Method and apparatus optimizing receipt of call/broadcast paging messages by self-powered wireless communications devices

• US 8,155,676 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2010
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Subrahmanya, Parvathanathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Gary, Erika
• Application Number:
  US12/717,891
• Publication Number:
  US 20100184455A1
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/458
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A wireless communications network (120) responds to each incoming call placed to a wireless communications device (134) by transmitting a call-paging message (418) within a corresponding partition of a digital radio frame of prescribed format. Responsive to each occurrence of a broadcast event (404), the network transmits (414) a repeating broadcast-paging message announcing the availability of broadcast content from the network. The broadcast-paging message is transmitted multiple times within each digital radio frame. Another sequence (500) describes WCD operation in this network. Responsive to wakeup (502) from sleep, the WCD detects (509) received signal quality. The WCD also receives (510) scheduled network transmission of a call-paging message and a number of instances (at least one) of a repeating network transmitted broadcast-paging message that occurs multiple times for each scheduled transmission of the call-paging message. This number varies inversely with the detected signal quality.

Claims

1. A method of operating a wireless communications device in a network, comprising operations of:

responsive to a wakeup from a reduced power sleep state, performing operations comprising;

receiving both a network transmitted call-paging message and at least one instance of a repeating network transmitted broadcast-paging message that occurs multiple times for each instance of the call-paging message;

prior to re-entering the sleep state, evaluating signal metrics for any first received call-paging message and any first received repeating network transmitted broadcast-paging message to determine signal quality and how many instances of the broadcast-paging message to listen to prior to an occurrence of a subsequent call-paging message, and establishing a next wakeup time based on the evaluation of the signal metrics.

2. A non-transitory computer readable medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital data processor to perform operations to manage a wireless communications device operating in a network, the operations comprising:

responsive to a wakeup from a reduced power sleep state, performing operations comprising;

receiving both a network transmitted call-paging message and at least one instance of a repeating network transmitted broadcast-paging message that occurs multiple times for each instance of the call-paging message;

prior to re-entering the sleep state, evaluating signal metrics for any first received call-paging message and any first received repeating network transmitted broadcast-paging message associated with the network to determine signal quality and how many instances of the broadcast-paging message to listen to prior to an occurrence of a subsequent call-paging message, and establishing a next wakeup time based on the evaluation of the signal metrics.

3. Circuitry including multiple interconnected electrically conductive elements configured to perform operations to manage a wireless communications device operating in a network, the operations comprising:

responsive to a wakeup from a reduced power sleep state, performing operations comprising;

receiving both a network transmitted call-paging message and at least one instance of a repeating network transmitted broadcast-paging message that occurs multiple times for each instance of the call-paging message;

prior to re-entering the sleep state, evaluating signal metrics for any first received call-paging message and any first received repeating network transmitted broadcast-paging message to determine signal quality and how many instances of the broadcast-paging message to listen to prior to an occurrence of a subsequent call-paging message, and establishing a next wakeup time based on the evaluation of the signal metrics.

4. A wireless communications device operating in a network, comprising:

a transceiver;

a speaker;

a microphone;

a user interface;

a manager, coupled to the transceiver, speaker, microphone, and user interface, and programmed to perform operations comprising;

responsive to a wakeup from a reduced power sleep state, performing operations comprising;

receiving both a network transmitted call-paging message and at least one instance of a repeating network transmitted broadcast-paging message that occurs multiple times for each instance of the call-paging message;

prior to re-entering the sleep state, evaluating signal metrics for any first received call-paging message and any first received repeating network transmitted broadcast-paging message to determine signal quality and how many instances of the broadcast-paging message to listen to prior to an occurrence of a subsequent call-paging message, and establishing a next wakeup time based on the evaluation of the signal metrics.

5. A wireless communications device operating in a network, comprising:

means for transceiving;

speaker means for producing an audible signal from an electrical signal;

microphone means for producing an electrical signal from the audible signal;

user interface means for exchanging information with an operator;

manager means for performing operations comprising;

responsive to a wakeup from a reduced power sleep state, performing operations comprising;

receiving a network transmitted call-paging message and at least one instance of a repeating network transmitted broadcast-paging message that occurs multiple times for each instance of the call-paging message;

prior to re-entering the sleep state, evaluating signal metrics for any first received call-paging message and any first received repeating network transmitted broadcast-paging message to determine signal quality and how many instances of the broadcast-paging message to listen to prior to an occurrence of a subsequent call-paging message, and establishing a next wakeup time based on the evaluation of the signal metrics.