Message system and method for efficient multi-frequency roaming

• US 5,745,481 A
• Filed: 06/03/1996
• Issued: 04/28/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dorenbosch, Jheroen P., Phillips, W. Garland, Sumner, Terence Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): TON, DANG T
• Application Number:
  US08/657,267
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/311, 370/312, 370/321, 370/322, 370/329, 370/330, 370/331, 370/337, 370/347, 370/349, 370/350, 370/313, 370/314, 370/319, 370/341, 370/343, 370/345, 370/389, 370/465, 370/466, 370/467, 370/475, 370/480, 370/503, 455/57.1, 455/33.1, 455/32.1, 455/33.2, 455/56.1, 455/58.1, 379/60, 379/58, 379/59
• US Class Current: 370/313
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/67 Common-wave systems, i.e. using separate transmitters operating on substantially the same frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/022 One-way selective calling networks, e.g. wide area paging

Abstract

A messaging system capable of transmitting messages to receivers which roam between coverage areas. In one configuration, a coverage area (600) is divided into a plurality of zones (605, 610, 615). A single simulcast system identification (SSID) number is assigned which consists of a local identification number which identifies the coverage area (600), a zone identifier which identifies a zone (610) within the coverage area, traffic splitting flags and a frequency. For larger roaming areas, a network is defined as consisting of a plurality of service areas and is identified by network identification information (NID). NID information and/or SSID information along with a priority value is stored in a receiver according to desired coverage and like information is transmitted in the corresponding zone or service area and the roaming pager operates on the frequency having the NID or SSID having the highest priority.

Claims

1. A method for efficient multi-frequency roaming and messaging for a plurality of selective call receivers in a selective call messaging system using identifiers on various communication resources recognized by at least one of the plurality of selective call receivers, comprising the steps of:

storing a priority value assigned to at least one of the identifiers for at least one of the plurality of selective call receivers in a memory at a home input terminal;

matching at least one identifier with at least one of the identifiers on a set of available communication resources found at an output controller terminal providing an identifier with a highest priority value; and

transmitting an associated message on at least one of the set of available communication resources having the identifier with the highest priority value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of matching the at least one identifier with at least one of the set of available communication resources found at the output controller terminal is done at the home input terminal before the priority value, identifier, and associated message are subsequently forwarded to the output controller terminal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises forwarding the priority value and an associated message and identifier to the output controller terminal before the matching step is done at the output controller terminal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication resource comprises a frequency.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a communication resource from the set of available communication resources comprises a given frequency and time slot.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier comprise a network roaming identifier (NID) associated with network wide frequencies and simulcast system identifier (SSID) associated with local system frequencies.

7. A method for efficient multi-frequency roaming and messaging for a plurality of selective call receivers in a selective call messaging system using network roaming identifiers (NIDs) associated with network wide frequencies and/or simulcast system identifiers (SSIDs) associated with local system frequencies comprising the steps of:

storing a priority value assigned to at least one NID and/or at least one SSID for at least one of the plurality of selective call receivers in a subscriber database at a home input terminal;

forwarding the priority value and an associated message to an output controller terminal;

matching the at least one NID or the at least one SSID on at least one of a set of available frequencies at the output controller terminal; and

transmitting the associated message on at least one of the set of available frequencies matching a highest priority value to the at least one NID or the at least one SSID having a highest priority value.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of transmitting the associated messages comprises transmitting on more than one frequency if the priority values among the at least one NID or the at least one SSID are equal.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of forwarding the priority value and the associated message to the output terminal is done when the particular selective call receiver user notifies the home input terminal that the user will be within the region of a particular output controller terminal or regions of more than one particular output controller terminal.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of forwarding the priority value and the associated message to the output terminal is done when the particular selective call receiver user notifies the home input terminal that the user will be outside the region of the user'"'"'s home input terminal.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of forwarding the priority value and the associated message to the output terminal further comprises the step of forwarding the associated NIDs and SSIDs.

12. An efficient multi-frequency roaming and selective call messaging system using at least one identifier on various communication resources, the identifier stored and recognized by at least one of a plurality of selective call receivers used within the selective call messaging system, comprising:

a home input terminal for storing a priority value assigned to at least one identifier for at least one of the plurality of selective call receivers in a subscriber database; and

an output controller terminal networked to the home input terminal for assigning communication resources and for receiving the priority value, the at least one identifier, and an associated message from the home input terminal, wherein the output controller terminal matches the identifier having a highest priority with the communication resource having the identifier at the output controller terminal.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the system further comprises a transmitter for transmitting the associated message on the communication resource having the identifier with the highest priority.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the communication resource comprises a frequency.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the communication resource comprises a given frequency and time slot.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the identifier comprise a network roaming identifier (NID) associated with network wide frequencies and a simulcast system identifier (SSID) associated with local system frequencies.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the messaging system is a one-way paging system using a time division multiplexed over-the-air paging protocol.

18. An efficient multi-frequency roaming and selective call messaging system using at least one identifier on various communication resources, the identifier stored and recognized by at least one of a plurality of selective call receivers used within the selective call messaging system, comprising:

a home input terminal for storing a priority value assigned to at least one identifier for at least one of the plurality of selective call receivers in a subscriber database; and

an output controller terminal networked to the home input terminal for assigning communication resources, wherein the home input terminal matches the at least one identifier with a highest priority value with a known identifier on an available communication resource at the output controller terminal and then the home input terminal forwards the matched identifier and an associated message to the output controller terminal.

19. An efficient multi-frequency roaming and selective call messaging system using network roaming identifiers (NIDs) associated with network wide frequencies and simulcast system identifiers (SSIDs) associated with local system frequencies for transmission of messages to a plurality of selective call receivers, comprising:

a home input terminal for storing a priority value assigned to at least one NID and/or at least one SSID for at least one of the plurality of selective call receivers in a subscriber database; and

an output controller terminal networked to the home input terminal for receiving the priority value and an associated message from the home input terminal, wherein the output controller terminal matches the at least one NID or the at least one SSID on at least one of the available frequencies at the output terminal.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the system further comprises a transmitter for transmitting the associated message on at least one of the available frequencies matching the highest priority value to the at least one NID or the at least one SSID having the highest priority value.