Patent ID: 7369869

Claim:
A method for scanning a TDMA channel by a subscriber unit in a wireless communications landscape 100 , wherein the subscriber unit is operationally connected to at least one base radio over a plurality of channels, the method comprising the steps of: locking onto a channel of the plurality of channels by the subscriber unit wherein a subset of the plurality of channels is preprogrammed in a list in the subscriber unit; transmitting from at least one base radio a control message to the subscriber unit wherein the control message has a first information which informs the subscriber unit of activity present on the channel of the plurality of channels; receiving and decoding the control message for the first information by the subscriber unit; and if the first information indicates that activity is present on the channel of the plurality of channels, then determining whether the activity is of interest to the subscriber unit by comparing a second information in the control message with a third information preprogrammed in the subscriber unit and if the activity is of interest to the subscriber unit, then remaining on the channel of the plurality of channels to receive the activity present on the channel.