Multiple pager status synchronization system and method

• US 5,754,119 A
• Filed: 08/31/1995
• Issued: 05/19/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Deluca, Joan S., Deluca, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILSON JR, WILLIAM HALL
• Application Number:
  US08/522,026
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.21, 340/311.1, 340/825.44, 340/825.47, 340/825.52, 340/825.69, 340/313, 455/31.1, 455/426, 455/31.2, 455/31.3, 455/88, 455/70, 370/310, 370/311, 370/312, 370/313, 370/314
• US Class Current: 340/7.21
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/025 with acknowledge back capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/022 Selective call receivers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Status changes made on first pager (130 and 530) are wirelessly communicated to an infrastructure (110 and 510) which communicates the status changes to other pagers (150 and 550) so that the other pagers make corresponding status changes. Thus, a user'"'"'s status changes made on one pager are automatically made on the user'"'"'s other pagers. Status changes include changes to received messages, alarm times, alert thresholds, and key word alerts.

Claims

1. A method of synchronizing message information among a plurality of transceivers comprising the steps of:

transmitting by a wireless messaging infrastructure a first message having a first status;

in one transceiver of the plurality of transceivers, changing the first status of the first message to a second status responsive to an input to the one transceiver, and transmitting a second message indicative of the second status;

in the wireless messaging infrastructure, receiving the second message, and responsive to receiving the second message, transmitting a third message indicative of the second status; and

in at least one other transceiver of the plurality of transceivers, receiving the third message, and responsive to receiving the third message, changing the first status of the first message to the second status.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the first status is an unread status and the second status is includes read, deleted or protected status.

3. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

in the at least one other transceiver,

changing the first status of the first message to a third status responsive to an input to the at least one other transceiver, and

transmitting a fourth message indicative of the third status;

in the wireless messaging infrastructure,

receiving the fourth message, and

transmitting a fifth message indicative of the third status; and

in the one transceiver, receiving the fifth message, and

changing the first status of the first message to the third status responsive to receiving the fifth message.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein said step of transmitting the second message indicative of the second status in the one transceiver further comprises the steps of:

delaying transmission of the second message by a predetermined time period after changing the first status of the first message;

changing the first status of the first message to a subsequent status in response to a subsequent input to the one transceiver; and

transmitting the subsequent status as the second status if changing of the first status to the subsequent status occurs within the predetermined time period.

5. A method of synchronizing a status of a plurality of transceivers comprising the steps of:

in a first transceiver, changing the status of the first transceiver from a first status to a second status as a result of an input from a user, and transmitting a first message indicative of the second status;

in a wireless messaging infrastructure, receiving the first message, and transmitting a second message indicative of the second status; and

in a second transceiver, receiving the second message, and changing a status of the second transceiver to the second status in response thereto.

6. The method according to claim 5 further comprising the steps of:

in the first transceiver,

receiving the second message; and

decoding the second message without further changing the status of the first transceiver.

7. The method according to claim 5 wherein the first transceiver and the second transceiver have a multiplicity of status categories, each of the multiplicity of status categories having a state, and the first message is a signal indicative of state of status category which has changed in response to the input.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the multiplicity of status categories include received message status, time of day alarm status, message key word status, or message threshold value status.

9. The method according to claim 5 wherein said step transmitting the first message indicative of the second status in the first transceiver further comprises the steps of:

delaying transmission of the first message by a predetermined time after changing the status of the first transceiver;

changing the status of the first transceiver to a subsequent status responsive to a subsequent input to the first transceiver; and

transmitting the subsequent status as the second status if the changing of the status to the subsequent status occurs within the predetermined time.

10. A system for synchronizing a status category of a plurality of wireless communication devices communicating with a wireless paging infrastructure, each of the plurality of communication devices having at least one status category, each of the at least one status category having a plurality of states, comprising:

means in at least one communication device of the plurality of communication devices for changing a status category of the at least one communication device of the plurality of communication devices to produce a current state of the status category;

means in the at least one communication device of the plurality of communication devices to produce a synchronizing signal for signaling to the infrastructure the current state of the status category;

means in the infrastructure to produce a current state signal for signaling to an other communication device of the plurality of communication devices the current state of the status category of the at least one communication device of the plurality of communication devices in response to the synchronizing signal; and

means in the other communication device of the plurality of communication devices for changing the current state of the at least one status category of the other communication device of the plurality of communication devices to the current state of the at least one communication device of the plurality of communication devices responsive to the current state signal.

11. A system for synchronizing messages among a multiplicity of selective call transceivers communicating with a wireless paging infrastructure, the wireless paging infrastructure having a base transmitter and a controller, each of the multiplicity of selective call transceivers having a processor and a transmitter, and at least one status category, each of the at least one status category having a plurality of states, the system comprising:

a user interface on at least one of the multiplicity of selective call transceivers for changing a state of a status category of the at least one of the multiplicity of selective call transceivers to produce a synchronizing signal and coupled to the processor;

a software element at the processor for controlling transmission of a synchronizing signal by the transmitter after a change of state of a status category; and

another software element at the controller for controlling transmission of a current state signal by the base transmitter responsive to the synchronizing signal.