Method and apparatus for orienting a pluridirectional wireless interface

• US 5,737,690 A
• Filed: 11/06/1995
• Issued: 04/07/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gutman, Jose
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester G.
• Application Number:
  US08/554,617
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41, 455/54.1, 455/38.1-38.3, 455/151.2, 455/32.1, 455/54.2, 455/56.1, 455/63, 455/8, 455/517, 455/524, 455/525, 359/145, 359/152, 359/159, 359/172, 340/825.44, 340/825.49, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/825.03, 379/56
• US Class Current: 340/7.54
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/228 combined with other devices having a different main function, e.g. watches
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1125 using a single common optical path
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/737 Characterised by transmission of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. infrared waves

Abstract

A selective call receiver (126) automatically orients a pluridirectional wireless infrared communication interface (220) to allow directional wireless infrared communication between the pluridirectional wireless infrared communication interface (220) of the selective call receiver and a wireless infrared communication interface (134) of a device (132). The pluridirectional wireless infrared communication interface (220) preferably includes more than one directional wireless infrared communication port (310). The selective call receiver (126) automatically orients the pluridirectional wireless infrared communication interface (220) by selecting one directional wireless infrared communication port (310).

Claims

1. A method in a selective call receiver, the selective call receiver having a memory and a pluridirectional wireless infrared communication interface, the pluridirectional wireless infrared communication interface having a plurality of directional wireless infrared communication ports, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting one directional wireless infrared communication port of the plurality of directional wireless infrared communication ports of the pluridirectional wireless infrared communication interface;

(b) receiving a wireless message via the one directional wireless infrared communication port;

(c) determining, based on the wireless message, that the one directional wireless infrared communication port allows directional wireless infrared communication between the pluridirectional wireless infrared communication interface of the selective call receiver and a wireless infrared communication interface of a device, thereby producing a memory signal;

(d) in response to the memory signal, storing into the memory an identifier uniquely associated with the selected directional wireless infrared communication port;

(e) repeating steps (a) through (d) for each directional wireless infrared communication port of the plurality of directional wireless infrared communication ports of the pluridirectional wireless infrared communication interface, thereby forming a list in memory of the directional wireless infrared communication ports allowing directional wireless infrared communication with the wireless infrared communication interface of the device;

(f) establishing a wireless infrared communication link between the pluridirectional wireless infrared communication interface of the selective call receiver and the wireless infrared communication interface of the device through a directional wireless infrared communication port having an identifier stored in memory; and

(g) upon a loss of the wireless infrared communication link established in step (f), re-establishing the wireless infrared communication link between the pluridirectional wireless infrared communication interface of the selective call receiver and the wireless infrared communication interface of the device through another directional wireless infrared communication port having an identifier stored in memory.