GB2303236A - Data display radio pager - Google Patents

Abstract

A data display radio pager capable of displaying illustrations allows the user of the pager to select the display duration illustration-by-illustration. For example, the user can select the duration of display of each illustration in accordance with the degree of urgency of a message. A controller 4 receives demodulated paging signals and separates out message codes. A ROM 11 holds illustrations which correspond to those message codes, and the controller holds corresponding display durations for the individual illustrations. The controller 4 applies the appropriate illustration to a display LCD 9 for its respective predetermined duration. A switch 13 can be used to enter a display duration setting mode and change the display duration for each illustration to another of a set of possible display durations.

Description

DATA DISPLAY RADIO PAGER The present invention relates to a data display radio pager and, more particularly, to a data display radio pager capable of displaying illustrations.

It is known, with a radio pager of the type described, to store data representative of a plurality of pictures each consisting of a plurality of illustrations. To display one of the pictures, the illustrations constituting it in combination are displayed alternately at preselected intervals.

We have appreciated that it would be desirable with a data display radio pager for the user of the pager to be able to change the duration of display of each illustration to the user's taste, as desired.

The user could then select the duration of display of each illustration in accordance with the degree of urgency of the message, for example.

The invention in its various aspects is defined in the independent claims below, to which reference should now be made. Advantageous features are set forth in the appendant claims.

A preferred data display radio pager embodying the present invention has an information-separating section for separating ID (identification) information representative of a destination and a message code, from a received paging signal. A coincidence-detecting section determines whether or not the ID information separated by the information separating section coincides with ID information assigned to the radio pager. A display displays a sentence or other material corresponding to the message code separated out by the informationseparating section. A counter counts the duration of each of a plurality of illustrations to be displayed on the display. An inputting section allows the input of data for changing the duration to be counted by the counter. A store stores the duration illustration-by-illustration.

Also, the preferred data display radio pager embodying the present invention has an RF (Radio Frequency) section for receiving a paging signal via an antenna. A demodulator demodulates the received paging signal. A speaker driver drives a speaker for producing an alert tone. An LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) displays a sentence corresponding to a message code included in the paging signal. An LCD driver drives the LCD. An ID-ROM (Read Only Memory) stores ID information assigned to the radio pager beforehand. A ROM stores data representative of a plurality of illustrations and fixed messages, each corresponding to a respective message code. A RAM (Random Access Memory) stores the message code included in the paging signal, and the time of receipt of the paging signal.A switch is accessible to the user for selecting the duration of each of the plurality of illustrations to be displayed on the LCD. A controller controls the radio pager, and has a counter for setting the duration selected with the switch, and a timer for generating current time data.

The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing a data display radio pager embodying the present invention; FIG. 2 is a flowchart demonstrating a specific operation of the embodiment; and FIG. 3 shows specific illustrations to be displayed alternately.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a data display radio pager embodying the present invention is shown in a schematic block diagram. As shown, the pager has an RF section 2 for receiving a paging signal via an antenna 1. A demodulator 3 demodulates the received paging signal. A speaker driver 6 drives a speaker 7 for producing an alert tone. An LCD 9 displays a message represented by a message code included in the paging signal. The LCD 9 is driven by an LCD driver 8. An ID-ROM 5 stores an address number or ID information, assigned to the pager.

A ROM 11 stores data representative of a plurality of illustrations and/or fixed messages.

Each illustration or fixed message corresponds to a particular message code to be received. A RAM 10 is used to store the message code of the paging signal and the time of receipt. A switch (SW) 13 is operated to select the desired duration of display on an illustration-by-illustration basis. A controller 4 controls the entire pager and includes a counter 12 and a timer. The duration selected with the switch 13 is set in the counter 12. The timer generates data representative of the current time.

In operation, a paging signal coming in through the antenna 1 is fed to the demodulator 3 via the RF section 2. The demodulator 3 demodulates the paging signal and delivers the demodulated signal to the controller 4. In response, the controller 4 reads out of the ID-ROM 5 the ID assigned to the pager and compares it with the ID included in the demodulated signal. If the two IDs are the same, the controller 4 causes the speaker driver 6 to drive the speaker 7.

As a result, an alert tone is produced from the speaker 7 to alert the user of the pager to the receipt of a paging signal.

Assume that a message code follows the ID included in the demodulated signal. Then, the controller 4 executes error correction and decoding with the message code, and feeds the decoded message code to the LCD) driver 8. In response, the LCD driver 8 reads display pattern data corresponding to the message code out of the ROM 11 and then drives the LCD 9. As a result, a message represented by the display pattern data appears on the LCD 9. The message code is also written to the RAM 10 together with the time when it has been received.

The duration of display of an illustration is determined on the basis of the period of time set in the counter 12, as stated earlier. The user of the pager may change the period of time to be set in the counter 12 by operating the switch 13.

Reference will now be made to FIG. 2 for describing a procedure for setting the duration of display illustration-by-illustration. First, after the power-up of the pager, the user presses the switch 13 (step 201). In response, the controller 4 determines whether or not a duration set mode for changing the duration of display is set (step 202).

If the answer in the step 202 is negative (N), then the controller 4 waits until the switch 13 has been pressed again. If the answer in the step 202 is positive (Y), then the controller 4 causes a first illustration #N to appear on the LCD 9 (step 203). In this specific case, the illustration #N is assumed to be an illustration #1, and may be an illustration 21 shown in FIG. 3 by way of example. Thereafter, the controller 4 waits for a command which the user may enter for changing the duration of the illustration #1 (step 204). If the user does not change the duration of the illustration #1 (N, step 204), then the controller 4 causes an illustration #2, e.g., an illustration 22 shown in FIG. 3, to appear on the LCD 9. In normal use, the illustrations 21 and 22 are displayed alternately. If on the other hand the user desires to change the display duration, then the user operates the switch 13 (Y, step S204). In response, the controller 4 allows the user to select a desired one of a plurality of durations T1,T2, ....

Tn sequentially appearing on the LCD 9 (steps 205).

The controller 4 stores the duration selected by the user together with the illustration number #1 (step 206). Subsequently, the controller 4 determines whether or not the duration set mode has been ended (step 207). If the answer in the step 207 is N, the controller 4 causes the illustration #2 to appear on the LCD 9 and waits for a command meant for the illustration X2. If the answer in the step S207 is Y, the program ends.

In summary, it will be seen that the present arrangement provides a data display radio pager which allows the user of the pager to select the duration of display illustration-by-illustration.

Particularly, the user can select the duration of display of each illustration in accordance with the degree of urgency of a message.

Various modifications will become possible for those skilled in the art after receiving the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from the scope thereof.

Claims (4)

1. A data display radio pager comprising: information separating means for separating ID information representative of a destination and a message code from a received paging signal; coincidence detecting means for determining whether or not the ID information separated by the information separating means is coincident with ID information assigned to the radio pager; display means for displaying a material corresponding to the message code separated by information separating means; counting means for counting the duration of each of a plurality of illustrations to be displayed on the display means; inputting means for allowing data for changing the duration which is to be counted by the counting means to be input; and storing means for storing the durations illustration-by-illustration.

2. A data display radio pager comprising: an RF section for receiving a paging signal via an antenna; a demodulator for demodulating a received paging signal; a speaker driver for driving a speaker for producing an alert tone; an LCD for displaying material corresponding to a message code included in the paging signal; an LCD driver for driving the LCD; an ID-ROM for storing ID information preassigned to the radio pager; a ROM storing data representative of a plurality of illustrations and fixed messages each corresponding to a respective message code; a RAM for storing the message code included in the paging signal and the time of receipt of the paging signal; a switch accessible to the user for selecting the duration for which each of the plurality of illustrations is to be displayed on the LCD; and a controller for controlling the radio pager, and comprising a counter for setting the duration selected with the switch, and a timer for generating current time data.

3. A data display radio pager, comprising: an RF section for receiving a paging signal via an antenna; a demodulator for demodulating a received paging signal; a display device; a store for storing data representing a plurality of illustrations to be displayed on the display device in dependence upon codes received in received paging signals; means for detecting codes in the received paging signal and for reading corresponding illustrations from the store and transferring them to the display device for display for predetermined durations associated with each illustration; and means operable by a user for individually changing the values of the predetermined display durations associated with each of the illustrations

4. A data display radio pager substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings.