Method and apparatus for battery saving in a radio communication device

Claim 3

The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of: acquiring, subsequent to the enabling step and prior to the disabling step, peak and valley settings of the RF signal; enabling the receiver for reception of the RF signal at a predetermined time after disabling the receiver; determining that the RF signal is being received at the predetermined on-signal data rate; and utilizing the peak and valley settings acquired when the RF signal was received at the predetermined off-signal data rate to recover data included In the RF signal received at the predetermined on-signal data rate.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1, wherein the off-signal data rate is transmitted utilizing a predetermined data pattern, and wherein the disabling step comprises the step of: disabling the receiver in response to determining that the RF signal is being received at the predetermined off-signal data rate, wherein the detection of the off-signal data rate is performed in substantially less time than is the detection of the on-signal data rate.

Claim 7

The method according to claim 4, further comprising the steps of: the radio communication device determining that the RF signal is not being transmitted at either the predetermined on-signal data rate or the predetermined off-signal data rate: and the radio communication device disabling the receiver in response thereto.

Claim 8

The method according to claim 4, further comprising, in the radio communication receiver, the step of: acquiring, subsequent to the enabling step and prior to the determining step, peak and valley settings of the RF signal.

Claim 9

The method according to claim 6, further comprising, in the radio communication device, the steps of: enabling the receiver for reception of the RF signal at a predetermined time after the step of disabling the receiver; determining that the RF signal is being received at the predetermined on-signal data rate; and utilizing the peak and valley settings acquired when the RF signal was received at the predetermined off-signal data rate to recover data included in the RF signal received at the predetermined on-signal data rate.

Claim 10

The method of claim 4, wherein the off-signal data rate is transmitted utilizing a predetermined data pattern, and wherein the disabling step comprises the step, in the radio communication receiver, of: disabling the receiver in response to determining that the RF signal is being transmitted at the predetermined off-signal data rate, wherein the detection of the off-signal data rate is performed in substantially less time than is the detection of the on-signal data rate.

Claim 11

A radio communication device for receiving and processing a radio frequency (RF) signal, wherein the radio communication device is powered by a battery, the radio communication device comprising: a receiver for receiving the RF signal; an on-signal baud rate detector coupled to the receiver for determining whether the RF signal is being received at a predetermined on-signal data rate at which data is normally provided to the radio communication device; a decoder coupled to the receiver and the on-signal baud rate detector for decoding the RF signal in response to the on-signal baud rate detector determining that the RF signal is being received at the predetermined on-signal data rate; an off-signal baud rate detector coupled to the receiver for determining whether the RF signal is being received at a predetermined off-signal data rate which is not an integer multiple of the predetermined on-signal data rate, wherein the on-signal and off-signal baud rate detectors search for the predetermined on-signal and predetermined off-signal data rates, respectively, at substantially coincident times; and power switching means coupled to the receiver and the off-signal baud rate detector for disabling the receiver in response to the off-signal baud rate detector determining that the RF signal is being received at the predetermined off-signal data rate.

Claim 12

A radio communication device for receiving and processing a radio frequency (RF) signal, wherein the radio communication device is powered by a battery, the radio communication device comprising: a receiver for receiving the RF signal; an on-signal baud rate detector coupled to the receiver for determining whether the RF signal is being received at a predetermined on-signal data rate at which data is normally provided to the radio communication device; a decoder coupled to the receiver and the on-signal baud rate detector for decoding the RF signal in response to the on-signal baud rate detector determining that the RF signal is being received at the predetermined on-signal data rate; an off-signal baud rate detector coupled to the receiver for determining whether the RF signal is being received at a predetermined off-signal data rate which is not an integer multiple of the predetermined on-signal data rate, wherein the on-signal and off-signal baud rate detectors search for the predetermined on-signal and predetermined off-signal data rates, respectively, at substantially coincident times; and power switching means coupled to the receiver and the off-signal baud rate detector for disabling the receiver in response to the off-signal baud rate detector determining that the RF signal is being received at the predetermined off-signal data rate.

Claim 13

The radio communication device according to claim 9, further comprising: a programmable memory coupled to the on-signal and off-signal baud rate detectors for storing values utilized by the on-signal and off-signal baud rate detectors to determine whether the RF signal is being received at the predetermined on-signal data rate or the predetermined off-signal data rate.

Claim 14

The radio communication device according to claim 9, wherein the power switching means comprises: a switch coupled between the battery and the receiver; and a microcomputer coupled to the switch and the off-signal baud rate detector for opening the switch to decouple the battery and the receiver in response to the off-signal baud rate detector determining that the RF signal is being received at the predetermined off-signal data rate and for subsequently closing the switch to couple the battery and the receiver such that receiver is again enabled for reception of the RF signal.

Claim 15

The radio communication device according to claim 11, further comprising: a peak and valley detector coupled to the receiver for acquiring peak and valley settings of the RF signal and for storing the peak and valley settings when the RF signal is received at the predetermined off-signal data rate, wherein the peak and valley settings are utilized by the decoder for data recovery when the RF signal is received at the predetermined on-signal data rate subsequent to being received at the predetermined off-signal data rate.

Claim 16

The radio communication device of claim 9, wherein the off-signal data rate is transmitted utilizing a predetermined data pattern, and wherein the detection of the off-signal data rate occurs in substantially less time than does the detection of the on-signal data rate.

Claim 17

A radio communication system for radio communication between devices, comprising: a paging transmitter for transmitting a radio frequency (RF) signal at a predetermined on-signal data rate when data is included in the RF signal and for transmitting the RF signal at a predetermined off-signal data rate between transmissions at the predetermined on-signal data rate, wherein the predetermined off-signal data rate is not an integer multiple of the predetermined on-signal data rate; a radio communication device for receiving the RF signal, the radio communication device comprising: a battery for powering the radio communication device a receiver coupled to the battery for receiving the RF signal; an on-signal baud rate detector coupled to the receiver for determining whether the RF signal is being received at the predetermined on-signal data rate; a decoder coupled to the receiver and the on-signal baud rate detector for decoding the RF signal in response to the on-signal baud rate detector determining that the RF signal is being received at the predetermined on-signal data rate; an off-signal baud rate detector coupled to the receiver for determining whether the RF signal is being received at the predetermined off-signal data rate different from the predetermined on-signal data rate, wherein the on-signal and off-signal baud rate detectors search for the predetermined on-signal and predetermined off-signal data rates, respectively, at substantially coincident times; and power switching means coupled to the receiver and the off-signal baud rate detector for disabling the receiver in response to the off-signal baud rate detector determining that the RF signal is being received at the predetermined off-signal data rate.

Claim 18

A radio communication system for radio communication between devices, comprising: a paging transmitter for transmitting a radio frequency (RF) signal at a predetermined on-signal data rate when data is included in the RF signal and for transmitting the RF signal at a predetermined off-signal data rate between transmissions at the predetermined on-signal data rate, wherein the predetermined off-signal data rate is not an integer multiple of the predetermined on-signal data rate; a radio communication device for receiving the RF signal, the radio communication device comprising: a battery for powering the radio communication device a receiver coupled to the battery for receiving the RF signal; an on-signal baud rate detector coupled to the receiver for determining whether the RF signal is being received at the predetermined on-signal data rate; a decoder coupled to the receiver and the on-signal baud rate detector for decoding the RF signal in response to the on-signal baud rate detector determining that the RF signal is being received at the predetermined on-signal data rate; an off-signal baud rate detector coupled to the receiver for determining whether the RF signal is being received at the predetermined off-signal data rate different from the predetermined on-signal data rate, wherein the on-signal and off-signal baud rate detectors search for the predetermined on-signal and predetermined off-signal data rates, respectively, at substantially coincident times; and power switching means coupled to the receiver and the off-signal baud rate detector for disabling the receiver in response to the off-signal baud rate detector determining that the RF signal is being received at the predetermined off-signal data rate.

Claim 19

The radio communication system according to claim 14, wherein the radio communication device further comprises: a programmable memory coupled to the on-signal and off-signal baud rate detectors for storing values utilized by the on-signal and off-signal baud rate detectors to determine whether the RF signal is being received at the predetermined on-signal data rate or the predetermined off-signal data rate.

Claim 20

The radio communication system according to claim 14, wherein the power switching means of the radio communication device comprises: a switch coupled between the battery and the receiver; and a microcomputer coupled to the switch and the off-signal baud rate detector for opening the switch to decouple the battery and the receiver in response to the off-signal baud rate detector determining that the RF signal is being received at the predetermined off-signal data rate and for subsequently closing the switch to, couple the battery and the receiver such that receiver is again enabled for reception of the RF signal.

Claim 21

The radio communication system according to claim 16, wherein the radio communication device further comprises: a peak and valley detector coupled to the receiver for acquiring peak and valley settings of the RF signal and for storing the peak and valley settings when the RF signal is received at the predetermined off-signal data rate, wherein the peak and valley settings are utilized by the decoder for data recovery when the RF signal is received at the predetermined on-signal data rate subsequent to being received at the predetermined off-signal data rate.

Claim 22

The radio communication system of claim 14, wherein the off-signal data rate is transmitted utilizing a predetermined data pattern, and wherein the detection of the off-signal data rate occurs in substantially less time than does the detection of the on-signal data rate.