Telecommunications – Transmitter and receiver at same station – Radiotelephone equipment detail
Reexamination Certificate
1997-04-07
2001-12-18
Legree, Tracy (Department: 2681)
Telecommunications
Transmitter and receiver at same station
Radiotelephone equipment detail
C455S070000, C340S007320
Reexamination Certificate
active
06332086
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the synchronization of a central station with a communications device, and more specifically, such synchronization wherein a communication standard through which the communications device communicates with base station infrastructure is not utilized to achieve such synchronization, but rather such synchronization is independent of the communication standard, whereby modification of the communication standard and the base station infrastructure is unnecessary in order to achieve such synchronization.
Recently, technologies have been developed wherein a remotely-located device such as an automobile, can be controlled from a central station through the use of a communications device, and an appropriate interface at the remotely-located device. In this way, features such as unlocking the doors of the automobile can be achieved from a central station, should the operator of the vehicle forget his/her keys in the automobile. One such system to implement this new technology is the ON-STAR System now available with automobiles made by General Motors.
Problematically, even communications devices such as hand-held portable cellular telephones, which are generally designed to be optimized for maximum battery life, draw too much current from an automobile's battery to be left operative for an extended period of time, such as a period of a day or more. Thus, it is highly desirable to deactivate the communications device most of the time, activating it only for brief periods during which it can monitor a communication channel for incoming pages, i.e. calls.
Problematically, during periods when the communications device is deactivated, and thus conserving battery life, incoming pages from base station infrastructure will be ignored. Thus, a mechanism must be employed to assure that at least some of such pages are initiated by the central station during periods when the communications device is active.
For example, one approach to assuring that pages destined for a particular mobile station are sent while such particular mobile station is active is to use the existing base station infrastructure and a communications standard associated therewith to synchronize operation of the central station and the mobile station. This can be done, for example, by defining a protocol for a control channel that directs the communications device as to when it should activate and deactivate. In such an arrangement, because the base station infrastructure is aware of the communications device's activate/deactivate cycling, having instructed the communications device as to when to activate and when to deactivate, the base station infrastructure can pass this information on to the central station and can assure that pages are sent only when the communications device is active.
Alternatively, the base station infrastructure may simply hold pages from the central station in a queue until the base station infrastructure determines that the communications device should be activated.
Unfortunately, these approaches require the establishment of a protocol for a control channel in the communication channel used by the base station infrastructure and the communications device so as to provide for methods of instructing the communications device as to the timing of its activate/deactivate cycling and to enable the base station infrastructure to communication this activate/deactivate cycling to the central station or to queue up pages until the communications device is to become activated. Problematically, the modification of existing protocols for the base station infrastructure requires modification of the communication standard employed, by the base station infrastructure, which presents both technical as well as political challenges.
The present invention advantageously addresses the above and other needs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention advantageously addresses the needs above as well as other needs by providing a system and method for the synchronization of a central station with a communications device, and more specifically, such a system and method for synchronization wherein a communication standard through which the communications device communicates with base station infrastructure is not utilized to achieve such synchronization, but rather wherein a synchronization approach independent of the communication standard is employed, whereby modification of the communication standard and the base station infrastructure is unnecessary in order to achieve such synchronization.
In one embodiment, the present invention can be characterized as a method of synchronizing operation of a first communications terminal with operation of a second communications terminal involving establishing a communications link between the first communications terminal and the second communications terminal, the communications link being defined by a communication standard; and synchronizing a first clock coupled to the first communications terminal with a second clock coupled to the second communications terminal by receiving a time standard signal into the first communications terminal independently of the communication standard.
In another embodiment the present invention can be characterized as a system for synchronizing a first clock with a second clock employing the first clock; a first communications terminal coupled to the first clock; the second clock; a second communications terminal coupled to the second clock; a communications link defined by a communication standard; and a transmitter transmitting a time standard signal independently of the communication standard to the first clock and setting the first clock in response to the time standard signal.
In a further embodiment the present invention can be characterized as a communications system having a communications transceiver; a controller coupled to the transceiver; a clock coupled to the controller, the controller powering on and powering off the communications transceiver in response to the clock; and a time standard receiver, independent of the communications transceiver, receiving a time standard signal and setting the clock in response to the time standard signal.
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SAE Paper 861059 “Global Positioning System for Vehicle Navigation and Position Reporting” by G.F. Knoernschild.
Gelin Jean A.
Legree Tracy
Sales Michael W.
Whelan John T.
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