CN1178529C - Use a single command to perform updates to multiple information service topics - Google Patents

Abstract

A selective call device (130) has a receiver (204) for receiving a selective call signal including an address (312). An address correlator (214) connected to a decoder (212) determines that the selective call signal is directed to it and judges whether the selective call signal is included in a message part (316) of a standard transport layer communication protocol An update command (400, 500). This update command includes a topic number (407, 508) used as a sub-address representing a subscribed information service topic, update data for this subscribed information, and information for updating as a sub-message stored in Instructions for selected portions of at least one previously received information service topic in a message memory (226). The update command includes an identification (405, 505) of a format of the update data. An update command can provide update data for one part of multiple messages, or one part of multiple topics. Multiple update commands can be embedded in one message part.

Description

Use a single command to perform updates to multiple information service topics

This application relates to co-pending Provisional Application No. 60/040,622, the filing date of which is claimed by the applicant, and co-pending Provisional Application No. 60/038,715 filed by the same inventor as this application Application filed March 7, 1997, entitled "Use of One Command to Perform Updates to Multiple Information Service Topics."

technical field

The present invention relates generally to communication systems for sending information service messages to selective call devices, and more particularly to a method for reducing the overhead of such messages.

Background technique

A conventional selective call device, eg, a selective call receiver, or a transmitter, and a selective call receiver, is capable of receiving messages from multiple sources. Typically, the sources are distinguished by an address associated with each message. The selective call device receives and stores the message from a particular source when the address correlates or matches a predetermined address in the selective call device.

Modern selective call service providers are able to periodically send multiple types of messages containing information service messages, such as news, stock market data, weather forecasts, and sports reports, to a user's selective call device. However, it is often necessary to send updates to previously sent information service messages.

Typically, an information service message is longer than a personal message. In many cases, however, an information service message is a repetition of a previous information service message, with only a relatively small portion being changed or new data. Information service messages include headers and numerical data, and often the numerical data only changes in each information service message. For example, when sending stock price information, the name of the stock, yearly high information, and yearly low information rarely change compared with the current transaction price of the stock. As another example, in some cases sports reports and weather information both contain information that is updated infrequently, such as team names or geographic data. Correspondingly, another part of such information service messages contains frequently updated information, such as team points and atmospheric conditions. In these examples, although information such as team names or geographic names rarely change, these messages are typically resent whenever any part of the message is updated. This wastes wireless transmission time and system throughput.

Several prior art approaches have attempted to reduce transmission overhead by using tabular forms in the sending of information service type messages. For example, US Patent No. 5,173,688 to Deluca et al., also assigned to the assignee of the present invention, discloses sending to a pager blank forms or forms to be filled by subsequent communications or by the user. In general, the data is divided into header information or update information containing either a protected status or an unprotected status, respectively. In particular, header fields generally protect alphanumeric data such as stock names or team names and are given a protected status, while update fields such as current transaction prices or volume are given unprotected status. This effect having a "protected state" is such data that is not overwritten by newly entered data. On the other hand, an unprotected field is one that is overwritten by subsequent messages. Formatting techniques are used to define protected and unprotected fields. In particular, field headers or designators are periodically sent to these selective call receivers. These headers or identifiers form protected fields and are stored semi-permanently in the memory of the selective call receiver. Periodically changing data consists of these unprotected fields which are sent without identifiers, each field separated from the next by a carriage return key only. After receiving a new message, the pager clears all unprotected fields and inserts the new update data into the unprotected fields, then displays the unprotected fields in the output of the selective call receiver. or protected fields. However, the reader cannot say that only this protected data was sent, nor how much unprotected data has been updated. This approach can greatly improve throughput when compared to resending the entire message, but sending some redundant information.

Another example of sending a blank form is disclosed by Fascenda in US Patent Nos. 5,241,305 and 5,345,227. As disclosed, Fascenda teaches the use of a mask block for holding 8 complete 40 character masks when receiving database type messages. Typically, a mask is 0 everywhere, but is updated with a mask padding codewords in specific parts of the database. Once this mask is sent and stored in a bitmap structure in these mask blocks, and the non-zero parts are filled with individual information (such as stock prices), a mask containing a mask padding codeword Fill messages can be sent to fill non-masked memory locations. Specifically, to fill or change the contents of a non-masked memory location, a first codeword comprising a masked fill command, a masked ID, and a database ID is sent. Then send a second codeword containing a start block, (i.e. the start block number counted from the beginning of the database) and hop bits that tell the microprocessor how many hops to hop after filling each mask piece. Fascenda discloses another method of increasing the transfer rate of a database containing consistent information that generates a cycle template of a database. An example is that in a stock database, the words "open", "close" and "high" appear periodically. In this case, Fascenda uses a format codeword to reproduce the same information in several memory locations without sending the same information several times. This format codeword includes a format command, a database ID and start block.

Although both Deluca et al. and Fascenda disclose methods of sending database messages in which a portion of the database is periodically updated, both have deficiencies. When using masks or tables, certain areas of memory automatically become protected or cannot be updated. Also, a disadvantage of this masking method using Fascenda is that there are only a limited number of masks, so there is a tradeoff between reducing transmission overhead and limiting the number of ways to update any particular message.

Contents of the invention

Thus, what is needed is a method of efficiently sending updates to multiple fields or multiple topics of multiple information service sub-messages.

The present invention provides a method of updating multiple sub-messages by a single update command in a selective call device comprising a processor connected to a memory unit and configured to receive a message in a standard transport layer communication protocol format A signal transmitted, the signal comprising an address portion and a message portion, the method comprising the steps of: (a) storing at least one sub-message in a memory unit, wherein each stored sub-message corresponds to a sub-address and has at least A field; (b) after step (a), receiving a signal with a single update command in a message part having a standard transport layer communication protocol format, this single update command includes a plurality of subaddresses, a set of update parameters, and each A set of update data for subaddresses; and (c) for each subaddress in the plurality of subaddresses received in step (b), determine whether there is a corresponding stored submessage, and if there is a corresponding stored submessage, then Based on the set of update parameters, the stored sub-messages corresponding to the sub-address are updated with the corresponding set of update data for the sub-address, wherein the same fields in each stored sub-message are updated.

The present invention also provides another method of updating multiple sub-messages by a single update command in a selective call device, said selective call device comprising a processor connected to a memory unit and configured to receive a message in a standard transport layer communication A signal sent in a protocol format, the signal comprising an address portion and a message portion, the method comprising the steps of: (a) storing at least one sub-message in the memory unit, wherein each stored sub-message corresponds to a sub-address, and Having at least one field; (b) after step (a), receiving a signal with a single update command in a message part having a standard transport layer communication protocol format, this single update command includes a plurality of sub-addresses, a set of update parameters, and a single update data; and (c) for each sub-address received in the multiple sub-addresses in step (b), determine whether there is a corresponding sub-message, if there is a corresponding sub-message, then according to the update parameter, use the single The update data updates the stored sub-messages corresponding to the sub-address, wherein the same field in each stored sub-message is updated.

Description of drawings

1 is an electrical block diagram of a selective call system for providing information services according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

2-5 are timing diagrams illustrating the transmission format of the signaling protocol used by the selective call system of FIG. 1 in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is an electrical block diagram of a selective call device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is an illustration of an example of a sub-message group provided on a display of a selective calling device.

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram showing the generation of a message for updating the group of sub-messages shown in FIG. 7 according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 9 is an illustration of an example of a sub-message group provided on a display of a selective calling device.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing the generation of a message for updating the group of sub-messages shown in FIG. 9 according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 11 is an illustration of an example of a sub-message group provided on a display of a selective calling device.

FIG. 12 is a flow chart showing the generation of a message for updating the group of sub-messages shown in FIG. 11 according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a sub-message group provided on a display of a selective calling device.

FIG. 14 is a flow chart showing the generation of a message for updating the group of sub-messages shown in FIG. 13 according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed ways

FIG. 1 shows a paging system for generating and transmitting (or broadcasting) a selective call signal (or communication signal) including a plurality of information services, or a selective call system 100, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. An electrical block diagram. Preferably, the functions of the selective call system 100 are implemented in software, such as a MODAX 500 selective call terminal manufactured by Motorola Corporation of Sumburg, Illinois. Typically, a user sends a message through a phone 102 to activate the sending of a selective call message. As is well known, the telephone 102 is connected to the selective call system 100 via a telephone network 104, the operation of which is well known to those skilled in the art. Similarly, a computer/modem 106 is also connected to the telephone network 104 for entering information, such as alphanumeric messages. The telephone network 104 is connected to a message receiver 108 which receives messages typically from the public telephone network 104 to be sent (broadcast) to at least one of a plurality of selective call devices 130 .

According to the preferred embodiment, a plurality of information services 140-146 are connected to the telephone network 104 which is connected to a processor 109 via the message receiver 108. Alternatively, the plurality of information services 140-146 may be received via radio frequency signals. At frequent intervals, the information service provider sends to the selective call system 100 updates to previously sent information service messages.

When the processor 109 receives an update, this information is encoded as a message in the form of a selective call signal (or communication signal). In particular, the processor 109 connected to the message receiver 108 determines a suitable protocol, preferably the FLEX ^™ protocol, and an address to encode the message service. If the processor 109 determines that the message is to be sent in another signal format, the message is passed to one of the other protocol generators 116 . When the processor has determined that the information service messages need to be sent using the FLEX protocol, the messages are then encoded and stored in a frame queue buffer 110 that has the corresponding frames in the signal queue (frame 0-N queue). Preferably, the number of frames N is 128. The predetermined frame identification (ID) of the selective call device 130 corresponding to the message is determined, and the message is stored in the corresponding frame queue. A capacity analyzer and frame ID/cycle generator 112 determines the sequence of frame IDs to be sent, and analyzes the capacity of each frame to determine the cycle value to use. The volume analyzer and frame ID/cycle generator 112 is also responsive to other protocols being transmitted. For example, if an expected occurrence of a frame is to be replaced by a transmission of one of the other protocols (thus, reducing the size of the frame), the capacity analyzer and frame ID/cycle generator 112 can use the determined loop value to explain it. A bit and frame sync generator 118 synchronously generates bit and frame sync signals. In response to the address of the selective call device 130 and the frame queue, a message formatter 114 determines a frame that will include the message. These messages are then formatted for sending. A transmitter 120 receives signals from message formatter 114, signals from other protocol generators 116 and signals from bit and frame sync generator 118, and transmits signals via antenna 122 to The selective calling device 130 transmits radio frequency selective calling signals.

Figure 2 shows a standard protocol format, the FLEX protocol, encoded as 128 message packets or frames 200. The duration of each of frames 200 is preferably 1.875 seconds, and their preferred base data rate is 6400 bits per second.

Referring to Fig. 3, the composition of each frame is as follows: a bit synchronization signal 302, preferably 32-bit 0, 1 alternate bit pattern, followed by a frame synchronization #1 signal 304, this frame synchronization signal is preferably a predetermined The 32-bit word and its 32-bit inverse, and a frame information word signal 306, this frame information word signal 306 is preferably a 32 bit with 21 variable information bits containing information, such as a cycle number and a frame number Character. The bit sync signal 302 provides bit sync to the selective call device 130, and the frame sync #1 signal 304 provides frame sync and includes a signal representing the data date of the message information.

This frame information word signal 306 is followed by a frame sync #2 signal 308 . This frame sync #2 signal 308 is followed by a block information word signal 310 including information such as the number of priority addresses, the end of the block information field, and the vector start field. The codewords of each frame 200 are preferably encoded as 31,21 Bose-chaudhuri-Hocquenghem (BCH) codewords with 21 information bits and 10 parity bits generated according to this well-known BCH algorithm. An additional even parity bit extends this codeword to a 32,21 codeword. Addresses are in block 312 , vectors pointing to messages are in block 314 , and the messages are in remaining blocks, eg, block 316 . Typically, all address signals in the frame are located in a first portion, or address portion, of the frame, such as block 312, and all message signals are located in a subsequent portion, or message portion, such as block 316, of the frame. Those skilled in the art know how to locate addresses in a first part and messages in a second part of this frame. Words 310, 312, 314, and 316 are shown in a vertical orientation to indicate that these codewords may be interleaved to improve immunity to transmission burst errors. All binary, and selected alphabetic, outgoing messages in a one-way selective calling system, and all binary, and selected alphabetic, forward channel messages in a two-way selective calling system include a protocol definition header, Or a status information field followed by a data field. The FLEX protocol is fully explained in U.S. Patent No. 5,555,183, issued September 10, 1996, by Willard et al., entitled "Method and Apparatus for Synchronizing to a Synchronized Selective Call Signal," which is also assigned To the assignee of the present invention, therefore, this patent is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

It is well known in the art to preprogram a selective call device with one or more transport layer protocol addresses for receiving messages. For example, a FLEX address for receiving personal messages, and additional, unique FLEX addresses for receiving each of a plurality of information services 140-146 to which a selective call device subscribes Program the selective call device 130. As is well known, the format of each message received by a FLEX address corresponding to any of the information services 140-146 is similar, if not identical. Subscribers of an information service 140-146 receive source messages and then receive updates to the source messages. Typically, only a small portion of the information in each source message needs to change over time; therefore, only a small portion of the information needs to be updated, ie sent as an update message. For example, an individual subscribing to a financial/stock market information 144 service typically pre-defines the stocks for which the individual wishes to receive prices. Each stock associated with this financial/stock market information 144 service is preassigned a subaddress, or topic number. This subaddress, or topic number, is different from this FLEX address. Typically, a sub-message associated with each stock contains several types of information in separate fields to be displayed on the display, for example: a stock symbol, current price, price change indication and direction of price change, if possible, this Day and/or year volume, highest and lowest prices, a dividend date indication, etc. The fact that each field in each Financial/Stock Market Information 144 service message is located in a substantially similar location means that by compactly sending in one update command the subject number of the stock that needs to be updated and the number that needs to be updated Update the position information of each field to update the current price and transaction amount of multiple stocks in one update message. See the full description of this process below. Other information service messages, such as sports reports and weather reports, have different FLEX addresses and are updated in a similar way. Typically, there is one FLEX address for each group of topic numbers that share a similarly formatted submessage.

Referring to Figure 4, one of these messages, message 316, is described in more detail in accordance with this preferred embodiment of the present invention. Updates to the information services 140-146 are encoded into one of the messages, such as message 316, to be sent to the selective call devices 130. There are multiple communication methods and layers of communication from a selective call system 100 to a selective call device 130, and a process needs to identify which application layer, or embedded protocol is used by an information service 140-146 to encode the information transmitted. The content of the information contained. A status information field 402 identifies that an embedded protocol message 401 is being sent as opposed to a normal selective call message. The term "embedded protocol" means an application layer communication protocol carried by a transport layer communication protocol, and the embedded protocol messages are preferably FLEXsuite ^™ embedded protocol messages. FLEXsuite contains several embedded protocols for transferring applications, ie computer programs, and data used by such applications over a selective call system 100 using the FLEX protocol. When the capacity of a transmission channel is limited, it is advantageous to use an embedded protocol based on a radio frequency, such as one of the FLEXsuite protocols, rather than one of the more feature-rich existing wire-based protocols. The status information field 402 defines which of several possible methods of transferring information from the selective call system 100 to a selective call device is used. This status information field is defined as the first 8 bits of application layer information in a FLEXsuite embedded protocol message 401 . It should be understood that a message 316 can contain one or more FLEXsuite embedded protocol messages 401 , or sub-messages, in which case each of the one or more embedded protocol messages has a separate status information field 402 . It should be understood that a message 316 may contain one or more FLEXsuite embedded protocol messages 401 and one or more normal selective call messages. The purpose of the status information field 402 is to provide the controller 210 with the information required by the software of the selective call device 130 to correctly process the information content of the associated message field following the status information field.

This status information field 402 contains an application layer protocol identifier, preferably represented by 2 hexadecimal numbers. Preferably, the application layer protocol is FLEXinfo ^™ and the application layer protocol identifier of FLEXinfo is preferably "80". The absence of this application identifier indicates that the message is a normal selective call message. Alternatively, a different application identifier identifies the message as a normal selective call message. As can be seen from FIG. 4 , the status information field is the first part of the message 316 .

Alternatively, a global status information field (not shown, but substantially similar to the status information field 402 ) may precede the status information field 402 . A global state information field contains bytes forming a global identification and bytes identifying the size of the global payload. Two examples of global state information fields are compression and scrambling, ie encryption. This global identifier preferably consists of two hexadecimal numbers. This encrypted global identifier is preferably "F0". Encryption for FLEXsuite is preferably performed using the techniques disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,283,832 issued February 1, 1994 to Lockhart, Jr et al., entitled "Paging Message Encryption," also assigned to assignee of the present invention, and this patent is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Multiple global protocols can be concatenated together in one transmission by sending consecutive global state information fields. Included in the global state information field is an indication of the size of this FLEXsuite message, or the length (in bytes) of this FLEXsuite payload. This message size representation allows multiple FLEXsuite messages to be sent in one FLEX message, such as message 316. In the example illustrated in Figure 4, the size of this FLEXsuite message contains bytes in blocks 403-427, which in this example represent only one FLEXsuite message, ie one FLEXinfo command.

A selective call device 130 receives a source information service message in a conventional manner, preferably by using a FLEXinfo source message command. The format of an information service message is more fully explained in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 08/807,933, filed February 28, 1997, "Format of Selective Call Messages," by Nelms et al. The application is also assigned to the assignee of the present invention, so this patent is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Battery Conservation of a Selective Call Device 130 Subscribed to an Information Service, and a Description of the FLEXinfo Commands Related thereto, in U.S. Patent No. 5,929,733, issued Jul. 27, 1999, "Selection" by Nelms et al. Sex Calling Device and Method for Conserving Battery During Messaging Services," which is also assigned to the assignee of the present invention and is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Behind the FLEXsuite status information field 402, each FLEXinfo command has a unique command identifier 403. This command identifier 403 is preferably an expandable unsigned integer. Updating a previously received information service message is accomplished by using one of two types of update commands that allow selected parts, or fields, of a source message to be efficiently updated with minimal overhead. According to the present invention, one of these update commands, a continuous topic range update command 400, is sent after the FLEXsuite status information field 402 in the FLEXsuite embedded protocol message 401. This continuous topic range update command 400 includes blocks 403-427 of FIG. Preferably, the topic of each information service is assigned a unique number to enable the correlation between this topic and the sub-address. For each sub-message, there is a corresponding sub-address. In the continuous topic range update command 400, a continuous range of topic methods specifies the range of information topics to be included in the update message, for example as the first topic specified and described as related to the first topic. An implicitly specified offset between the last title. A content length 404 specifies the size of this continuous topic range update command, ie, it specifies the number of bytes from block 405 to block 427 inclusive. The next field of the continuous topic range update command 400 is a data translation identifier 405 . This data translation identifier is preferably 4 bits long. The data translation identifier 405 identifies which data translation algorithm is used, such as ASCII, or digital, to encode the relevant data in the continuous topic range update command. Although ASCII is the preferred data translation algorithm when sending a source message to a selective call device 130, updates are preferably sent using a numeric data translation algorithm, such as standard numbers or financial numbers. Preferably, this method according to the invention allows efficient updating of sub-messages, since updates can be sent in any common 4-bit number, 7-bit and 8-bit alphabet, and 8-bit hexadecimal format that yields the most compact data. By using the data translation flag 405, the selective call device 130 can correctly convert the message into the format in which the message is stored in a memory unit, such as the message memory 226. Behind the data translation identifier 405 is preferably a block 406 with a size or a length of 4 bits and reserved for the future.

The controller 210 in the selective call device 130 deduces the range of the information topics from a basic topic 407 and the number of additional topics 408, the basic topic 407 specifies the starting subaddress to be sent, the number of additional topics 408 Defines the number N of additional topics following the basic topic 407 to which this command applies. For example, if the starting topic number is 98, then the hexadecimal value "62" appears in the base topic 407 field. For example, if the total number of information service topics is 7, then the hexadecimal number "06" appears in the number of additional topics 408 field. Unlike known methods using subaddresses of a predetermined length, the number of basic topics 407, and additional topics 408 are preferably unsigned extendable integers. A byte extension flag in the highest position of an extendable integer field indicates whether the extendable integer is more than one byte. Each topic has a unique integer associated with it. By specifying the topic subaddresses in a sequential fashion, for example, or unique integers in ascending or descending order, the start topic subaddress and the end topic subaddress identify the possible Information service updates. When the topic subaddress range does not include any topic subaddress of the information services to which the selective call device 130 subscribes, the selective call device can skip to the next command (if there is another command) or shut down immediately, That is, the battery saving state is performed. This continuous topic range update command also contains a number of additional fields 409 parameter defining the number M of additional fields that need to be updated. This number of additional field parameters is preferably an unsigned extendable integer. For example, if in this first field no additional fields need to be updated, then the value "00" is sent in block 409 . The continuous topic range update command also includes a field offset 410 array of M+1 parameters. The Field Offset 410 is an array of unsigned extendable integers, and defines for each field in a title the offset to the first character of the field. The first field offset, field offset (0), is defined as the number of characters from the first character of the message. Where the data translation flag 405 specifies hexadecimal format, then the first field offset is defined as the number of bytes from the first character of the message. The second field offset, field offset (1), and all subsequent offsets to field offset (M), are defined as the number of characters ( or number of bytes, for hexadecimal). The continuous topic range update command 400 also includes a field length 411 array of M+1 unsigned extendable integers, which defines a field length of each field to be updated, and the length is calculated in number of characters. This continuous topic range update command 400 also contains a data string array immediately after the array of the field length 411, [data (0, 0), data (0, 1), data (0, 2) ... data (0 , M), stuffing bits, data(1,0), data(1,1), data(1,2)...data(1,M), stuffing bits...data(N,0), data(N,1 ), data (N, 2) ... data (N, M), padding bits]. The first entry of the data string array, data (0, 0) represents the basic topic, that is, the first field of the topic (0), that is, the updated information of the field offset (0). The second entry of the data string array, data (0, 1) represents the basic topic, that is, the second field of the topic (0), that is, the updated information of the field offset (1). In the example given above, this basic topic is topic number 98. The entry data (1, 0) represents the next topic in the continuous topic range to be updated by the continuous topic range update command 400, i.e. the first field of topic (1), i.e. field offset (0) of this updated information. In the example given above, this next topic is topic number 99. The last part of the continuous topic range update command 400 is an expandable reserved extension area 427 .

Referring now to FIG. 5, according to the present invention, the other of these update commands, an itemized topic list update command 500, is sent after the FLEXsuite status information field 502 in the FLEXsuite message 501. This itemized topic list update command 500 includes blocks 503-527 of FIG. 5 . It should be understood that a computer (not shown) preferably located at each provider of these information services 140-146 is programmed to use the continuous topic range update command 400 and the itemized topic list update command 500 to construct update messages, and Programmed to send updates to the selective call system over the telephone network using whatever command results in the shortest message. In the itemized topic list update command 500, a list designates the information topics included in the update message. A Content Length 504 specifies the size of the Itemized Topic List Update Command 500, ie it specifies the number of bytes from block 505 to block 527 included. The next field of the itemized topic list update command 500 is a data translation identifier 505 . This data translation identifier is preferably 4 bits. The data translation identifier 505 identifies which of several data translation algorithms, such as ASCII or numeric, is used to encode the relevant data in the itemized topic list update command 500 . When sending a source message to a selective call device 130, updates are preferably sent using a numeric data translation algorithm, such as standard numbers or financial numbers, although ASCII is the preferred data translation algorithm. Behind the data translation identifier 505 is a block 506 with a size of 4 bytes reserved for the future. A FLEX address is generally preselected for each group of topic numbers (subaddresses) sharing a similarly formatted submessage; therefore, the method according to the invention advantageously uses only one update command, such as the sequential topic range update command 400 or This sub-topic list update command 500 (whichever is the shortest) to efficiently send updates to multiple fields of multiple sub-messages, ie, updates to multiple fields of multiple information service topics. Such an update command is part of the message sent by the selective call system 100 in a standard transport layer communication protocol format, such as an embedded protocol sent in block 316 of FIG. 3, or part of an application layer protocol. The data for such a plurality of sub-messages includes data in composite blocks 412, 417, and 422 in FIG. 4 and data in composite blocks 512, 517, and 522 in FIG. These subaddresses associated with each submessage are the topic numbers that appear in blocks 407 and 408 of FIG. 4 and block 508 of FIG. 5 . In these examples where a set of topic numbers shares more than 1 type of formatted message, the method according to the invention uses the computer at one of the information services 140-146 to construct two update commands, one of which updates commands for each type of formatted message, and the selective call system 100 sends the two update commands in a FLEXsuite payload in a message section of a standard transport layer communication protocol format.

Advantageously, all topic numbers in any one itemized topic list update command 500 are the same length to eliminate erroneous transmissions. However, different from the prior art, this length can be dynamically changed by the computer at an information service in these information services 140-146 according to different commands (add 0 to the highest bit to not change a topic number value). The controller 210 in the selective call device 130 determines the length from the first topic of the topic number 508 using the byte extension flag of the first topic number. The controller 210 in the selective calling device 130 from the number of additional topics 507, from a list of topic numbers 508 as an array, [topic (0), topic (1), topic (2), ..., topic (N)] to derive this message topic. The number of additional topics 507 defines the number of additional topics following topic(0) to which this command applies. For example, if the total number of topics to be updated in the current command is 3, and then the number of additional topics is 2, the hexadecimal number "02" appears in the field of the number of additional topics 507. For example, if the starting title numbers to be updated in the current command are "98, 102, and 103", then the hexadecimal number "62 6667" appears in the title number 508 field. The number of additional topics 507 and the topic number 508 are preferably scalable unsigned integers. When the topic subaddress range does not include any topic subaddress in the information services to which the selective call device 130 subscribes, the selective call device can skip to the next command (if there is another command) or shut down immediately , which enters the battery saving state. This Itemized Topic List Update command 500 also includes a number of additional fields 509 parameter, which defines the number M of additional fields that need to be updated. The Itemized Topic List Update command 500 also includes a field offset 510 array of M+1 parameters. The Field Offset 510 is an expandable array of unsigned integers that defines, for each field in a title, the offset from the first character of that field. The first field offset, field offset (0) is defined as the number of characters from the first character of the message. Where the data translation identifier 505 specifies a hexadecimal format, then the first field offset is defined as the number of bytes from the first character of the message. The second field offset, field offset (1), and all subsequent offsets to field offset (M) are defined as the number of characters (or word number of sections, for hexadecimal). The itemized topic list update command 500 also includes a field length 511 array of M+1 expandable unsigned integers, which defines a field length for each field to be updated, and the field length is calculated in the number of characters. The itemized subject list update command 500 also includes a data string array immediately after the array of the field length 511, [data (0,0), data (0,1), data (0,2)...data ( 0, M), filling bits, data (1, 0), data (1, 1), data (1, 2) ... data (1, M), filling bits ... data (N, 0), data (N, 1), data(N, 2)...data(N, M), padding bits]. The first entry of the data string array, data (0, 0) represents the basic topic, that is, the first field of the topic (0), that is, the updated information of the field offset (0). The second entry of the data string array, data (0, 1) represents the basic topic, that is, the second field of the topic (0), that is, the updated information of the field offset (1). In the example given above, this basic topic is topic number 98. The last part of the itemized topic list update command 500 is an expandable reserved extension area 527 .

FIG. 6 shows an electrical block diagram of a selective calling device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The selective calling device 130 is powered by a battery 234 and is used to receive and transmit radio frequency signals via an antenna 202 . A receiver 204 is connected to the antenna 202 to receive the radio frequency signal. A demodulator 206 is connected to the receiver 204 to recover any information signal in the radio frequency signal using conventional techniques. The recovered information signal output from the demodulator 206 is sent to a controller 210 which decodes the recovered information using a method well known to those skilled in the art.

In the preferred embodiment, the controller 210 includes a microcomputer, such as a Model MC68HC11PH8 microprocessor manufactured by Motorola Corporation, and includes a signal processor that performs the function of a decoder, usually composed of hardware and software to fulfill. This signal processor includes an address correlator 214 and a decoder 212, and uses methods well known to those skilled in the art. The address correlator 214 checks the address information in the recovered information signal from the output of the demodulator 206, and compares a recovered address with predetermined addresses stored in a non-volatile memory 220 A pre-specified address for correlation operations. After the address correlator 214 judges that the received signal is directed to the selective call device 130, for example, by combining the address in the received signal with a predetermined one of a plurality of predetermined addresses in the non-volatile memory 220 Correlation calculations are performed on the address, and the decoder 212 decodes the application identifier in the signal to determine whether the message contains information service data. The absence of the application layer protocol identifier in the state information fields 402 and 502 (FIG. 4 and FIG. 5) indicates that the message being decoded is an ordinary selective call message. Conversely, when the application layer protocol identifier is present, and when it is associated with an information service application, such as FLEXinfo, the message is an information service message. The transport layer communication protocol address of the information service is preferably stored in the non-volatile memory 220, and the application layer protocol identifier, the command identifier 403, and the topic number (or subaddress) are preferably stored in a memory 222 middle.

When the user of the selective call device 130 subscribes to at least one information service, the memory 222 is programmed with the information service addresses and associated topic numbers (or subaddresses). Each information service has a unique address and unique topic numbers to allow the selective call device 130 to determine when the subscribed information service 140-146 is present in a particular transmission. A Topic Number can be a short form of an Information Service Address, but preferably a Topic Number is distinct from an Information Address and also distinguishes the Information Service Topic present in a particular transmission.

Status information is stored in memory 222 and indicates the information service that the selective call device 130 is programmed to receive. After the decoder decodes the presence of an application layer protocol identifier in the status information field 402, the decoder decodes the command identifier 403, which indicates, for example, that a continuous topic range update command 400 was received. Next, the decoder decodes the basic topic 407, ie the first subaddress, and the number of additional topics 408, or subaddresses, and the data in compound blocks 412, 417 and 422. The decoder further decodes the content length 404 to determine the end of the command. If the topic number corresponding to the information services subscribed by the selective call device is not within the range of the basic topic 407 and the topic end address, the decoder decodes the next command (if there is another command), otherwise The decoder 212 gates a user interface 216 to cause the battery saver 218 to shut down or remove power from the receiver 204 via a support circuitry 224 .

On the other hand, when decoding this subtitle list update command 500, the number of additional titles 507 is decoded, followed by decoding the subtitle number 508, or the subaddress. Alternatively, the additional topic number 508 parameter set number is replaced by a set of numbers representing the difference between each additional topic number and the topic number preceding the additional topic number. In such a case, the differences are decoded and the software stored in the non-volatile memory 220 determines its title number 508 . This alternative is advantageous when the difference between the topic numbers is smaller than the topics on average, since the topic number information is part of the overhead that should be kept to a minimum. If the selective calling device does not decode an address corresponding to one of the information services to which it subscribes (or a topic number corresponding to one of the topic numbers to which it subscribes), the decoder decodes the next A command (if another command) otherwise, the battery saver 218 removes power from the receiver 204 .

Conversely, when a subscribed topic number is found in the itemized list of the topic number 508, the controller 210 further decodes the command, including the information data in composite blocks 512, 517 and 522. The controller 210 recovers the topic numbers of the selected information service sent to the selective call device 130, and when it is correlated with the topic numbers stored in the memory 222, the decoder 212 decodes the message and This decoded message is stored in message memory 226 .

Using this method, when the selective call device 130 verifies that the received information is directed to it, the selective call device 130 further decodes the received information to determine whether the received information includes any information directed to the selective call device 130. Call device 130 for information service data. As is well known, the providers of information services 140-146 package these updates and the provider of a selective call system 100 sends these updates, and any selective call device 130 authorized to receive these information services 140-146 will receive these updates.

After receiving, decoding and storing the selected message service in the message memory 226, the selective call device 130 typically provides at least a portion of the stored message to a user, for example via a display 228, such as a liquid crystal display. Additionally, in conjunction with receiving, decoding and storing the information, a reminder is provided to the user via an output alerter 232 . The support circuitry 224 preferably includes a conventional signal multiplexing integrated circuit, a voltage rectifier and control mechanism, a current rectifier and control mechanism, audio power amplifier circuitry, control interface circuitry, and display lighting circuitry. These components are arranged to support the functions of the selective call device 130 requested by a user.

In addition, the controller 210 judges from the enable or disable state information in the memory 222 whether to save power after detecting an address information. That is, when a received and restored address correlates with a predetermined address in the nonvolatile memory 220, the controller 210 checks the status information corresponding to the correlated predetermined address information to determine whether to enable This address. If the controller 210 decides not to enable the associated predetermined address, then the decoder 212 is not activated. Input control 230 is connected to the memory 222 and to the user interface 216 for receiving user input, including but not limited to programming, manipulating data, and sending commands to the selective call device 130 . A selective call device may alternatively include a transmitter 208 responsive to information service sub-messages.

Except when the transport layer communication protocol address of the selective call device 130 is not received, battery saving is used when the selective call device 130 determines that the information service or update sent to it does not include the selective call device 130 130, the selective calling device 130 enters a battery saving usage mode. Using such a method, these information services are identified with the information service addresses and topic numbers (subaddresses) sent together with these information service messages, to make the selective call device 130 judge when a transmission includes the selective call These topics to which device 130 is subscribed. Because of the large number of available information service topics, if the selective call device 130 needs to search for all transmissions for a subscribed information service 140-146, the service life of the battery will be exhausted very quickly. Therefore, by checking the message service address and the topic number, the selective calling device 130 can save battery.

7-12 show examples of these methods of updating information service messages according to the present invention. Referring now to FIG. 7, a sub-message 700 having a topic number "01" and a sub-message 701 having a topic number "02" are shown provided on a display of a selective calling device 130. Referring to FIG. The format of the two submessages is similar. Each of these sub-messages comes from a financial/stock market information service 144 and contains fields showing the stock symbol, a current price, a change in price, and an indication indicating the direction of change in the price. These submessages 700 and 701 are source messages sent using conventional methods, preferably using the FLEXinfo source message command. Instead, sub-messages 700 and 701 are updates to a previous (not shown) source message. It should be understood that nothing in this method according to the invention precludes a source message being sent without using an embedded protocol or a sub-message or a topic number. Sub-messages 702, and 703 are the resultant parts of sub-messages 700 and 701, respectively, which are updated by using a continuous topic range update command 400. The updated parts are the current price and the price change. FIG. 8 shows a flow diagram 800 illustrating the steps taken to construct a continuous topic range update command 400 to send the updated data required to use digital data translation to generate sub-messages. In step 801, the fields to be updated are defined by the number of fields, the position of each field, and the length of each field. In sub-message 700, the last 3 digits of this current price are updated. The last 3 digits of this current price form a field starting at a position of 9 from the leftmost position of the display, i.e. offset (0)=9. The size of this field is 3 characters, i.e. length (0 )=3. Also, in sub-message 700, the last 2 digits of this price change are updated. The last 2 digits of this price change are a field starting from a position 4 behind the previous field, i.e. offset(1)=4, and the size of this field is 2 characters, i.e., length(1)=2. In both sub-messages 700 and 701 the same fields are updated. This field offset (0, 1) = "09 04" is sent in block 410 in this continuous topic range update command. This length offset (0,1)="0302" is sent in block 411 in this continuous topic range update command. In step 802, blocks 403-411 in this continuous topic range update command 400 are compound blocks, as shown. In step 803, compound blocks 412, 417, and 422 are combined by converting the data into packed hexadecimal data using padding bits so that the data for each title ends on an even byte boundary. Step 804 calculates this content length 404 only after inserting any required padding bits. In step 805, if there are additional commands to be sent in this same embedded protocol message 401, the above steps are repeated. In this example, there are no additional commands. In step 806, the FLEXsuite Status Information field 402 is added to the beginning of the command, and the command is sent. In the previous example, an overhead of 10 bytes was required to update two topics. So, conveniently, on average, each topic requires only 5 bytes of overhead. Existing methods would use a larger number of bytes for each subaddress to send these same updates ("subaddress" is the term used in the prior art and most closely resembles that in this description of the invention The term "subject" is used).

Figure 9 shows sub-message groups 900-913 having topic numbers "98-104", as displayed on the display of the selective calling device. Source sub-messages 900-906 are displayed on the display of the selective call device 130. Sub-messages 907-913 are displayed on the display after being updated with alpha data translations by a continuous topic range update command 400. The construct that produces the commands that result in the updates to the sub-messages 907-913 according to the steps of the flow diagram 1000 of the invention is shown in FIG. 10 . In the previous example, two fields out of seven topics were updated. Conveniently, only 10 bytes of overhead are used. So, in the examples shown in Figures 9 and 10, on average, there is only roughly 1.44 bytes of overhead per topic. In the prior art, each subaddress would use a larger number of bytes to send this same update.

Figure 11 shows sub-message groups 1100-1105 having topic numbers "98, 102, 103", as displayed on a display of a selective call device. Source sub-messages 1100-1102 are displayed on the display of the selective call device 130. After being updated, sub-messages 1103-1105 are displayed on the display. FIG. 12 is a flow diagram 1200 showing the generation of an itemized topic list update command 500 that uses numeric data translation and includes functions for updating the items shown in FIG. 11 in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Updated data and instructions for groups of topics 1100-1102.

Figure 13 shows sub-message groups 1300-1303 having topic numbers "10, 17", as displayed on a display of a selective call device. Each sub-message comes from a sports information 141 service and contains fields for displaying team name, season, time remaining in the game, score, and a text description of a game event. Source sub-messages 1300-1301 are displayed on the display of the selective call device 130. Sub-messages 1302-1303 are displayed on the display after being updated by two update commands sent as a FLEXsuite embedded protocol message. The first update command is a continuous topic range update command 400 and the second update command is an itemized topic list update command 500 . FIG. 14 is a flow diagram 1400 showing the generation of a FLEXsuite embedding protocol message for updating the set of topics 1300-1301 shown in FIG. 13 in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Conveniently, this method according to the present invention does not require any changes to any already existing selective call systems, or any changes to any previously existing transport layer paging protocols.

While a detailed description of this preferred embodiment of the invention has been given, it should be understood that many changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. For example, the present invention is not limited to use of the FLEX transport layer radio paging protocol, but other paging protocols may be used. Additionally, the present invention is not limited to the use of a wireless selective call protocol, but any wireless protocol may be used. Further, the present invention is not limited to using wireless protocols, but can use wired protocols.

Claims (5)

1. A method of updating a plurality of sub-messages by a single update command in a selective call device, said selective call device comprising a processor connected to a memory component and configured to receive signals sent in a standard transport layer communication protocol format, this The signal includes an address portion and a message portion, the method comprising the steps of: (a) storing at least one sub-message in the memory component, wherein each stored sub-message corresponds to a sub-address and has at least one field; (b) After step (a), receiving a signal with a single update command in a message part having a standard transport layer communication protocol format, this single update command includes a plurality of subaddresses, a set of update parameters, and an update parameter for each subaddress a set of updated data; and (c) For each sub-address in the multiple sub-addresses received in step (b), determine whether there is a corresponding stored sub-message, if there is a corresponding stored sub-message, then according to the set of update parameters, use the sub-message The corresponding update data set for the address updates the stored sub-messages corresponding to that sub-address, wherein the same fields in each stored sub-message are updated. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the standard transport layer communication protocol format is a wireless protocol. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein a single update command identifies the subaddresses as an itemized list of subaddresses. 4. A method for updating a plurality of sub-messages by a single update command in a selective call device, said selective call device comprising a processor connected to a memory component and configured to receive signals sent in a standard transport layer communication protocol format, the The signal contains an address part and a message part, the method comprising the steps of: (a) storing at least one sub-message in the memory component, wherein each stored sub-message corresponds to a sub-address and has at least one field; (b) after step (a), receiving a signal with a single update command in a message part having a standard transport layer communication protocol format, this single update command includes a plurality of subaddresses, a set of update parameters, and a single update data; and (c) For each sub-address in the multiple sub-addresses received in step (b), determine whether there is a corresponding sub-message, and if there is a corresponding sub-message, update the corresponding sub-address with the single update data according to the update parameter Stored sub-messages for sub-addresses where the same field in each stored sub-message is updated. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein a single update command identifies the subaddress as a series of sequentially numbered subaddresses.

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