Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W88/00—Devices specially adapted for wireless communication networks, e.g. terminals, base stations or access point devices
  • H04W88/18—Service support devices; Network management devices
  • H04W88/185—Selective call encoders for paging networks, e.g. paging centre devices
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G08—SIGNALLING
  • G08B—SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
  • G08B5/00—Visible signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems, remote indication of seats occupied
  • G08B5/22—Visible signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems, remote indication of seats occupied using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
  • G08B5/222—Personal calling arrangements or devices, i.e. paging systems
  • G08B5/223—Personal calling arrangements or devices, i.e. paging systems using wireless transmission
  • G08B5/224—Paging receivers with visible signalling details
  • G08B5/229—Paging receivers with visible signalling details with other provisions not elsewhere provided for

Definitions

• This invention relates in general to radio receivers having alerts, and more specifically to a radio receiver for generating an alert based upon message content.
• Portable radio receivers such as pagers, are typically carried by users for the purpose of receiving messages when away from a computer or telephone.
• a portable receiver includes an alert mechanism for generating an alert to announce reception of a message to the user.
• the receiver may then display the message to the user automatically, or the message may be displayed in response to manipulation of controls by the user.
• the user could be inconvenienced by having to read the message immediately in order to determine its content. Therefore, some portable receivers generate different alerts to announce reception of different types of messages such that the user can determine the message type from hearing the alert.
• a method, in a radio receiver, for generating alerts based upon message content comprises the steps of receiving a message comprising at least first and second recipient identifications (IDs) and at least first and second alert codes, determining which of the at least first and second recipient IDs is a recipient ID associated with the radio receiver, and selecting one of the at least first and second alert codes indicated by the recipient ID associated with the radio receiver. An alert associated with the one of the at least first and second alert codes is then generated.
• IDs recipient identifications
• alert codes indicated by the recipient ID associated with the radio receiver
• a communication system comprises a terminal which transmits messages and a radio receiver which receives the messages.
• a method for generating alerts based on message content in the communication system comprises the steps of the terminal transmitting a message comprising at least first and second recipient identifications (IDs) and at least first and second alert codes associated with the at least first and second recipient identifications, and the radio receiver receiving the message and determining which of the at least first and second recipient IDs is a recipient ID associated with the radio receiver.
• the radio receiver selects one of the at least first and second alert codes indicated by the recipient ID associated with the radio receiver and generates an alert associated with the one of the at least first and second alert codes.
• a radio receiver for generating alerts based upon content of received messages comprises a receiving circuit for receiving a message comprising at least first and second recipient identifications (IDs) and at least first and second alert codes.
• the radio receiver further comprises an ID locator element coupled to the receiving circuit for monitoring the message to determine whether an ID associated with the radio receiver is equivalent to one of the at least first and second recipient IDs and, when the ID associated with the radio receiver is equivalent to one of the at least first and second recipient IDs, for determining a location of the one of the at least first and second recipient IDs within the message.
• An alert code locator element coupled to the ID locator element utilizes the location of the one of the at least first and second recipient IDs to look up a location associated with one of the at least first and second alert codes
• a sound locator element coupled to the alert code locator element utilizes the one of the at least first and second alert codes to look up alert information associated therewith.
• a communication system for alerting a user based upon contents of messages transmitted to the user comprises a terminal for generating and transmitting a message comprising at least first and second recipient identifications (IDs) and at least first and second alert codes.
• a radio receiver receives the message and determines that the first recipient ID is equivalent to an ID associated with the radio receiver. The radio receiver then selects one of the at least first and second alert codes based upon a location of the first recipient ID within the message and generates an alert associated with the one of the at least first and second alert codes.
• FIG. 1 is an electrical block diagram of a communication system in accordance with the present invention.
• FIG. 3 is an electrical block diagram of the terminal included within the communication system of FIG. 1 in accordance with the present invention.
• FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the operation of a processing unit included within the terminal of FIG. 3 in accordance with the present invention.
• FIG. 5 is an electrical block diagram of the radio receiver included within the communication system of FIG. 1 in accordance with the present invention.
• the radio receivers 110 receive common messages about events, such as sports events, on the same paging address.
• events such as sports events
• each radio receiver 110 is associated with a particular sports team by means of a stored recipient identification (ID) indicative of that team.
• ID a stored recipient identification
• a radio receiver 110 preferably receives a sports message and scans the message to determine whether or not its "team ID" is included in that message to indicate that the message is of interest to the user. It will be appreciated that, when the communication system 100 provides information messages of other types, the receiver 110 would scan a received message to locate another type of unit ID.
• Such game information 225 can, for example, include details about which team is at bat, the inning of the game, the number of outs for the team at bat, and the score of the game.
• a radio receiver 110 associated with one of the team IDs 205, 210 can determine, from the location of its ID within the message, whether its team is the home team or the visitor team. Thereafter, the radio receiver 110 can advantageously determine the location of the appropriate alert code within the message such that an alert is generated to indicate whether the latest game event is favorable or unfavorable to the team associated with the receiver 110.
• the terminal 105 preferably comprises a data entry device 310, such as a keyboard, for entering the game information, the alert codes for the different teams, and information about which teams are involved in the sports event. Additionally, at the beginning of a sporting event, the data entry device 310 can be utilized to enter information indicative of which team is the home team and which team is the visitor team.
• the information provided by the data entry device 310 is received by a central processing unit (CPU) 315 coupled thereto for controlling the operation of the terminal 105.
• the CPU 315 stores the information provided by the data entry device 310 in a memory, such as a random access memory (RAM) 320.
• RAM random access memory
• the terminal 105 further comprises a database 325 for storing a list of all of the teams and the team IDs associated therewith.
• the team ID can be, if sufficient space is available within the message, the name of the team. Alternatively, the team ID could be an abbreviated form of the team name or any other information by which the team can be identified.
• the terminal 105 also includes an encoder 330 coupled to the CPU 315 for encoding the team IDs, the alert codes, and the game information into a message in a conventional manner.
• the message could be encoded using the POCSAG (Post Office Code Standardization Advisory Group) signalling format or the GSC (Golay Sequential Code) signalling format.
• the encoded message is provided to a transmitter 335 for transmitting the message as a radio frequency signal.
• FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the terminal CPU 315 in accordance with the present invention.
• the CPU 315 receives, at step 405, the information, e.g., the game information, alert codes, and visitor and home team information, from the data entry device 310 and stores, at step 410, the information in the RAM 320.
• the CPU 315 references, at step 415, the team ID database 325 to determine the team IDs for the visitor and home teams involved in the current event.
• the team IDs, alert codes, and game information are then, at step 420, provided to the encoder 330 for encoding into a message having the appropriate signalling format.
• the message includes the team IDs and alert codes in the appropriate predetermined locations.
• the CPU 315 can provide the visitor team ID to the encoder 330 as the first eight bits of the message when the first eight bits of the message are the predetermined location for the visitor team ID.
• the CPU 315 can provide the home team ID to the encoder 330 as the next eight bits of the message. This procedure is preferably also followed for placement of the visitor and home team alert codes in predetermined locations of the message. After the message is encoded, it is provided, at step 425, to the transmitter 335 for transmission to the receivers 110.
• the alert codes are entered into the terminal 105 via the data entry device 310. It will be appreciated, however, that other methods for determining the alert codes to be sent to the home and visitor team receivers 110 could be utilized as well. For instance, the data entry device 310 could simply be used for entering the game information and information by which the teams are identified. A subroutine within the terminal 105 could be followed to determine how the current game information differs from previous game information and then whether the latest event in the game is favorable or unfavorable for each of the teams.
• the terminal 105 could reference a database (not shown) to determine which alert code should be provided in that instance for the home team and which alert code should be provided for the visitor team.
• each alert code still requires placement in a predetermined location within the message.
• the radio receiver 110 preferably includes an antenna 505 for receiving a radio frequency signal transmitted by the terminal 105 (FIG. 1).
• a receiving circuit 510 coupled to the antenna 505 recovers the message from the radio frequency signal in a manner well known to one of ordinary skill in the art and provides the message to a controller 515, which controls the operation of the radio receiver 110.
• the radio receiver 110 further comprises a memory, such as a RAM 520, for storing the message and a location memory 525 for storing parameters including the predetermined locations within each message for the visitor team ID, home team ID, visitor alert code, and home alert code.
• An alert database 530 preferably stores a listing of alert codes that can be received in the messages transmitted by the terminal 105 and a listing of alert information corresponding thereto.
• the radio receiver 110 further comprises an alert mechanism 535 for generating an alert based upon the alert information stored in the alert database 530 and a display 540 for displaying the game information included in the message to the user.
• a memory such as a read only memory (ROM) 545, stores firmware elements used in processing a received message.
• firmware elements include an ID locator element 550 for monitoring the message to find a team ID associated with the receiver 110 and determining the location thereof within the message.
• An alert code locator element 555 utilizes the team ID location to locate the appropriate alert code in the message, and a sound locator element 560 looks up the alert code in the alert database 530 to find alert information used in generating an alert to be heard by the user.
• the alert information can be, for example, an alert pattern used to drive the alert mechanism 535 when the alert mechanism 535 comprises a transducer.
• the alert information can comprise location information indicating where a recorded sound is located in a sound memory 570. This recorded sound can be used to drive the alert mechanism 535 when the alert mechanism 535 comprises a speaker.
• both a transducer and a speaker could be included to provide for the generation of a large variety of sounds and recorded messages.
• the recorded sounds could include messages such as "way to go! or "oops”.
• it is envisioned that such sounds could be customized by the user to provide for greater personalization of alerts.
• the radio receiver 110 can advantageously determine which of several alert codes within a message is an alert code intended for use by that receiver 110. Therefore, different receivers 110 can receive an identical message and select different alert codes from the identical message to generate different sounds. Air space is more efficiently utilized, as a result, because the terminal 105 can send out the same message for transmission to receivers 110 associated with both the home team and the visitor team. In prior art communication systems, on the other hand, different messages must be transmitted to each receiver 110 according to the alert code to be provided thereto. As a result, a different message would have to be provided to the home team receivers 110 than that provided to the visitor team receivers 110, and twice as many messages would have to be transmitted over the air, thereby clogging the airwaves.
• FIG. 6 is a flowchart depicting the operation of the radio receiver controller 515 (FIG. 5) in accordance with the present invention.
• the controller 515 receives the message from the receiving circuit 510 and stores the message in the RAM 520. Thereafter, the controller 515 provides, at step 615, the message to the ID locator element 550.
• the ID locator element 550 When, at step 620, the team ID associated with the receiver 110 is included within the message, the location of the ID is provided by the ID locator element 550 to the controller 515, at step 625.
• the ID location is provided to the alert code locator element 555, which determines which of the alert codes included in the message is the alert code to be used by the receiver 110.
• the controller 515 When, at step 635, the controller 515 receives the alert code from the alert code locator element 555, the alert code is provided, at step 640, to the sound locator element 560 for looking up alert information associated with the alert code. The alert information is received, at step 645, by the controller 515.
• the alert information can comprise an alert pattern or a location of a recorded sound, depending upon the type of alert mechanism 535 (FIG. 5), e.g., transducer or speaker, utilized by the receiver 110.
• the controller 515 utilizes, at step 655, the alert pattern provided by the sound locator element 560 to drive the transducer.
• the controller 515 drives the speaker with the recorded sound located by the sound locator element 560, at step 660.
• the controller 515 provides the game information to the display 540 for presentation to the user.
• FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the operation of the ID locator element 550 (FIG. 5) in accordance with the present invention.
• the ID locator element 550 receives the message from the controller 515.
• the message is monitored, at step 710, to determine whether the team ID associated with the receiver 110 is included in the message.
• the location of the team ID is determined, at step 715.
• the ID location is provided, at step 720, to the controller 515. This location can be, for example, indicated by the numbers of the message bits, e.g., bits nine through sixteen, in which the team ID is included.
• the location for the home team alert code is looked up, at step 745, in the location memory 525.
• the home team alert code location could be specified as bits twenty-one through twenty-four of the message.
• the location for the visitor team alert code is determined, at step 750. Thereafter, the location indicated in the location memory 525 is utilized, at step 755, to retrieve from the message the alert code having that location in the message.
• the alert code locator element 555 retrieves the information included in those bits of the message to retrieve the appropriate alert code.
• the alert code selected from the message is provided, at step 760, to the controller 515. Referring next to FIG. 9, the operation of the sound locator element
• the sound locator element 560 (FIG. 5) is depicted.
• the sound locator element 560 receives the alert code from the controller 515.
• the sound locator element 560 looks up the alert code in the alert database 530 to find the corresponding alert information.
• the alert information can be, for example, an alert pattern for driving a transducer or a location in which a recorded sound is stored.
• the sound locator element 560 provides the alert information to the controller 515.
• the messages transmitted within the communication system 100 have been primarily described as sports messages concerning sports events, other types of messages can be transmitted as well.
• the radio receiver 110 can be affiliated with a geographic area, rather than a sports team, and the unit IDs provided within the message can be associated with different geographic areas.
• the messages can further include traffic information or other information pertinent to the areas along with alert codes that are content-specific for different unit IDs included within the message.
• the messages transmitted to the radio receivers 110 include unit IDs specific to a group of receivers 110, alert codes intended for use by the different groups as specified by the unit IDs, and message information, the content of which is determinative of the alert codes provided within the messages.
• the communication system as described above includes a terminal for transmitting identifications (IDs) for both home and visitor teams in predetermined locations within a message. Additionally, the terminal transmits an alert code for use by receivers 12 associated with the home team and an alert code for use by receivers associated with the visitor team, each in a predetermined location.
• a receiver included in the communication system receives the message and, when one of the recipient IDs is equivalent to a team ID associated with the receiver, determines the location of the recipient ID in the message. This location is, in accordance with the present invention, utilized by the receiver to look up a location in which one of the alert codes is located.
• the receiver can advantageously choose the correct alert code for generating an alert from two or more transmitted alert codes included in the same message.
• the same message can be provided to receivers associated with opposing teams, and the receivers can, after selection of the appropriate alert code, generate different alerts indicating to the user whether his team has performed favorably or unfavorably. Therefore, the airwaves are utilized efficiently because, according to the present invention, a single message is provided to inform all users interested in a sports event of updates to the event. In conventional communication systems, on the other hand, receivers are unable to determine from message content which of several alerts should be generated.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Electromagnetism (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Mobile Radio Communication Systems (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (5)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=26961183

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Citations (6)

Family Cites Families (2)

• 1995
  • 1995-07-17 KR KR1019970700529A patent/KR100203317B1/ko not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1995-07-17 CN CN 95194362 patent/CN1157047A/zh active Pending
  • 1995-07-17 WO PCT/US1995/008984 patent/WO1996003724A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1995-07-17 CA CA002196083A patent/CA2196083C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1995-07-17 EP EP95927222A patent/EP0772848A4/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1995-07-27 SG SG1995000966A patent/SG42763A1/en unknown

Patent Citations (6)

Non-Patent Citations (2)

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