Method and apparatus for efficiently monitoring a plurality of radio channels to detect message signals

A method for efficiently monitoring a plurality of radio channels to detect message signals where the plurality of radio channels is divided into at least two groups of channels, said method comprising the steps of:

• scanning the plurality of radio channels for message signals;
• detecting a message signal on a first channel;
• and
• scanning only a first group of channels containing the first channel on which the message signal was detected by retrieving channel block information from memory;
• comparing the first channel with the channel block information to identify a first group of channels which includes the first channel;
• selecting a first group of channels;
• and
• scanning only the first group of channels to detect a message signal.

A method for efficiently monitoring a plurality of channels which are divided into groups of channels, comprising the steps of:

• successively monitoring channels within a first group of channels defined by channel block information stored in a memory to detect message signals;
• sampling channels within a second group of channels defined by channel block information stored in said memory if no message signal is detected in the first group of channels for at least a first predetermined time period;
• detecting a message signal on a channel which is part of the second group of channels;
• successively monitoring channels within the second group of channels to detect message signals.

A mobile message receiving device for efficiently monitoring a plurality of programmed radio channels, comprising:

• a selectively tunable receiver for receiving message signals on radio channels;
• a controller coupled to the receiver;
• a memory coupled to the controller for storing channel block information by which the plurality of programmed radio channels is divided into channel groups;
• said controller being coupled to selectively tune the receiver to scan each channel in a first channel group identified by the channel block information, and further being coupled, upon determining that no message signal has been received in the first channel group, to selectively tune the receiver to scan a second channel group identified by the channel block information.

A two-way radio for monitoring a plurality of radio channels, comprising:

• a receiver;
• a zone register;
• a memory for storing zone information defining multiple groups of said radio channels and for storing channel information identifying each radio channel;
• a controller coupled to the memory and the receiver for successively monitoring the plurality of channels identified by the channel information until a message signal is detected on a first channel, and coupled to the zone register to load into the zone register zone information identifying a first group of channels which contains the first channel on which a message signal is received, said controller causing the receiver to scan only the group of channels identified by the zone information stored in the zone register.

In a mobile receiving device capable of detecting message signals on a plurality of radio channels, a method for efficiently monitoring the plurality of channels for message signals, comprising the steps of:

• successively monitoring each channel of the plurality of radio channels by repeatedly retrieving incremental channel identification information from a memory storage device and tuning a receiver to a channel identified by the channel identification information to detect any message signal until a message signal is detected on a first channel for at least a first time period;
• selecting a group of channels identified by information stored in the mobile receiving device which includes the first channel on which a message signal is detected;
• monitoring only the selected group of channels to detect message signals until no message signal has been detected in the selected group of channels for a second time period;
• again successively monitoring each channel of the plurality of radio channels.