Method for efficient bandwidth utilization when transceiving varying bandwidth messages

• US 5,448,759 A
• Filed: 08/20/1993
• Issued: 09/05/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Haller, Gayle K., Krebs, Jay R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIN, MARY
• Application Number:
  US08/109,551
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 455/38.1, 455/38.4, 455/54.1, 455/54.2, 455/56.1, 455/220, 455/228, 340/825.44
• US Class Current: 455/517
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/24 for communication between two or more posts wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/22 in which the sources have different rates or codes simultaneous speech and digital data or video transmission H04M11/06; see provisional also H04J3/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management

Abstract

In a communication system, a method that efficiently utilizes bandwidth of communication resources when transmitting first and second bandwidth messages to a communication unit may be accomplished in the following manner. When a central processor receives a message for the communication unit, it determines whether the message is of a first bandwidth message type or a second bandwidth message type. When the message is of the first bandwidth message type, the central processor transmits the message to the communication unit via a communication resource that is used primarily for transceiving first bandwidth type messages. When the message is of the second bandwidth message type, the central processor prepares a first bandwidth notification message and transmits it to the communication unit via the communication resource. The first bandwidth notification message informs a user of the communication unit that the central processor has the second bandwidth type message for it. When the user desires to receive the message, a request is sent to the central processor, which subsequently transmits the message on a communication resource that is primarily used for transceiving second bandwidth type messages.

Claims

1. In a communication system that includes a plurality of communication units, a limited number of communication resources, and a central processor, wherein a first set of the limited number of communication resources transmits first bandwidth messages and a second set of the limited number of communication resources transmits second bandwidth messages, wherein the second bandwidth messages have substantially greater bandwidth than the first bandwidth messages, a method for more efficient bandwidth utilization when transmitting first bandwidth messages and second bandwidth messages to a communication unit, the method comprises the steps of;

a) receiving, by the central processor, a message for the communication unit;

b) determining, by the central processor, whether the message is of a first bandwidth message type or a second bandwidth message type;

c) when the message is of the first bandwidth message type, transmitting, by the central processor, the message to the communication unit via a communication resource in the first set;

d) when the message is of the second bandwidth message type, preparing, by the central processor, a first bandwidth notification message, wherein the first bandwidth notification message indicates that the central processor has the message for the communication unit; and

e) transmitting, by the central processor, the first bandwidth notification message to the communication unit via the communication resource in the first set, the method

further comprises the steps of;

f) while participating in a second bandwidth message, receiving, by the communication unit, the first bandwidth notification message;

g) without interrupting the second bandwidth message, displaying, by the communication unit, the first bandwidth notification message to a user of the communication unit; and

h) upon interruption or completion of the second bandwidth message, responding, by the user, to the first bandwidth notification message.

2. In a communication system that includes a plurality of communication units, a limited number of communication resources, and a central processor, wherein a first set of the limited number of communication resources transmits first bandwidth messages and a second set of the limited number of communication resources transmits second bandwidth messages, wherein the second bandwidth messages have substantially greater bandwidth than the first bandwidth messages, a method for more efficient bandwidth utilization when transmitting first bandwidth messages and second bandwidth messages to a communication unit, the method comprises the steps of:

a) receiving, by the central processor, a message for the communication unit;

b) determining, by the central processor, whether the message is of a first bandwidth message type or a second bandwidth message type;

c) when the message is of the first bandwidth message type, transmitting, by the central processor, the message to the communication unit via a communication resource in the first set;

d) when the message is of the second bandwidth message type, preparing, by the central processor, a first bandwidth notification message, wherein the first bandwidth notification message indicates that the central processor has the message for the communication unit; and

e) transmitting, by the central processor, the first bandwidth notification message to the communication unit via the communication resource in the first set, wherein a third set of the limited number of communication resources transmits third bandwidth messages and wherein the third bandwidth messages have substantially greater bandwidth than the second bandwidth messages, step (b) further comprises determining whether the message is of the first bandwidth message type, the second bandwidth message type, or a third bandwidth message type.

3. In the method of claim 2, step (d) further comprises, when the message is either of the second bandwidth message type or the third bandwidth message type, preparing the first bandwidth notification message.

4. In a communication system that includes a plurality of communication units, a limited number of communication resources, and a central processor, wherein a first set of the limited number of communication resources transmits first bandwidth messages and a second set of the limited number of communication resources transmits second bandwidth messages, wherein the second bandwidth messages have substantially greater bandwidth than the first bandwidth messages, a method for the central processor to transmit the first bandwidth messages and the second bandwidth messages to a communication unit with more efficient bandwidth utilization, the method comprises the steps of:

a) generating a message for the communication unit, wherein the message is either of a first bandwidth message type or a second bandwidth message type;

b) when the message is of the first bandwidth message type, transmitting the message to the communication unit via a communication resource in the first set;

c) when the message is of the second bandwidth message type, preparing a first bandwidth notification message, wherein the first bandwidth notification message indicates that the central processor has the message for the communication unit; and

d) transmitting the first bandwidth notification message to the communication unit via the communication resource in the first set,

wherein a third set of the limited number of communication resources transmits third bandwidth messages and wherein the third bandwidth messages have substantially greater bandwidth than the second bandwidth messages, step (a) further comprises generating the message for the communication unit, wherein the message is either of the first bandwidth message type, the second bandwidth message type, or a third bandwidth message type.

5. In the method of claim 4, step (c) further comprises, when the message is either of the second bandwidth message type or the third bandwidth message type, preparing the first bandwidth notification message.

6. In a communication system that includes a plurality of communication units, a limited number of communication resources, and a central processor, wherein a first set of the limited number of communication resources transmits first bandwidth messages and a second set of the limited number of communication resources transmits second bandwidth messages, wherein the second bandwidth messages have substantially greater bandwidth than the first bandwidth messages, a method for a communication unit to receive the first bandwidth messages and the second bandwidth messages from the central processor with more efficient bandwidth utilization, the method comprises the steps of:

a) receiving a message from the central processor via a communication resource in the first set; and

b) when the message is of a second bandwidth message type, displaying a first bandwidth notification message to a user of the communication unit, wherein the first bandwidth notification message indicates that the central processor has the message of the second bandwidth message type for the communication unit,

wherein the method further comprises the steps of;

c) while participating in a second bandwidth message, receiving the first bandwidth notification message;

d) without interrupting the second bandwidth message, displaying the first bandwidth notification message to the user of the communication unit; and

e) upon interruption or completion of the second bandwidth message, responding, by the user, to the first bandwidth notification message.