Adaptive operation of a control channel of a radio frequency site controller

A method of operating a radio frequency (RF) site controller, the method comprising:

• operating, with a first electronic processor of the RF site controller, a control channel of the RF site controller in a keyed state in which outbound signaling messages are broadcast by the RF site controller via a first transceiver and a first antenna over the control channel to a first communication device and in which inbound signaling messages from the first communication device are receivable by the RF site controller over the control channel, wherein the first electronic processor is configured to establish a traffic channel over which the first communication device is configured to communicate with a second communication device based on communication with the first communication device over the control channel;
• determining, with the first electronic processor, that new activity has not occurred on the control channel for a first dynamic period of time;
• in response to determining that new activity has not occurred on the control channel for the first dynamic period of time, transmitting, via the first transceiver and the first antenna, an outbound de-keying notification message to the first communication device over the control channel, and operating the control channel in a de-keyed state for a second dynamic period of time, wherein when the control channel is operated in the de-keyed state, the outbound signaling messages are not transmitted by the RF site controller over the control channel and the inbound signaling messages from the first communication device are receivable by the RF site controller over the control channel;
• and
• in response to determining that the second dynamic period of time has elapsed, operating, with the first electronic processor, the control channel in the keyed state;
• wherein at least one of the first dynamic period of time and the second dynamic period of time is based on a characteristic of at least one of a group consisting of a coverage area being serviced by the RF site controller and one or more communication devices being serviced by the RF site controller.

A communication system comprising:

• a radio frequency (RF) site controller including
• a first transceiver,
• a first antenna, and
• a first electronic processor, wherein the RF site controller is configured to communicate with a first communication device over a control channel to establish a traffic channel over which the first communication device is configured to communicate with a second communication device,
• wherein the first electronic processor is configured to control the RF site controller such that the control channel operates in either
• (i) a keyed state in which outbound signaling messages are broadcast by the RF site controller via the first transceiver and the first antenna over the control channel and in which inbound signaling messages from the first communication device are receivable by the RF site controller over the control channel, or
• (ii) a de-keyed state in which the outbound signaling messages are not transmitted by the RF site controller over the control channel and in which the inbound signaling messages from the first communication device are receivable by the RF site controller over the control channel,
• wherein the first electronic processor is configured to
• (a) operate the control channel in the keyed state,
• (b) determine that new activity has not occurred on the control channel for a first dynamic period of time,
• (c) in response to determining that new activity has not occurred on the control channel for the first dynamic period of time, transmit, via the first transceiver and the first antenna, an outbound de-keying notification message to the first communication device over the control channel, and operate the control channel in the de-keyed state for a second dynamic period of time, and
• (d) in response to determining that the second dynamic period of time has elapsed, operate the control channel in the keyed state, and
• wherein at least one of the first dynamic period of time and the second dynamic period of time is based on a characteristic of at least one of a group consisting of a coverage area being serviced by the RF site controller and one or more communication devices being serviced by the RF site controller, and
• wherein the outbound de-keying notification message includes the second dynamic period of time;
• and
• the first communication device including
• a second transceiver,
• a second antenna, and
• a second electronic processor configured to
• receive, via the second transceiver and the second antenna, the outbound de-keying notification message from the RF site controller, and
• in response to receiving the outbound de-keying notification message,
• store identification information of the control channel included in the outbound de-keying notification message, and
• prevent the first communication device from sampling for other RF site controllers during the second dynamic period of time.