Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for conserving power in a pager

US6112055A · kind A · utility

16Cited by
3References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 10, 1999
Grant dateAug 29, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 10, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02D30/70
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A paging protocol includes header synchronization and system information segments containing information that allows a pager to conserve power. These segments can indicate a schedule of transmissions, and the channels of other transmissions. The pager can use this information to reduce the time the pager is in a high-power mode. In addition, the addresses are ordered so that the pager can more quickly determine whether a page is addressed to that particular pager. Further, the pager can activate circuitry in a sequenced manner to reduce peak power usage. The transmissions on different channels are synchronized in an offset manner so that the pager can scan one channel and switch to a next channel and immediately receive the start of a frame. Still further, the pager can be configured to perform narrowing searches during the initial acquisition process, which are then widened if no active channels are detected. If, after the widened search, still no active channels are detected, it is assumed that the pager is no longer in the service area. The pager enters an extended low-power mode to conserve power until the pager is moved back into the service area. The paging system and the pag…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.