Multiple transmitter paging system

Abstract

A multiple transmitter wide area communication system comprises a central station having a plurality of acknowledge back receivers, each receiving acknowledge back responses on one of a plurality of acknowledge back channels, and a plurality of transmitters each transmitting on an individual channel. The system further comprises a plurality of remote stations each having an acknowledge back receiver which is capable of selectably receiving acknowledge back responses on each of the individual channels, and a transmitter which is capable of selectably transmitting on each of the individual channels. Each central station transmitter substantially simultaneously transmits at a high data bit rate on each individual channel the addresses for acknowledge back pagers for which messages are intended, and further transmits at a high data bit rate the associated messages intended only for those acknowledge back pagers which responded with an acknowledge back response. The central station then transmits at a high data bit rate on a preselected channel, in a predetermined sequence, to the remote stations the addresses and messages of only those acknowledge back pagers failing to respond to the previous address transmissions from the central station. The remote stations then simulcast transmit at a low data bit rate on the preselected channel the addresses of those acknowledge back pagers which failed to previously respond. The remote stations then transmit at a high data bit rate in a predetermined station sequence the messages intended for those acknowledge back pagers which responded with an acknowledge back signal.