Patent ID: 8111617

Claim:
In a communication system, a method for receiving information, the method comprising: in a portable communication device: receiving a first signal directly from a first communication network utilizing a first communication protocol, the first signal communicating a unit of information from a source device, where the first communication network comprises at least a portion of a first communication pathway that extends from the source device to the portable communication device and communicatively couples the source device and the portable communication device; receiving a second signal directly from a second communication network independent of the first communication network, utilizing a second communication protocol different from the first communication protocol, the second signal communicating the unit of information from the source device, where the second communication network comprises at least a portion of a second communication pathway that extends from the source device to the portable communication device and communicatively couples the source device and the portable communication device, the second communication pathway operating independent of the first communication pathway; and processing the received first signal and the received second signal to determine the unit of information, wherein processing the received first signal and the received second signal to determine the unit of information comprises: processing the received first signal to determine the unit of information; determining a first indication of reliability for the unit of information determined from the received first signal; processing the received second signal to determine the unit of information; determining a second indication of reliability for the unit of information determined from the received second signal; and determining the unit of information by utilizing the unit of information determined from the received second signal and the second indication of reliability to re-determine the unit of information from the received first signal.