Cellular phone page system using sequential transmissions of pages over a time-partitioned forward control channel

• US 5,511,110 A
• Filed: 11/09/1994
• Issued: 04/23/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MediaOne Group Inc. (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: U S West Inc.
• Inventors: Drucker, Elliott H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): COWARD, LISA M
• Application Number:
  US08/336,816
• Time in Patent Office: 531 Days
• Field of Search: 379/57, 370/85.4, 370/85.5, 370/95.1, 370/95.3
• US Class Current: 455/458
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A cellular phone paging system that uses a frame oriented scheme to transmit and receive mobile unit pages with reduced delay is disclosed. Each mobile unit in the cellular phone network is assigned a paging slot within the frames on the forward control channel. If a plurality of pages are to be sent along the forward control channel and the pages are assigned to the same paging slot, the pages will be transmitted in successive paging slots beginning with the assigned slot rather than in the assigned slot in a series of sequential frames. In order to receive its pages, a mobile unit inspects its assigned paging slot and the next sequential paging slots if its assigned paging slot has been filled with a page request to another unit. The mobile unit continues to check sequential paging slots until it identifies a page to itself or identifies an empty slot. The mobile unit may reduce its power consumption by turning off some of its electronic circuitry while not monitoring the contents of its assigned slot and, if necessary, the contents of successive slots. In this manner, paging delays between base stations and mobile units are reduced to a minimum while maintaining idle mode power consumption conservation provided by frame-based paging schemes.

Claims

1. For use in a wireless telephone network including a call processing system operative to communicate with mobile units on a forward control channel by transmitting control signals in a series of concatenated frames having a plurality of paging slots, each of said paging slots having a corresponding plurality of mobile units assigned thereto, a method of transmitting pages to a mobile unit, comprising:

determining the assigned paging slot for said mobile unit;

beginning with next occurrence of said assigned paging slot in a frame, determining if said slot is available;

if said assigned paging slot is not available, sequentially checking each successive paging slot in said frame for availability;

placing said page in a first available paging slot; and

transmitting said frame.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the call processing system includes a mobile telephone switching office, at least one base station and at least one controller.

3. For use in a wireless telephone network including a call processing system operative to communicate with mobile units on a forward control channel by transmitting control signals in a series of concatenated frames having a plurality of paging slots, each of said paging slots having a corresponding plurality of mobile units assigned thereto, an improved system for transmitting a page to a mobile unit, comprising:

a Mobile Telephone Switching Office (MTSO);

at least one base station in electrical communication with said MTSO and said plurality of mobile units;

at least one controller in electrical communication with said MTSO and said base station, said controller operative to;

(a) determine the assigned paging slot for the mobile unit;

(b) determine if the slot is available in its next occurrence in a frame;

(c) sequentially check each successive paging slot in the frame for availability if the assigned slot is not available; and

(d) place the page in a first available paging slot; and

a transmitter for transmitting the frame of said placed page on the forward control channel.

4. A method of receiving a page by a mobile unit in a cellular phone network using a call processing system, the call processing system communicating with the mobile unit by transmitting control signals on a forward control channel in a series of concatenated frames in accordance with a frame oriented scheme, each frame including a plurality of paging slots that are available or unavailable, each of the paging slots having a plurality of mobile units assigned thereto, wherein a mobile unit has an assigned paging slot, and said mobile unit has an ON mode during which it can receive control signals and into which it is placed when the assigned slot is transmitted on said forward control channel, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) beginning with a mobile unit'"'"'s assigned paging slot, checking the content of said paging slot; and

(b) for said paging slot;

(i) if said paging slot contains a page for said mobile unit then processing said page;

(ii) if said paging slot contains a page for a different mobile unit, then checking the content of the next sequential paging slot and repeating step (b).

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, further including the step of placing said mobile unit into an OFF mode if said paging slot is empty.

6. An apparatus for receiving a page, the apparatus integrated into a mobile unit, wherein the mobile unit operates within a cellular phone network using a call processing system, the call processing system communicating with the mobile unit by transmitting control signals on a forward control channel in a series of concatenated frames in accordance with a frame oriented scheme, each frame including a plurality of paging slots that are available or unavailable, each of the paging slots having a plurality of mobile units assigned thereto, wherein the mobile unit has an assigned paging slot, and the mobile unit has an ON mode for monitoring the forward control channel for control signals during a time period in which its assigned paging is being transmitted, the apparatus comprising:

(a) a receiver for receiving said control signals;

(b) means for determining the content of a paging slot;

(c) means for determining if said paging slot contains a page for a different mobile unit and, if it does, for maintaining the mobile unit for remaining in ON mode and sequentially checking each paging slot in a series of concatenated frames; and

(d) means for processing a page if said paging slot contains a page for said mobile unit.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, further including means for placing said mobile unit into an OFF mode if said paging slot is empty.