Paging receiver with programmable areas of reception

• US 4,935,732 A
• Filed: 05/18/1989
• Issued: 06/19/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Flatt Morris Associates SA, Management And Investment, S.A.
• Original Assignee: Telefind Corporation
• Inventors: Andros, Andrew A., Campana, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pudpud, E. O.
• Application Number:
  US07/355,851
• Time in Patent Office: 397 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.44, 340/825.47, 340/825.48, 340/311.1, 379/57-63, 379/207, 379/209, 379/217, 379/220, 455/7, 455/11, 455/14, 455/9, 455/10, 455/32, 455/34, 455/38, 455/60, 455/62, 455/70, 455/154, 455/164, 455/151, 455/186, 455/193, 455/25
• US Class Current: 340/7.25
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/105 with call or message storage means
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/224 Paging receivers with visible signalling details
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5221 having cable sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/022 Selective call receivers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A paging receiver is disclosed which is compatible with transmissions from analog or digital paging transmitters. The paging receiver has a command structure which permits it to be dynamically programmable to change its functionality including programming of the channels which the paging receiver is to receive. The programmability of the channels permits the paging receiver to be used for making national, regional, remote area, local area, and sublocal area pages, and pages to a group in the local area and to switch from channels which are heavily used during peak paging times to lesser used channels. The paging receiver transmits paging receiver identification code digits in an order of increasing significance which significantly lessens power consumption for all paging receivers tuned to a particular channel for determining if a page is to be received which prolongs paging receiver battery life. The paging receiver displays the place of origin of pages as either being of local origin or from other areas. The paging receiver antenna is continuously tunable to permit compensation for variation in antenna gain caused by environmental factors which can seriously degrade signal strength.

Claims

1. A method of receiving a page in a remote area when a paging receiver has been transported from a local area to the remote area in which the paging receiver has been programmed to receive pages on at least one channel while in the local area with the paging receiver displaying characters contained within a page on a display of the paging receiver comprising:

(a) programming the paging receiver, by at least one channel programming command transmitted by an RF carrier from a transmitter located in the local area to the paging receiver while the paging receiver is located in the local area, to receive the at least one channel in the remote area, each channel programming command containing a change in at least one channel to be received from a number of possible channels which may be programmed and not containing characters to be displayed by the paging receiver as a page on the character display;

(b) transporting the paging receiver from the local area to the remote area where a page is to be received; and

(c) relaying a page from the local area to a transmitter located in the remote area and transmitting the page from the transmitter located in the remote area on the at least one programmed channel to the paging receiver.

2. A method of receiving a page in accordance with claim 1 wherein:

(a) the paging receiver has a channel memory for storing channels on which the paging receiver is to receive pages;

a control means, responsive to a channel programming command, for decoding each channel programming command to decode a channel to be stored in the channel memory, and causing storage in the channel memory of the decoded channel;

(b) the control means decodes the at least one channel programming command containing at least one channel to be received in the remote area, and causes the storage of the decoded at least one channel in the channel memory; and

(c) the paging receiver receives a page over one of the at least one channel programmed by the channel programming command while located in the remote area.

3. A method of receiving a page in accordance with claim 1 wherein:

(a) the paging receiver is battery powered and further comprising;

(b) transmitting a destination coded distinguished pages originating in and transmitted in the remote area to a paging receiver on a channel and pages originating in the local area, relayed to the transmitter in the remote area and transmitted by the transmitter to the paging receiver located in the remote area on the channel to the paging receiver and storing in a memory of the paging receiver the destination code; and

(c) the paging receiver in the remote area comparing each transmission received on the at least one programmed channel with the stored destination code and turning off a tuner of the paging receiver immediately upon a match not being detected between the stored destination code and a transmission on one of the programmed at least one programmed channel whereby power being drawn from the battery by a RF tuner in the paging receiver is stopped.

4. A method of receiving a page in accordance with claim 3 wherein:

(a) programming of the memory of the paging receiver with the destination code is accomplished with the channel programming command; and

(b) storage of the destination code is in the channel memory.

5. A method of receiving a page in accordance with claim 3 wherein:

the paging receiver receives at least one additional digit in a page if a match is detected between the transmitted and stored destination codes and the control means turns off the tuner immediately if a match is not found.

6. A method of receiving a page in accordance with claim 5 wherein:

(a) the paging receiver is issued a paging receiver identification code;

(b) the page transmitted by the transmitter in the remote area is transmitted with a paging receiver identification code immediately following the destination code with digits of the transmitted paging receiver identification code being transmitted in an order of increasing significance;

(c) when a match is detected between the transmitted and stored destination code, the paging receiver compares successive digits of the transmitted paging receiver identification code and corresponding digits of the stored paging receiver identification code;

(d) the tuner of the paging receiver turns off immediately upon a match not being detected between a digit of the transmitted and stored paging receiver identification codes; and

(e) the paging receiver decodes a page following the transmitted paging receiver identification code if all of the digits of the transmitted and received paging receiver identification codes match.

7. A method of receiving a page by a battery powered paging receiver in an area on a channel on which other paging receivers receive pages comprising:

(a) programming the paging receiver, by at least one channel programming command transmitted by an RF carrier from a transmitter, located in the area, to the paging receiver located in the area, with at least one channel to be received in the area and causing storage in a memory of a destination code transmitted from the transmitter to the paging receiver for distinguishing pages to be received on the at least one programmed channel by other paging receivers in the area from a page to be received by the paging receiver; and

(b) the paging receiver in the area comparing each transmission received on the at least one programmed channel with the stored destination code and turning off a tuner of the paging receiver upon a match not being detected between the stored destination code and a transmission received on the programmed at least one channel to lessen drawing of power from the battery.

8. A method of receiving a page by a battery powered paging receiver in accordance with claim 7 wherein:

(a) the channel programming command programs the destination code; and

(b) storage of the destination code and the at least one programmed channel is in a channel memory.

9. A method of receiving a page by a battery powered paging receiver in accordance with claim 7 wherein:

(a) a first character of each page to be transmitted to the paging receiver is the destination code stored in the memory; and

(b) the paging receiver receives at least one additional digit in a page if a match is detected between the transmitted and stored destination codes.

10. A method of receiving a page by a battery powered paging receiver in accordance with claim 9 wherein:

(a) the paging receiver is issued a paging receiver identification code which identifies the paging receiver which is stored in a memory;

(b) the page is transmitted with a paging receiver identification code transmitted with digits in an order of increasing significance immediately following the destination code with digits of the paging receiver identification code and corresponding digits of the stored paging receiver identification code being compared;

(c) the tuner of the paging receiver turns off immediately upon a match not being detected between a digit of the transmitted and stored paging receiver identification code to lessen drawing of power from the battery; and

(d) the paging receiver decodes a page following the transmitted paging receiver identification code if all of the digits of the transmitted and received paging receiver identification codes match.

11. A battery powered RF paging receiver which is programmable by transmitted channel programming commands to receive at least one channel in a plurality of areas including a first area in which pages do originate and at least one second area in which pages do not originate and is programmable to control in which of a plurality of areas pages may be received by the paging receiver on the at least one channel, pages to be received in the at least one second area where the pages do not originate each containing a destination code, distinguishing pages originating in the at least one second area from pages originating in the first area, which is transmitted prior to transmission of the multidigit paging receiver identification code comprising:

(a) a RF tuner for receiving a channel on which pages are to be received;

(b) a channel memory storing at least one channel to be received by the RF tuner, the at least one channel being the at least one channel which may be received in the first area or in the at least one second area, the at least one channel which may be received in the second area containing the destination code;

(c) control means, responsive to the RF tuner, for decoding a channel programming command specifying a destination code and at least one channel to be received by the RF tuner into a specific destination code and channel to be received by the RF tuner, causing storing of the at least one channel contained in the decoded command and destination code of at least one channel which is to be received in the at least one second area in the channel memory, the control means decoding a first received character or digit of a transmission and comparing the first character or digit received with the stored destination code, if a match exists between the first character or digit and the destination code, the control means causing the RF tuner to remain in an activated state to sequentially receive at least one digit of the transmission and if a match does not exist between the first character or digit and the destination code, the control means causing the RF tuner to turn off to lessen drawing of power from the battery.

12. A battery powered RF paging receiver for receiving pages on a channel which is to be received within at least one area in which pages are transmitted on the channel to other paging receivers with each page being transmitted to the paging receiver in the at least one area with a destination code followed by a multidigit paging receiver identification code identifying the paging receiver which is to receive the page with the destination code being programmable by a transmission to the paging receiver comprising:

(a) a RF tuner for receiving the channel on which the pages are to be transmitted;

(b) a memory for storing a paging receiver identification code of the paging receiver;

(c) a memory for storing the programmed destination code; and

(d) control means, coupled to the RF tuner, for decoding the transmission of the destination code, causing storage of the decoded destination code in the memory for storing the programmed destination code, decoding a first character or digit of a page received on the channel, comparing the stored destination code with the decoded first character or digit, and in response to a match not being found turning off the RF tuner to lessen drawing of power from the battery.

13. A battery powered RF paging receiver in accordance with claim 12 wherein:

the control means, in response to a match being found between the stored destination code and the first character or digit of the received transmission on the channel, maintains the RF tuner in an activated state for receiving the transmitted paging receiver identification code sequentially digit by digit and comparing each transmitted digit sequentially with corresponding digits of the stored unique paging receiver identification code to determine if a match exists and if a match of all digits of the transmitted and stored digits of the paging receiver identification codes is found, processing the page and when a match is not found during the sequential comparison of digits of the stored and transmitted paging receiver identification codes, turning off the RF tuner immediately to lessen drawing of power from the battery.

14. A battery powered RF paging receiver in accordance with claim 13 wherein:

(a) the transmission of the paging receiver identification code is with the digits transmitted in an order of increasing significance; and

(b) the control means compares the transmitted paging receiver identification code digits with the stored paging receiver identification code digits in the order of increasing significance until

(i) a match is not found between one of the stored and transmitted digits of the paging receiver identification codes digits at which time the control means deactivates the RF tuner to lessen drawing of power from the battery or

(ii) a complete match is found between the stored and transmitted digits of the paging receiver identification codes at which time the page is processed by the control means.

15. A battery powered RF paging receiver in accordance with claim 12 further comprising:

(a) a channel memory which is programmable to store at least one channel to be received by the RF tuner, and wherein

(b) the paging receiver receives channel programming commands each specifying a change in at least one particular channel to be received and the destination code to be stored in the memory for storing the programmed destination code; and

(c) the control means is responsive to each channel programming command to cause storage in the channel memory the change in at least one channel to be received and to store in the memory for storing the destination code the destination code transmitted with a channel programming command.

16. A battery powered RF paging receiver in accordance with claim 15 wherein:

the control means sequentially activates the RF tuner to receive any stored channels in the channel memory in a predetermined order in the absence of detection of a carrier from a last received one of the stored channels by the RF tuner.

17. A battery powered RF paging receiver in accordance with claim 16 wherein:

the control means activating the RF tuner to receive sequentially any stored channels in a predetermined order is repeated cyclically for a predetermined channel receiving time interval in the absence of detection of a carrier on any one of the stored channels.

18. A battery powered RF paging receiver in accordance with claim 15 wherein:

the control means in response to the detection of the carrier being received by the RF tuner, activates the RF tuner cyclically during a predetermined channel receiving time interval to cause the RF tuner to cyclically receive the carrier.

19. A battery powered RF paging receiver in accordance with claim 18 wherein:

(a) during each cycle of receiving the carrier by the RF tuner, the control means activates the tuner to receive the channels for a first predetermined time interval; and

(b) the control means monitors the RF tuner to determine if a channel carrier is received during a first predetermined time interval and if the channel carrier is received, the control means continues the activation of the RF tuner to cause the sequential reception and decoding of digits of a transmitted paging receiver identification code transmitted in an order of increasing significance specifying a particular paging receiver to receive the channel programming command and compares the received digits sequentially with corresponding digits of a paging receiver identification code stored in the memory for storing the paging receiver identification code of the paging receiver in an order of increasing significance of the digits of the stored paging receiver identification code until a mismatch is found at which time power from the battery is caused to be removed from the tuner.

20. A battery powered RF paging receiver in accordance with claim 19 wherein:

when the control means detects a complete match between the transmitted digits of the paging receiver identification code and the stored digits of the paging receiver identification code, the control means further decodes the channel programming command and programs the channel memory with the decoded channel frequency to be received and the destination code.

21. A battery powered RF paging receiver in accordance with claim 15 wherein:

the control means causes storage in an operating channel section of the channel memory the last channel on which the RF tuner detected a channel carrier and upon turning on of the paging receiver causes the channel stored in the operating channel section to be received by the RF tuner.

22. A battery powered RF paging receiver in accordance with claim 16 wherein:

the control means causes storage in an operating channel section of the channel memory the last channel on which the RF tuner detected a channel carrier and upon turning on of the tuner causes the channel stored in the operating channel section to be received by the RF tuner.

23. A battery powered RF paging receiver in accordance with claim 22 wherein:

the control means causes storage of at least one channel which is to be programmed to be received by at least one channel programming command in an area channel memory section of the channel memory and the control means activates the RF tuner to receive the channels in a predetermined order first from the operating channel section and then sequentially from the area channel section of the channel memory.

24. A battery powered RF programmable paging receiver in accordance with claim 15 wherein:

(a) the channel memory includes an operating channel section for storing a last received channel of at least one programmed channel stored in the channel memory; and

(b) the control means sequentially activates the RF tuner to receive the at least one channel stored in the channel memory in response to detection of a channel carrier from any one of the programmed channels, stores the detected channel in the operating channel section and activates the RF tuner to receive the channel stored in the operating channel section.

25. A battery powered RF programmable paging receiving in accordance with claim 12 wherein the RF tuner comprises:

(a) a plurality of tuning means each for receiving channels from a different band of frequencies which have been programmed to be received by at least one channel programming command, only one of the tuning means being activated at any one time to receive a programmed channel and further including;

(b) power controlling means, coupled to the control means and to the plurality of tuning means, for controlling the activation of the plurality of tuning means by the selective application of power to only the tuning means which is to receive a programmed channel and wherein;

(c) the control means provides the power controlling means with a signal identifying which of the plurality of tuning means is to receive the programmed channel.

26. A battery powered RF programmable paging receiver in accordance with claim 25 wherein:

the control means sequentially activates at least one of a plurality of individual tuning means each for receiving channels from a different band of frequencies to receive channels stored in the channel memory under the control of a control program.

27. A battery powered RF programmable paging receiver in accordance with claim 26 wherein:

the control program of the control means sequentially activates at least one of the plurality of tuning means to receive channels stored in a channel memory in a predetermined order when a channel carrier from any one of the stored channels is not detected by any one of the tuning means.

28. A method of receiving a page in a remote area when a paging receiver has been transported from a local area to a remote area in which the paging receiver has been programmed to receive pages on at least one channel while in the local area with the paging receiver displaying characters contained within a page on a display of the paging receiver, the paging receiver receiving a plurality of different commands each changing functioning of the paging receiver comprising:

(a) programming the paging receiver, by at least one channel programming command transmitted by an RF carrier from a transmitter located in the local area to the paging receiver while the paging receiver is located in the local area, to receive the at least one channel in the remote area, each channel programming command containing a change in at least one channel to be received from a number of possible channels which may be programmed, not containing characters to be displayed by the paging receiver as a page on the character display and containing a field of at least one character identifying the command as a channel programming command from other commands of the plurality of commands and an additional field identifying at least one channel to be changed by the channel programming command;

(b) transporting the paging receiver from the local area to the remote area where a page is to be received; and

(c) relaying a page from the local area to the remote area on and transmitting the page from a transmitter located in the remote area on the at least one programmed channel to the paging receiver.

29. A method of receiving a page in accordance with claim 28 wherein:

each channel programming command also contains a subcommand field specifying a unique type of change in channel.

30. A method of receiving a page in accordance to claim 29 wherein:

the specified change in channel is the addition of at least on channel to be received by the paging receiver.

31. A method of receiving a page in accordance with claim 29 wherein:

the specified change in channel is erasure of all channels previously stored in a channel memory storing channels which have been programmed to be received.

32. A method of receiving a page in accordance with claim 29 wherein:

the specified change in channel is erasure of all channels previously stored in a channel memory storing channels which have been programmed to be received by the paging receiver and addition of at least one channel to be received to the channel memory.

33. A method of receiving a page in accordance with claim 29 wherein:

the specified change in channel is addition of at least one channel to be received including a destination code.

34. A method of receiving a page in a remote area when a paging receiver has been transported from a local area to the remote area in which the paging receiver has been programmed to receive pages on at least one channel while the paging receiver is located in the local area comprising:

(a) programming the paging receiver, by at least one channel programming command transmitted by an RF carrier from a transmitter located in the local area to the paging receiver while the paging receiver is located in the local area, to receive the at least one channel in the remote area;

(b) transporting the paging receiver from the local area to the remote area where a page is to be received; and

(c) relaying a page from the local area to a transmitter located in the remote area and transmitting the page from the transmitter located in the remote area on the at least one programmed channel to the paging receiver.