Communication receiver for selecting between scanning and locking to a channel and method therefor

A method in a channel scanning communication receiver operating in a communication system that periodically transmits information in a plurality of cycles, a cycle comprising a plurality of subsequences, the method for determining whether to operate in a scanning mode or in a locked mode, the method comprising the steps of:

• making a plurality of signal quality pass/fail decisions for the plurality of subsequences transmitted in a predetermined plurality of cycles, a decision made for a transmission of a subsequence;
• making a plurality of subsequence active/inactive decisions for ones of the plurality of subsequences transmitted in the predetermined plurality of cycles, based upon the plurality of signal quality pass/fail decisions made for the plurality of subsequences;
• determining whether the communication system is time-shared, based upon how many active decisions and how many inactive decisions are made for the ones of the plurality of subsequences;
• and
• selecting from operation in the scanning mode and operation in the locked mode in accordance with predetermined rules for continuous systems, in response to the determining step finding that the communication system is continuous.

A channel scanning communication receiver for operating in a communication system that periodically transmits information in a plurality of cycles, a cycle comprising a plurality of subsequences, the communication receiver determining whether to operate in a scanning mode or in a locked mode, the communication receiver comprising:

• an antenna for intercepting a radio signal comprising the information;
• a receiver element coupled to the antenna for demodulating the information;
• a processing system coupled to the receiver element for processing the information;
• and
• a user interface coupled to the processing system for conveying the information to a user,
• wherein the processing system is programmed for executing the steps of:
• making a plurality of signal quality pass/fail decisions for the plurality of subsequences transmitted in a predetermined plurality of cycles, a decision made for a transmission of a subsequence;
• making a plurality of subsequence active/inactive decisions for ones of the plurality of subsequences transmitted in the predetermined plurality of cycles, based upon the plurality of signal quality pass/fail decisions made for the plurality of subsequences;
• determining whether the communication system is time-shared, based upon how many active decisions and how many inactive decisions are made for the ones of the plurality of subsequences;
• and
• selecting from operation in the scanning mode and operation in the locked mode in accordance with predetermined rules for time-shared systems, in response to the determining step finding that the communication system is time-shared.

A channel scanning communication receiver for operating in a communication system that periodically transmits information in a plurality of cycles, a cycle comprising a plurality of subsequences, the communication receiver determining whether to operate in a scanning mode or in a locked mode, the communication receiver comprising:

• an antenna for intercepting a radio signal comprising the information;
• a receiver element coupled to the antenna for demodulating the information;
• a processing system coupled to the receiver element for processing the information;
• and
• a user interface coupled to the processing system for conveying the information to a user,
• wherein the processing system is programmed for executing the steps of:
• making a plurality of signal quality pass/fail decisions for the plurality of subsequences transmitted in a predetermined plurality of cycles, a decision made for a transmission of a subsequence;
• making a plurality of subsequence active/inactive decisions for ones of the plurality of subsequences transmitted in the predetermined plurality of cycles, based upon the plurality of signal quality pass/fail decisions made for the plurality of subsequences;
• determining whether the communication system is time-shared, based upon how many active decisions and how many inactive decisions are made for the ones of the plurality of subsequences;
• and
• selecting from operation in the scanning mode and operation in the locked mode in accordance with predetermined rules for continuous systems, in response to the determining step finding that the communication system is continuous.