Motorola Corporation

Craig J Christmas

Kenneth Charles Elkin

Leonard Wayne Bennett

Robert Mark Gorday

Stuart S Kreitzer

Gregory O Snowden

A method of producing a receive signal quality estimate in a subscriber unit (SU) located in a given geographic area covered by a wireless communication system of a kind in which a base station transmits downlink signals in a group of successive time frames directed to a set of geographic areas including an area in which the SU is located, wherein each of the group of successive time frames has signals aimed at a corresponding one of the set of geographic areas. The method comprises the steps of activating a receiver in the SU to listen over a determined listening interval that at least partly coincides with the group of successive time frames; measuring a signal strength of at least one downlink signal received by the SU receiver during the determined listening interval within one of, a time frame of the group of successive time frames corresponding to a geographic area in which the SU is located, and one other time frame of the group of successive time frames corresponding to a geographic area other than the geographic area in which the SU is located; and producing an estimate of receive signal quality at the SU according to a result of the measuring step.

Receive signal quality estimates suitable for pagers used in

Application of power to a transmitter in a messaging device is preceded by measuring a quality of at least one base station down-link signal received by a receiver in the device, and producing a transmit threshold signal when the measured signal quality corresponds to a substantial likelihood of accurate detection by a base station of an up-link signal to be transmitted from the device. The device transmitter is powered on only if the transmit threshold signal is present over a given interval prior to a transmitter operation. Thus, a relatively low-power battery and small antenna can be used effectively by the device, and its overall size kept at a minimum.

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West Palm Beach, FL, United States of America

Craig J Christmas