Pager with auto powerup for message receipt

• US 6,393,308 B1
• Filed: 06/19/1998
• Issued: 05/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Uchiyama, Shigeru, Isomichi, Yasuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gantt, Alan T.
• Application Number:
  US09/100,212
• Time in Patent Office: 1,432 Days
• Field of Search: 455/31.1, 455/38.3, 340/825.44, 340/825.22, 370/311
• US Class Current: 455/701
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/1066 with other provisions not elsewhere provided for, e.g. turn-off protection

Abstract

A pager unit that can receive a message when it is turned off. A power supply of the pager unit is turned on by a control unit prior to the time scheduled to receive a message, and then turned of f after the message has been received. Accordingly, the pager can receive a message during the time it is scheduled to be turned off, conserving battery power while allowing it to receive scheduled messages. The receiving time for receiving messages can be arbitrarily set via a time-setting changing message received while the pager is turned on.

Claims

1. A pager comprising:

a message receiving time storage unit for storing time data designating a predetermined receiving time to receive a message;

an automatic setting-operation control unit for automatically turning said pager on at an on time designated in advance and off at an off time designated in advance;

a reception-operation control unit for comparing the predetermined receiving time stored in said message receiving time storage unit with the current time, wherein, if the pager is off, said reception-operation control unit turns the pager on when said reception-operation control unit determines that it is time to receive said message, and further

wherein said reception-operation control unit prevents said automatic setting-operation control unit from turning the pager off during the period that said reception-operation control unit has determined is time to receive said message.

2. A pager according to claim 1 wherein said reception-operation control unit turns the power supply of said pager off after receiving the message.

3. A pager according to claim 2 wherein said reception-operation control unit allows the pager to remain on when said automatic setting-operation control unit determines that the current time is a designated on time.

4. A pager according to claim 1 further comprising a receiving-time setting unit for arbitrarily changing the predetermined receiving time by using a message received by said pager.

5. A pager according to claim 3 further comprising a receiving-time setting unit for arbitrarily changing the predetermined receiving time by using a message received by said pager.

6. A pager according to claim 3 further comprising a receiving-time setting unit for arbitrarily changing the predetermined receiving time by using a message received by said pager.

7. A pager according to claim 1 wherein said reception-operation control unit turns on the power supply at a fixed time before the receiving time.

8. A pager according to claim 2 wherein said reception-operation control unit turns on the power supply at a fixed time before the receiving time.

9. A pager according to claim 3 wherein said reception-operation control unit turns on the power supply at a fixed time before the receiving time.

10. A pager according to claim 4 wherein said reception-operation control unit turns the pager on at a fixed time before the receiving time.

11. A pager according to claim 6 wherein said reception-operation control unit turns the pager on at a fixed time before the receiving time.

12. A pager according to claim 1 wherein said reception-operation control unit turns the pager off at a fixed time period after the pager has been turned on to receive a message.

13. A pager according to claim 3 wherein said reception-operation control unit turns the pager off at a fixed time period after the pager has been turned on to receive a message.

14. A pager according to claim 4 wherein said reception-operation control unit turns the pager off at a fixed time period after the pager has been turned on to receive a message.

15. A pager according to claim 6 wherein said reception-operation control unit turns the pager of f at a fixed time period after the pager has been turned on to receive a message.

19. A pager according to claim 13 wherein said reception-operation control unit turns the pager off at a fixed time period after the pager has been turned on to receive a message.

16. A pager comprising:

a message receiving time storage unit for storing time data designating a predetermined receiving time to receive a message;

a receiving-time setting unit for arbitrarily changing the predetermined receiving time by using a message received by said pager;

an automatic setting-operation control unit for automatically turning said pager on at an on time designated in advance and off at an off time designated in advance;

a reception-operation control unit for comparing the predetermined receiving time stored in said message receiving time storage unit with the current time,

wherein, if the pager is off, said reception-operation control unit turns the pager on when said reception-operation control unit determines that it is time to receive said message, and further

wherein said reception-operation control unit prevents said automatic setting operation control unit from turning the pager of f during the period that said reception-operation control unit has determined is time to receive said message, and still further

wherein said reception-operation control unit turns the pager off after receiving the message, unless the automatic setting-operation control unit determines that the current time is a designated an on time wherein the said reception-operation control unit allows the pager to remain on.

17. A pager according to claim 16, wherein said reception-operation control unit turns the pager on at a fixed time before the receiving time.

18. A pager according to claim 16, wherein said reception-operation control unit turns the pager off at a fixed time period after the pager has been turned on to receive a message.