Combined analog and digital cellular telephone system having a secondary set of control channels

A mobile cellular radio telephone system including a mobile station and a base station designed for digital traffic channels only or digital and analog traffic channels, comprising:

• scanning means for scanning a primary set of control channels in order to select a first channel from a first preferred transmission system;
• reading means for reading said first channel of said primary set of control channels;
• detecting means for detecting a set of indicating bits associated with said first channel which indicate whether said first preferred transmission system has digital communication capabilities;
• utilizing means for utilizing said primary control channels in response to said indicating bits indicating that said first preferred transmission system has digital communication capabilities;
• and
• initiating means for initiating a scanning by said scanning means of any secondary set of control channels generated from a second preferred transmission system in response to said indicating bits indicating that said first preferred transmission system does not have digital communication capabilities.

A method for providing communication channels of a first data communication type in an existing cellular telephone system having communication channels of a second data communication type, said existing cellular telephone system including a mobile station and base station designed for utilizing communication channels of said first data communication type only or communication channels of said first and second data communication type, comprising the steps of:

• scanning a set of primary control channels for a first channel generated from a first preferred communication system having communication capabilities of said second data communication type;
• reading a first message from said first channel of said primary control channels;
• detecting a set of indicating bits associated with said first message which indicate whether said first preferred communication system has communication capabilities of said first data communication type or said second data communication type;
• determining in accordance with said indicating bits whether said first preferred communication system has communication capabilities of said first data communication type or said second data communication type;
• utilizing said primary control channels in response to said indicating bits indicating that said first preferred communication system has communication capabilities of said first data communication type;
• and
• initiating a scanning of a set of secondary control channels generated from a second preferred communication system in response to said indicating bits indicating that said first preferred communication system does not have communication capabilities of said first data communication type.

A mobile cellular radio telephone system comprising:

• a first preferred transmission system which generates a primary set of control channels;
• a second preferred transmission system which generates a secondary set of control channels;
• means in said first preferred transmission system for transmitting a first message on said primary control channels, said first message having associated therewith a set of indicating bits which indicate whether said first preferred transmission system has digital communication capabilities;
• and
• a mobile station including means operable for initially scanning said primary control channels and reading said first message from said primary control channels;
• wherein
• said a mobile station includes means for utilizing said primary control channels in response to said indicating bits indicating that said first preferred transmission system has digital communication capabilities, and for scanning said secondary control channels in response to said indicating bits indicating that said first preferred transmission system does not have digital communication capabilities.

A method for establishing a communication connection between a mobile station and a base station in a mobile cellular telephone system, comprising the steps of:

• transmitting on primary set of control channels associated with a first preferred transmission system;
• transmitting on a secondary set of control channels associated with a second preferred transmission system;
• transmitting a first message on said primary control channels, said first message having associated therewith a set of indicating bits which indicate whether said first preferred transmission system has digital communication capabilities;
• scanning said primary control channels and reading said first message from said primary control channels;
• utilizing said primary control channels in response to said indicating bits indicating that said first preferred transmission system has digital communication capabilities;
• and
• scanning said secondary control channels in response to said indicating bits indicating that said first preferred transmission system does not have digital communication capabilities.