Radio pager and method of writing information in ROM of the radio pager

Abstract: A radio pager and a method of writing information necessary for communication in a ROM (14) (Read Only Memory) of the radio pager (10) by using a ROM writer (20). The ROM writer determines whether or not it is ready to communicate with the pager and, if it is ready, sends a type code request signal to a CPU (15) incorporated in the pager. On receiving the type code request signal, the CPU (15) sends a type code signal representative of the type of the pager to the ROM writer. In response, the ROM writer identifies the type of the pager and then writes information necessary for communication in the ROM of the pager.

Description: The present invention relates to a radio pager and, more particularly, to a method which allows information necessary for communication to be readily written to a ROM (Read Only Memory) incorporated in a radio pager by using a ROM writer. A radio pager, or simply pager, is extensively used today and has at least one ROM therein. Various kinds of information necessary for communication, e.g., an address assigned to the pager, a reception control method and the contents of standardized sentences are written to the ROM by use of a writing device usually referred to as a ROM writer. Since the reception system, for example, differs from one type of pager to another, each pager stores a type code representative of the type thereof in the ROM in advance. Specifically, the type code may be ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) code "5E" in the case of a numerical display type pager or ASCII code "7B" in the case of an alphabetical display type pager. The problem with the conventional operation for writing information in the ROM of a pager by a ROM writer is that the type of the pager has to be inputted to the ROM writer each time since the ROM writer lacks a function of identifying the type. This makes the operation of the ROM writer troublesome and time-consuming. A corresponding paging receiver is described in GB-A-2 068 616. It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a system for programming a radio pager and a method which allows one to write information in a ROM of the radio pager easily and rapidly by operating a ROM writer. This object is solved by the features of claims 1 and 7, respectively. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a flowchart demonstrating a conventional method of writing information in the ROM of a radio pager by use of a ROM writer; FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the construction of a radio pager to which a method of the present invention is applied, and a ROM writer connectable to the pager; FIG. 3 is a flowchart representative of the method of the present invention; FIG. 4 shows a sequence in which the pager and ROM writer shown in FIG. 2 interchange signals; FIG. 5 is a flowchart representative of the operation of the pager shown in FIG. 2; and FIG. 6 is a flowchart representative of the operation of the ROM writer shown in FIG. 2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a conventional procedure for writing information necessary for communication in the ROM of a radio pager by use of a ROM writer is shown. As shown, a ROM writer is connected to a pager (step S1), and a power switch provided on the pager is turned on (S2). After the ROM writer has confirmed the connection thereof to the pager (S3), data representative of the type of the pager is inputted to the ROM writer (S4). Subsequently, various information necessary for communication, e.g., an address assigned to the pager, a reception control method and the contents of standardized sentences are inputted to the ROM via the ROM writer (S5). In this manner, the type data has to be entered on the ROM writer each time since the ROM writer cannot identify a type, resulting in troublesome and time-consuming operations. A writing method embodying the present invention and free from the above-discussed problem will be described hereinafter. FIG. 2 shows a radio pager with a ROM to which the embodiment is applied, and a ROM writer connectable to the pager for writing information in the ROM. As shown, the pager, generally 10, has an antenna 11, an RF (Radio Frequency) section 12, a decoder 13, a ROM 14, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 15, a display driver 16, and a display 17. A particular type code is assigned to the pager 10. A ROM writer 20 is connectable to the CPU 15 of the pager 10. The CPU 15 and the ROM writer 20 have respective connecting devices to confirm that they are ready to communicate with each other when connected. In addition, the ROM writer 20 has a type code requesting device and a type identifying device which will be described, while the CPU 15 has a type code sending device which will also be described. In operation, a call signal come in through the antenna 11 of the pager 10 is amplified and demodulated by the RF section 12. The decoder 13 decodes the demodulated signal and applies the resulting signal to the CPU 15. The CPU 15 compares an address included in the decoded signal with an address assigned to the pager beforehand and read out of the ROM 14. If the two addresses are identical, the pager 10 starts on an alerting operation. FIG. 3 shows a sequence of steps for writing information in the ROM 14 by the ROM writer 20. As shown, after the ROM writer 20 has been connected to the pager 10 (S11), a power switch provided on the pager 10 is turned on (S12). As the ROM writer 20 confirms the connection thereof to the pager 10 (S13), it interchanges signals with the pager 10 to identify the type of the latter (S14). Subsequently, an address to be assigned to the pager 10, a reception control method, the contents of standardized sentences and other necessary information are inputted to the ROM 14 via the ROM writer 20 (S15). If the ROM writer 20 is not connected to the pager 10 as determined in the step 13, the pager 10 is brought to a standby state for awaiting a call signal. The embodiment will be described more specifically with reference also made to FIG. 4 showing a sequence in which the pager 10 and the ROM writer 20 interchange signals with each other. When the connection of the pager 10 and ROM writer 20 is confirmed in the step 13, FIG. 3, the pager 10 starts on a ROM write mode operation and waits for a first predetermined code signal S1 from the ROM writer 20. Specifically, in the ROM write mode, the ROM writer 20 sends the first predetermined code signal S1, e.g., ASCII code STX〈20〉 to the pager 10. The first predetermined code signal S1 functions to confirm connection between the ROM writer 20 and the pager 10 or to confirm readiness for writing information to the ROM 14. On receiving the signal S1, the pager 10 causes the CPU 15 thereof to send a second predetermined code signal S2, e.g., ASCII code ACK 〈60〉 to the ROM writer 20. In response to the second predetermined code signal S2, the ROM writer 20 determines that it can interchange information with the pager 10. Then, the ROM writer 20 sends a type code request signal S3, e.g., ASCII code K 〈B4〉 to the pager 10 from the previously mentioned type code requesting device thereof. On receiving this signal S3, the CPU 15 delivers a type code signal S4, e.g., ASCII code 5E 〈53, 54〉 to the ROM writer 20 from the previously mentioned type code sending device thereof. Subsequently, the type identifying device built in the ROM writer 20 as stated earlier determines the type of the pager 10 indicated by the type code signal S4. This is followed by the step S15, FIG. 3, for writing necessary information in the ROM 14 of the pager 10. FIGS. 5 and 6 show respectively the operation of the pager 10 and that of the ROM writer 20 for implementing the above-described information interchanging sequence. First, the operation of the pager 10, i.e., CPU 15 included therein will be described with reference to FIG. 5. After the ROM writer 20 has been connected to the pager 10, the power switch of the pager 10 is turned on (S21). Then, the CPU 15 determines whether or not the ROM writer 20 is connected to the pager 10 (S22). If the answer of the step S22 is NO, the CPU 15 sets up a standby mode in which the pager 10 awaits a call signal (S23); if otherwise, it sets up the previously stated ROM write mode (S24). Thereafter, the CPU 15 determines whether or not the pager 10 has received the first predetermined code signal S1 from the ROM writer 20 (S25). If the pager 10 has not received the code signal S1 or has received a signal other than the code signal S1, the CPU 15 sends a signal NAK to the ROM writer 20 (S26). If the answer of the step S25 is YES, the CPU 15 determines whether or not the pager 10 is ready to write information in the ROM 14 (S27). If the pager 10 is ready to do so, the CPU 15 sends the second predetermined code S2 to the ROM writer 20 (S29); if otherwise, the CPU 15 sends a signal NAK to the ROM writer 20 (S28). After the step S29, the CPU 15 determines whether or not the pager 10 has received the type code request signal S3 from the ROM writer 20 (S30). If the pager 10 has not received the signal S3 or has received a signal other than the signal S3, the CPU 15 sends a signal NAK to the ROM writer 20 (S31). If the pager 10 has received the signal S3 as determined in the step S30, the CPU 15 sends the type code signal S4 to the ROM writer 20 (S32). Thereafter, the CPU 15 awaits information which will be sent from the ROM writer 20 to be written in the ROM 14 (S33). As shown in FIG. 6, as the ROM writer 20 is connected to the pager 10 (S41), it sends the first predetermined code signal S1 to the pager 10 (S42). Then, the ROM writer 20 determines whether or not it has received the second predetermined code signal S2 from the pager 10 (S43). If the ROM writer 20 has not received the signal S2 within a predetermined period of time or has received a signal NAK from the pager 10, it displays an error (S44). On receiving the signal S2 (YES, S43), the ROM writer 20 sends the type code request signal S3 to the pager 10 (S45). Subsequently, the ROM writer 20 determines whether or not it has received the type code signal S4 from the receiver 10 (S46). If the ROM writer 20 has not received the signal S4 from the pager 10 within a predetermined period of time or has received a signal NAK, it displays an error (S47). On receiving the signal S4 (YES, S46), the ROM writer 20 starts on an operation for writing necessary information in the ROM 14 of the pager 10 (S46). In summary, it will be seen that the present invention provides a radio pager and a method which allows one to write various information necessary for communication in a ROM of the radio pager easily and rapidly by operating a ROM writer. Various modifications will become possible for those skilled in the art after receiving the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from the scope thereof.

Claims: A method of writing information necessary for communication in a ROM, having a write mode, of a radio pager to which a particular type code is assigned by using a ROM writer, comprising the steps of: (a) confirming the connection of said radio pager and said ROM writer; (b) sending a type code request signal from said ROM writer to said radio pager; (c) sending, in response to said type code request signal, a type code signal representative of said particular type code from said radio pager to said ROM writer; (d) causing said ROM writer to identify the type of said radio pager in response to said type code signal; and (e) sending said information from said ROM writer to said ROM of said radio pager to thereby write said information in said ROM. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said type code is stored in said ROM of said radio pager beforehand. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2 , wherein said information comprises said type code, an address assigned to said radio pager, a reception control method, and contents of standardized sentences. A method as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, wherein step (a) comprises (f) setting up a ROM write mode in said radio pager after the completion of the connection of said radio pager and said ROM writer. A method as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, further comprising the steps of: (a1) sending a first predetermined code from said ROM writer to said radio pager after confirming the connection of said radio pager and said ROM writer; (a2) determining, in response to said first predetermined code, whether or not said radio pager is ready to write said information in said ROM and, if said radio pager is ready, sending a second predetermined code signal to said ROM writer; and (a3) causing said ROM writer to execute step (b) in response to said second predetermined code signal. A method as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5, wherein said information is written to said ROM by said ROM writer via a CPU incorporated in said radio pager. A system for programming a pager, comprising a pager and a ROM writer, wherein the pager comprises a ROM, having a write mode, with a particular type code representative of the type of the pager stored therein, and means for outputting said type code from said ROM in response to an external request signal, and wherein the ROM writer contains means for transmitting said request signal towards the pager. A system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said ROM writer and said CPU comprise respective connecting means for connecting said ROM writer and said CPU. A system as claimed in claim 7 or 8, wherein said ROM writer further comprises type code requesting means for sending a type code request signal, and type identifying means for identifying the type of said radio pager in response to said type code signal. A system as claimed in any of claims 7 to 9, wherein said CPU comprises type code sending means for sending said type code signal.

Inventors: NAGAKURA TOMIO, NAGAKURA, TOMIO
Applicants: NIPPON ELECTRIC CO, NEC CORPORATION
Application year: 1992
Main classification: G08B3
IPC codes: G11C16, G11C17, G08B3, H04W8, H04W88