Patent ID: 6804542
Filing Date: 2004-10-12
Classification: H04W,Y02D

Abstract:
A system for conserving power in a portable radio network comprising:a plurality of communication devices, wherein at least one of the communication devices has a transmitter configured to transmit a signal at periodic intervals to initiate communications and at least one of the communication devices has a receiver configured to be deactivated for a period of time during which the device is unable to receive communications then activated for a period of time to enable the device to receive the signal to initiate communications; a communication channel through which the plurality of communication devices can communicate, the communication channel establishing a common time reference to which the communication devices are synchronized; a first timing means associated with one of the plurality of communication devices and a second timing means associated with another of the plurality of communication devices, each timing means employing the common time reference to measure an amount of elapsed time since the respective communication device last transmitted or received a communication; and a plurality of time thresholds, wherein the period of time for which the receiver is deactivated and the periodic intervals of the signal to initiate communications can be increased at a same or different time by a time interval associated with a same or different one of the plurality of time thresholds when the amount of elapsed time exceeds the time threshold; wherein the active period for the receiver is offset in time from the common reference and the plurality of time thresholds are related such that the periods of time for which the receiver is deactivated and the periodic intervals of the signal to initiate communications differ by predetermined factors for respective consecutive time thresholds.