Method and apparatus for automatically attempting to seize a radio

Abstract

Apparatus is disclosed for enabling a mobile radiotelephone to automatically attempt to seize a radio channel in a multichannel radio communication system. The mobile radiotelephone scans the radio channels for a non-busy radio channel and provides an indication signal when detecting a non-busy radio channel. A counter which is continuously clocked by a clock signal is incremented for each clock cycle interval of the clock signal in response to the presence of the indication signal and is decremented for each clock cycle interval of the clock signal in response to the absence of the indication signal. Thus, the totalized count of the counter is proportional to the degree of radio channel blocking of the radiotelephone system. After an unsuccessful channel seizure attempt by the mobile radiotelephone user, time interval generating circuitry provides a random time interval that has a maximum magnitude that is inversely proportional to the totallized count of the counter. Thus, the maximum random time interval is shortest when the totallized count of the counter is greatest. At the end of the random time interval, circuitry automatically attempts to seize a radio channel and if unsuccessful, additional automatic channel seizure attempts are provided after corresponding random time intervals. Thus, overall radiotelephone system efficiency is enhanced by dynamically optimizing the average random time interval between automatic channel seizure attempts according to the degree of radio channel blocking.