Paging terminal apparatus with message storage and retransmission capability and method therefor

• US 4,928,096 A
• Filed: 04/17/1989
• Issued: 05/22/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nelson, Leonard E., Leonardo, Victoria A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weldon, Ulysses
• Application Number:
  US07/338,453
• Time in Patent Office: 400 Days
• Field of Search: 370/93, 370/85.6, 370/95.2, 455/31, 358/147, 340/825.44, 340/825.47, 340/825.48, 340/825.08, 340/825.52
• US Class Current: 340/7.22
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/223 using wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/227 with call or message storage means
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/16 in which the return channel carries supervisory signals, e.g. repetition request signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1887 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/185 Selective call encoders for paging networks, e.g. paging centre devices

Abstract

Apparatus and method is disclosed for storing and subsequently transmitting later messages for system pagers with acknowledge back capability that nevertheless fail to acknowledge back in the first instance. Addresses are retransmitted for pagers initially failing to acknowledge back on a continuous periodic basis until such acknowledge back is received, at which time the message intended therefor is sent, or a predetermined time period expires.

Claims

1. Paging terminal apparatus, for use with pagers having the capability to acknowledge back receipt of an address identifying the pager, wherein paging messages intended for particular pagers initially failing to acknowledge back address reception may be automatically stored for subsequent transmission later, said terminal apparatus comprising:

means for storing including establishing an active page file into which the addresses of the pagers are temporarily stored, along with the messages intended for the pagers;

means for transmitting, coupled to said means for storing, for initially sending the paper addresses stored in the active page file to the pages; and

means for receiving the acknowledge back responses generated by the pagers acknowledging back address reception,

said means for transmitting, being responsive to the received acknowledge back responses, for subsequently sending the messages stored in the active page file which are intended for the pagers acknowledging back reception of the initial address transmission,

said means for storing further including an unacknowledged page file into which the messages intended for the particular pagers failing to acknowledge back reception of the initial address transmission within a predetermined time period are stored along with the particular pager addresses for subsequent transmission later, and

said means for transmitting, periodically retransmitting the addresses of the particular pagers initially failing to acknowledge back, and further transmitting the stored messages intended for each of the particular pagers when such pagers subsequently acknowledge back reception of its retransmitted address.

2. Paging terminal apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said means for transmitting continues to periodically retransmit the addresses to the particular pagers until either an acknowledgement of such transmission is received back therefor, or a predetermined time period expires.

3. Paging terminal apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said unacknowledged page file further includes the time of initial address transmission and the time of last address transmission, if any, for each of the particular pagers.

4. Paging terminal apparatus in accordance with claim 3, wherein the times of initial and last transmission are obtained from a real time clock associated with said paging terminal apparatus.

5. Paging terminal apparatus, for use with pagers having the capability to acknowledge back receipt of an address identifying the pager, wherein paging messages intended for particular pagers initially failing to acknowledge back address reception may be automatically stored for subsequent transmission later, said terminal apparatus comprising:

paging controller means, including memory means for establishing an active page file into which the addresses of the pagers are temporarily stored, along with the messages intended for the pagers;

entry means for entering information into said active page file;

transmitter means, responsive to said paging controller means, for initially sending the pager addresses which are stored in said active page file; and

receiver means, for receiving the acknowledge back responses generated by the pagers acknowledging back address reception,

said paging controller means being responsive to the received acknowledge back responses for enabling said transmitter means for subsequently sending the messages intended to the pagers upon receiving back an acknowledgement of the initial reception from the pagers,

said memory means in said paging controller means further for storing in an unacknowledged page file the addresses and messages intended for the particular pagers which fail to acknowledge back the initial address transmission within a predetermined time period, and

said paging controller means further for effecting periodic retransmission of the addresses of the particular pagers failing to acknowledge the initial address transmission, said paging controller means further effecting the transmission of the stored messages to each of the particular pagers that subsequently acknowledge back regarding its retransmitted address.

6. Paging terminal apparatus in accordance with claim 5, wherein said paging controller means continues to periodically effect said transmitter means to retransmit the addresses of the particular pagers until either an acknowledgement of such transmission is received back therefor, or a predetermined time period expires.

7. Paging terminal apparatus in accordance with claim 5, wherein said unacknowledged page file further includes the time of initial address transmission and the time of last address transmission, if any, for each of the particular pagers.

8. Paging terminal apparatus in accordance with claim 7, wherein the time of initial and last transmissions are obtained from a real time clock associated with said paging terminal apparatus.

9. A method for storing and subsequently transmitting messages for pagers having the capability to acknowledge back receipt of an address identifying the pager, wherein particular pagers which fail to effect such acknowledge back upon an initial transmission of its address may be automatically stored for subsequent transmission later, said method comprising the steps of:

temporarily storing the addresses and the intended messages in an active page file;

initially sending the pager addresses to the pagers;

receiving acknowledge back responses from the pagers acknowledging the initial address receptions;

sending the messages intended for the pagers acknowledging back reception of the initial address transmission;

storing, in an unacknowledged page file, the addresses and messages of the particular pagers which fail to acknowledge back the initial reception by such pager within a predetermined time period;

periodically retransmitting the addresses of the particular pagers initially failing to acknowledge back; and

transmitting the stored message intended for each of the particular pagers when such pagers subsequently acknowledge back reception of its retransmitted address.

10. The method for storing and subsequently transmitting messages for particular pagers initially failing to acknowledge back address reception in accordance with claim 9, further comprising the step of continuing to retransmit the addresses of the particular pagers initially failing to acknowledge back until an acknowledgement of such transmission is received back therefor, or a predetermined time period expires.

11. The method for storing and subsequently transmitting messages for particular pagers initially failing to acknowledge back address reception in accordance with claim 9, further comprising the step of storing in the unacknowledged page file the time of the initial address transmission and the time of the last address transmission, if any, for each of the particular pagers.

12. The method for storing and subsequently transmitting messages for particular pagers initially failing to acknowledge back address reception in accordance with claim 11, wherein the times of initial and last transmissions are read in from a real time clock.