Wireless fax reception method with rooming

• US 5,446,553 A
• Filed: 07/15/1992
• Issued: 08/29/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Grube, Gary W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coles, Sr., Edward L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Esposo, Allan A.
• Application Number:
  US07/913,331
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• Field of Search: 358/400, 358/402, 358/403, 358/407, 379/100, 379/57, 379/59, 379/60, 340/825.44, 340/825.08, 455/54.1, 455/54.2, 455/56.1, 455/33.4
• US Class Current: 358/402
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00106 using land mobile radio networks, e.g. mobile telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like

Abstract

The present invention allows for a communication device (136) which roams within a communication system (100), the ability of maintaining in contact with other communication units, even while the unit is away from its home sub-system. Communication system (100) comprises a wide area paging system which includes a wide area paging controller (184) which controls at least one local area paging controller (108, 182 and 156). When a communication unit is away from its home system, the home system sends out a page via the wide area paging system in order to locate the communication unit and direct the unit to a local sub-system which the unit can use to communicate with the calling unit.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting a facsimile (FAX) message to a wireless communication device operating in a wireless communication system which includes a plurality of operatively interconnected wireless communication sub-systems each having defined coverage areas, the wireless communication system also having a wide area wireless communication system having a wireless communication coverage area which substantially overlaps the wireless communication coverage areas of the plurality of wireless communication sub-systems, one of the plurality of wireless communication sub-systems being the wireless communication device'"'"'s home wireless communication sub-system, the method comprising the steps of:

determining if the wireless communication device is located in the wireless communication device'"'"'s home wireless communication sub-system;

storing the facsimile message in the home wireless communication sub-system if the wireless communication device is not located in the wireless communication device'"'"'s home wireless communication sub-system;

transmitting a message over the wide area system directed to the wireless communication device if the wireless communication device cannot be found in the wireless communication device'"'"'s home wireless communication sub-system;

receiving the wide area system message at the wireless communication device;

switching the wireless communication device to operate using one of the plurality of wireless communication sub-systems as directed by the wide area system message in order to establish a wireless communication link with the wireless communication device'"'"'s home wireless communication sub-system; and

receiving the facsimile message at the wireless communication device from the home wireless communication sub-system.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting a wide area system message comprises paging the wireless communication device.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

sending a message from the home wireless communication sub-system to the wide area system, the message comprising information regarding the wireless communication device'"'"'s capabilities and also that a facsimile message has been received for the wireless communication device; and

determining at the wide area system which of the plurality of wireless communication sub-systems to recommend to be used by the wireless communication device.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

sending the facsimile message to the wireless communication device without storing the facsimile message if the wireless communication device is located in its home wireless communication sub-system.

5. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the step of receiving the wide area message at the wireless communication device further comprises the step of:

decoding the wide area message at the wireless communication device in order to determine the wireless communication sub-system from among the plurality of wireless communication sub-systems to use in order to establish a wireless communication link with the home wireless communication sub-system.