Method and apparatus for low power mobile unit for cellular communications system
First Claim
1. A low power mobile unit for receiving on a forward channel and transmitting on a reverse channel over a wireless cellular communication network, the low power mobile unit comprising;
- (a) a receiver for receiving over forward channels, the receiver for periodically receiving notification messages from a current forward channel and for periodically measuring signal quality of at least the current forward channel of the forward channels;
(b) a transmitter for transmitting over reverse channels; and
(c) a management entity coupled to the receiver and the transmitter, the management entity of the low sower mobile unit for;
(1) periodically receiving notification messages from the receiver, the notification messages including client numbers client numbers having been received from a current, each such client number in the notification messages being associated with a mobile unit for which data is pending, the low power mobile unit determining if its client number is within the notification message;
(2) periodically receiving from the receiver an indication of the signal quality of the current forward channel;
(3) (i) periodically comparing the signal quality of the current forward channel with the signal quality of at least one other forward channel, (ii) periodically identifying a new forward channel having the highest signal quality, and (iii) if the receiver receives a notification message with the client number associated with the low power mobile unit or if the management entity determines that the signal quality of the current forward channel is below a minimum quality level, then providing the transmitter with a cell transfer message to be transmitted over a reverse channel associated with the new forward channel to change communication channels, otherwise, the management entity continuing to have the low power mobile unit communicate with the cellular network over the current forward channel.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for efficient use of both power and bandwidth in a cellular communications system in which a Mobile Unit preferably enters Sleep-Mode when no communications have occurred between the Mobile Unit and the Base Station over a predetermined amount of time measured by an "Idle Timer". Upon expiry of a Wake Timer, the Mobile Unit awakes from Sleep-Mode to determine whether a message is pending. Concurrently, the Base Station transmits a "TEI-Notification" message directed to all Mobile Units to notify each Mobile Unit that has data pending. A system parameter determines the intervals at which the Base Station will transmit these notifications. Upon waking to receive a TEI-Notification message, the Mobile Unit determines whether the quality of the transmission is at least sufficient to allow the Mobile Unit to decipher the TEI-Notification message. If this minimal requirement is met, and the TEI-Notification message does not indicate that data is pending for the Mobile Unit, the Mobile Unit returns to sleep, even though the Mobile Unit may reside in a cell other than the cell associated with the Base Station currently assigned by the IS to communicate with the Mobile Unit. The Mobile Unit of the present invention does not monitor the forward channels on a regular basis, but rather waits until either the signal quality of the forward channel over which the Mobile Unit is receiving has degraded such that the TEI-Notification message can no longer be deciphered, or the TEI-Notification message indicates that a message is pending.
155 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A low power mobile unit for receiving on a forward channel and transmitting on a reverse channel over a wireless cellular communication network, the low power mobile unit comprising;
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(a) a receiver for receiving over forward channels, the receiver for periodically receiving notification messages from a current forward channel and for periodically measuring signal quality of at least the current forward channel of the forward channels; (b) a transmitter for transmitting over reverse channels; and (c) a management entity coupled to the receiver and the transmitter, the management entity of the low sower mobile unit for; (1) periodically receiving notification messages from the receiver, the notification messages including client numbers client numbers having been received from a current, each such client number in the notification messages being associated with a mobile unit for which data is pending, the low power mobile unit determining if its client number is within the notification message; (2) periodically receiving from the receiver an indication of the signal quality of the current forward channel; (3) (i) periodically comparing the signal quality of the current forward channel with the signal quality of at least one other forward channel, (ii) periodically identifying a new forward channel having the highest signal quality, and (iii) if the receiver receives a notification message with the client number associated with the low power mobile unit or if the management entity determines that the signal quality of the current forward channel is below a minimum quality level, then providing the transmitter with a cell transfer message to be transmitted over a reverse channel associated with the new forward channel to change communication channels, otherwise, the management entity continuing to have the low power mobile unit communicate with the cellular network over the current forward channel.
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2. A mobile unit, for use in a cellular communications network having a plurality of base stations, each base station being associated with a cell, the mobile unit comprising:
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a. a receiver for receiving over forward channels from a plurality of base stations and for periodically receiving notification messages over a forward channel; b. a management entity, coupled to the receiver, for; i. requesting that the receiver attempt to receive notification messages periodically at predetermined intervals from a particular base station, regardless of whether the mobile unit remains within the cell associated with that base station; ii. upon failing to successfully receive a notification message at a predetermined interval over the first selected forward channel, scanning for a forward channel being transmitted from a base station associated with the cell in which the mobile unit is located and attempting to receive the notification messages over a forward channel being transmitted from the base station; iii. upon successfully receiving a notification message, determining whether a code associated with the mobile unit is encoded within the notification message and if so, acknowledging receipt of the code through the base station associated with the cell in which the mobile unit is currently located; and
,wherein the mobile unit continues to receive notification messages from a particular base station after leaving the cell associated with that particular base station until the mobile unit is incapable of successfully receiving a notification message from that base station or until one of the notification messages includes the code associated with the mobile unit. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for communicating between a base station within a cellular communications system and a mobile unit, the method comprising:
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scanning the available forward channels to determine in which cell a mobile unit initially is located; establishing an airlink between the mobile unit and an initial base station associated with the cell in which the mobile unit is initially located; and attempting to receive messages from the initial base station after the mobile unit leaves the cell associated with the initial base station, unless; i. the mobile unit is to respond to a received message;
orii. messages sent by the initial base station are no longer being successfully received within the mobile unit; and establishing an airlink between the mobile unit and the base station associated with the cell in which the mobile unit is currently located if; i. the mobile unit is to respond to a received message from the initial base station;
orii. messages sent by the initial base station are no longer being successfully received within the mobile unit. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of conserving power in a mobile paging unit operating in a cellular communication system, the method comprising:
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a. providing the mobile paging unit, the mobile paging unit including a receiver, a transmitter, and a processor for controlling the receiver and the transmitter, b. resisting changing channels in the mobile unit from a current channel to another channel when moving from a first cell associated with the current channel to another cell associated with the another channel, resisting changing channels in the mobile unit in order to conserve power; c. periodically deactivating the receiver and the transmitter of the mobile paging unit after a first predetermined period of time elapses with no communication by the mobile paging unit in a cell, periodically deactivating the receiver and the transmitter of the mobile pading unit in order to conserve power; and
,d. periodically activating the receiver to receive a notification message after a second predetermined period of time elapses with the receiver and the transmitter being deactivated. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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Specification