for disassembling the packets into individual pages, determining the area destination of each disassembled page, causing storage of each disassembled page in the storage area which corresponds to the area destination of the page, causing each page stored in each storage area to be readout, forming each read out page into a packet with each packet including a variable number of pages and having a switch as an area destination which corresponds to the storage area from which each page was readout which was formed into the packet and transmitting each formed packet to the output for transmission to an area destination in the network identical to the area destination of the formed packet.

32. A hub switch in accordance with claim 31 wherein:

the area destination of each individual page in each formed packet is a lata switch.

33. A hub switch in accordance with claim 31 wherein:

the area destination of each individual page in each formed packet is a local switch.

34. A hub switch, for use in a paging network having a plurality of switches located in separate geographic locations with the switches including a plurality of hub switches, a plurality of lata switches with each lata switch being under the jurisdiction of a hub switch and a plurality of local switches with each local switch being under the jurisdiction of a lata switch and coupled to a local paging service, comprising:

(a) an input coupling the hub switch to the network for receiving pages from each lata switch under the jurisdiction of the hub switch or from another hub switch with each page including an area destination in the network determined by a local switch originating the page where the page is to be transmitted in the network for broadcast;

(b) an output, coupling the hub switch to the network, for transmitting at least one page to each lata switch under the jurisdiction of the hub switch or to each another hub switch;

(c) a memory having a plurality of storage areas comprised of a number of outbound lata storage areas which respectively correspond to each lata switch under the jurisdiction of the hub switch and a number of hub storage ares which respectively correspond to each separate communication path between the hub switch and each another hub switch; and

(d) processing means, coupled to the input and the output, for determining the area destination of each page, causing storage of each page in the storage area which corresponds to the area destination of the page, causing each page stored in each storage area to be readout and transmitting each readout page to the output for transmission to an area destination identical to the area destination of the page.

35. A hub switch in accordance with claim 34 wherein:

the area destination of each transmitted page is a lata switch.

36. A hub switch in accordance with claim 34 wherein:

the area destination of each transmitted page is a local switch.

37. In a paging network having a plurality of local switching means, each local switching means being located in a first geographic region and being coupled to a local paging service, a plurality of lata switching means, each lata switching means being located in a second geographic region and having jurisdiction over at least one local switching means;

and a plurality of hub switching means, each hub switching means being located in a third geographic region and having jurisdiction over at least one lata switching means, each of the at least one hub switching means comprising;

(a) means for receiving packets with each packet containing a variable number of pages from each lata switching means under the jurisdiction of the hub switching means, or from at least one other hub switching means;

(b) means for disassembling each received packet into at least one page, each disassembled page having a switching means as an area destination in the network determined by a local switching means originating the page of where the page is to be transmitted in the network for broadcast;

(c) means, responsive to a number contained in each individual page, for determining any page having a switching means as an area destination in the network corresponding to a lata switching means under the jurisdiction of the hub switching means and any page not having an area destination in the network corresponding to a lata switching means under the jurisdiction of the hub switching means;

(d) means, responsive to the means for determining, for storing each individual page which has an area destination corresponding to a lata switching means under the jurisdiction of the hub switching means in an area of a first buffer, each area of the first buffer respectively corresponding to a different lata switching means under the jurisdiction of the hub switching means;

(e) means, responsive to each page which does not have an areas destination corresponding to a lata switching means under the jurisdiction of the hub switching means, for selecting a transmission path between the hub switching means and other hub switching means as a function of area destination of each individual page which does not have an area destination corresponding to a lata switching means under the jurisdiction of the hub switching means;

(f) means, responsive to the means for selecting, for storing each individual page having a transmission path determined by the means for selecting in areas of a second buffer, each of the areas of the second buffer respectively corresponding to a different transmission path;

(g) means, coupled to the first and second buffers, for forming each page stored in each area of the first buffer into a packet with each packet containing a variable number of pages and having a lata switch as an area destination corresponding to a lata switching means under the jurisdiction of the hub switching means, and for respectively forming each page stored in each are of the second buffer into a packet with each packet having a variable number of pages and having a hub switch as an area destination corresponding to one of the selected transmission paths; and

(h) means for transmitting each packet, formed from at least one page stored in an area of the first buffer, to the corresponding lata switching means under the jurisdiction of the hub switching means and for transmitting each packet, formed from at least one page stored in an area of the second buffer, to the corresponding other hub switching means over the selected transmission path.

38. In a paging network including a plurality of local switching means, each local switching means controlling a local region and being coupled to a local paging service, a plurality of lata switching means with each lata switching means respectively controlling a lata region and having jurisdiction over at least one local switching means, and a plurality of hub switching means with each hub switching means respectively having jurisdiction over at least one of the lata switching means in a hub region, each of the hub switching means comprising:

(a) means for receiving packets with each packet having the hub switching means as an area destination and containing a variable number of pages from the lata switching means under the jurisdiction of the hub switching means or from other hub switching means, each packet including at least one page with each page including a number identifying a lata switching means controlling a lata region in which the page is to be received determined by a local switching means originating the page of where the page is to be transmitted in the network for broadcast;

(b) means for disassembling each received packet into at least one page;

(c) means, coupled to the means for disassembling, for determining each page to be transmitted to the lata switching means under the jurisdiction of the hub switching means, based on the number contained in each individual page and each page to be transmitted directly to another hub switching means, based on the number contained in each individual page;

(d) means, responsive to the means for determining, for storing each page, which is to be transmitted to the lata switching means under the jurisdiction of the hub switching means, in a corresponding area of a first buffer;

(e) means, responsive to each page which is to be transmitted to another hub switching means, for selecting a transmission path between the hub switching means and the another hub switching means for each page which is to be transmitted to another hub switching means;

(f) means, responsive to the means for selecting, for storing each page, which is to be transmitted to another hub switching means, in an area of a second buffer, each area of the second buffer corresponding to a direct transmission path between the hub switching means and one of the another hub switching means which corresponds to a selected transmission path;

(g) means, coupled to the first and second buffers, for forming any page stored in each area of the first buffer into at least one packet to be transmitted to a corresponding lata switching means under the jurisdiction of the hub switching means with each packet having a variable number of pages, and for forming any page stored in each area of the second buffer into at least one packet with each packet having a variable number of pages to be transmitted on a corresponding transmission path; and

(h) means for transmitting each packet to be transmitted to the lata switching means to the lata switching means, and for transmitting each packet to be transmitted on the selected transmission path on the selected transmission path.

29. A hub switch in accordance with claim 38 wherein:

(a) each area destination in the hub routing code table stores at least one other hub switch to which a page may be transmitted to the matched area destination in the hub routing code table with the at least one other hub switch being stored on a priority bases designating an order of choice of which hub switch should receive a page; and

(b) the processing means chooses the other hub switch to which a page should be transmitted for a matched area destination in the hub routing code table based upon the highest priority hub switch listed within the matched area destination which is determined to be available to receive the page and causes storage of the page in the corresponding outbound hub storage area.

39. A paging network according to claim 38, wherein each of the hub switching means includes:

(a) a table storing data identifying each of the plurality of lata switching means under the jurisdiction of the hub switching means;

(b) a table storing the another hub switching means to which a page is to be directly transmitted if the page does not contain a number identifying a lata switching means under the jurisdiction of the hub switching means; and

wherein

(c) the number included within each page is compared with numbers in the table storing the lata switching means under the jurisdiction of the hub switching means to determine if a match is found and if a match is found the page is stored in a corresponding area of the first buffer and if a match is not found, the number included with each page is compared with the table storing the another hub switching means to determine the another hub switching means to which the page is to be directly transmitted and the page is stored in a corresponding area of the second buffer.

40. A method for operating a hub switch in a paging network having a plurality of switches located in separate geographic locations with the switches including a plurality of lata switches with each lata switch being under the jurisdiction of a hub switch and a plurality of local switches with each local switch being under the jurisdiction of a lata switch and coupled to a local paging service comprising:

(a) receiving at least one packet with each packet containing a variable number of pages having the hub switch as an area destination with each packet being from a lata switch under the jurisdiction of the hub switch or from another hub switch;

(b) disassembling each packet into at least one individual page with each disassembled page having an area destination of one of the switches in the network determined by a local switch originating the page of where the page is to be transmitted in the network for broadcast;

(c) sorting each disassembled page by area destination in the network;

(d) storing each sorted page having a lata switch as an area destination in an outbound lata storage area corresponding to the area destination with each outbound lata storage area corresponding to a different lata switch under the jurisdiction of the hub switch;

(e) storing each sorted page having a switch as an area destination which is not under the jurisdiction of the hub switch in an outbound hub storage area corresponding to the area destination with each outbound hub storage area corresponding to a different direct communication path between the hub switch and another hub switch;

(f) periodically forming any pages stored in each lata storage area into at least one packet having a lata switch as an area destination which corresponds to the lata storage area from which each page in each packet was formed with each packet having a variable number of pages and transmitting each packet to the lata switch which is the area destination of the packet; and

(g) periodically forming any pages stored in each hub storage area into at least one packet with each packet having a hub switch as an area destination which corresponds to the hub storage area from which each page in each packet was formed with each packet having a variable number of pages and transmitting each packet on the communication path used for transmitting packets to the hub switch which is the area destination of the packet.

41. A hub switch, for use in a paging network having a plurality of switches located in separate geographic locations with the switches including one hub switch, a plurality of lata switches with each lata switch being under the jurisdiction of the hub switch and a plurality of local switches with each local switch being under the jurisdiction of a lata switch and coupled to a local paging service, comprising:

(a) means for receiving packets with each packet containing a variable number of pages and having the hub switch as an area destination with each packet being from a lata switch under the jurisdiction of the hub switch and for disassembling each packet into at least one individual page with each disassembled page having an area destination of one of the switches in the network determined by a local switch originating the page of where the page is to be transmitted in the network for broadcast;

(b) a memory having a plurality of storage areas comprised of a number of outbound lata storage areas which respectively correspond to each lata switch under the jurisdiction of the hub switch;

(c) means for receiving pages stored in each lata storage area of memory, forming each page into a packet with each packet containing a variable number of pages and having one of the switches as an area destination corresponding to the storage area from which each page received from the memory was formed, and transmitting each packet to a lata switch corresponding to the destination of the packet; and

(d) processing means, coupled to the means for receiving packets and the means for receiving pages stored in each lata hub storage area, for determining the area destination of each disassembled page, causing the storage of each page in the storage area which corresponds to the determined area of any page stored in each storage area to the means for receiving pages stored in each lata storage area for forming each page into a packet.

42. A method for operating a hub switch in a paging network having a plurality of switches located in separate geographic locations with .he switches including one hub switch, a plurality of lata switches with each lata switch being under the jurisdiction of the hub switch and a plurality of local switches with each local switch being under the jurisdiction of a lata switch and coupled to a local paging service comprising:

(a) receiving packets with each packet containing a variable number of pages having the hub switch as an area destination and being from a lata switch under the jurisdiction of the hub switch;

(b) disassembling each packet into at least one individual page with each disassembled page having an area destination of one of the switches in the network determined by a local switch originating the page of where the page is to be transmitted in the network for broadcast;

(c) sorting each disassembled page by area destination in the network;

(d) storing each sorted page having a lata switch as an area destination in an outbound lata storage area corresponding to the area destination with each outbound lata storage area corresponding to a different lata switch under the jurisdiction of the hub switch; and

(e) periodically forming any pages stored in each lata storage area into at least one packet with each packet having a lata switch as an area destination which corresponds to the lata storage area from which each page in each packet was formed with each packet having a variable number of pages and transmitting each packet to the lata switch which is the area destination of the packet.

43. A method for operating a first switch in a paging network having a plurality of switches located in separate geographic locations with the switches including a plurality of first switches, a plurality of second switches with each lata switch being under the jurisdiction of a first switch and a plurality of third switches with each third switch being under the jurisdiction of a second switch and coupled to a local paging service comprising:

(a) receiving at least one packet with each packet containing a variable number of pages having the first switch as an area destination with each packet being from a second switch under the jurisdiction of the first switch or from another first switch;

(b) disassembling each packet into at least one individual page with each disassembled page having an area destination of one of the switches in the network determined by a third switch originating the page of where the page is to be transmitted in the network for broadcast;

(c) sorting each disassembled page by area destination in the network;

(d) storing each sorted page having a second switch as an area destination in an outbound first storage area corresponding to the area destination with each outbound first storage area corresponding to a different second switch under the jurisdiction of the first switch;

(e) storing each sorted page having a switch as an area destination which is not under the jurisdiction of the first switch in an outbound second storage area corresponding to a direct communication path to another first switch to which the page is to be transmitted for transmission to the area destination of the page with each outbound second storage area corresponding to a different direct communication path between the first switch and another first switch;

(f) periodically forming any pages stored in each first storage area into at least one packet having a second switch as an area destination which corresponds to the first storage area from which the at least one packet was formed with each packet having a variable number of pages and transmitting each packet to the second switch which is the area destination of the packet; and

(g) periodically forming any pages stored in each second storage area into at least one packet with each packet having a first switch as an area destination which corresponds to the second storage area from which the at least one packet was formed with each packet having a variable number of pages and transmitting each packet over the communication path used for transmitting packets to the first switch which is the area destination of the packet.

44. A method for operating a switch in a paging network having a plurality of switches located in separate geographic locations with the switches including one first switch, a plurality of second switches with each second switch being under the jurisdiction of the first switch and a plurality of third switches with each third switch being under the jurisdiction of a second switch and coupled to a local paging service comprising:

(a) receiving packets with each packet containing a variable number of pages having the first switch as an area destination and being from a second switch under the jurisdiction of the first switch;

(b) disassembling each packet into at least one individual page with each disassembled page having an area destination of one of the switches in the network determined by a third switch originating the page of where the page is to be transmitted in the network for broadcast;

(c) sorting each disassembled page by area destination in the network;

(d) storing each sorted page having a second switch as an area destination in an outbound first storage area corresponding to the area destination with each outbound second storage area corresponding to a different second switch under the jurisdiction of the first switch; and

(e) periodically forming any pages stored in each first storage area into at least one packet with each packet having a second switch as an area destination which corresponds to the first storage area from which each page in each packet was formed with each packet having a variable number of pages and transmitting each packet to the second switch which is the area destination of the packet.