Paging system using message fragmentation to redistribute traffic

A communication system for transmitting fragmented messages to distributed selective call receivers, each fragmented message comprising one or more message packets, each of the one or more message packets comprising an address and message data,

• the communication system comprising:
• a controller for providing one or more message packets of a fragmented message;
• at least one transmitter coupled to the controller for transmitting the one or more message packets of a fragmented message;
• and
• at least one selective call receiver for receiving the one or more message packets of the fragmented message, the at least one selective call receiver comprising:
• a code plug memory for storing one or more predetermined addresses;
• a message memory for storing the message data of one or more message packets of a fragmented message;
• a receiver for receiving transmitted messages including the one or more message packets of the fragmented message;
• an address correlator coupled to the receiver and the code plug memory for correlating the address of each of the one or more message packets to the one or more predetermined addresses, and for providing an indication of a successful correlation of the address to one of the one or more predetermined addresses;
• and
• a data decoder coupled to the receiver and the address correlator for decoding the message data of each of the one or more message packets in response to the indication of a successful correlation of the address thereof, and for coupling the message data to the message memory, the message data of each of the one or more message packets being successively stored in the message memory for reconstructing the fragmented message, the fragmented message being completely received after detection in the message data of one of the one or more message packets an indication that no more message packets are to be received for the fragmented message.

A selective call receiver capable of receiving a transmitted fragmented message, the fragmented message comprising one or more message packets, each of the one or more message packets comprising an address and message data, the message data comprising an indication of whether more message packets are to be received for the fragmented message, the selective call receiver comprising:

• a code plug memory for storing one or more predetermined addresses;
• a message memory for storing the message data of one or more message packets of a fragmented message;
• a receiver for receiving transmitted messages including the one or more message packets of the fragmented message;
• an address correlator coupled to the receiver and the code plug memory for correlating the address of each of the one or more message packets to the one or more predetermined addresses, and for providing an indication of a successful correlation of the address to one of the one or more predetermined addresses;
• and
• a data decoder coupled to the receiver and the address correlator for decoding the message data of each of the one or more message packets in response to the indication of a successful correlation of the address thereof, and for coupling the message data to the message memory, the message data of each of the one or more message packets being successively stored in the message memory for reconstructing the fragmented message, the fragmented message being completely received after detection in the message data of one of the one or more message packets an indication that no more message packets are to be received for the fragmented message.