Subscriber unit which is responsive to annunciation messages

An individual subscriber communication (ISCU) unit that communicates with a communication network and that presents information to a user of said unit in the form of annunciations, said ISCU comprising:

• a receiver for receiving incoming data transmitted from said communication network;
• a controller, coupled to said receiver, for monitoring said incoming data to detect an annunciation data message, said annunciation data message being initiated by said communication network and interleaved into communication channels existing between said communication network and said ISCU, said annunciation data message conveying system control data that coordinates communication and status with said communication network for instructing said subscriber unit to present an annunciation, and said annunciation data message conveying data which identify an annunciation;
• a memory in said ISCU storing annunciation data in said ISCU prior to receipt of a call from said communication network, said annunciation data serving as a repertoire of annunciations pre-stored in said ISCU;
• means, coupled to said memory and said controller, for selecting a portion of said annunciation data from said memory, said selected portion of annunciation data being chosen in response to said identifying data;
• and
• a user interface, coupled to said controller, for presenting to said user the one of said annunciations corresponding to said selected portion of said annunciation data.

A method of operating an individual subscriber communication unit (ISCU) that communicates with a communication network, has memory for storing annunciation data, and has a user interface through which a user of said ISCU may perceive annunciations, said method comprising the steps of:

• storing said annunciation data in said memory of said ISCU prior to receipt of a call from said communication network, said annunciation data serving as a repertoire of annunciations pre-stored in said ISCU;
• monitoring in said ISCU data transmitted from said communication network to detect an annunciation data message, said annunciation data message being initiated by said communication network and interleaved into communication channels existing between said communication network and said ISCU, said annunciation data message conveying system control data that coordinates communication and status with said communication network for instructing said ISCU to perform an annunciation, said annunciation data message conveying data which identify one of said annunciations, and said annunciation data message being received over a first period of time;
• selecting from said memory, when said monitoring step detects said annunciation data message, a portion of said annunciation data, said selected portion of annunciation data being chosen in response to said identifying data;
• translating said selected portion of said annunciation data into a voice message;
• and
• controlling said user interface to audibly present said voice message to said user, said voice message being presented over a second period of time which is greater than said first period of time.

A method of operating an individual subscriber communications unit (ISCU) identified by a unique subscriber ID in a communication system having multiple subscriber units, said ISCU comprising a transceiver, a memory, a controller, a user interface including an annunciator, said ISCU being identified by said unique subscriber ID, said method comprising:

• pre-storing in said memory of said ISCU a pre-determined set of messages, each of said messages being identified by a retrieval code;
• using said transceiver and controller, monitoring transmissions from the communication system to detect a particular message packet containing said unique subscriber ID for said ISCU, said particular message packet, containing said unique subscriber ID, said message packet being initiated by said communication system and interleaved into a communication channel existing between said communication system and said ISCU, and from said particular message packet extracting said retrieval code conveying system control data that coordinates communication and status with said communication system intended for said ISCU;
• and
• actuating said annunciator to announce the particular message of the predetermined set identified by said extracted retrieval code.

A method of operating an individual subscriber communications unit (ISCU) in a cellular communication system having multiple subscriber units operating in a cell, said ISCU comprising a transceiver, a memory, a controller, a user interface and an annunciator, said ISCU being identified by a unique subscriber ID, said method comprising:

• pre-storing in said memory of said ISCU a pre-determined set of messages, each of said messages being identified by a retrieval code;
• using said transceiver and controller, monitoring transmissions from the communication system in said cell to detect a message packet containing a retrieval code, said message packet containing said retrieval code, said retrieval code being initiated by said communication system and interleaved into a communication channel existing between said communication system and said ISCU, and from said message packet extracting said retrieval code conveying system control data that coordinates communication and status with said communication system;
• and
• actuating said annunciator to announce the particular message of the predetermined set identified by the extracted retrieval code.

An individual subscriber communication unit (ISCU) for use in a cellular communication system having multiple subscriber units operating in a cell, said ISCU comprising:

• a memory in said ISCU having therein a set of predetermined messages pre-stored prior to said ISCU receiving a call, each of said messages being identified by a retrieval code;
• a transceiver for communicating with the system;
• an annunciator to announce the particular message of the predetermined set identified by a retrieval code;
• and
• a controller system in the ISCU, coupled to the memory, the transceiver and the annunciator, for monitoring transmissions from the communication system to detect a particular message packet containing a subscriber ID for said ISCU, said particular message packet, containing said subscriber ID, said message packet being initiated by said communication system and interleaved into a communication channel existing between said communication system and said ISCU, and for extracting from said message packet a retrieval code intended for said ISCU from said particular message packet, said retrieval code conveying system control data that coordinates communication and status with said communication system and for extracting from said memory a predetermined message corresponding to the extracted retrieval code, and for sending such retrieved predetermined message to the annunciator.