CA1307830C - Paging receiver with programmable areas of reception - Google Patents

Abstract

Paging Receiver With Programmable Areas of Reception Abstract A paging receiver (10) is disclosed which is compatible with transmissions from analog or digital paging transmitters. The paging receiver has a command structure which permits it to be dynamically programmable to change its functionality including programming of the channel frequencies which the paging receiver is to receive. The programmability of the channel frequencies permits the paging receiver to be used for making national, regional, remote area, local area, and sublocal area pages, and pages to a group in the local area and to switch from channel frequencies which are heavily used during peak paging times to lesser used channels. The paging receiver transmits paging receiver identification code digits in an order of increasing significance which significantly lessens power consumption for all paging receivers tuned to a particular frequency for determining if a page is to be received which prolongs paging receiver battery life.
The paging receiver displays the place of origin of pages as either being of local origin or from other areas. The paging receiver antenna (12) is continuously tunable to permit compensation for variation in antenna gain caused by environmental factors which can seriously degrade signal strength.

Description

~7`~7~30 Description PAGING RECEIVER WITH PROGRAMMABLE
AREAS OF RECEPTION
Technical Fieldo The present invention relates to RF paging receivers which receive pages comprised of either numeric characters and/or alphanumeric characters and convey the page to a person possessing the paging receiver.
Backqround Art:
Paging ~ystems are in use throughout the world.
There are paging systems which transmit pages from satellite transmitt~rs to different cities~ An example of such a system is that operated by National Satellite Paging which ~ransmits only numeric pages. A system operated by Metrocast pPrmits pages to be transmitted to any city within the system through dedicated communication links between the cities. In the Metrocast system, pages to be transmitted locally are exclusively made by calling into the city where the page i5 to be made by a local telephone call. A page ~o be made on a regional basis i~ called in by an 800 number telephonQ call to a central facility in San Diego ~rom which the page is transmittad to the city where the page is to be broadcast by the dedicated communication link. The page i~ received from the communication l:ink at the city where it is to be broadcas~ and ~hen bro~dcasted locally by an existing paging service to transmit the page to the person to be paged.
;~: To date, there is no existing national paging : ~ system which substantially covers the geographical ~ Unit-d States. Because of the cost of hardware, a : ~

:, , 1 -',07~30 system like the Metrocast system is not economical in small cities or rural areas where the paging volume is relatively low. Accordingly, while the objective of achieving nationwide paging has been attempted for many years, no existing system integrates local and national paging substantially throughout the geographical United States or throughout the world. The vast majority of paging systems operate totally locally with each system having a limited functionality because of its inability to deliver regional paging. Most paging receivers are tuned to receive only a single channel which inherently limits usage in time frames when heavy paging conditions ~xist in a local paging system and ~urther prevent usage in other geographical locations where other channel freguencies are used.
Typically each existing paging system has unique specifications which prevents operation o~ one paging receiver in other systems. For example, the paging receiver ident1fication codes are not universal.
Furthermore, existing paging receivers will only receive transmissions from a single type o~ transmitter (analoy or digital) systems. As a result o~ paging receiver~ dif~ering in design and operation, the cost of paging receivers is higher as a result of smaller manufacturing volumes than would be realized if a single paging receiver was usable for a worldwide network.
:Paging receivers in the Metrocast system : cycliaally scan a plurality of closely spaced channel ~requencies to detect the presence of a page for the paging receiver on any one of the closely spaced frequencies. This paging receiver suffers from the inherent disadvantage that the continual scanning of 3 1 307~30 the closely spaced frequencies requires a substantial power consumption causing the batteries o~ the pager to have a short life span. Short battery life increases the cost of operation and can cau~e pages to be lost when the batteries are not promptly replaced.
All paging systems currently issue a paging receiver identification code to each of the paging receivers for purposes of providing a unique identification. There currently is no universal standard for issuing identification numbers to pagers, with the largest system having capacity for issuing only 2,000,000 paging receiving identification codes.
Worldwide, there currently are over 12,000,000 pagers in use with projected growth on an annual basis in th~
paging industry exceeding 20~. ~hus, current paging systems do not permit a worldwide paging system to be realized as a result of the actual and projected number of pagers being far larger than the capacity of the identification codes in the largest existing paging system.
All pagers currently monitor the one or more channel frequencies which they are designed to receive to detect if a paging receiver identification code accompanying a page on the one or more channel frequencies on which they are designed to receive matches a stored paging recei~er identification cods.
If a match exists, ~then a page is processed and an alarm a~d a display of the message is made to alert the ~ wearer of the paging receiver o~ the message contained ;~ ~ 30 with the page~ These æystems transmit the pager identification code in an order of decreasing significance of the digits of the identification code.
In other words, if a paging receiver has the identification code 12345, the transmitter precedes the ~ ' ` .

4 1 301~30 transmission of the page with the sequence of digits 12345. Each pager which receives the channel frequency on which the paging receiver identification code is transmitted continually detects each of the successive digits and maintains ~ts radio frequency receiver on until a mismatch is found be~ween the transmitted and stored paging receiver identification code digits. As a result of the fact that many paging receivers have identification codes in which their more significant digits are common to other paging receivers within a 6ystem, a ~ubstantial amount o~ battary power is consumed detecting i~ a page i8 intended for a particular paging receiver. Each paging receiver which receives the digits of the paging recei~er identification ~ode : in an order o~ decreasing : significance is statistically likely to have its radio frequency receiver turned on ~or most of the transmission of the digits o~ the paging receiver identification code until the lasser significant digits of the paging receiver identifiration code are received for the reason that it is ths lesser significant paging receiver identificaticn code digits whîch distinguish one paging receiver from another and only tha least ~; significant digit which dis~inguishes the paging receiver which is desired to recei~e a particular page from all other paging receivers. Accordingly, the transmission of the paging receiver identification code : digi~s in an order of decreasing significance substantially increases power consumption lessening the life of the batteries of the paging receiver.
~ hroug~out tha world different fre~uency bands have been adopted for transmitting pages. In th~
Unlted Stat~s j transmls ions are authorized on VHF and ~: :
:~ :
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1 3~7~30 UHF bands. In the United States, the channel frequencies of the VHF and UHF bands are separated by 5 KHz steps. Moreover, for each of these bands transmitters are in existence which transmit pages by frequency modulation of a digital carrier wave and other transmitters which transmit pages by frequency modulation of an analog carrier wave. Currently no paging receiver exists which is compatible with transmissions ~rom both analog and digital transmitters. Furthermore, Europe has allocated VHF
frequencies for paging with individual channel frequencies being separated by 6.25 KXz steps and Far Eastern countries has allocated paging frequencies on a 280 ~Hz VHF band with individual channel frequencies being separated by 2.5 KHz steps. Currently, no paging receiv~rs exist which are operational on any more than one of the above-identified frequency bands. The inability of current paging receivers to recei~e pages on the different ~requency bands allocated throughout the world prevents worldwide paging to be received on a single paging receiver.
; NonP of the com~ercially marketed paging receivers is programmable by command to receive different channel frequencie~ which severely restricts the paging receivers to usage in limited geographical areas. In the United States there are a large number of paging frequencies in use in different geographical parts of the country. Because of the fact that the existing paging receivers cannot be programmed by command to receive differPnt channel frequencies, it is impossible to universally receive pages throughout the country because of the fact that reception of channel frequancies is limited to a single channel fr~quency :~ :

., . ~, , ' 6 ~ J ~ ~0 ~ixed upon obtaining the paging receiver ~rom the paging service or to cyclically scan a group o~ closely spaced channels such a~ with the paging receiver used by the Me~rocast system. Neith2r approach leads itself to being dynamically usable to accept pages in another geographical araa where a different frequency or ~requencies are in use. The prior art paging receivers' inability to rapidly change the fre~uencies which may be received severely limits the usage of paging for business or other travel.
In the prior art as a consequence of paging receivers being designed to receive only a single channel in a particl~lar frequency band or to scan a se~uence of closely spaced channel frequencies, antenna yain has not been a problem in achieving reception of pages with suf~icient ~ignal strength to permit proper decoding and display o~ the page. Antenna tuning systems have been used to tune a receiver's antenna in military co~munication for maximum antenna gain prior to receiving co~munication~. However, these systems do not tune antenna gain dynamiaally during tha reception of the communic~ation. When a paging receiver is used : to accept multiple bande of ~requencies, snvironmental characteristics such as variable inductance and : 25 capacitance which vary with location, will tend to prevent maximum antenna gain from being achieved especially when the paging receiver iæ being carried by : a person in motion.
~urrently, no paging system exists which truly ~ 30 permits paging on a national and international level.
:~ : This is a conse~uence of the inability o~ th~ paging receivers to receive a large number of frequencies and fur~her the de~iciency of the existing systems in 7 1 307~30 having a universal paging receiver identi~ication code which uniguely identi~ies each o~ the paging receivers throughout the world with the possibility existing in the current systems o~ several pagers having the same paging receiver identification code. A universal pa~ing receiver identi~ication code is needed having the capacity to uni~uely identify all of the paging receivers throughout the world.
Currently in the United States a relatively small number of frequencies are used in the large metropolitan areas where most o~ the paging tra~fic occurs. As paging tra~fic increases in view of the relatively small number of ~requencies predominantly in use in metropolitan areas, there is thP likelihood that message traffic during the three peaX paging periods that occur each day will incraase to the point where the predominantly used small number of ~requencies will become so busy that it is impossible to rapidly transmit pages to a paging receiver. B cause of the 2G fact that current paging reaeivers are not programmable by remote command to receive pages on dif~erent channel frequencies, existing networks do not have the ability to dynamically switch channel frequencie~ in large ~ metropolitan areas, when one channel becomes so busy :~ 25 that rapid paging is not possible, to another lesser used channel to eliminate delays in transmitting pages to a paging receiver. In fact, in large metropolitan areas there currently are VHF and UHF mobile channels that are curren~ly undQr utilized due to ~he current cellular radio system which could be used as : alternative paging channel ~requencies to receive tra~ic on commonly used stations.

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8 1 3n733n FM analog and digital paging protocols exist.
Existing protocols for the FM analog and digital paging systems do not have a high efficiency in transmitting data per transmitted code. Existing digital transmitters modulate a digital FM tran~mitter with a binary signal which utilizes frequency shift keying of the basic carrier signal to transmit high levels of a bit with a burst of the shifted ~requency and the low level bit with the unshi~ted frequency of the carrier.
Thus, each identifiable digit of the transmission from an FM digital paging transmitter can encode only two distinct levels for each ~requency burst of the carrier. Anal og ~M paging transmitters frequency modulate a sinu oidal carrier with a total of 15 tones to create a hexadecimal level transmitting system in which no modulation of the basic carrier frequency is considered to be the IlF" le~el and the remaining 15 dif~erent levels are encoded by modulating the FM
carrier with distinct tones. Paging receivers which are designed to receive analog transmissions require : substantial reception time of each tone to validly ~ detect each character. Thus, while the protocol o~ FM
: analog paging transmitters transmits a much higher number of daka levels for each fre~uency burst, the slowness of the paging receivers in detecting the : discrete tones does not result in a high throughput speed of transmitting charac~ers.
Existing paging ~y~tems which permit paging in multiple cities suffer from the deficiency that a long di~tance phone call is required to phone in a page which is to be tran~mitted to a remote city. Because of the fact that the long distance phone call is charged to the person wi~h~ng to make the page or to g 1 3C7~30 the operator of the system (800 service), the expense of using these paging systems is increased and may discourage users ~rom maXing non-local pages. No national or regional prior art paging system permits a page to be initiated ~ro~ a geographic area outside the area where the paging receiver is normally located by the making o~ a local phone call and further for the paging receiver to be programmed to re~eive the page on a particular frequency found at the location where the page is to be received.
Current paging receivers do not execute a repertoire o~ commands permitting the functional characteristics of the paging receiver to be programmed dynamically by RF transmission. Current paging receivers do respond to commands which provide an alarm to the person wearing the paging recelver that a page has been received such as activating a display and/or providing an audio alarm. However, current paging receivers do not ex cute a diversity o~ commands in which the system influences operation and structure o~
the paging receiver, including commands activating khe ~ display to indicate if the page has originated locally ;;~ or from another region, causing the message transmitted with the page to be stored in a particular memory : 25 location in the paging receiver and programming the channels on which the paging receiver is to receive pages and permitting the pagihg receiver to serve as a relay ~or pages ei~her to be ~ransmitted or received.
:~oreover, the prior art paging receivers do not control the scanning o~ channel frequencies in :~ accordance with a program which automatically causes : the RF receiver to monitor the channel on which the last page was received for a predetermined time ::

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:., " 7 ~ 3 0 interval and if no carrier frequenay is detected on that channel then scanning one or more additional progran~ed channel ~requencies ~or a predetermined time interval until either a carrier frequency is detected on one o~ tAe channels being scanned in which case that channel freguency is ~canned for the prPdetermined time interval or in the absence o~ any carrier being detected on the one or more channels being scanned shutting down the RF receiver a~ter the predetermined time interval. No prior ar paging ~ystem is known in which a code i~ transmitted with the paging receiver identi~ication code to restrict reception of pages in particular geographic areas.
Cellular radio sy~tems dynamically assign frequencies on which cellular radio re eiver~ are to receiva telephone call~. To make or receive a telephone call, a mobile cellular radio is locked onto a set up channel through communications with th2 transmitter which are establish~d when the cellular ~0 radio receiver is turned on. ~he cellul~r system then assigns the mobile cellular xadio to a ~pecific channel while the mobile cellular radio is making or receiving a telephone sall within a cell. As the ~ellular radio : : receiver moves from one cell to another cell~ the channel ~requency is dynamically changed ~rom one requency to another ~requency to maintain a strong signal ~requency. A cellular radio receiver does not : ha~e a channel memory which ~tores channel ~requencies which are to be scanned to establish if a call is forth coming. The dynamic assignment o~ a channel ~requency : is initiated by the transmitter ~or the sole purpose o~
establishing the channel ~requency over which ~oice - 11 131~7(~30 communications are to be initiated or to be maintained when moving ~rom one cell to another.
United State Patent No. 4,422,071 discloses a system ~or programming an identification code of a receiver by a radio ~requency communication between a transmitter and the raceiver.
Disclosure of Invention-The present invention provides the first paging receiver which is compatible with all existing UHF and V~F paging frequency band~ and existing paging system FM analog and digital transmitterR found in the United States, Japan and Europa. A paging receiver in accordance with the present invention may be programmed dynamically to receive ~requencies in multiple bands including the VHF and UHF bands in the United States, the VHF band in Europe and the 280 VHF Japanese band.
The dynamic programmability of channel frequencies of the paging receiver o~ the present invention permits operation in all of the geographi~ areas identified above with a single paging receiver by programming the paging receiver ~y a channel frequency changing command to receive one or more ~requencies in,the geographic : areas to which the pager will be transported. The ~; ~ transmitter tran~mitting the page in the area where the ~: : 25 paging reaeiver is to receive the page transmits the page on a ~requency on which ~he paging receiver has been dynamically programmed to receive the paga.
The paging receiver o~ the present invention and its protocol is compatible with all exis~ing analog and digital transmitters and permits page~ transmitted by : either analog or digital paging transmittars to be : ~ received by a single paging receiver with total ~: transparenay to the user of the paging receiver.

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12 1 ~"7~30 Furthermore, the adoption of a universal protocol in which each code transmission by a FM digital transmitter encodes a muItiple level of signals greater than two achieves a high data throughput rate.
Moreover, the signal processing cir~uitry o~ the paging receiver provides a rapid respons~ time to each transmitted code ~rom either an analog or digital transmitter which further permits the time duration of transmission o~ each character to be shortened providing a high data throughput. Finally, in accordance with a preferr~d embodiment of the present invention, a paging raceiver identification code format is adoptad which permit~ 100, 000, 000 distinct paging receivers to be used by the system enabling international use.
The present invention substantially enhances the battery li~e o~ batteria~ used to power the paging receiver. In the ~irst place, each digit of the paging receiver identification code is transmitted as a header on each page in an order of increasiny significance of the paging receiver identification code digits. The paging receiver compares each recaived pagi~g receiver ~dentification code digit with the corresponding digits of its unique stored paging receiver identi~ication code to detect if a mismatch exists at which time the paging rPceiver is turned off to conserve power until it is ~urned on again under a control program of the :~ main central processing uni~. The comparison o~ the transmitted paging receiver identifi~ation code digits ~ 30 and the ~tored~ pagex receiver identification code ;~ digits continues sequentially until either a total match is ~ound at which time the command and/or page tranemitted with the paging receiver identification ... . . .

13 1,,'~7~30 code is processed or the paging receiver is shut down to conserve power.
Furthermore, reception of pages by a particular paging receiver may be restricted by use o~ a region deaignation code. Each paging receiver contains a memory ~or storing a de~tination code. Pages which are to be received on an area ba~is by a paging receiver are transmitted with the destination code being the first digit of the transmission of the paging receiver identification code. If a match i~ not ~ound between the transmitted de~tination ~ode and any stored destination code contained in the memory of the paging receiver, th~ paging receiver is immediately shut down to conserve power. If a match is found between a transmitted destination code and any stored destination code, the paging receiver then processes the : su~sequently transmitted paging receiver identification : code digit which are transmitted in an order o~
increasing significance of it~ digits as described : 20 abovQ. The invention eliminates the problem of each paging receiver which i~ to receive a national or regional page ~rom re ponding to re~ident local paging which con~umes substantial amounts of battery life.
Furthermore, in ar cordance with the invention, ~5 each paging receiver contains a memory for storing the ~: : last channel frequency on which a carrier frequency was detected. The control program of the main central processing unit for the paging receiver automatically activates the paging receiver to receive the last channel ~requency first because of the statistical ~ ~ probability that pages are more likaly to be ~ound on : ~ ~ that channel than on additional channels s~ored in a : channel frequency memory which are thereafter received ~ :' ~ :
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07~30 by the paging receiver in an order determined by a control program. Battery li*e is enhanced by ordering the sequence in which channel frequsncies are to be received such that the tatistically most likely channel on which a transmission is likely to be received i9 the first channel received when a plurality of channel frequencies are to be scanned for the presence of carrier frequency.
The diverse command repertoire o~ the paging receiver further enhance~ its usage by permitting programming of channal ~requencies, processing of storage location of pages in memory, place of origin display o~ pages, use of the paging receiver to relay page~ to external devices and regional or group speci~ic reception o~ page~.
A method for receiving a page in a remote area when a paging re~eiver has been transported ~rom a local area where the paging receiver has been progra~med to receive pages on one or more channel frequencies to the remote area in accordance with the invention includes programming the paging receiver by : one or mare channel fre~uency changing commands : transmitted by an RF carrier from a transmitter located in the local area while the paging receiver is located in: the local area to receive one or more programmed channel fre~uencies in the remote area; transporting the paging receiver from the local area to the remote : area where the page is to be received; and relaying ths page from the local area to a transmitter located in ; 30 : the remote area and transmitting tha page from the : transmitter in the remote area on one of the one or more programmed channel ~requencies to the paging receivGr. The paglng receiver has a channel memory ~or :

I 337~30 storing channel ~requencie~ on which the paging receiver is to receive pages and a controller, rasponsive to a channel frequency changing command for decoding each channel rrequency changing command to obtain a channel frequency to be stored in the channel memory and causing storage in the channel memory of the channel ~re~uency. The paging receiver xeceives a page over one of the channel frequencies programmed by the channel frequency changing command while located in the remote area. Fur~her in accordance with the method, an area destination code i~ s~ore~ in a ~emory o~ the paging receiver to distinguish pages originating in khe remote area and transmitted withn ths remote area and pages originating in the local area~ relayed to the transmitter in the remote area and transmitted by the transmitter in the remote area to the paging rsceiver : located in the remote area; and the paging receiver in the remote area compares each transmission received on the one or more programmed frequencies with the stored destination code and turns o~ the paging recaiver upon a match not being detected between the stored destination code and a transmission on one o~ the one ~: or more programmed channel ~requencies. Further in a~cordance with khe method, programming the memory of the paging receiver with the destination code is : accomplished with the channel ~requency changing : command; and storage o~ the destina~ion code is in the ahannel memory. The first Gharacter o~ each paga ~ransmitted by the transmi~ter in the remote area to the paging receiver is the destination code stored in the memoxy; and the paging receiver receives at least : : one additional digi~ in a page i~ a match is detected batween the transmitted and stored destination codes ::: :

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16 1 J07g30 and turns off immediately if a match is not ~ound. The paging receivex is issued a unique paging receiver identification code; the page transmitted by the transmitter in the remote area is trAnsmitted with a paging receiver identi~ication code immediately ~ollowing the destination code with digits of the transmitted paging receiver identification code being transmitted in an order o~ increasing significance;
when a match is detected between the transmitted and stored destination code, tAe paging receiver compares successive digits o~ the transmitted paging receiver identification code and corresponding digits of the stored paging receiver identification codes: the paging receiver turns off immediately upon a match not being detected betwsen a digit of the transmitted and stored paging receiver identification codes; and the paging receiver decodes a page following tha tran~mitted paging receiver identification code if all o~ the digits o~ the transmitted and received paging receiver ~0 identification codes match.
A method for receiving a page by a paging receiver in a local axea on a channel ~requency on which other paging receivers receive pages ind udes programming the paging receiver by one or more channel frequency changing commands transmitted by a RF carrier from a transmitt~r located in the local area to the paging receiver located in the local area with one or more channel fre~uencies to be received in the local area and programming a memory with a destination code 30 distinguishing pages to be received on the on~ or more programmed ~requencies in the local area from a page to be received by the paging receiver or a group of paging receivers less than a total number of paging receivers 17 1 ~)0 7~30 within the local area that receive the one or more programmed channel ~requencies; the paging receiver in the local area comparing each transmission received on the one or more programmed ~requencies with the stored destination code and turning o~f the paging receiver upon a match not being detected between the stored destination code and a transmission received on one of the programmed one or more programmed channel ~requencies, the channel ~requency changing command programming the destination code; and storage of the destination code and the one or more progra~med channel ~reguencies being in a channel memory. A first character of each page to be transmitted to the paging receiver is the destination code stored in the memory;
and the paging receiver receives at least one additional code transmi~sion in a page if a match is detected between the transmitted and stored destination codes and turns off immediately i~ a match is not found. The paging receiver is issued a unique paging receiver identification code; the page is transmitted with a paging receiver identi~ication code immediately ~ollowing the de~tination code with digits of the paging rec~iver idsnti~ication code and corresponding digits of the stored paging receiver identification ~: : 25 code being compared; the paging receiver turns off : immediately upon a match not being detected ~etween a digit of the transmitted and stored paging receiver identific~tion codes; and the paging receiver decodes a page following the transmitted paging receiver identification code lf all of the digits of the transmit~ed and received paging receiver identi~ication codes match.

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1~ 1 )`~7S30 A RF paging re~eiver which is programmable by a transmitted channel freque~cy changing command to receive one or more channel frequencie~ in a plurality of areas including one or more areas in which pages do not originate and being programmable to control in which of the plurality of areas pages may be received by the paging receiver over the one or more channels, for pages to be received in a first area, each page containing a multidigit transmitted paging receiver identification code which identifies a paging receiver to receivQ a command in the first area o~er the one or more channel frequencies and for pages to be received in a second area each page containing an area destination code distin~uishing the second area from the first area which i8 transmitted prior to transmission of the multidigit paging receiver identification code in accordance with the invention includes a RF receiver for receiving a channel frequency on which pages are to be received: a channel memory ~toring one or more channel ~reguencies to be received by the RF receiver, the channel frequencies being the one or more programmable channel ~requencies which may be received in the fir~t area or the one or more channel frequencies which ~ay be received in the : 25 second area, the one or more channel ~re~uencies which may be rece.iYad ln the second area containing the destinatiQn code; a controller, re~pon~ive to the RF
; ~ receiver, for decoding each channel fre~uency changing ; command into a specifio frequency to be received by the RF receiver, programming the channel mamory with a ~pecific frequency contained in the decoded command ~: : including destination code which i5 to be received, decoding a first received character or digit of a 19 ~;''''7~30 transmission and comparing the first character or digit recaived with the stored destination code, 1~ a match exists between the first character or digit and the destination code, the control means causing the RF
receiver to remain in an aativated s~ate ~o sequentially receive one or more digits of the transmission and if a match doe~ not exist between the first digit and the destination code, the controller causing the RF receiver to turn ofP.
A RF paging receiver ~or receiving pages on a channel fraquency which are to be received ~eleGtively within on~ or more area~ within a plurality o~ areas in which pages are transmitted on the channel frequency with each page being transmitted with a predetermined protocol in which a destination code controlling in which o~ the areas the paging receiver is to receive the page when reception of a page in leRs than all of the plurality of area~ is desired followed by a multidigit paging receiver identification cod identifying the paging receiver which is to receive the page in accordance with the invention includes a RF
raceiver ~or receiving the channel frequency on which the pages are to be transmitted; a me~ory for storing ~
unique multidigit paging receiver identification code ~5 of tha paging recelver; a memory for storing the destination code controlling areas ln which the paging raceiver is to receiver pages on the channel frequency;
and a ~ontroIler, re ponsive to the RF receiver, decoding;a ~ir t character or digit of a page received :~30 on the channel frequency and comparlng the stored ~:~ destination code with the first character or digit in : response to matc~ not b~ing ~ound turning o~ th~ RF
~ receiver. The controllex, in response to a match being.
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1 3~7~,3(~
2n found between the stored area destination code and th first character or digit of th~ received transmission on the channel ~requency, maintains the RF receiver in an activated state for receiving the txansmitted paging receiver identification code ~equentially diglt by digit and comparing each decoded digit sequentially with corresponding digit~ o~ the stored unique paging recaiver identi~ication code to determine if a match exists and i~ a match of all digits of the transmitted and stored digits of the paging receiver identification code~ is found, processes the page and when a ~atch is not ~ound during the s~guential comparison of digits of the stored and transmitted paging receiver identification oodes, turns off the RF receiver. The protocol of the transmission o~ the paging receiver identi~ication code i~ with the digits transmitted in an order o~ increasing ~ignificance, and the controller compares the transmitted paging receiver identification code digits with the ~tored paging receiver identification coda digit~ in the order of increasing significance until a match i8 not found betwean one of the stored and transmitted digits o~ the paging : receiver identi~ication codeæ at which time the : ~ ~controller deacti~ates thQ RF receiver or a complete : 25 match is ~ound between the stored and transmitted digits of the paging receiv~r identi~ication codes at which;time the message is processed by the controller.
A channel memory is provided which i~ programmable to ~: store one or more channel ~requenaie~ to be received by ~:: ; 30 ~ the RF receiver and wherein the paging receiver : : recaive~ channel freguency changing commands each speci~ying a particular channel frequency to be recei~ed from a number of possible channel frequencies :::
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21 1 3~7g30 which may be programmed to be received and a destination code to be stored in the memory for storing the destination code if reception in less than all of the plurality of areas is desired; and the controller is responsive to each channel frequency changing command to store in the channel memory the channel frequency to be receiv~d and to store in the memory for stoxing the destination cods any destination code transmitted with a channel frequency changing command and the controller actiYates the RF receiver to receive one or more of the progra~med channel ~re~uencies. The controller sequentially activates the RF receiver to receive the stored channel frequencies in the channel memory in a predetermin~d order in the absence of detection of a carrier frequency from all of the stored channel frequencies by the RF receiver. The activating the RF receiver to receive ~equentially the stored channel frequencies in a predetermined order ic repeated cyclically for a predetermined channel receiving time interval in the absence of detection of a carrier frequency on all of the stored frequencies and causes activation of the RF r~ceiver to rsceive stored channel frequencies in the predetermined order.
: The controller in response to the detection of the carrier frequency being received by the RF receiver ~; activates the RF receiver cyclically during a : predetermined channel receiving time interval to cause ~ ~ the RF receiver to cyclically receive the carrier : ~ frequency. During each cycle of receiving the carri~r :30 ~requency ~y the RF receiver, the controller activates the receiver to receive the channel frequency for a ~: first predetsrmined tim2 interval and monitors the RF
: receiy~ to determine lf the channel frequency carrier 22 1 7`li7~30 is received during the ~irst predetermined time interval and if the channel fre~uency carrier is received, the controller continues the activation of the RF receiver to cause the sequential reception and decoding of digit~ of a transmitked paging receiver identification code specifying a particular paging receiver to receive the channel ~requency changing command and compares the re~eived digit~ sequentially with corre~ponding digits of a paging receiver identification code stored in the memory ~or storing the paging receiver identification ~ode of the paging receiver in an order of increasing ~ignificance of the digits of the stored paging receiver identification code. When the controller detects a complete match between the transmitted digits of the paging receiver identification code and the stored digits o~ the paging receiver identification code, the controller further decodes the channel frequency changing command and programs the channel memory with the decoded channel frequency to be received. The controller stores in an operating channel section o~ the channel memory the channel frequency of the last channel on which the RF
receiver detected a channel carrier frequency and upon turning on o~ the paginy receiver, thQ channel frequency ~tored in the operating channel sectisn is received by the RF receiver. The controller causes storage o~ channel ~requencie~ which are to be : programmed to be received by channel ~requency changing commands in an area channel memory section o~ the channel memory and the controller activate~ the RF
receiver to receive the channel freguencies in a : predetermined order first from the operating channsl ~ : section and then sequentially ~rom the area channel 23 1 337~30 section of the channel memory. The controller sequentially activates the RF receiver to receive the channel fre~uencies ~tored in the channel memory in response to detection o~ a channel frequency carrier from any one o~ the programmed channel frequencies, stores the ~requency of the detected channel frequency in the operating channel section and activates the RF
receiver to recsive the channel fre~uencies stored in the operating channel ~ection. A plurality of tuners each for receiving channel frequencies from a band of frequencies which have been programmed to be received by the channel frequency changing command i8 provided~
only one of the tuners being activated at any one time to receive a programmed channel frequency and a power controller is provided, ~oupled to the controller and to the plurality of tuners, for controlling the activation of the plurality of tuners by the selective application o~ power to only the tuner which is to raceive a programmed channel ~requency and wherein the controller proYides the power controller with a signal identifying ~rom which band of *requencies a channel frequency is from whiah one of the plurality of tuners is to receive. ~he controller ~equentially activa~es : ~ one:or more of the individual tuners to receive channel : 25 frequencie~ stored in the channel memory under the : ~ control of a control program. The control program of :control of a control program. The control program of the controller se~uentially activates one or more of the plurality of tuners to receive channel frequencies stored in the channel memory in a predetermined order when a channel carrier frequency from any one of the stored channel frequencies is not detected by any one of the tuners.

24 ~ 7~ 30 A RF paging receiver which ig programmable by a command to receive pages over one or more ~requencies and is further programmable by a command with a destination code to enablQ reception of the pages on th~ one or more programmable frequencies by a designated group, which are not to be received by all other paging receivers receiving the one or more fre~uencies being transmitted with the destination code in accordance with the invention includes a memory for storing the destination code; a memory for storing the channel ~ra~uencies on which the paging receiver is to receivP pages; a RF recQiver for receiving a command for programminy the memory *or storing channel frequencies with one or more frequencies on which pages are to be received and a command for programming the memory for storing the destination code; and a controller, responsive to the RF receiver, for decoding commands to raceive pages on the particular frequencies and commands ~pecifyiny a destination and storing in the memory ~or storing channel frequencies the one or more ~requencies on which page~ are to be recei~ed and storing a de~tination code in the memory ~or storing the group destination code, and comparing a first received character o~ a paye on one of the programmed ~25 channel ~requencies wikh any programmed destination :~ codes stored in the memory storing the destination code and i~ a match does not exist, turning of~ the RF
: receiver. The destination code is transmitted as a irst part o~ each page which is to be received by a paging recaiver as part of the designated group and the controller turn~ o~f the RF receiver immediately upon not detecting a match between a stored destination code a transmitted destination code. Each channel frequency ~.

25 1 Jij7~30 and associated destination code are programmed by a channel frequency changing command; and the controller decodes each channel changing command to obtain a channel frequency to ba received and any de~tination code to be associated with thak channel ~requency for receiving pages by the paging receiver. A single ahannel memory is used ~or storing the programmed channel frequencies and any as~ociated destination codes.
Brief Description of Drawin~s:
- Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a preferred embodiment of a paging receiver in accordance with the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a diagram of the channel memory used for I5 storing channel frequencies to be received.
Fig. 3 is a ~unctional block diagram of the operation o~ a paging receiver in accordance with the present invention in processing:signals from analog and : digital transmitters.
: 20 Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating the order of transmis~ion o~ the digits of the paging receiver ~ identi~ication code.
: Fig. 5 is a diagram illuætrating the order of transmiæsion of a destination code and the digi~s of 25 ~ the paging recelver identification code.
Fig. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the ord~r of scanning the channels of the channel memory and proces~ing o~ the destin~tion code and the paging receiver identi~ication code.
30~ Fig. 7 is a circuit schematic of the antenna circuit 14 of Fig. 1.
:~ Fig. 8 is a circuit schematic o~ the am?li~ier and :~ mixer 18 of Fiy. 1.

.. ~

1 7`'~7~3~) Fig. 9 is a circuit schematic of the amplifier and mixer 22 of Fig. 1.
Fig. 10 is a circuit schematic of the amplifier and mixer 20 of Fig. 1.
Figs. llA-C are a circuit schematic of the voltage controlled oscillator 30 o~ Fig. 1.
Fig~ 12 i~ a circuik ~chematic o~ the phase lock loop 28 of Fig. 1.
Fig. 13 is a circuit schematic of the IF
processing circuit 34 of Fig. 1.
- FigsO 14A~B ar~ a circuit schsmatic o~ the tone decoder 56 of Fig. 1.
Figs. 15A-B are a circuit schematic of the main CPU 24 of Fig. 1.
Fig. 16 i~ a circuit schematic of the ASIC
circuit A2 of the antenna controller 44 of Fig. 1.
Figs. 17 is a circuit schematic of the buffer amplifier 50 and low pass filter 52 of Fig. 1.
FigO 18 is a circuit schematic o~ the powsr controller 26 of Fig. 1.
: ~igs. l9A-B are a circuit schematic of the antenna controller 44 of Fig. 1 without the ASIC circuit of Fig~ 16.
: Fig. 20 is a circuit schematia o~ the LCD display driver 62 o~ ~ig. 1.
Fig. 21 illu~krates the opera~ion of the present : invention in making a page to a remote area.
Best Mode for Car~yi ~ Out The Invention:
I. Paginq Receiver A~hitecture FigO 1 illustrates a block diagra~ o~ paging receiver 10 in accordance with the invention. Actual circuits for implemenking the various blocks of the block diagram of Fig. 1 are set forth below in ~: :

' , 27 1 307~,30 Figs. 7-20. An internal antenna 12 functions to receive a total of 10,600 possible channels ~rom the three discrete ~requency bands referred to above in the Description of tha Prior Art. Because of the large number o~ possible channel ~requencies which may be received in the distinct three frequency bands, the antenna 12 has a broad band characteristic. In the paging receiver of the present invention, the antenna 12 is designed to be resonant as close as is reasonably possible in all o~ th~ three frequency bands which it is designed to receive. In other words, an -optimum impedance match ic deslred. ~owever, the e~fects of the environment in which the antenna 12 is disposed during operation (a paging receiver is typically clipped to the belt of a person) cause a variation in the degree of resonance a~ a consequence of variable inductance and capacitance cau~ed by a person's body etc. in the environment oP the antenna. Thus, the gain of the antenna 12 is subjeat to substantial variation as a consequence o~ the person on which the pager is located and tha physical environment in which the pager is located both of which can ubstantially degrade the gain of tha received page applied to antenna circuit :14. The antenna cirouit 14 is a tuner containing variable Gapa~itance dioda~ to which is applied an ANTENNA TUNING SIGNAL to maximize the gain of the antenna 12 ~or the particular channel frequency that RF
: ~ tuner 16 is tuned to receive. A circuit schematic of :~ ~ : the antenna circuit is illus~rated in Fig. 7. The 3:0 ~ antenna circuit 14 i8 tuned by the ANTENNA TUNING
SIGNA~ which ~unc~ions to tune the antenna 12 to achieve maximum gain in a manner d~cribed below in detail.~ The RF tuner 16 is comprised o~ three separate ~: :

2~ 1 3~7~30 radio frequency ampli~iers and mixers 18, 20 and 22 which respectively receive UHF and 2 8 0 MHz VHF and VHF
channel ~re~uency bands. A circuit schematic of the UHF ampli~ier and mixer oircuit 18 is illustrated in Fig. 8; a circuit schematic of the 280 VHF amplifier and mixer circuit 20 i8 illustrated in ~ig. 10; and a circuit schematic of the VHF ampli~ier and mixer circuit 22 is illustrated in Fig. 9. Only one of the amplifiers and mixers 18, 20 and 22 is energized during reception of any of the channel ~requencies which cuts - down on pow~r consumption. A main CPU 24 controls the activation of a power controller 26 which selectively activates one o~ the ampllfi~r and mixer circuits 18, 20 and 22 depending upon in which o~ the UHF, 280 VHF
and VXF frequency bands a page i5 to bP received. The digital RECEIVER TUNXNG SIGNAL outputked by the main CPU 24 speci~ies one of the 10,60Q possible channel ~requencies to be received by the preferred embodiment which are stored in ROM 58 as diGcussed below. The RE~EIVER TUNING SIGNAL iB applied to phase lock loop 28 : ~ which frequency locks voltage controlled oscillator 30 on the particular channel frequency specified by the ~ECEIVER TUNING SIGNA~. When a particular frequency is : to be received by the RF tuner 16, the main CPU 24 digitally commands tha power controller 26 to activata a particular one of the amplifier and mixer circuits ~ ~ 18, 20 and 22 which is to receive the channel frequency :~ to be received. By deactivating the remaining two ampli~ier mixer circuits power is con~erved over that whlch~would be consumed if all three ampli~iers and : mixer circuits 18, 20 and 22 were simultaneously activated. A circuit schematic of the main CPU 24 is illu~trated in Fig. 15; a circui~ schematic of the ~: :

29 1 307~30 power controller circuit is illustrated ln Fig. 18; a circuit schematic of the phase lock loop circuit 28 is illustrated in Fig. 12; and a circuit ~chematlc of the voltage controlled o~cillator 30 iB ilIu~trated in Fig. 11. The voltage controlled o~sillator 30 produces an output frequency which is ~ixed with the signal being received by on~ of the amplifier and mixers 18, 20 and 22 to produce a 21.4 ~Hz output signal. The 21.4 ~Hz oukput signal is ~lltered by a 21.4 MHz filter 32 . The output o~ the 21. 4 MHz filter 32 is applied to - . an IF proces~ing ~ignal circuit 34 to produc:e th~ IF
signal of 450 k~z. The output ~ignal f:rom the mixer oscillator 36 is applied to an IF amplifier 38 which amplifies the IF ~ignal to a level sufficierlt for 15 discrimination by ~ discriminator ~::irc:uit 40. A RSSI
circuit ~received signal ~trength indicator) 42 produces an output signal having a magnitude directly proportional to the lev~l of the output signal from the discriminator 40. A circuit sahematic of the IF
processing circuit 3~ is illustrated in Fig. 13. The RSSI signal outputted by the RSSI circuit 42 is applied to an antenna controller circuit 44. The antenna control circuit 44 contains an analog-to digital con~erter 46 which converts the analog RSSI ~ignal into digital format suitable ~or processing by a dedicated ASIC microprocessor. The antenna controller 44 contains an ASIC microprocessor based control circuit which executes a computer program conta1ned in a ROM in tha ASIC circuit. The ASIC circuit ~unctions to produce a wobble ~ignal which iA ou~put~ed as a variable digital value which is applied to digital-to-analog convert~r ~8 to produce the ANT~NNA
: TUNING SIGNAL having a variable analog value which

3~ c~g3c~

causes the antenna circuit 14 to be tuned variably through a frequency band for the purpose of continually locking on the point of maximum gain as a channel frequency is being received. The variation in signal amplitude caused by the wobbling of the tuning frequency o~ the antenna circuit 14 is detected by the RSSI circuit 42 so that the antenna controller circuit 44 continually outputs an ~NTENNA TUNING SIGNAL which tunes the antenna circuit 14 to achieve ~aximum gain ~or the antenna 12. The ANTENNA TUNIN~ SIGNAL
co~pensates for en~ronmental factors which change the gain of the antenna 12 during reception such as variable inductanca and capacitance caused by a person's body. A circuit æchamatic of the antenna controller 44 is illustrated in Fig. 16. The discriminator circuit 40 outputs either no signal (level F) or one of fifteen discrete sinusoidal frequencies each of which encodes a diferant signal level received ~rom either an analog or digital FM
paging receiver transmittar as describ~d below. A
buffer amplifier 50 amplifies the sinu~oidal output signal from the discri~inator cirauit 40 to a level to cxeate a square wave having a period e~ual to the period of the sinusoidal signal outputted by the discriminator 40. The squ~re wave outputted by the bu~fer amplifier 50 is ~iltared by low pass filter 52 : to attenuate frequencie below 400 hertæ. A circuit schematic of the buffer amplifier and low pass ~ilter is illustrated in Fig. 17. The output of the low pass filter 52 is applied to high pass ~ilter 54 which : ~: attenuates frequencie above 3000 hertz. A tone decoder circuit 56 converts the discrete tones contained within the 400 to 3000 hertæ pass band ' :
.

31 1 7rl7~3~

defined by the low pass ~ilter 52 and high pass filter 54 as described below in Fig~ 3 to produce an output level signal indicative of 16 possible levels. The main CPU 24 processes successive coded transmissions of data by combining thPm into a two-digit decimal number and decoding the two-digit number into alphanumeric characters. A table correlating the decimal values with their corresponding characters is set forth below. The control program for the main CPU 24 is stored in ROM 58. The ROM 58 also stor~s the possible channel frequencies which may be received, which in ~he preferred embodiment are 10,600, a command structure table used for decoding each o~ the com~ands discussed below, as well as th~ diæplay control for the LCD
di play 64. Variable data i~ stored in R~M 60. The RAM 60 has separate memory ~ection~ tor storing pages i~cludin~ specifiG memory sections which are addressable by command, the channel frequencies which are programmed to be received by the channel frequency changing command including any regional de~ignation for restricting the place o~ reception o~ pages or a group : o~ paging receiv~rs to receive a page in a geographical ~:~ area in a channel ~emory and the paging receiver idanti~ication. In th~ preferred embodiment there are : 25 15 separate memory section~ which ~tor~ page~ with sections 11-14 bQing addre~ able by com~and and :~ : :: sections 1-10 and 15 not being addressable by command.
: The~ main CPU 24 controls a liquid crystal display driver circuit 62. A cixcuit sch2matic o~ the liquid ~: 30:; orystal;display driver i~ ilIustrated in Fig. 20. The liquid crystal driver circuit 62 drives a liquid ~ crystal di~play 64 described below in Fig~ 3. An :~: external data port ~7 is used to relay the output , 32 ~ O7~30 signal from the discriminator 52 to another data processing or storage device when the main CPU 24 executes an external data command discussed below. A
port 68 i8 coupled to the main CPU 24 for driving an external printer. A port 69 is provided for establishing necessary communications between the main CPU 24 and an external printer. A display switah 70 is used for activating the display 64. A light switch 71 is used ~or activating baak lighting o~ the display 64. The ~witches 70 and 71 may also be used ~or inpu~ting da~a when suitable displays are made on ~he display 54 by the control program of the main CPU 24. Port 72 is aonnected to the paging receiver battery (not illustrated) ~or providing power. Port 73 is provided for activating an audio alarm contained in the paging receiver and port 74 permits connection to an external antenna which may be used when the paging receiver is connected to an external devic~ ~uch as a printer.
A com~ercial embodiment of the paging receiver 10 :illu~trated in Fig. 1 has 10,600 discrete channel requencies stored in ROM 58 ~rom the three discrete bands which may be reaeived by the amplifier and mixers 18, 20 and 22 as described above. The main CPU 24 is respon ive to a channel frequency changing command, described be:low with reference to the commands which : the main CPU 24 executes, to dynamically tune tha RF
~ ~: tuner 16 to discrete channels. Each channel fre~uency : : ~changing com~and is decoded by the main CPU 24 to :30 extract a channel ~requency, ~rom the 10,600 possible : channel frequencies stored in ~OM 58, to be stored in a channeI memory section 62 of the random access memory 60 de crLbed below with re~erence to Fig. 2.

~ , 33 ~ 307~30 II~ Channel Memory Fig. 2 illustrates the channel memory 62 which is comprised of an operating channel section 64 storing a single channel frequency and an area channel section 66 5 storing up to 15 discrete channel frequPncies to be scanned sequentially by the RF tuner 16 under the control of the operating program of the main CPU 24.
Illustrated below the operating channel section 64 and the area channel section 66 is an arrow indicating the 10 order of channel reception by the RF tuner 16 when channel frequencie~ are being ~canned to detect a carrier frequency. The control program of the main CPU 24 change~ the channel frequency stored in the operation channel section 64 to automatiaally have the 15 frequency of the last received carrier frequency : received by the RF tuner 16 stored therein. The ~requency 3tored in the operation channel section 64 is one of the frequencies that the c:hannel memory 62 of : the RAM 60 has been progxammed to receive by the : 20 channel frequency changing command. It should be understood that while 15 possible discrete channel ~: : frequencies may be stored in the area channel ~: section 66, it i6 only reguired that the area channel sec~ion 6 6 be programmed with only one channel 25: fr~quency which is typiaally the case when the paging receiver i o operated locally to receive only a slngle channel. ~ In khat case, the operating channel section 64 automatically E;tores the only channel :frequency that the RF r~ceiver 16 will rec~ive upon 30 activation by the main CPU 24 and reception of the : ~: carrier ~ignal. Furthermore, it ~hould be understood that any number of charmels may be utilized in practicing the invention. Each time the control :' ' . . ' 34 1 7~0 7g30 program o~ the main CPU 24 outputs a channel frequency from the channel memory ~2 to be received hy the RF
tuner 16, the main CPU 24 applies the RECEIVER TUNING
5IGNAL in the form o~ a digital signal to the phase lock loop 28 which activates the voltage controlled oscillator 30 to produce a 21.4 MHz signal ~rom the single activated ampli~ier and mixer circuit 18, 20 and 22. The control program of the main CPU 24 analyzes the signal which is outputted ~rom the channel memory 62 and applie~ a contxol ~ignal to the power controller 26 which sel~ctively applies power ~rom the power circuit 66 to only the particular one of the RF
amplifier and mixers 18, 20 and 22 which is to receive the frequency specified by the RECEIVER TUNING SIGNAL
thereby saving power consu~ption o~ the battery.
The indiYidual channels o~ the area channel section are programmed at the time that the paging receivsr identification code is sent to the paging receiver identification code memory described below when the pager is issued to a customer and further are also reprogrammed when the customer desires to "roam"
~ to another service area such as during business travel : in which it may b esired to recei~e page~ on the same frequencies that the paging receiver is currently : 25 programmed to receive in which case a destination code : will be added by the fre~uency channel changing command : or to receive di~ferent freguencies in which case dif~erent frequencie will be programmed. The programming of channels may also be accomplished dynamically during local paging to switch the paging receivPr to channels which are not as busy as a channel ~requency that the paging receiver is currently programmed to receive. A5 1~ apparent i'rom Fig. 2, .
~' '' ' ' ', -.

1 7,~7~,3~

during channel scanning for the purpose o~ finding achannel frequency on which at least one carrier ~requency is present, channel frequencies to be recei~ed are selectively outputted ~rom the operating channel section 64 first and then ~rom the successive section 66 of the area channel sectionO Each of these frequencies causes the phase lock loop 28 to lock the voltage controlled oscillator 30 to a ~requency necessary to produce the 21.4 megahertz signal from the 10a~tivated RF ampli~ier and mixer circuits 18, 20 and 22 which i~ to receive tha particular channel ~re~uency.
The control program causes the channel ~requency which is stored in the operating channel section 64 to be cyclically r~ceived ~or a predetermined time interval, such as but not limited to 15 minute~, by activating the RF tuner 16 once every 900 milliseconds, or other appropriate frequency, to sample th~ channel freguency for the presence of a carrier signal and if carrier signal is present to compare the paging receiver identification code discussed below transmitted-with : the page in the order of increasing significance of the digits until a micmatch between the trans~itted paging receiver identi~ication code digits and the digits of a paging receiver identification code stored in the random access me~ory 60 is detected at which time the RF tuner 16 i8 shut of~ to conserve power.
III. Universal Reception of Pages From Either Analoa or Digital Transmitters : Fig. 3 illustrates a detailed block diagram : 30 o~ the bu~fer amplifier 50, low pa~s filter 52, high :pass filter 54 and tone deooder 56 of the present invention for unlYersally processing signals tran~mitted fro= ~ither analog or digital F~ paging 1 7`,)7~,30 transmitters. The preferred form of the signal protocol of the present invention utilizes the following tones to encode 16 discrete signal levels as stated in a hexadec~mal nu~bering system as follows:
5600 Hz. = 0; 741 Hz. = 1; 882 Hz. = 2: 1023 Hz. = 3:
1164 Hz. = 4; 1305 Hz. - 5: 1446 Hz. - 6; 1587 Hz. = 7;
1728 Hz. = 8: 1869 Hz. = 9; 2151 Hz. = A; 2435 Hz. = B;
2010 Hz. = C; 2295 Hz. a D; 4059 Hz. - E; and no tone (absence of modulated carrier signal) = F. Any 10existing analog ~ paging ~ransmitter can be used ~o output a carrier wave having a fre~uency which is frequency modulated with the above-described tones.
Similarly, any exi~ting digital FM paging transmitter can be used to output a square wave signal having a 15period modulated with the above-des~ribed frequencies encoded thereon. ~he output from the frequency discriminator 40 is applied to a sine wave to square wave converter 50 which amplifies the sinu~oidal input signal to convert it to a square wave having a period 20equal to a period of the sinusoidal input signal. The output of the sine wave to square wave converter is applied to a noise debouncer circuit 70 ~hich removes jitter from the input ~quare wave signal ~o provide preci e period information on it~ output. The output 25~rom the noise debouncer circuit 70 is applied to a shift register 72 having a nu~ber o~ stages requiring a ; :pradetermined t~me duration of the input square wave outputted by the noise debouncer circuit 70 to be applied to produce an output. The hift register 72 is 30reset each time the ~ignal l~vel from the sine wave to : square wave converter 50 ls zero or changes frequency.
~he function of the shift register 72 is to eliminate transicnt signals whioh ar- not valid signal levols.

'' ' .

37 1 3~7~ ,0 The number of stages is chosen to be suf~icient to produce an output when an actual tone used for encoding valid information is received while blocking transmission of invalid transient shorter duration tones. Output signals having a duration less than the time required to fill up the shift register 72 are not applied to a group of 15 digital filt~rs 74. Each of the digital ~ilters has a pass band centered around a different one of the tones ~et forth above. When a sguare wave having a ~requency falling wikhin the pass band o~ any one o~ the fift~en dlgi~al ~ilters is applied to the ~ifteen digital filters 74, an output square wave signal i8 produced ag inputted to the fifteen digital filter from the shi~t register 72. A 4 M~z. oscillator 76 applies a 4 MHz. internal ref~rence signal to an AND ga~e 8a to which the output of the fi~teen digital filters 74 is also applied. The high ~requency of the oscillator 76 permits a large number of samples to be taken for each high level state of the output of the fifteen digital filters 74. By providing the high level sampling ~requency, it i~ possible to precisely determine the freguency of the ~ifteen tones used for encoding signal levels with a high degree of ; accuracy over a single cyd e. The ability to datect : 25 accurately the ~requency over a ~ingle cycle provides an extremely high throughput o~ in~ormation when a single cy~le is used to encode sixteen possible data : levels. The sampled output from the ~i~teen digital filters 74 is passed by AND gate 80 to a countar 82 : 30 which counts the number of samples of the output o~ the digital filters 14 which have a high state during a fixed tim~ period of sampling by AND gate 80. The time interval during which the counter 82 counts the number 38 1 ~) 7(~30 o~ high level state~ pas~ed by the AND gate 80 is not critical but should be chosen to be long enough to permit a high number of possible samples to be taken from a single cycle o~ the lowest frequency of the 15 tones identified above to permit a high degree of accuracy in the detection of the encoded frequencies transmitted with each page to encode charactsr information. The output of the counker 82 is connected to a range comparator 84 which has an associated ROM 86. Ths ROM 86 has ~ifteen di~crete address ranges stored therein with each a~dresc ranga being associated with a single one of the 15 tones. Each of the addresses within each range is addressed by a count applied fxom the counter 82. The range comparator 84 compares the output from counter ~2 with addresses nf the fifteen discrete ranges contained in the ROM 86 and passas the count ~rom counter 82 to the look-up ROM 88 if a match occurs between the count outputted by the counter 82 and an address of one of the fifteen ranges stored in the ROM 86. I~ a match does not occur, the count from counter 82 is not pa~sed to the look-up ROM 88. ~he range comparator 8~4 r2sets the countsr 82 : either upon the elapging of the predetarmined time interval during which the count from the counter 82 has been outputted to the look-up ROM 86 or when there is no match from between the count from the counter 82 and an address contained in one of the ranges stored in the : ROM 86. The look-up RO~ 88 outputs one of sixteen different numerical values which are representative of the sixteen possi~le signal 1QVe1S which ~ay be encoded with each hexadecimal digit transmitted by eikher an analog ox digital paging transmitter. The output of the look-up ROM 88 is applied to a signal duration ... ...

.

39 1 ~07~30 comparator 90 which outputs one of the 16 numerical values (0-15) stored in the look-up ROM 88 to the main CPU 24 when the output o* the look-up ROM is present for a duration for a time interval such as 10 milli-seconds or longer. The purpose of the signal durationcomparator 90 is to remove transient conditions which are not indicative of the true transmisRion of a hexadecimal level by an analog or digital transmitter.
The output numerical values from a signal duration comparator 90 are combined by the main CPU 24 in accordance with its operating program to- produce a two~digit decimal number which is decoded to characters in accordance with the ~ollowing convexsion table.
CONVERSION TABLE
Two Digit Addre~s Character 01~ !
02 ll 03 #
04 $

06 &

1 0 *
11 +

: ~30 14 16 o 1 307~30 Two Digit Address Character ~3 7 2~ ~ -31 ; ?
3 2 : O
3 3 ,~

20 ~ ~ ~ 35 3 8 ~ F
3 9 ~ G
25~ - 40~

42: ~ J:

4,~ L
;3~0 ~ 45 ~ M
4 6 ; ~ N

,8 P

~: ` :
.. ,.,. ,.. ,,, .~, ... . .
. . .

~1 1 307~30 Two Digit Address Character R

W

~0 ~/ '' 61 ]

: ~3 f a 20: 66 b 6 7 c 68: d 69 ~
7 0 f 25 ~ 71 g 7 2 h 30~: ~ 76 77 m 78 n 79 o ~:~: ::
... . ....

42 1 307~30 Two Digit Address Character ~o ' P
81 q 82 r 83 ~
84 t u 86 v 87 w 88 x z 91 {
~:: 15 92 1 1 ~: ~ 9 3 }
9 4 ~ :
~: : 95 : 97 ~
98 1i he decoded: charaaters are applied by the main CPU 24 :~ to the random access memory 60 in ASCII
25 ~ :character :encoding forma~ and to the LCD driver 62 whi h~provides power ~and logiG for their di~play on the LCD display :64. ~he ~ D display 6~ is of a dot matrix : type~ and~ has~ a~d1spl~y~ area 64 which ltime mul~iplexes displays~ as follows. W~en a page is rec:~ived, the main 30 ~ control program causes the display 64 to flash with the addre~s location in ~memory whare the page is stored.
In response: to the~ flashing o~ the display as described above, the ~wearer of the : paging receiver presses ~, : . .

43 1 ~C7~30 switch 70 which causes the location header to be displayed on area 64. The location headers are "LOCAL"
indicating i~ the page originated in the same area where the paging receiver normally xeceives pages or i'NATIONAL" or "REGIONAL" indicating that the page did not originate in the area where the paging recaiver has received the message. In response to the location header, tha wearer of the paging receiver presses switch 70 which causes the page to be displayed on display 64 which i8 stored in the memory area of RAM 60 which was flashed initially. It should be understood that alternati~ely separate di~play areas for the memory location header, location header, and page displays may be provided.
: 15 IV. Battery Savina The paging receiver 16 has predetermined scanning time interval~ necessary for detecting the : presence of the carrier signal, the presence of individual code transmissions (tones3 and to cyclically scan up to the 15 possible channel freguencies in the : channel memory 62. In the embodiment of Fig. 1, the scanning time necessary to detect only the presence of the carrier of the channel frequency is 315 ~: milliseconds for all 15 channels which may be received if the area channel section 66 is completely : programmed. It takes approximately 10 milllseconds for ~: the phase lock loop 28 to respond to a channel : frequency to be received and another approximately 11 : milliseconds for the amplifier and mixers 18, 20 and 22 : 30 : to respond to the presence or absence of the channel : frequency. When a carrier frequency is detected, it takes approximately 33 millisecondA for it to be received by the RF euner 16 and processed by the main 44 1 307~30 CPU 24 ko determine its identity and to compare it with the stored paging receiver identification code as described below. When the channel ~requencies of the channel memory 6~ are cyclically scannad, the RF
tun~r 16 in the embodiment o~ Fig. 1 is powered up once every 900 m.s. for a perlod of 15 minutes at which time the reception by the RF tuner is stopped under the control program.
Each paging receiver is issued a unique paging receiver identification code. A pre~erred for~ of the paging rec~ivsr iden~i~ication code is de~cribad belov in Fig. 4 with reference to a memory map o~ the paging receiver identification code memory which-is located within the random acce memory 60. It should be understood that the invention i8 not limited to the number o~ digits as described below in the preferred form o~ the paging ~receiver identi~ication code and : further that is used herein "digit" means any number in : any numbering base with the preferred nu~bering base of the present invention for paging receiver : identification code~ being base 10. ~lth respect to ~: Fig. 4, each paging receiver identification code 90 is ::~ comprised of a group of ~hree most significant digits 92 which have regional signi~icance and are referred to as an "area designation code'Y. In a preferred form of : the pr~sent invention, these digits are th~ telephone area code of the location where the person normally wearing the paging receiver resides. For international u~e, the country code may al o be added as an area 30~ designation ood~0 Five addi~ional digits 94 of decraasing significance are used to distinguish each bearer of a paging receiver in the particular area ~ identifled by the aroa designation code 92. In a ,.:~, .. .

1 3()7~30 preferred form of the invention, a command is issued by the local channel transmitter to which the paging receiver is normally tuned to receive messages ~or programming the eight digit paging receiver identification coda 90 for storage in the RAM 60. An eight digit paging recei~er identification code 90 was chosen in the preferred embodiment of the present invention for the rea~on that it permlts a total of 100,000,000 paging receivers to be uniquely identified in a base ten numbering sy~tem. In the preferred form of the present invention, while individual characters are sent by successive tone modulations o~ a ~requency modulated carricr with ~ixteen possible levels per ~requency tone~ the paging receiver identification codes are issued in a base ten nu~bering system ~or the reason that it is easier ~or mo~t users to understand a base ten numbering sy~tem than a base sixteen numbering system.
A significant feature o~ the present invention in prolonging battery life in the individual paging receiver is that the paging raceiver identi~ication code identifying the paging receiver to which a page i~
: directed i~ sent with the digits in an order to : increasing significanca. With reference to Fig. 4, the right-most least signi~icant digit is sent first followed by digits of increasing =ignificance as identified by the circled numbers in each of the individual digits of the paging r2ceiver identification co~e 90 and the arrow above the individual digits 3 O labelled "ORDER OF ID DIGIT TRANSMIS5ION" . The paging receiver iden~ification code is proc~ssed by the paging receiver in the order o~ increasing significance o~ the digits as described with respect to Fig. 4.

~6 1-/`C7~30 In a system with 1,000 paging recelvers, the following example demonstrate~ the battery life saving achievsd by the present invention for paging receivers having identification codes 93110000 through 93110999 with thP present invention as contrasted with the prior art~ I~ the paging receiY2r identi~ication code digits are sent in the order of decreasing signi~icance as in the prior art, which is the opposite o~ the order illu~trated in Fig. 4, each paging receiver will respond to the fir~t flve digits. As~u~ing three pages per day, per paging receiver, the paging receiver will turn on RF tuner 16 3000 times per day. I~ it assumed that each cycle of turning on the ~F tunex 16 consumes 300 milliseconds of on time, then each paging r~ceiver will have its RF tuner 16 on for fifteen minutes per day. With the pres~nt invention, when the paging receiver identification code is sent in an order of increasing signiflcance of the digits, as illustrated in Fig. 4, 900 paging receivers will immediately turn : 20 off aXter the transmi~sion of the first diyit because there will be no match between the first digit transmitted with the page and the stored paging receiver identi~ication code digit as illustrated in FigO 4. Upon the trans~ission of the second digit, ninety more paging receivers will turn o~. Upon the transmission of the third digit nine more will turn off. With the same 3000 page~ per day, ths average time a pager will be on is only one minute per day.
This produces a 93.4% reduction in battery consumption attributad to the tuxning on o~ the RF tuner 16 to merely determine if a page i~ possibly to be received on a channel ~requency to which the paging receiver has ; been program~ed to receive. I~ a system is expanded to 1 737~30 10,000 pages, the battery savings will be increased with the on time in a system in accordance with the prior art in which ths paging receiver identification code digits are sent in the order of decreasing significance being two and one-half hours per day versus only ten minutes per day oX on time when the digits of the paging receiver identificatlon code are sent in the order as described in Fig. 4 with it being assumed that the RF tuner 16 on time is tha same as described above.
Y. ~g The operation o~ the paging receiver in turning on to detect the presence of a channel frequency on one of the channel ~re~uencies which it is programm2d to receive and the Rcanning o~ a plurality o~ channels of the channel memo~y 6~ i8 de~cribed a~ follows. Upon turning on of ~he paging receivex, the channel fre~uency of the operating channel 64 is sampled ~or 15 minutes. If one of the amplifier mixer sections 18, 20 20 and 22 does not detect a tone fre~uency (a 0-9 tone of 6so milliseconds) o~ the operatiny chanrlel ection, within 15 minutes, the paging receiver will scan the c:hannel ~requenc:y stored in the operating channel memory section 64. If thsre is no detection of any 2 5 receptions a~ter the 3 0 minutes o~ scanning, the operating program of the main CPU 24 will turn of~ the RF tuner 16 and display on the message portion 68 of the display 64 "out of range" and activata a beeper.
In the embodiment of the invention illustrated : 30 in Fig~ 1, when the paging receiver 10 is scanning the : ~ channel frequencies ~tored in the memory 62, it is searahing for the pre~ence o~ an RF carrier and the paging receiver identif i~ation code . When no carrier .

, 1 3n7~30 is present, the RF receiver 16 will turn on and detect that no carrier is present in approximately 11 m.s, of time and progresses to the next channel frequency stored in the channel memory 62 ag indicated by the "ORDER OF CHANNEL RECEPTION." When a last diyit of the paging receiver identi~ication aode is detected ~or two consecutive on intervals o~ the RF tuner 16, the paging receiver will stay on that particular channel frPquency for the duration of tha paging receiver identification code which spans 1912 m$11iseconds in ~he preferred a~bodiment. Each time carrier ~rom one o~ the channel frequenaies is detected or the paging receiver identi~ication code ls detected~ the fifteen minute timer is reset. Thi~ allows the paging receiver to remain on a channel frequency. The paging receiver then samples the channei once every 900 milliseconds for an 11 or 33 m.s. duration to respectively detect if carrier frequen~y is present and7 if so, to identify the code which was transmitted.
The full channel ~canning mode of the paging receiver as described above with respect to Fig. 2 : requires a sampling time on eazh channel of approximately 11 milliseconds to detact the carrier :~ wave or 33 millisecond~ to fully detect a code : 25 ~ ~ran~mission dependin~ upon the presencQ o~ a carrier signal. I~ no carrier is pre6ent, the paging receiver will detec~ the lack o~ a aarrier within 6 milliseconds : ~ ~ and scan ~o the next channel. When a carrier is ~ detected, th~ pager will look for tones 0-9 during the :~: 30 sampling time in~rval of approximately 33 ; : mi}liseconds. If a tone is detected, it is stored in the random acces~ memory 60 and sc~nning o~ the channels in the full scanning mode a~ described with : ::
:

49 1 7u7~30 respect to Fig. 2 above is continued. When the RF
receiver then again receives the same channel, a sample is taken. If a tone is stlll present, and it is the same tone stored in the random access memory 60 on the previous sampling intarval, a match occurs with the previous digit and sampling se~uentially occurs with successive digits of th~ paging receiver identification code until either a match is found in which case the main CPU 24 executes one of the commands described below or a match is not ~ound in which case the RF
tuner 16 is turned of~ and th~ cyclical sampli-ng every 900 milliseconds continues.
VI. National, Regional, Remote Area, Local, Sublocal and Group Paqina _ _ 15When it is desir0d to program the paging receiver 10 to receive a fixed channel in a local area for purely local operation, programming may be accomplished manually or automatically. As used herein, "local"
identi~iee an area identified by ~he area designation code 92. Automatic programming is done with the channel fraquenay changing command AC with the desired : operating channel being sent twice to the pager as described below. The operating program for the main CPU 24 rscogni~.es the sequential sending of tha same :channel twlce by a channel frequency changing co~mand ;~ and stores the repeated frequency in the area channel section 66 and operating channal sectlon 64. By : ~storing only a single channel in the operation channel : :saction 64 and the area ahannel 66, the paging rscei~er ; ~ 30 is ~orced to receive only a single channel which is desirable ~or local operation.
~ Nationwide, regional, remote area, sublocal and ;~ group paging by the paging receiver is programmed as ' .

1 ,07~30 follows. In order to di~ferentiate nationwide, regional (a plurality of areas including one or more areas outside the area identified by the area designation code), remote area (an area other than the area identified by the area designation code)~ sublocal (a part of an area within an area .identified by the operation channel section 64 and the area channel 66, the paging receiver is forced to receive only a single channel which is desirable for lo al operation.
Nationwide, regional, remote area, sublocal and group paging by the paging recelver is programmed as follows. In order to diPferentiate nationwide, regional (a plurality o~ areas includlng one or more areas outside the area identified by the area designation code), xe~ote area ~an area oth~r than the area identified by the area designation code), ~blocal (a part o~ an area within an area identified by the area designation code) and group (one or more paging : receivers lo~ated within the local area) paying from local paging, the paging signal contains a "destination code" having one or more characters which precede the paging receiver identification code that are not recognized by a paging receivar as par~ of a local : page. This ensures that only persons to receive national, regional, remote area, sublocal and group pages will be alerted when transmission occuxs. In a preferred form of the invention, the "destination code"
: ~ is a letter, which is transmitted prior to the transmission of the paging receiver identi~ication: ~ 30 code. Paging receivers which ~re to receive national, regional, remote area, sublocal or group pages are : programmed by the channel frequency changing co~mand to tore a destination code as a header on the channel .

1 ,~J`7'333 ~requency. Thus, on a particular fre~uency where some pages are transmitted with destination codes, only the first digit of each page iR required to be compared with the stored destination code to enable an identification by a paging receiver programmed to receive pages with destination codes if a page is potentially directed to that paglny receiver. The paging receiver which ha~ b~en programmed with a destination code immediately turne o~f when a match is not ~ound between the first digit of a page on a received ~requancy and the stored de~tination code thereby saving power required to compare the following digits of the stored and transmitted paging receiver identifioation code as described below.
Fig. 5 illustrates the order of transmission of the destination code and the digits of the paging receiver identification code for pages which are to be received with use of the destination code. Like reference numerals in Figsc 4 and 5 are used to identify like parts. The first digit which is : transmitted is the destinatio~ code 96. Thereafter the individual digit~ of the paging receiver identification code are transmitted in an order of increasing : significance as descrihed with re~erence to Fig. 4.
: 25 When it is de~red to program a paging receiver to ~: recei~e page~ with use of the destination code, the individual channels o~ the area channel section 66 of memory 62 ar~ progr3mmed by the channel frequency : changing command as described below. However, the : 30 first digit o~ the channel frequencie~ which are to be programmed to be received by th~ channel frequency : changing comm~nd con~ain the des~ination coda 96 character cuah as the latter A, B, C, etc., which is 52 ~ 7 ~3 3 0 not reaognized as part o~ a paging recelver identification code, which preferably are base ten numbers~ When a paging receiver receives the ~irst digit of the paging receiver identifiaation code, that digit is compared with the ~Eirst dis~it oP the channel frequencies stored in the area channel section 66. If a match occurs, the operating program of ~he main CPU
24 causes the RF tuner 16 to stay in an on state to compare the subsequent digits of the received paging receiver identification code with the stored paging receiver identification code. IiE there is no match between the first digit of the transmitted page and the destination code, then the paging receiver RF tuner 16 is immediately turned off to save battery power. By turning off the paging receiver immediately upon the detection of no match between the destination code 96, when the paging receiver i transported to a remot~
area its on ti~e to receive page will not be influenced by pages 3~10cal~ to the remote area for the reason that the first digit mismatch which must occur when any page originating ~ro~ an area into which the paging receiver has been transported will immedi~tely be detected as a mismatch causing the RF tuner 16 to be : : ~ turned off.
: 25 Fig. 6 illustrates a flow chart illustrating the operation o~ the control program of ths main CPU 24 in canning channels including the processing of pages : transmit~ed with destination codes. The program starts at point 100 where the channel frequency o the operation channel section 64 is scanned by ths RF
reGeiving section 16. If channel freguency carrier is : ~ not present, the RF tuner 16 turns of ~ ~or 900 milli-soconds and then aqain c~ecks if carrier is present.

53 1 707(~30 If carrier is present, the operating program proceeds to point 102 where a determination is made whether or not the program is in the scanning mode in which the channels of the operating channel section 94 and area

5 channel section 96 are sequentially scanned for an interval of 30 minutes as illustrated in Fig. 2. If the program is not in the scanning mode, which is indicativa of only the operation channel section channel 94 fre~uency ~eing scanned, the program proceeds back to point 100. If the an~wer is yes at point 102, the program proceeds to point 104 to chQck if the channels of the area channal section 66 have been checked. If the answer is no, the program proceeds back to point 105 where the channel frequencies of the area channel section are scanned.
The program then proceed back to point 100. If the answer is yes at point 104, the program proceeds to point 106 to determine if a destination code 96 is present on the channel being received. If the answer : 20 is no, the program branches to point 108 whera the next channel in the area channel section 66 is scanned. The : program proceed~ from poin~ 108 to point 100. If the answer is ye~ at point 106 that a destination code 96 i9 detected, the program proceeds to point 110 where a comparison is made between the transmitted destination code and any destinakion code which is stored in the channels of ~he area channel section 6~. If the answer is no at point I10, the program proceeds to point 112 where the next channel within the area channel section 66 i~ received. If the answer is yes at point 110, the : program proaeeds to point 114 to compare the first : : digit of the paging recaiver identi~ication code transmitted on the channel frequency with th2 stored ~:
:

1 -'07~30 paging rsceiver identification code. If there is no match at point 114, the program proceeds to point 116 where the next channe1 of ~he area channel section ~6 is scanned. If the answer is ye~ ak point 114, the program proceeds to point 118 where the remaining digits of the paging receiver identiPication code are compared. If the answer ie no at the comparison of any one of the remaininy digits o~ the paging receiver identification code at point 118, the program proceeds to point 120 to scan the next channel o~ the area channel ~ection 66. I~ th~ answer is yes at point 118, the paging receiver lock~ on the channel frequency at point 122 by setting the phase lock loop 28 to continue to receive that channel and the fo11Owing com~and is decoded by the operating program of the main CPU 24 and exeauted.
VII. Commands An important part of the present in~ention is the command structure which permits the functionality of the paging receiver to be changed dynam1ca11y by the transmitter in a manner not achieved by the prior art.
~11 commands which are executed by the main CPU 24 are sent according to a protoco1. An exampl~ of the paging pxotocol i~ ~et forth below with a nationwide telephone : 25 number page to paging receiver ID 789 12345 with : te1ephone number 424, 6464 and a warb1e tone.
: FF- 5--B4 BE 321 BE 937 A7 424 DE 6464 A~A
NOTES 1 lA 2 2 3 4 5 FF - provides 66 m.~. of silence prior to page.

~ NO~E 1- is the last digit of the paging recQiver ldentlfication code which 1 31~7~30 is sent first as the preamble. I:f the page is a group page, a C may be substituted ~or the 5.

NO~E lA - When a "B" appears arter the preamble digit, the person receiving the page will be alerted that a "batchedl' page i5 occurring to be ~ent to a group o~ paging receivers .

- NC3T~: 2 - The BE's ar~ received by the pagirly receiver and ignored and provide time spa~ing.

NOTE 3 - A7 . The A ~ignif ia~ th~t a command sequence follows. ~rhe 7 in~iaates the ~essage is numerlc, and il luminates the nation~ide origin : ~ display and telephone ~nessages.

NOTE 4 - DE ' s are . ~ sent during the data portion of the transmission to allow overlay operation.

NOTl: 5 - AXA or AE Indicates the end of transmi~sion and the type og alert tone to use e . g. warble .
The: operatins~ program of the main CPU 24 is 2 5 programmed to respond ~o a colDmand repertoire explained ~: : as follows. A command ~equenoe immediately follow the pager receiver identi~ication c:ode and always begins with a tone "A" ~ollowed by the command tone. Se~

1 3a7~30 ~orth below is a command table explaining the command structure .
CO~D TABLE
A0 BATTERY S~VE
Al REPEAT

A3 LOCAL & ~UMEP~IC (16 NU~qBERS) A4 L{~CA~ & ~ESSAGE - ALP~A (511 CHAR) A5 NATIONAL & NU~ERIC ( 16 NUNBER5 ~
A6 NA~IONAL & MESSAGE - A.LP:EIA (511 C}IAR. ) A7 ALP~ FIXED M13MO:IRY I OCA:rION
A~8 RESE3~VED
A9 EXT DATA (OPENS AUDIO TO EXIT ~ACK) AA DO NO~ USE ~
A:E3 OUT OF SERVICE
AC C~NN~5L PROGRAM
AD SUBLOCAL PAOERS FROM RESTRICTED AREAS
OR GROUPS OF PAGING REC:EIVERS
AE DO NOT IJSE !
2 0 AO_Battery Save The battery save command i~ followed by a two digit decimal format indlGatlng how many seconds the paging receiver should sleep be~ore beginning it hannel sampling. It is ~ollowed by an AE message 25 ter~nina~or with no tone alert necessary. The two diyit number represents the number of 10 second increments to sleep with a maximum of 990 seconds (16 ~ 5 minutes~ .
A022AE = 220 ~econd ~leep period A099AE = 990 ~econd sleep period 3 0 ~ ~
The repeat aommand indicates tha~ the page being sent is a repeat ~of the previous page. The previous message :: display wil} be used, and the numeric or ~: :

: -1 307~30 alphanumeric page should match a previous page which has been stored in the random acces~ memory 60 during the execution o~ the A3-A6 commands which cause a page to be stored in the random access memory. If a page match is detectad by the paging receiver, the page is discarded. If the ~ir~t page was not received, the page should be stored in the random access memory 60 and the wearer of ths paging receiver alerted. The status display will ~how "RPT" indicating a repeat page and the first page was not ~ound in ~emory, i.e., Al~ A3 424DE6464AE REPEAT 424-6464 (local, numeric, which is the execution of command A3 described below) A2 Proqram ID
The program ID com~and is used to send a new paging receiver iden~ification code to the paging receiver. The previous paging recei~er identification code will be overwritten by this command. No tone alert is necessary, but the paging receiver should display the new paging receiver identificakion code as a page, i.e., A2789DE4567DE8~E (NEW ID) A3 Local ~ Numeric ~16 Diaits!
The A3 command saquentially illuminates the ~ display 64, indicating the page is of local origin, and : a numeric telephone number display as a page. This : command is used by a local transmitter to transmit pages origina~ing within the area identified by the ;~ 30 area designation code. ~he main CPU 24 will receive the page as single digit.~, i.e., A3956DE1030AE TEL # 956-1030 The maximum numeric message length is 16 digitsa :

1 3~7~3Q
5~

A4 Local & Messaae ~Alphanumeric) The A4 command seguentially illuminates the display 64 indicating the page is of local origin and an alphanumeric display as a page. The alphanumeric format is sent with each character belng encoded as a two digit number as explained above. The message length will be 511 characters or les~, This command is used by a local transmitter to transmit pages originating within t~e area iden~ified by the area designation code 92.
The message length when in ~he alphanumeric mode will be 511 charac~ers in length. ~he display will flash, indicating the message is 511 characters long, i.e., IBM STOCK $124 3/4 (18 CEAR~CTER MESSAGE) A4 73 66 DE 77 32 DE 83 84 D~ 79 67 1 B M S~ S T O C
DE 75 3 a DE 36 49 DE
K SP $
50 52 DE 32 51 DE 47 52 A~
2 4 SP 3 / 4 (56 CHAR~CTER 1.848 SEC.) A5 National & Numeric (16 Diqits~
25~he A5 command sequentially illuminates the ~ :display ~4 indicating that tha orîgin of the page is : :~ : not local and a numeric m~ssage a~ a page. This command is used by a local paging sarvice, within the : area identified by ~he area designation code, which 30~: relays a page to a transmitter located at a remote area where a paging r~ceiver is to xeceive a page :~ trsnsmitted by the transmitt~r located at the remoCe , . .

5g 1 307~30 area. The digits are sent in a single digit format, e.g., TEL # 956 1001 A6956DElOElAE (NOTE: REPEAT DIGIT FOR
5SECOND ZERO) A6 National ~ Messa~e ~511 Char.~
The A6 command sequentially illuminates the display 64 indicating that tha origin of the page is not local and alphanumeric ~ssage as a page. This 10command is used by a local pag~ng æervic~, within the area identi~ied by the arQa designation code, which relays a page to a transmitter located at a remote area where a paging rec~l~ex is to receive a page transmitted by the tra~smitt~r located at the remote 15area. The page which is ~ent in a two digit decimal : order with the number field being 01-9~ in the same ~anner as explained a~ove.
The maximum me~sage l~ngth is 511 characters. The example is identical to th~ A4 command discussed above : 20wi~h ~he firs~ ~wo tone~ being A~.
~: A7 AlPh-anumeric S~eci~ic ~essaqe Memory : The A7 command permits a suhset of co~mands ko ~ollow. The digit immediately following the A7 command ; will indicate in whiah ~ection of addxessable sections 25of:the random acce~s memory 60 to place the messagP.
: a message exis~s in this memory location of the : random acc~ss memory, it will automatiaally overwrite the message memory. Th~ command subset will be 1-4 indlcating memory locations 11-14~ An ordinary message 30 ~: will not ov~rwrite the 11-14 mes~age locations. The massage will i~madiately follow:

: :
.:,

6~ 1 307~30 ~7 3 ~7 4 The message locations 11-14 will only be overwritten by messag~s with the same command 5 (e . g. memory location 11 will only be overwritten by the A7 (1) command) or erased by the user. Th~ messagP
type will always be "Special Call" and will be sent as an alphanumeric message.
A8 Reserved 9 Ext~rnal Date M~3~ssage - . The A9 ~o~nand alert~ the person being paged that the audio must be routed to the external data ; ack 67 for remote processing. The paging receiver will ~orward the audio to the external data jack 67 until the AE message is received, indiaating end of data - transmission, i.e. A9~ ATA---AE.
AA Inval id The AA command cannot be used, as it would be processed by the main CP~ 24 a~ an AE (end of file) 20 command.
AB Out o~ Service The AB command will illuminate an out o~ service display on the memory section 68 of tha display 64 and may or may not have numeric data following. This : 25 command may be used wh~n syætem maintenance is required, or to alert the wearer o~ thP paging service tha~ service is being denied, until the bill is paid, i.e. ABAE (illuminates out o~ service message upon turn on and for two seconds).
: 30 The paging r~ceiver still receives messages as normal. The out of range di~play turns on. The LCD
display 64 displaya '~out o~ serviae" until the next ' ::

1 307~30 paye is allowed. The switching system will prevent any massages from being sent to the pager.
AC Channel Pro~ramminq The AC channel programming alerts the person wearing the paging receiver that channel ~requency programminy information is ~orthcoming. The fre~uencies are stored in the channel memoxy 62 transmitted as ~our digit decimals numbers, each separated by the DE delimeter. As explained above, up to 15 channels may be loaded into the area channel ~ection 66 or the operation channel section ~4. A
preceding V indicates VHF, a U UHF, a J indi~at~s Japan and an ~ indicates Europe.
Whan only one channel frequency i8 desired, such as for local p ging, the channel is repeated at least twice, to alert the paging racei~er that only one channel fre~uency is desired to be programmed in the area channel ~ection 66 o~ th~ channPl memory 62. All previous channel frequencie~ in the area channel section 66 of the channel memory 62 are erased. The : memory cells havQ the new channel number entered to fix : the paging receiver to receive a single channel. The memory cells will remain programmed until the next channel reprogramming of the paging xeceiver, i.e.
AC0123DE0123AE (CH.V 123 NO SCANNING) ~; A C O E 1 0 D E O 1 0 7 D ~ 0 2 1 0 D E 1 0 5 0 D E 7 A E A
(CHo~10~v107~u210~u50)~
~h~ channel programming sequence is as follows:
: 0001 - ODDD VHF 5 XHz steps 1001 - lDDD VHF 6.25 KHz teps (Europe) 2001 - 2DDD UHF 5 KHz step~
: 3001 - 3B2B 280 MHz 2.5 K~z steps (Japan)~

: ~ :

:: ::
: `

62 1 307~30 Channel codes 4001, 5001, 6001, 7001, 8001, 9001 are open for additional channels to be added. The total upward reserve channel capacity in ROM 58 is 16,458 channels.
The following sub-commands are utilized for instructing the main CPIJ 24 to perform functions pertaining to the progra~ming of channel frequencies.
NO Command (Add One ~hannel) When no sub-command is sent, one channel is to be n added to the area channel ~ection 66 0 e . g. AC 0237 DE
7AE~ (add VHF channQl 237 to area channel s~ctisn 66).
Sub-command ~000 (TYpically~Reqional) When 4000 is transmitted, it erase~ the entire area channel section 66 and the operation channel sectio~ 64 of the channel memory 6~ and cannot be used in adjacent areas which mu~t be programmed with the 6000 ~ub command. e.g. AC 4000 DE 0156 DE 2132 DE
7AEA. This command erases and stored VHF 156 and UHF 132 channel ~re~uencies in the area channel saction.
Sub-co~mand 500Q
~hen 5000 is transmitted, the destination code is programmed. This command erases the operating channel 64 and the area channel section ~6 and forces the reception o~ a particular channel. The command is used for dynamic ~re~uency agility. The paging receiver is fixed to rec~ive a ~ixed channel. e.g. AC
5000 DE 0171 DE 7AEA. This com~and era~es the operating chann~l 64 and the area channel section 66 and forces the paging receiver to ~HF channels 171, causing the operating channel section 64 to stor2 VHF
channel 171.

.

63 1 307~30 Sub-command 6000 (National) This command is divided into the loading o~ the 15 possible destination codes 96 and the channel ~requencies.

This repxesants tha 6000 national command followed by the destination code 96 or local code for each of the 15 possible fr~quencies in the area channel section. The five channel~ follow and will be as follows:
6122 National, ch~nnel 1 = A, channel 2 = B, channel 3 = B
0200 Channel 4 = local, channel 5 = B~ ~iller code 0000 Channel ~ iller code 0000 Channel 12-15, filler code 0212 VHF channel 212 0311 V~F channal 311 0408 V~F channel 408 : 20 2511 UH~ channel 511 : 2139 UHF channel 139 7AE~ Stop channel command.
Channel Pro~ramming Termination f7AE~) The channel fre~uencies to be sent to the paging :~ : 25 receiver are sent in the ~ollowing order:
: OXXX channels ~VHF) (ascending numerical order) :~ lXXX channels (VHF Europe) 2XXX channels (UXF Europe) 3XXX channels (280 MHz).
~: :: 30 The last channel 6en~ is actually a terminate message code. It ls 7AEA (7AAA).
The paging receiver will receive the last frequenFy code and immediately tPrminate~ thP page.`

:; ::

1 3~7~30 The 7AEA terminate fxequency code is necessary at the end of every AC channel program message. During the transmission of channel codes, the AEA code may appear (e.g. channel lAEA). In order to prevent termination of the message, the AC command changes the AEA
termination command to 7AEA. 7AEA is an invalid channel code.
AD Company COMMAND
The AD command allows a 32 alphanumeric character company message to be sent to the paging receiver. ~he message is alway~ alphanumeric, eOg. t AD 4247, DE 4637, DE 5100, DE 4833, DE 3941, DE 4639, ~E Jones Paging.
When a company message is da~ired, it will be sent after the paging receiver identification code has been programmed, When the paging receiver is turned on, the company message will be displayed instead of a self test message which is typically used. If no company message resides in the paging receiver, the self test message will display.
The 32 character part of khe random access memory 60 is battery pro~ected to permit the message to permanently reside in the paging receiver. It may be ohanged by ~imply sending a new AD aommand and message to the pager. This permits the company message to be changed at will.

~: The AE command cannot ba used, a~ it cannot be : encoded and also conflicts with the end of file command.
End Of Paqe Command AE or AEA
All page~ require the end of page command. The end of ~ page commzmd serves a two fold purpose 65 l 7~7~ 30 indicating the end o~ transmission and determinss the type of tone alert.
AE = 2041 hertz - 50% duty cycle 2 ~econds AEA = 2041 hertz - 25/75% duty cycle - 2 seconds Certain co~mands do not send a tone alert. A
listing o~ the commands is as follows:
AO BA~TERY SAVE (NO ALERT) Al REPEAT (NO ALERT) *
A2 PROGRAM ID ~ALERT) -DISPLAY ID
A3 LOCAL ~ ~L NUNERIC tAhERT) A4 LOCAL ~ SP ALPHA (ALERT) A5 NAT. ~ ~L NUMERIC (AhERT) A6 NA~. ~ ALPH~ (ALERT~
15 A7 ALP~ FIXED Mæ~ORY ~ALERT) A8 UNASSIGNED (ALERT) A9 SPECIAL & D~TA A~DIO (ALERT) AB OUT OF SERVICE 5ALERT) AC CHANNEL PROGRAM (A~ERT) 20 AD COMPANY ~ESSAGE (ALERT).
* AL will alsrt i~ ~irst page was not received or if previou~ly erased.
VIII. Remote Area Paqinn Fig. 21 illustrates the operation of the present invention in receiving pages at a remote area. A local transmitter 130 transmit one or more channel ~requency : changing commands as described above which specify one or more frequencies on which a paging receiver 132 is : ~ to receive pages whilQ located at a remote area. The ahannel ~requency changing commands ar~ received by the paging receiYer 132 while it is located in transmission distanca o~ th~ local transmitter 130. The one or more channel fre~uency changing commands specifying tha one ' 66 1 3~7~)0 or more frequencies to be received in the remote location also include the destination code 96 described above used to differentiate pages to be received by the paging receiver 132 whilP in the remote area from pages originating in the remote area on the same one or more programmed frequencies. The paging receiver 132 is transported to the remote area as indicated by the downwardly pointing vertical arrow in the right-hand portion of Fig. 21. The downwardly pointing vertical arrow in the left-hand portion of Fig. 21 illustrates the relaying o~ a page originating at the local area or relayed through the local area to a remote transmitter 134 lo~ated in the remote area where the page is transmitted by transmitter 134 and received by the paging receiver 1320 The remote transmitter 134 sequentially in time transmits the destination code as the f irst character which is trans~itted, the paging receiver identification code digits in an order of increasing significance and the actual page. The 20` paging receiver 132 while in tha remote area aompares the first digit o~ each transmission on the one or more channels that the paging recaiver i5 programmed to receive with the stored destination code. I~ there is a match between the ~irst character transmitted with a page on the one or more frequenci~s that the paging : receiver 132 is programmed to page and the de~tination code, tha paging receiver 132 oompares the s~bsequent digits of th~ transmitted paging receiver identification code following the destination code in an order of increasing significancs wlth the stored : ~ paging receiver identi~ication code digits. The RF tuner of the paging receiver is immediataly turned ~ off upon a mismatch o~ either the destination code or :
.

67 1 J('7~30 one of the digits of the transmitted and stored paging receiver identification code. If the transmitted and received destination codes and paging receiver identi~ication codes match, the page is displayed on the di~play 64. It ~hould be noted that pages originatir.g in the remote area will not cause the RF
tuner 16 to be tuxned on past the point in time of transmission of the destination code because of the mismatch which will occur ther~by saving the battery of the paging receiver.
A method of ~he pre~ent invention in paging a sublocal area within an area or a group within the local area such as a company is as ~ollows. The paging receiver is programmed with the channel frequency changing command to receive one or more ~requencies.
The destination code is u~ed in the same manner as described above with regard to Fig. 21 in identifying pages to be received in a remote area except that it is assigned to paging receivers within part of khe local area (subarea) or to paging receiver~ belonging to a group such as a company. The destination code is transmitted with the channel ~requency changing command to identify one or more frequencies on which pages on a sublocal or a qroup level are to be detected.
~hereafter, the paging receiver which has been pro~rammed to receive on the progra~med one or more channel frequencies on a sublocal or a group basis compares the ~irst digit o~ each transmission occurring on the one or more programmed channel frequencies to ~30 detect i~ there is a match between the destination code stored in the channel memory 62 and the first character which is transmitted. If there is no match, the RF
~ euner l6 is i = ediately ohut of~ thereby ~aving the :

,. :
' . ' . ' ' . ' 6R I 3 0 7~ 3 0 battery of the paging receiver. If there is a match, the paging receiver compares the transmitted digits of the paging receiver identification code in an order of increasing significance with the stored paging receiver identification code digits. If there i~ a mismatch be~ween any one o~ the paging receiver stored and transmitted paging receiver identification code digits, the RF tuner 16 i~ i~mediately shut off. If there is a complete match between the destination code and the stored and tran mitted paging receiver identification code digits, the paging receiver processes the subsequently transmitted page. Thu~, it i~ ~een that paging receivers may be programmed on a sublocal or on a group spcific basi within a local area to receive pages on channel frequencies which are in widespread use in a local paging system while achieving battery savings by not turning on the paging receiver to recaive subsequent digit~ of the paging receiver identifica~ion code ~or every transmission occurring on the programmed channels.
IX. Figs. 7~20 ~ s has been explained above, Figs. 7-20 illustrate circuit s~hematics for implementing the block~ of : Fig. 1. Integrated circuits are identi~ied by their ind~stry designation. It should be understood that other implementations of the block~ of Fig. 1 may be utilized in practicing the pre~ent invention.
While the invention has been de~cribed in terms of its preferred embodiments, it should be understood that numerous modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. It is intended that ::

69 1-)07~3~

all such modifications fall within the scope of the appended claims ~

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Claims (112)

CLAIMS:

1. A method of receiving a page in a remote area when a paging receiver has been transported from a local area to the remote area in which the paging receiver has been programmed to receive pages on at least one channel while in the local area with the paging receiver displaying characters contained within a page on a display of the paging receiver comprising:
(a) programming the paging receiver, by at least one channel programming command transmitted by an RF carrier from a transmitter located in the local area to the paging receiver while the paging receiver is located in the local area, to receive the at least one channel in the remote area, each channel programming command containing a change in at least one channel to be received from a number of possible channels which may be programmed and not containing characters to be displayed by the paging receiver as a page on the character display;
(b) transporting the paging receiver from the local area to the remote area where a page is to be received; and (c) relaying a page from the local area to a transmitter located in the remote area and transmitting the page from the transmitter located in the remote area on the at least one programmed channel to the paging receiver.

2. A method of receiving a page in accordance with claim 1 wherein:
(a) the paging receiver has a channel memory for storing channels on which the paging receiver is to receive pages; a control means, responsive to a channel programming command, for decoding each channel programming command to decode a channel to be stored in the channel memory, and causing storage in the channel memory of the decoded channel;
(b) the control means decodes the at least one channel programming command containing at least one channel to be received in the remote area, and causes the storage of the decoded at least one channel in the channel memory; and (c) the paging receiver receives a page over one of the at least one channel programmed by the channel programming command while located in the remote area.

3. A method of receiving a page in accordance with claim 1 wherein:
(a) the paging receiver is battery powered and further comprising;
(b) transmitting a destination coded distinguishing pages originating in and transmitted in the remote area to a paging receiver on a channel and pages originating in the local area, relayed to the transmitter in the remote area and transmitted by the transmitter to the paging receiver located in the remote area on the channel to the paging receiver and storing in a memory of the paging receiver the destination code; and (c) the paging receiver in the remote area comparing each transmission received on the at least one programmed channel with the stored destination code and turning off a tuner of the paging receiver immediately upon a match not being detected between the stored destination code and a transmission on one of the programmed at least one programmed channel whereby power being drawn from the battery by a RF tuner in the paging receiver is stopped.

4. A method of receiving a page in accordance with claim 3 wherein:
(a) programming of the memory of the paging receiver with the destination code is accomplished with the channel programming command; and (b) storage of the destination code is in the channel memory.

5. A method of receiving a page in accordance with claim 3 wherein:
the paging receiver receives at least one additional digit in a page if a match is detected between the transmitted and stored destination codes and the control means turns off the tuner immediately if a match is not found.

6. A method of receiving a page in accordance with claim 5 wherein:
(a) the paging receiver is issued a paging receiver identification code;
(b) the page transmitted by the transmitter in the remote area is transmitted with a paging receiver identification code immediately following the destination code with digits of the transmitted paging receiver identification code being transmitted in an order of increasing significance;

(c) when a match is detected between the transmitted and stored destination code, the paging receiver compares successive digits of the transmitted paging receiver identification code and corresponding digits of the stored paging receiver identification code;
(d) the tuner of the paging receiver turns off immediately upon a match not being detected between a digit of the transmitted and stored paging receiver identification codes; and (e) the paging receiver decodes a page following the transmitted paging receiver identification code if all of the digits of the transmitted and received paging receiver identification codes match.

7. A method of receiving a page by a battery powered paging receiver in an area on a channel on which other paging receivers receive pages comprising:
(a) programming the paging receiver by at least one channel programming command transmitted by a RF
carrier from a transmitter, located in the area, to the paging receiver located in the area, with at least one channel to be received in the area and causing storage in a memory of a destination code transmitted from the transmitter to the paging receiver for distinguishing pages to be received on the at least one programmed channel by other paging receivers in the area from a page to be received by the paging receiver; and (b) the paging receiver in the area comparing each transmission received on the at least one programmed channel with the stored destination code and turning off a tuner of the paging receiver upon a match not being detected between the stored destination code and a transmission received on the programmed at least one channel to lessen drawing of power from the battery.

8. A method of receiving a page by a battery powered paging receiver in accordance with claim 7 wherein:
(a) the channel programming command programs the destination code; and (b) storage of the destination code and the at least one programmed channel is in a channel memory.

9. A method of receiving a page by a battery powered paging receiver in accordance with claim 7 wherein:
(a) a first character of each page to be transmitted to the paging receiver is the destination code stored in the memory; and (b) the paging receiver receives at least one additional digit in a page if a match is detected between the transmitted and stored destination codes.

10. A method of receiving a page by a battery powered paging receiver in accordance with claim 9 wherein:
(a) the paging receiver is issued a paging receiver identification code which identifies the paging receiver which is stored in a memory;
(b) the page is transmitted with a paying receiver identification code transmitted with digits in an order of increasing significance immediately following the destination code with digits of the paging receiver identification code and corresponding digits of the stored paging receiver identification code being compared;
(c) the tuner of the paging receiver turns off immediately upon a match not being detected between a digit of the transmitted and stored paging receiver identification code to lessen drawing of power from the battery; and (d) the paging receiver decodes a page following the transmitted paging receiver identification code if all of the digits of the transmitted and received paging receiver identification codes match.

11. A battery powered RF paging receiver which is programmable by transmitted channel programming commands to receive at least one channel in a plurality of areas including a first area in which pages do originate and at least one second area in which pages do not originate and is programmable to control in which of a plurality of areas pages may be received by the paging receiver on the at least one channel, pages to be received in the at least one second area where the pages do not originate each containing a destination code, distinguishing pages originating in the at least one second area from pages originating in the first area, which is transmitted prior to transmission of the multidigit paging receiver identification code comprising:
(a) a RF tuner for receiving a channel on which pages are to be received;
(b) a channel memory storing at least one channel to be received by the RF tuner, the at least one channel being the at least one channel which may be received in the first area or in the at least one second area, the at least one channel which may be received in the second area containing the destination code; and (c) control means, responsive to the RF tuner, for decoding a channel programming command specifying a destination code and at least one channel to be received by the RF tuner into a specific destination code and channel to be received by the RF tuner, causing storing of the at least one channel contained in the decoded command and destination code of at least one channel which is to be received in the at least one second area in the channel memory, the control means decoding a first received character or digit of a transmission and comparing the first character or digit received with the stored destination code, if a match exists between the first character or digit and the destination code, the control means causing the RF tuner to remain in an activated state to sequentially receive at least one digit of the transmission and if a match does not exist between the first character or digit and the destination code, the control means causing the RF tuner to turn off to lessen drawing of power from the battery.

12. A battery powered RF paging receiver for receiving pages on a channel which is to be received within at least one area in which pages are transmitted on the channel to other paging receivers with each page being transmitted to the paging receiver in the at least one area with a destination code followed by a multidigit paging receiver identification code identifying the paging receiver which is to receive the page with the destination code being programmable by a transmission to the paging receiver comprising:

(a) a RF tuner for receiving the channel on which the pages are to be transmitted;
(b) a memory for storing a paging receiver identification code of the paging receiver;
(c) a memory for storing the programmed destination code; and (d) control means, coupled to the RF tuner, for decoding the transmission of the destination cods, causing storage of the decoded destination code in the memory for storing the programmed destination code, decoding a first character or digit of a page received on the channel, comparing the stored destination code with the decoded first character or digit, and in response to a match not being found turning off the RF tuner to lessen drawing of power from the battery.

13. A battery powered RF paging receiver in accordance with claim 12 wherein:
the control means, in response to a match being found between the stored destination code and the first character or digit of the received transmission on the channel, maintains the RF tuner in an activated state for receiving the transmitted paging receiver identification code sequentially digit by digit and comparing each transmitted digit sequentially with corresponding digits of the stored unique paging receiver identification code to determine if a match exists and if a match of all digits of the transmitted and stored digits of the paging receiver identification codes is found, processing the page and when a match is not found during the sequential comparison of digits of the stored and transmitted paging receiver identification codes, turning off the RF tuner immediately to lessen drawing of power from the battery.

14. A battery powered RF paging receiver in accordance with claim 13 wherein:
(a) the transmission of the paging receiver identification code is with the digits transmitted in an order of increasing significance; and (b) the control means compares the transmitted paging receiver identification code digits with the stored paging receiver identification code digits in the order of increasing significance until (i) a match is not found between one of the stored and transmitted digits of the paging receiver identification codes digits at which time the control means deactivates the RF tuner to lessen drawing of power Prom the battery or (ii) a complete match is found between the stored and transmitted digits of the paging receiver identification codes at which time the page is processed by the control means.

15. A battery powered RF paging receiver in accordance with claim 12 further comprising:
(a) a channel memory which is programmable to store at least one channel to be received by the RF
tuner, and wherein (b) the paging receiver receives channel programming commands each specifying a change in at least one particular channel to be received; and (c) the control means is responsive to each channel programming command to cause storage in the channel memory the change in at least one channel to be received and to store in the memory for storing the destination code the destination code transmitted with a channel programming command.

16. A battery powered RF paging receiver in accordance with claim 15 wherein:
the control means sequentially activates the RF
tuner to receive any stored channels in the channel memory in a predetermined order in the absence of detection of a carrier from a last received one of the stored channels by the RF tuner.

17. A battery powered RF paying receiver in accordance with claim 16 wherein:
the control means activating the RF tuner to receive sequentially any stored channels in a predetermined order is repeated cyclically for a predetermined channel receiving time interval in the absence of detection of a carrier on any one of the stored channels.

18. A battery powered RF paging receiver in accordance with claim 15 wherein:
the control means in response to the detection of the carrier being received by the RF tuner, activates the RF tuner cyclically during a predetermined channel receiving time interval to cause the RF tuner to cyclically receive the carrier.

19. A battery powered RF paging receiver in accordance with claim 18 wherein:
(a) during each cycle of receiving the carrier by the RF tuner, the control means activates the tuner to receive the channels for a first predetermined time interval; and (b) the control means monitors the RF tuner to determine if a channel carrier is received during a first predetermined time interval and if the channel carrier is received, the control means continues the activation of the RF tuner to cause the sequential reception and decoding of digits of a transmitted paging receiver identification code transmitted in an order of increasing significance specifying a particular paging receiver to receive the channel programming command and compares the received digits sequentially with corresponding digits of a paging receiver identification code stored in the memory for storing the paging receiver identification code of the paging receiver in an order of increasing significance of the digits of the stored paging receiver identification code until a mismatch is found at which time power from the battery is caused to be removed from the tuner.

20. A battery powered RF paging receiver in accordance with claim 19 wherein:
when the control means detects a complete match between the transmitted digits of the paging receiver identification code and the stored digits of the paging receiver identification code, the control means further decodes the channel programming command and programs the channel memory with the decoded channel frequency to be received and the destination code.

21. A battery powered RF paging receiver in accordance with claim 15 wherein:
the control means causes storage in an operating channel section of the channel memory the last channel on which the RF tuner detected a channel carrier and upon turning on of the paging receiver causes the channel stored in the operating channel section to be received by the RF tuner.

22. A battery powered RF paging receiver in accordance with claim 16 wherein:
the control means causes storage in an operating channel section of the channel memory the last channel on which the RF tuner detected a channel and upon turning on of the tuner causes the channel stored in the operating channel section to be received by the RF
tuner.

23. A battery powered RF paging receiver in accordance with claim 22 wherein:
the control means causes storage of at least one channel which is to be programmed to be received by at least one channel programming command in an area channel memory section of the channel memory and the control means activates the RF tuner to receive the channels in a predetermined order first from the operating channel section and then sequentially from the area channel section of the channel memory.

24. A battery powered RF programmable paging receiver in accordance with claim 15 wherein:
(a) the channel memory includes an operating channel section for storing a last received channel of at least one programmed channel stored in the channel memory; and (b) the control means sequentially activates the RF tuner to receive the at least one channel stored in the channel memory in response to detection of a channel carrier from any one of the programmed channels, stores the detected channel in the operating channel section and activates the RF tuner to receive the channel stored in the operating channel section.

25. A battery powered RF programmable paging receiving in accordance with claim 12 wherein the RF
tuner comprises:
(a) a plurality of tuning means each for receiving channels from a different band of frequencies which have been programmed to be received by at least one channel programming command, only one of the tuning means being activated at any one time to receive a programmed channel and further including;
(b) power controlling means, coupled to the control means and to the plurality of tuning means, for controlling the activation of the plurality of tuning means by the selective application of power to only the tuning means which is to receive a programmed channel and wherein;
(c) the control means provides the power controlling means with a signal identifying which of the plurality of tuning means is to receive the programmed channel.

26. A battery powered RF programmable paging receiver in accordance with claim 25 wherein:
the control means sequentially activates at least one of a plurality of individual tuning means each for receiving channels from a different band of frequencies to receive channels stored in the channel memory under the control of a control program.

27. A battery powered RF programmable paging receiver in accordance with claim 26 wherein:
the control program of the control means sequentially activates at least one of the plurality of tuning means to receive channels stored in a channel memory in a predetermined order when a channel carrier from any one of the stored channels is not detected by any one of the tuning means.

28. A method of receiving a page in a remote area when a paging receiver has been transported from a local area to a remote area in which the paging receiver has been programmed to receive pages on at least one channel while in the local area with the paging receiver displaying characters contained within a page on a display of the paging receiver, the paging receiver receiving a plurality of different commands each changing functioning of the paging receiver comprising:
(a) programming the paging receiver, by at least one channel programming command transmitted by an RF carrier from a transmitter located in the local area to the paging receiver while the paging receiver is located in the local area to receive the at least one channel in the remote area, each channel programming command containing a change in at least one channel to be received from a number of possible channels which may be programmed, not containing characters to be displayed by the paging receiver as a page on the character display and containing a field of at least one character identifying the command as a channel programming command from other commands of the plurality of commands and an additional field identifying at least one channel to be changed by the channel programming command;
(b) transporting the paging receiver from the local area to the remote area where a page is to be received; and (c) relaying a page from the local area to the remote area and transmitting the page from a transmitter located in the remote area on the at least one programmed channel to the paging receiver.

29. A method of receiving a page in accordance with claim 28 wherein:
each channel programming command also contains a subcommand field specifying a unique type of change in channel.

30. A method of receiving a page in accordance to claim 29 wherein:
the specified change in channel is the addition of at least on channel to be received by the paging receiver.

31. A method of receiving a page in accordance with claim 29 wherein:
the specified change in channel is erasure of all channels previously stored in a channel memory storing channels which have been programmed to be received.

32. A method of receiving a page in accordance with claim 29 wherein:
the specified change in channel is erasure of all channels previously stored in a channel memory storing channels which have been programmed to be received by the paging receiver and addition of at least one channel to be received to the channel memory.

33. A method of receiving a page in accordance with claim 29 wherein:
the specified change in channel is addition of at least one channel to be received including a destination code.

34. A method of receiving a page in a remote area when a paging receiver has been transported from a local area to the remote area in which the paging receiver has been programmed to receive pages on at least one channel while the paging receiver is located in the local area comprising:
(a) programming the paging receiver, by at least one channel programming command transmitted by an RF carrier from a transmitter located in the local area to the paying receiver while the paging receiver is located in the local area, to receive the at least one channel in the remote area;

(b) transporting the paging receiver from the local area to the remote area where a page is to be received; and (c) relaying a page from the local area to a transmitter located in the remote area and transmitting the page from the transmitter located in the remote area on the at least one programmed channel to the paging receiver.

350 A method of receiving a page in a remote area when a paging receiver has been transported from a local area to the remote area in which the paging receiver has been programmed to receive pages on at least one channel while the paging receiver is located in the local area comprising:
(a) programming the paging receiver, by at least one channel programming command transmitted by an RF carrier from a transmitter located in the local area to the paging receiver while the paging receiver is located in the local area, to receive the at least one channel in the remote area;
(b) transporting the paging receiver from the local area to the remote area where a page is to be received;
(c) relaying a page from the local area to a transmitter located in the remote area and transmitting the page from the transmitter located in the remote area on the at least one programmed channel to the paging receiver; and wherein (d) the channel programming command comprises a command field encoding the channel programming command and channel programming information.

36. A method in accordance with claim 35 wherein:
the channel programming information causes erasure of all channels stored in a channel memory of the paging receiver being programmed.

37. A method in accordance with claim 36 wherein:
the channel programming information causes erasure of all channels stored in the channel memory and includes at least one channel to be added to a channel memory of the paging receiver being programmed.

38. A method in accordance with claim 35 wherein:
the channel programming information causes the programming of at least one channel to be received in an area remote from a location identified by an area designation code of a paging receiver identification code stored by the paging receiver being programmed.

39. A method in accordance with claim 38 wherein:
the at least one channel contains a destination code which is used by the paging receiver being programmed in the remote area in receiving pages on the at least one programmed channel.

40. A method in accordance with claim 35 wherein the channel programming information comprises-a subcommand field defining a type of channel programming function to be executed by the paging receiver in receiving the channel programming command.

41. A method in accordance with claim 36 wherein the channel programming information comprises:
a subcommand field defining a type of channel programming function to be executed by the paging receiver in receiving the channel programming command.

42. A method in accordance with claim 37 wherein the channel programming information comprises:
a subcommand field defining a type of channel programming function to be executed by the paging receiver in receiving the channel programming command.

43. A method in accordance with claim 38 wherein the channel programming information comprises:
a subcommand field defining a type of channel programming function to be executed by the paging receiver in receiving the channel programming command.

44. A method in accordance with claim 39 wherein the channel programming information comprises:
a subcommand field defining a type of channel programming function to be executed by the paging receiver in receiving the channel programming command.

45. A method in accordance with claim 35 wherein:
the channel programming command does not contain a message field.

46. A method in accordance with claim 36 wherein:
the channel programming command does not contain a message field.

47. A method in accordance with claim 37 wherein:
the channel programming command does not contain a message field.

48. A method in accordance with claim 38 wherein:
the channel programming command does not contain a message field.

49. A method in accordance with claim 39 wherein:
the channel programming command does not contain a message field.

50. A method in accordance with claim 40 wherein:
the channel programming command does not contain a message field.

51. A method in accordance with claim 41 wherein:
the channel programming command does not contain a message field.

52. A method in accordance with claim 42 wherein:
the channel programming command does not contain a message field.

53. A method in accordance with claim 43 wherein:
the channel programming command does not contain a message field.

54. A method in accordance with claim 44 wherein:
the channel programming command does not contain a message field.

55. A method of receiving a page in a remote area when a paging receiver has been transported from a local area to the remote area in which the paging receiver has been programmed to receive pages on at least one channel while the paging receiver is located in the local area comprising:
(a) programming the paging receiver, by at least one RF transmission transmitted by an RF carrier from a transmitter located in the local area to the paging receiver while the paging receiver is located in the local area, to receive the at least one channel in the remote area;
(b) transporting the paging receiver from the local area to the remote area where a page is to be received; and (c) relaying a page from the local area to a transmitter located in the remote area and transmitting the page from the transmitter located in the remote area on the at least one programmed channel to the paging receiver.

56. A method of receiving a transmission of information in a remote area when a receiver has been transported from a local area to the remote area in which the receiver has been programmed to receive the transmission of information on at least one channel while the receiver is located in the local area comprising:
(a) programming the receiver, by at least one RF transmission transmitted by an RF carrier from a transmitter located in the local area to the receiver while the receiver is located in the local area, to receive the at least one channel in the remote area;

(b) transporting the receiver from the local area to the remote area where a transmission of information is to be received; and (c) relaying the information from the local area to a transmitter located in the remote area and transmitting the transmission of information from the transmitter located in the remote area on the at least one programmed channel to the receiver.

57. A method in accordance with claim 56 wherein:
the information is relayed form the receiver at the remote area to a processing device coupled thereto.

58. A method in accordance with claim 56 wherein:
the information is relayed from the receiver at the remote area to a printer coupled thereto.

59. A method in accordance with claim 57 wherein:
the information is transmitted with a command which commands the receiver to relay the information to the processing device.

60. A method in accordance with claim 57 wherein:
the information is transmitted with a command which commands the receiver to perform a function specified by the command.

61. A method in accordance with claim 60 wherein:
the command commands the receiver to decode alphanumeric information encoded within the transmission from the transmitter located in the remote area.

62. A method in accordance with claim 60 wherein:
the command commands the receiver to decode numeric information encoded within the transmission from the remote area.

63. A method in accordance with claim 60 wherein:
the command commands the receiver to receive a channel specified by the information.

64. A method in accordance with claim 63 wherein:
the command comprises a command field encoding the command and a field containing channel programming information.

65. A method in accordance with claim 64 wherein:
the channel programming information causes erasure of all channels stored in a channel memory of the receiver being programmed.

66. A method in accordance with claim 64 wherein:
the channel programming information causes erasure of all channels stored in the channel memory and includes at least one channel to be added to a channel memory of the receiver being programmed.

67. A method in accordance with claim 64 wherein:
the channel programming information causes the programming of at least one channel to be received in the remote area with the local area being identified by an area designation code of a receiver identification code stored by the receiver being programmed.

68. A method in accordance with claim 56 wherein:
the RF transmission transmitted by an RF
carrier from a transmitter located in the local area is transmitted with a command which commands the receiver to receive a channel specified by the information.

69. A method in accordance with claim 68 wherein:
the command comprises a command field encoding the command and a field containing channel programming information.

70. A method in accordance with claim 63 wherein:
the channel programming information causes erasure of all channels stored in a channel memory of the paging receiver being programmed.

71. A method in accordance with claim 69 wherein:
the channel programming information causes erasure of all channels stored in the channel memory and includes at least one channel to be added to a channel memory of the receiver being programmed.

72. A method in accordance with claim 69 wherein:
the channel programming information causes the programming of at least one channel to be received in the remote area with the local area being identified by an area designation code of a receiver identification code stored by the receiver being programmed.

73. A method in accordance with claim 64 wherein the channel programming information comprises:
a subcommand field defining a type of channel programming function to be executed by the receiver in response to receiving the channel programming command.

74. A method in accordance with claim 60 wherein:
the command commands the receiver to process the information as a repeat of information previously transmitted from the transmitter in the remote area.

75. A method in accordance with claim 60 wherein:
the command informs the receiver that the information contains a new receiver identification code.

76. A method in accordance with claim 60 wherein:
the command specifies an area of memory in the receiver where the information is to be stored.

77. A method in accordance with claim 60 wherein:
the command specifies that the receiver is out of service.

78. A method in accordance with claim 60 wherein a command comprises:
a first portion, beginning each RF transmission and including an identification code which identifies a receiver to receive the RF transmission, a second portion following the first portion containing at least one command field with each command field encoding at least one command, and a third portion following the second portion containing information to be processed by the receiver.

79. A method in accordance with claim 78 wherein:
the first portion does not contain a preamble or a synchronization code.

80. A method in accordance with claim 56 wherein:
the transmission of information from the transmitter located in the remote area to the receiver is encoded with a signal protocol compatible with analog and digital FM transmitters.

81. A method in accordance with claim 80 wherein:
the transmission of information is encoded with a plurality of tones.

82. A method in accordance with claim 80 wherein:
the information contains only numerals with each numeral being encoded with a different tone.

83. A method in accordance with claim 81 wherein:
the information contains alphanumeric characters with each character being encoded with a plurality of sequentially transmitted tones.

84. A method in accordance with claim 55 wherein:
the page is relayed from the paging receiver at the remote area to a processing device coupled thereto.

85. A method in accordance with claim 55 wherein:
the page is relayed from the paging receiver at the remote area to a printer coupled thereto.

86. A method in accordance with claim 84 wherein:
the page is transmitted with a command which commands the paging receiver to relay the page to the processing device.

87. A method in accordance with claim 84 wherein:
the page is transmitted with a command which commands the paging receiver to perform a function specified by the command.

88. A method in accordance with claim 87 wherein:
the command commands the paging receiver to decode alphanumeric information encoded within the transmission of the page from the transmitter located in the remote area.

89. A method in accordance with claim 87 wherein:
the command commands the paying receiver to decode numeric information encoded within the transmission of the page from the remote area.

90. A method in accordance with claim 87 wherein:
the command commands the paging receiver to receive a channel specified by the information.

91. A method in accordance with claim 90 wherein:
the command comprises a command field encoding the command and a field containing channel programming information.

92. A method in accordance with claim 91 wherein:
the channel programming information causes erasure of all channels stored in a channel memory of the paging receiver being programmed.

93. A method in accordance with claim 91 wherein:
the channel programming information causes erasure of all channels stored in the channel memory and includes at least one channel to be added to a channel memory of the paging receiver being programmed.

94. A method in accordance with claim 91 wherein:
the channel programming information causes the programming of at least one channel to be received in the remote area with the local area being identified by an area designation code of a paging receiver identification code stored by the paging receiver being programmed.

95. A method in accordance with claim 55 wherein:
the RF transmission transmitted by an RF
carrier from a transmitter located in the local area is transmitted with a command which commands the paging receiver to receive a channel specified by the information.

96. A method in accordance with claim 95 wherein:
the command comprises a command field encoding the command and a field containing channel programming information.

97. A method in accordance with claim 96 wherein:
the channel programming information causes erasure of all channels stored in a channel memory of the paging receiver being programmed.

98. A method in accordance with claim 96 wherein:
the channel programming information causes erasure of all channels stored in the channel memory and includes at least one channel to be added to a channel memory of the paging receiver being programmed.

99. A method in accordance with claim 96 wherein:
the channel programming information causes the programming of at least one channel to be received in the remote area with the local area being identified by an area designation code of a paging receiver identification code stored by the paging receiver being programmed.

100. A method in accordance with claim 91 wherein the channel programming information comprises:
a subcommand field defining a type of channel programming function to be executed by the paging receiver in receiving the command.

101. A method in accordance with claim 87 wherein:
the command commands the paging receiver to process the page as a repeat of a page previously transmitted from the transmitter in the remote area.

102. A method in accordance with claim 87 wherein:
the command informs the paging receiver that the page contains a new receiver identification code.

103. A method in accordance with claim 87 wherein:
the command specifies an area of memory in the paging receiver wherein the page is to be stored.

104. A method in accordance with claim 87 wherein:
the command specifies that the paging receiver is out of service.

105. A method in accordance with claim 87 wherein a command comprises:
a first portion, beginning each RF transmission and including a paging receiver identification code which identifies a paging receiver to receive the RF
transmission, a second portion following the first portion containing at least one command field with each command field encoding at least one of the commands, and a third portion following the second portion containing information to be processed by the paging receiver.

106. A method in accordance with claim 105 wherein:
the first portion does not contain a preamble or a synchronization code.

107. A method in accordance with claim 55 wherein:
the transmission of information from the transmitter located in the remote area to the paging receiver is encoded with a signal protocol compatible with analog and digital FM transmitters which broadcast pages.

108. A method in accordance with claim 107 wherein:
the transmission of the page is encoded with a plurality of tones.

109. A method in accordance with claim 107 wherein:
the page contains only numerals with each numeral being encoded with a different tone.

110. A method in accordance with claim 107 wherein:
the page contains alphanumeric characters with each character being encoded with a plurality of sequentially transmitted tones.

111. A method in accordance with claim 55 wherein:
the page is transmitted with an identification code with digits of the identification code being transmitted to the paging receiver in an order from a least significant digit to a most significant digit.

112. A method in accordance with claim 56 wherein:
the transmission of information is transmitted with an identification code with digits of the identification code being transmitted to the receiver in an order from a least significant digit to a most significant digit.