Tower discovery and failover
First Claim
1. A method utilizing a processing unit for providing communication between broadcast towers and a client device, comprising:
- selecting services with a scheduling interface;
scheduling a transmission of message content, wherein the message content corresponds to messages associated with at least one of the selected services;
assembling a frame with a frame header and the message content;
formatting the frame header with a service region identifier, wherein the service region identifier corresponds to a service region for a broadcast tower;
encoding control information in at least one frame header, wherein the control information comprises at least one of;
a broadcast condition associated with the service region for the broadcast tower, a change in available channels associated with the service region for the broadcast tower, an assignment of a particular channel for a particular client device, an assignment of another particular channel for all client devices, and a change counter that is arranged to indicate when a change has taken place in the system; and
transmitting the frame from the broadcast tower at a first scheduled time for reception by the client device;
assembling another frame with another frame header and the message content;
formatting the other frame header with another service region identifier, wherein the other service region identifier corresponds to another service region for another broadcast tower; and
transmitting the other frame from the other broadcast tower at a second scheduled time for reception by the client device, whereby the client device receives the message content in the service region and the other service region during a scheduled travel between the service region and the other service region.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Described is a communication system including wireless client devices. In the described system, the client devices may be wrist-worn watches such as are in common use today, except that the watches are specially configured to receive transmissions from broadcast towers. A client device is associated with one or more home service regions, and is configured to receive personal messages on a home channel when in the home service region. The client device employs a self-assignment method to identify and select a home channel without the need for interaction by a user. A tower discovery method is employed to identify broadcast towers and available channels within a service region. A failover method is employed to identify a change in the broadcast system, and take appropriate action such as, for example, changing to another broadcast tower, selecting another frequency, selecting a sleep mode, as well as others.
11 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method utilizing a processing unit for providing communication between broadcast towers and a client device, comprising:
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selecting services with a scheduling interface; scheduling a transmission of message content, wherein the message content corresponds to messages associated with at least one of the selected services; assembling a frame with a frame header and the message content; formatting the frame header with a service region identifier, wherein the service region identifier corresponds to a service region for a broadcast tower;
encoding control information in at least one frame header, wherein the control information comprises at least one of;
a broadcast condition associated with the service region for the broadcast tower, a change in available channels associated with the service region for the broadcast tower, an assignment of a particular channel for a particular client device, an assignment of another particular channel for all client devices, and a change counter that is arranged to indicate when a change has taken place in the system; andtransmitting the frame from the broadcast tower at a first scheduled time for reception by the client device; assembling another frame with another frame header and the message content; formatting the other frame header with another service region identifier, wherein the other service region identifier corresponds to another service region for another broadcast tower; and transmitting the other frame from the other broadcast tower at a second scheduled time for reception by the client device, whereby the client device receives the message content in the service region and the other service region during a scheduled travel between the service region and the other service region. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A system for providing communication between broadcast towers and at least one client device, comprising:
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a means for selecting services with a scheduling interface; a means for scheduling a transmission of a message payload, wherein the message payload is associated with at least one of the selected services; a means for assembling a transmission frame with a frame header and the message payload; a means for formatting the frame header with a service region identifier, wherein the service region identifier is associated with a service region for a broadcast tower;
encoding control information in the frame header, wherein the control information comprises at least one of;
a broadcast condition associated with the service region for the broadcast tower, a change in available channels associated with the service region for the broadcast tower, an assignment of a particular channel for a particular client device, an assignment of another particular channel for all client devices, and a change counter that is arranged to indicate when a change has taken place in the system;a means for encoding the transmission frame for valid reception by the at least one client device; a means for scheduling a broadcast time for the transmission frame; a means for transmitting the frame from the broadcast tower at the scheduled time for reception by the at least one client device; a means for assembling a second transmission frame with a second frame header and the message payload; a means for formatting the second frame header with a second service region identifier, wherein the second service region identifier is associated with a second service region for a second broadcast tower; a means for transmitting the second frame from the second broadcast tower at a second scheduled time for reception by the client device, whereby the client device receives the message content in the service region and the second service region during a scheduled travel between the service region and the second service region. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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Specification