Integrated communications terminal

A mobile communications network, comprising:

• a plurality of mobile stations comprised of a plurality of electronic devices, respectively, each of said plurality of electronic devices including,
• means for determining location information on a location of said electronic device;
• means for storing the location of said electronic device as a stored location;
• means for receiving a communications control channel signal through which said electronic device receives a list of operating information for a plurality of selectable channel signals;
• means for receiving, simultaneously with receipt of said communications control channel signal, one of the plurality of selectable channel signals, which selectable channel signal said electronic device identifies using the list of operating information provided through the communications control channel signal;
• and
• means for executing instructions contained within the selectable channel signal, responsive to the stored location;
• a central station delivering a time-division-multiplexed communications control channel signal to said plurality of mobile stations;
• and
• a plurality of intermediate stations delivering the plurality of selectable channel signals to said plurality of mobile stations.

A method for delivering diverse communications services, including location-dependent instructions, from a transmitter at a central station to a plurality of receiving units using a plurality of selectable channels and a common communications control channel, and for executing particular location-dependent instructions responsive to a respective location of each of said plurality of receiving units, comprising the steps of:

• transmitting to said plurality of receiving units a communications control channel signal and a variable number of selectable channel signals;
• sending to said plurality of receiving units, through said communications control channel signal, data relating to the variable number of selectable channel signals, said data including a plurality of channel names, a plurality of data rates, and a plurality of frequencies, each of said plurality of channel names associated with a frequency and a data rate as a channel name association, with channel name associations modifiable through updating of the communications control channel signal;
• receiving, at a receiving unit, the communications control channel signal;
• selecting, by a user at said receiving unit, a selectable channel signal by selecting a name of said selectable channel signal as a selectable-channel-signal-name:
• extracting, from the selectable channel signal, location information specific to the receiving unit;
• storing, at the receiving unit, the extracted location information;
• executing, at the receiving unit, particular location-dependent instructions within the selectable channel signal, responsive to the stored extracted location information;
• identifying, by the receiving unit using the data relating to the variable number of selectable channel signals, a particular frequency and a particular data rate associated with the selectable-channel-signal name;
• tuning, by the receiving unit, to the particular frequency and the particular data rate associated with said selectable-channel-signal name;
• and
• receiving said selectable channel signal at the receiving unit.

A method for delivering a data channel signal including a plurality of location-dependent instructions, to at least one micro-electronic device with a radio satellite unit, and for executing particular location-dependent instructions within the plurality of location-dependent instructions, responsive to a respective stored location of said micro-electronic device, comprising the steps of:

• initializing said micro-electronic device with location information and initial frequencies and data rates of received signals;
• transmitting the data channel signal including the plurality of location-dependent instructions to said micro-electronic device as broadcast transmissions consisting of a time-division-multiplexed channel signal and at least one selectable channel signal;
• tuning in on the time-division-multiplexed channel signal;
• demodulating the time-division-multiplexed channel signal;
• decoding the demodulated time-division-multiplexed channel signal as a time-division-multiplexed data signal;
• decommutating the time-division-multiplexed data signal to a control signal, paging signals, and message signals;
• extracting from the control signal at least one broadcast channel look-up table comprising channel identification, frequency of operation, and data rate of a plurality of broadcast channels;
• receiving selectable channel signals from broadcast transmissions;
• comparing, at said micro-electronic device, the respective stored location with the plurality of location-dependent instructions to identify location-relevant instructions;
• tuning in, responsive to the location-relevant instructions, on the at least one selectable channel signal;
• and
• generating a selectable data rate and frequency command signal and a time-division-multiplexed data rate and frequency command signal in response to said control signal to adjust said micro-electronic device with actual frequencies and data rates of said received broadcast transmissions.

A method using an electronic device for accessing diverse broadcast transmissions including a plurality of location-dependent instructions, and for executing particular location-dependent instructions within the plurality of location-dependent instructions, responsive to a location of said electronic device, comprising the steps of:

• determining a location of said electronic device;
• inputting the determined location to said electronic device;
• storing the determined location in a memory of said electronic device as a stored location;
• initializing said electronic device with initial frequencies and data rates of signals to be received, using a channel information database stored in a memory of said electronic device;
• receiving signals from broadcast transmissions delivered through various channels;
• interpreting a control signal delivered through a control channel, the control signal containing a plurality of location-dependent instructions;
• updating the channel information database stored in the memory with information received in the control signal;
• comparing, at said electronic device, the stored location with the plurality of location-dependent instructions to identify location-relevant instructions;
• generating command signals identifying frequency and data rate of the control signal and of a plurality of selectable channel signals using the channel information data base;
• executing, at said electronic device, the location-relevant instructions;
• adjusting receive frequencies of said electronic device using said command signals;
• and
• receiving the control signal and a chosen one of the plurality of selectable channel signals simultaneously.