Selective call system interactive with a wide area selective call system

• US 5,355,126 A
• Filed: 07/27/1992
• Issued: 10/11/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pfeffer, Darrell A., Wright, James A., Nelson, Leonard E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yusko, Donald J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Giust, John
• Application Number:
  US07/918,773
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 340/311.1, 340/825.44, 340/825.47, 340/825.48, 379/56, 379/57, 455/32.1, 455/38.1, 455/38.2, 455/38.4, 455/38.5
• US Class Current: 340/7.25
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/022 One-way selective calling networks, e.g. wide area paging

Abstract

An on-site selective call receiver interacts with a wide area selective call system to increase the probability of timely message reception by a selective call receiver capable of operating in either the wide area or the on-site selective call system. A frequency shifting signal is transmitted from the wide area system in response to addition of the selective call receiver to the on-site registry or automatic detection of entry of the selective call receiver into the on-site selective call system coverage area. The selective call receiver shifts to the wide area frequency in response to detecting that the receiver is out of range of the on-site system signal or in response to a signal transmitted by the on-site system in response to deletion of the receiver from the on-site registry or detection of the exit of the receiver from the on-site coverage area. The on-site system increases message throughput by interleaving data messages with voice messages. The messages broadcast for the selective call receiver by the wide area system are rebroadcast by the on-site system. The messages broadcast by the on-site system, if data messages, are provided to the wide area system for rebroadcast or, if voice messages are stored in a voice mailbox and a "voice message stored in mailbox" message is provided to the wide area system for transmission.

Claims

1. In a selective call system having a first selective call network system for transmitting selective call messages on a first channel to a selective call receiver having a predetermined selective call address assigned thereto and capable of operating in a first operating mode and a second operating mode wherein said selective call receiver operating in said first operating mode receives the selective call messages transmitted on said first channel and wherein said selective call receiver operating in said second operating mode receives selective call messages transmitted on a second channel by a second selective call network, the first selective call network system being coupled to the second selective call network via radio frequency link, a method comprising the step of the first selective call network system signaling the second selective call network system to transmit a selective call message to said selective call receiver for switching said selective call receiver from said second operating mode to said first operating mode the selective call message comprising the predetermined selective call address assigned to said selective call receiver and a first predetermined control message, said selective call receiver switching from said second operating mode to said first operating mode in response to receiving said first predetermined control message from the second selective call network system.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

transmitting on said first channel a selective call message comprising said predetermined selective call address and a second predetermined control message, said selective call receiver switching from said first operating mode to said second operating mode in response to said second predetermined control message.

3. In a selective call system having a first selective call network system for transmitting selective call messages on a first channel to a selective call receiver having a predetermined selective call address assigned thereto and capable of operating In a first operating mode and a second operating mode wherein said selective call receiver operating in said first operating mode receives the selective call messages transmitted on said first channel and wherein the first selective call network system is coupled to a second selective call network via radio frequency link and said selective call receiver operating in said second operating mode receives selective call messages transmitted on a second channel by the second selective call network and wherein said first selective call network system comprises a system register for listing active selective call receivers, a method comprising the steps of:

adding said selective call receiver to said system register; and

providing a selective call message on said second channel to said selective call receiver in response to adding said selective call receiver to said system register, the selective call message comprising the predetermined selective call address assigned to said selective call receiver and a first predetermined control message, said selective call receiver switching from said second operating mode to said first operating mode in response to receiving said first predetermined control message from the second selective call network.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said first selective call network system has associated therewith a first coverage area for transmitting selective call messages therein, and wherein said step of adding said selective call receiver to said system register comprises detecting when said selective call receiver enters said first coverage area.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising the steps of:

deleting said selective call receiver from said system register; and

transmitting a selective call message on said second channel in response to deleting said selective call receiver from said system register, said selective call message comprising said predetermined selective call address ant a second predetermined control message, said selective call receiver switching from said first operating mode to said second operating mode in response to said second predetermined control message.

6. In a first selective call network system having a first coverage area, a method comprising the steps of:

receiving information for transmittal to a selective call receiver, said selective call receiver having at least one predetermined selective call address assigned thereto;

transmitting a first selective call message comprising said information within said first coverage area;

storing said information in a memory device; and

providing a message to a second selective call network system having a second coverage area for transmittal of a second selective call message from said second selective call network system within said second coverage area, said second selective call message comprising one of the at least one predetermined selective call addresses and a predetermined control message for indicating said information is stored in said memory device.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said information has a format defined as one of voice format or data format, and wherein said method further comprises, before the step of storing, the step of determining whether said information has a voice format or a data format, and wherein the step of storing said information comprises the step of storing said information if the format is voice format, and wherein the step of providing the message to the second selective call network system comprises the steps of:

providing a message to the second selective call network system having the second coverage area if the format is voice format, a second selective call message transmitted within said second coverage area in response to the message, said second selective call message comprising one of the at least one predetermined selective call addresses and a predetermined control message for indicating said information is stored in said memory device; and

providing said information to the second selective call network system for transmittal of a second selective call message within said second coverage area if the format is data format, said second selective call message comprising the one of the at least one predetermined selective call addresses and said information.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein said information has a format defined as one of voice format, alphanumeric format, or numeric format, and wherein said method further comprises, before the step of storing, the step of determining whether said information has a voice format or a data format, and wherein the step of storing said information comprises the step of storing said information if the format is voice format or alphanumeric format, and wherein the step of providing the message to the second selective call network system comprises the steps of:

providing a message to the second selective call network system having the second coverage area if the format is voice or alphanumeric format, a second selective call message transmitted within said second coverage area in response to the message, said second selective call message comprising one of the at least one predetermined selective call addresses and a predetermined control message for indicating said information is stored in said memory device; and

providing said information to the second selective call network system for transmittal of a second selective call message within said second coverage area if the format is numeric format, said second selective call message comprising the one of the at least one predetermined selective call addresses and said information.

9. In a first selective call system for broadcasting digital data messages and voice messages preceded by voice alerts having alert time durations, a method for rebroadcasting a selective call message comprising the steps of:

receiving a selective call message, the selective call message transmitted by a second selective call system on a second channel and the selective call message comprising an address and a message;

comparing the address of said selective call message each of a plurality of addresses stored in a system registry;

determining whether said message is a digital data message; and

rebroadcasting said message from said first selective call system during one of said alert time durations if said address matches one of said plurality of addresses stored in the system registry and if said message is a digital data message.

10. In a first selective call system for broadcasting selective call messages having a first selective call protocol, a method for rebroadcasting a selective call message comprising the steps of:

receiving a selective call message, said selective call message transmitted by a second selective call system on a second channel and said selective call message comprising an address and a message and having a second selective call protocol;

comparing the address of said selective call message with each of a plurality of addresses stored in a system registry;

changing said message from said second selective call protocol to said first selective call protocol if said address matches one of said plurality of addresses stored in the system registry; and

rebroadcasting said message in said first selective call protocol from said first selective call system.

11. A first selective call system for transmitting selective call messages having a first selective call protocol comprising:

receiver means for receiving and decoding a signal transmitted by a second selective call system, said signal comprising a selective call message having an address and a message;

first storage means for storing a plurality of addresses;

comparison means coupled to said receiver means and said first storage means for determining whether said address is one of said plurality of addresses;

translation means coupled to said receiver means and said comparison means for changing said message to said first selective call protocol if said address is one of said plurality of addresses and if said message is not in said first selective call protocol when decoded by said receiver means; and

transmission means coupled to said translation means and said comparison means for transmitting said message in said first selective call protocol if said address is one of said plurality of addresses.

12. A first selective call system for transmitting selective call messages having a first selective call protocol comprising:

receiver means for receiving and decoding a signal transmitted by a second selective call system, said signal comprising a selective call message having an address and a message;

first storage means for storing a plurality of addresses;

comparison means coupled to said receiver means and said first storage means for determining whether said address is one of said plurality of addresses; and

transmission means coupled to said comparison means and said receiver means for transmitting said selective call message in said first selective call protocol if said address is one of said plurality of addresses, said transmission means comprising interleaving means for broadcasting said message during a voice message alert time of a selective call voice message.

13. A first selective call system comprising:

input means for receiving selective call information;

first signal generation means coupled to means for generating a selective call message in response to said selective call informations, said selective call message comprising a first selective call address uniquely identifying a selective call receiver within said first selective call system;

transmission means coupled to said first signal generation means for transmitting said selective call message;

storage means coupled to said input means for storing said selective call information; and

second signal generation means coupled to said storage means for generating a predetermined control signal in response to said storage means storing said selective call information and for providing the predetermined control signal to a second selective call system to generate a selective call message and transmit it therefrom, the selective call message comprising a second selective call address and a predetermined control messages, the second selective call address uniquely identifying said selective call receiver within said second selective call system and the predetermined control message notifying said selective call receiver that said selective call information, is stored in said storage means.

14. A selective call system having a predetermined coverage area comprising:

system register means for maintaining a listing of selective call receivers;

input means for receiving selective call information;

transmission means coupled to said input means and said system register means for transmitting a selective call message for reception by a selective call receiver if the selective call receiver is within the listing of selective call receivers, the selective call message generated in accordance with said selective call information;

event detection means for detecting when the selective call receiver enters said predetermined coverage area and for detecting when the selective call receiver leaves said predetermined coverage area; and

system register adjustment means coupled to the event detection means and the system register means for adding the selective call receiver to the listing of selective call receivers if the event detection means detects the selective call receiver entering said predetermined coverage area, and for deleting the selective call receiver from the listing of selective call receivers if the event detection means detects the selective call receiver leaving said predetermined coverage area.

15. A selective call network system having at least a first selective call network system having a first coverage area, comprising:

means for receiving information for transmittal to a selective call receiver, said selective call receiver having at least one predetermined selective call address assigned thereto;

means for transmitting a first selective call message comprising said information within said first coverage area;

a memory device for storing said information; and

means for providing a message to a second selective call network system having a second coverage area for transmittal of a second selective call message from said second selective call network system within said second coverage area, said second selective call message comprising one of the at least one predetermined selective call addresses and a predetermined control message for indicating said information is stored in said memory device.

16. The selective call network system of claim 15 wherein said information has a format defined as one of voice format or data format, and wherein said network system further comprises, a means for determining whether said information has a voice format or a data format, and wherein said information is stored in the memory device if the format is voice format, and wherein the means for providing the message to the second selective call network system comprises:

means for providing a message to the second selective call network system having the second coverage area if the format is voice format, a second selective call message transmitted within said second coverage area in response to the message, said second selective call message comprising one of the at least one predetermined selective call addresses and a predetermined control message for indicating said information is stored in said memory device; and

means for providing said information to the second selective call network system for transmittal of a second selective call message within said second coverage area if the format is data format, said second selective call message comprising the one of the at least one predetermined selective call addresses and said information.

17. The selective call network system of claim 15 wherein said information has a format defined as one of voice format, alphanumeric format, or numeric format, and wherein said network system further comprises, a means for determining whether said information has a voice format or a data format, and wherein said information is stored in the memory device if the format is voice format or alphanumeric format, and wherein the means for providing the message to the second selective call network system comprises:

means for providing a message to the second selective call network system having the second coverage area if the format is voice or alphanumeric format, a second selective call message transmitted within said second coverage area in response to the message, said second selective call message comprising one of the at least one predetermined selective call addresses and a predetermined control message for indicating said information is stored in said memory device; and

means for providing said information to the second selective call network system for transmittal of a second selective call message within said second coverage area if the format is numeric format, said second selective call message comprising the one of the at least one predetermined selective call addresses and said information.