Paging system using message fragmentation to redistribute traffic

1. A method for decoding a transmitted fragmented message in a selective call receiver, the fragmented message comprising one or more message packets, each of the one or more message packets comprising an address and message data, the message data comprising an indication of whether more message packets are to be received for the fragmented message, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving an address of each message packet of one or more message packets of a fragmented message;

(b) correlating the address to one or more predetermined addresses;

(c) decoding the message data of each message packet in response to a successful correlation of the address in step (b); and

(d) successively storing the decoded message data of each message packet of the one or more message packets to reconstruct the fragmented message, the fragmented message being completely reconstructed after detection in the decoded message data of one of the one or more message packets an indication that no more message packets are to be received for the fragmented message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the message data of each of the one or more message packets comprises a signature identifying each of the one or more message packets as being associated with the fragmented message, the method further comprising the steps of:

(e) detecting the signature in the decoded message data of each of the one or more message packets of the fragmented message to identifying the association of each of the one or more message packets; and

(f) storing the decoded message data of each of the one or more message packets associated by the signature for reconstructing the fragmented message identified by the signature.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(g) monitoring frames in a time slot communication protocol following a predetermined frame selection pattern for receiving the one or more message packets of the fragmented message during at least one of the monitored frames.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of:

(h) monitoring frames in a time slot communication protocol following a predetermined frame selection pattern in an assigned phase for receiving the one or more message packets of the fragmented message during at least one of the monitored frames in the assigned phase.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the message data of each of the one or more message packets comprises an indication of message packet sequence in the fragmented message, the method further comprising the step of:

(i) detecting a start of a new fragmented message by detecting in the decoded message data of a message packet of the one or more message packets of the fragmented message an indication of a first message packet in the message packet sequence of the fragmented message.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the fragmented message comprises a plurality of message packets capable of being transmitted over a communication channel in a plurality of frames in a communication protocol, the method after step (i) further comprising the steps of:

(j) detecting in the message data of the first message packet a frame selection pattern for selecting frames in the communication protocol following the frame selection pattern; and

(k) monitoring at least one subsequent frame following the frame selection pattern for receiving one or more subsequent message packets of the plurality of message packets composing the fragmented message.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

(l) receiving the one or more subsequent message packets transmitted in at least one of the subsequent frames monitored following the frame selection pattern.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the fragmented message comprises a plurality of message packets capable of being transmitted over a communication channel in a plurality of frames in a plurality of phases in a communication protocol, the method after step (i) further comprising the steps of:

(m) detecting in the message data of the first message packet a frame selection pattern for selecting frames in the communication protocol following the frame selection pattern;

(n) detecting in the message data of the first message packet a phase assignment for selecting the frames following the frame selection pattern in an assigned phase; and

(o) monitoring at least one subsequent frame following the frame selection pattern in the assigned phase for receiving the one or more subsequent message packets of the plurality of message packets composing the fragmented message.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of:

(p) receiving the one or more subsequent message packets transmitted in at least one of the subsequent frames monitored following the frame selection pattern in the assigned phase.

10. A communication system for transmitting fragmented messages to distributed selective call receivers, each fragmented message comprising one or more message packets, each of the one or more message packets comprising an address and message data,

the communication system comprising:

a controller for providing one or more message packets of a fragmented message;

at least one transmitter coupled to the controller for transmitting the one or more message packets of a fragmented message; and

at least one selective call receiver for receiving the one or more message packets of the fragmented message, the at least one selective call receiver comprising:

a code plug memory for storing one or more predetermined addresses;

a message memory for storing the message data of one or more message packets of a fragmented message;

a receiver for receiving transmitted messages including the one or more message packets of the fragmented message;

an address correlator coupled to the receiver and the code plug memory for correlating the address of each of the one or more message packets to the one or more predetermined addresses, and for providing an indication of a successful correlation of the address to one of the one or more predetermined addresses; and

a data decoder coupled to the receiver and the address correlator for decoding the message data of each of the one or more message packets in response to the indication of a successful correlation of the address thereof, and for coupling the message data to the message memory, the message data of each of the one or more message packets being successively stored in the message memory for reconstructing the fragmented message, the fragmented message being completely received after detection in the message data of one of the one or more message packets an indication that no more message packets are to be received for the fragmented message.

11. The communication system of claim 10, wherein the message packets of a fragmented message can be transmitted over a communication channel in a plurality of frames in a time slot communication protocol, and wherein the code plug memory of the at least one selective call receiver includes a predetermined frame assignment and a predetermined frame selection pattern, and the at least one selective call receiver further comprising:

frame selection means responsive to the predetermined frame assignment for selecting an assigned frame in the time slot communication protocol for monitoring the assigned frame for receiving the transmitted messages including the one or more message packets of the fragmented message, and

the frame selection means being alternatively responsive to the predetermined frame selection pattern after receiving a first message packet of a plurality of message packets of a fragmented message for selecting frames in the time slot communication protocol following the predetermined frame selection pattern for monitoring the selected frames for receiving at least one message packet of the plurality of message packets transmitted in at least one of the selected frames.

12. The communication system of claim 11, wherein the frame selection means follows the predetermined frame selection pattern after receiving the first message packet of a plurality of message packets of the fragmented message for selecting all subsequent frames in the time slot communication protocol for monitoring all subsequent frames for receiving at least one message packet of the plurality of message packets transmitted in at least one of the subsequent frames.

13. The communication system of claim 11, wherein the at least one selective call receiver includes a timer for providing time information, and the frame selection means is responsive to the time information after receiving the first message packet of a plurality of message packets of the fragmented message for selecting and monitoring all subsequent frames in the time slot communication protocol for a predetermined time interval for receiving at least one message packet of the plurality of message packets transmitted in at least one of the subsequent frames within the predetermined time interval.

14. The communication system of claim 10, wherein the message packets of a fragmented message can be transmitted over a communication channel in a plurality of frames in a communication protocol,

the controller further comprising:

a frame batcher for preparing a fragmented message comprising a plurality of message packets for transmission to the at least one selective call receiver, a first message packet of the plurality of message packets including a frame selection pattern for instructing the at least one selective call receiver to select frames in the communication protocol following the frame selection pattern for monitoring the selected frames for receiving at least one subsequent message packet of the plurality of message packets composing the fragmented message; and

the at least one selective call receiver further comprising:

a frame selection means responsive to the frame selection pattern in the first message packet for selecting frames in the communication protocol following the frame selection pattern for monitoring the selected frames for receiving at least one subsequent message packet of the plurality of message packets composing the fragmented message.

15. The communication system of claim 10, wherein the message packets of a fragmented message can be transmitted over a communication channel in a plurality of frames in a plurality of phases in a communication protocol,

the communication system further comprising:

a frame batcher for preparing a fragmented message comprising a plurality of message packets for transmission to the at least one selective call receiver, a first message packet of the plurality of message packets including a frame selection pattern and a phase assignment for instructing the at least one selective call receiver to select frames in the communication protocol following the frame selection pattern in the phase assigned by the phase assignment for monitoring the selected frames for receiving at least one subsequent message packet of the plurality of message packets composing the fragmented message; and

the at least one selective call receiver further comprising:

a frame selection means responsive to the frame selection pattern and the phase assignment in the first message packet for selecting frames in the communication protocol following the frame selection pattern in the phase assigned by the phase assignment for monitoring the selected frames for receiving at least one subsequent message packet of the plurality of message packets composing the fragmented message.

16. A selective call receiver capable of receiving a transmitted fragmented message, the fragmented message comprising one or more message packets, each of the one or more message packets comprising an address and message data, the message data comprising an indication of whether more message packets are to be received for the fragmented message, the selective call receiver comprising:

a code plug memory for storing one or more predetermined addresses;

a message memory for storing the message data of one or more message packets of a fragmented message;

a receiver for receiving transmitted messages including the one or more message packets of the fragmented message;

an address correlator coupled to the receiver and the code plug memory for correlating the address of each of the one or more message packets to the one or more predetermined addresses, and for providing an indication of a successful correlation of the address to one of the one or more predetermined addresses; and

a data decoder coupled to the receiver and the address correlator for decoding the message data of each of the one or more message packets in response to the indication of a successful correlation of the address thereof, and for coupling the message data to the message memory, the message data of each of the one or more message packets being successively stored in the message memory for reconstructing the fragmented message, the fragmented message being completely received after detection in the message data of one of the one or more message packets an indication that no more message packets are to be received for the fragmented message.

17. The selective call receiver of claim 16, wherein the message packets of a fragmented message can be transmitted over a communication channel in a plurality of frames in a time slot communication protocol, and

wherein the code plug memory includes a predetermined frame assignment and a predetermined frame selection pattern, and the selective call receiver further comprising:

frame selection means coupled to the code plug memory and responsive to the predetermined frame assignment for selecting an assigned frame in the time slot communication protocol for monitoring the assigned frame for receiving the one or more message packets of the fragmented message, and

the frame selection means being alternatively responsive to the predetermined frame selection pattern after receiving a first message packet of a plurality of message packets of a fragmented message for selecting frames in the time slot communication protocol following the predetermined frame selection pattern for monitoring the selected frames for receiving at least one message packet of the plurality of message packets transmitted in at least one of the selected frames.

18. The selective call receiver of claim 17, wherein the frame selection means follows the predetermined frame selection pattern after receiving the first message packet of a plurality of message packets of the fragmented message for selecting all subsequent frames in the time slot communication protocol for monitoring all subsequent frames for receiving at least one message packet of the plurality of message packets transmitted in at least one of the subsequent frames.

19. The selective call receiver of claim 16, wherein the message data of each of the one or more message packets comprises an indication of message packet sequence in the fragmented message, and wherein the data decoder detects a start of a new fragmented message after detecting in the message data of a message packet of the one or more message packets of the fragmented message an indication of a first message packet in the message packet sequence of the fragmented message.

20. The selective call receiver of claim 16, wherein the message data of each of the one or more message packets of a fragmented message comprises a signature identifying each of the one or more message packets as being associated with the fragmented message, and wherein the data decoder detects the signature in the message data of each of the one or more message packets and couples the message data to the message memory for reconstructing the fragmented message identified by the signature.

21. The selective call receiver of claim 16, wherein the message data of each of the one or more message packets of the fragmented message comprises a first portion and a second portion, and wherein the first portion includes the indication of whether more message packets are to be received for the fragmented message, the data decoder coupling the second portion of the message data of each of the one or more message packets to the message memory for successively storing the message data of the fragmented message while the indication in the first portion of the message data of each of the one or more message packets indicates that more message packets are to be received for the fragmented message, and the data decoder coupling the second portion of the message data of a final message packet of the one or more message packets constituting a completely received fragmented message after detection in the first portion of the message data of the final message packet an indication that no more message packets are to be received for the fragmented message.

22. The selective call receiver of claim 16, wherein the message data of each of the one or more message packets of the fragmented message is organized in one or more data code words, each data code word comprising a message data portion,

and wherein the selective call receiver further comprises an error corrector coupled to the receiver, the address correlator, and the data decoder for correcting up to a predetermined number of bit errors in each of the one or more data code words of a received message packet of the one or more message packets of the fragmented message in response to the indication of a successful correlation of the address of the received message packet, and for providing an indication of a successful or failed correction of each of the one or more data code words, the data decoder being responsive to the indication of a successful correction of each of the one or more data code words of the received message packet for decoding the message data portion of each of the corrected one or more data code words and coupling the message data portion to the message memory for successively storing the message data of the received message packet in the message memory for reconstructing the fragmented message in the message memory.