Method and apparatus for indicating undelivered messages in a communication device

A method used in a radio communication system for delivering a message from a system controller to a selective call device, the method comprising:

• in the system controller the steps of
• generating a first message intended for the selective call device;
• changing a delivery state of the first message to undelivered after the first message has been transmitted at least once from the system controller;
• and
• storing the first message in the system controller when the delivery state is changed to undelivered;
• and
• in the selective call device the steps of
• determining that the first message is stored in the system controller;
• and
• presenting user information which indicates that an undeliverable message is being stored by the system controller in response to determining that the first message is stored in the system controller, wherein said step of determining comprises a predetermined number of steps of:
• receiving the first message in a transmission of the first message;
• and
• determining that a quality indication of the first message received in said step of receiving is within an undeliverable range of values.

A method used in a radio communication system for delivering a message from a system controller to a selective call device, the method comprising:

• in the system controller the steps of
• generating a first message intended for the selective call device;
• changing a delivery state of the first message to undelivered after the first message has been transmitted at least once from the system controller;
• and
• storing the first message in the system controller when the delivery state is changed to undelivered;
• and
• in the selective call device the steps of
• determining that the first message is stored in the system controller;
• and
• presenting user information which indicates that an undeliverable message is being stored by the system controller in response to determining that the first message is stored in the system controller, further comprising in the selective call device a step of generating and transmitting a non-acknowledgment (NACK) in response to receiving a transmission of the first message and determining that a quality indication of the first message is within an undeliverable range of values, and wherein the delivery state is changed to undelivered when a predetermined number of non-acknowledgments (NACKs) of the first message have been received from the selective call device, wherein each of said NACKs is generated by said step of generating and transmitting a NACK.

A selective call device for receiving a first message generated by a system controller of a radio communication system, the selective call device comprising:

• a receiver which receives a second message from the system controller which indicates that a delivery state of the first message has been changed to undelivered, wherein the delivery state is maintained by the system controller;
• a processing system, coupled to said receiver, wherein said processing system
• determines that the first message is stored in the system controller when the second message is received, and
• generates user information which indicates that an undeliverable message is being stored by the system controller when the second message is received;
• and
• a display, coupled to said processing system, for displaying the user information.

A selective call device for receiving a first message generated by a system controller of a radio communication system, the selective call device comprising:

• a receiver which receives the first message at least once from the system controller;
• a processing system, coupled to said receiver, wherein said processing system
• makes a determination that the first message is stored in the system controller in response to receiving a predetermined number of transmissions of the first message for which a quality indication is within an undeliverable range of values, and
• generates user information which indicates that the first message is being stored by the system controller in response to the determination;
• and
• a display, coupled to said processing system, for displaying the user information.

A system controller for delivering a first message to a selective call device, the system controller comprising:

• a processing system which
• generates the first message intended for the selective call device,
• changes a delivery state of the first message to undelivered after the first message has been transmitted at least once from the system controller, and stores the first message when the delivery state is changed to undelivered;
• and
• a cell site controller, coupled to said processing system, for transmitting the first message, wherein the processing system further stores the first message when a second message is received from the selective call device, wherein the second message is a request for changing the delivery state of the first message.

A system controller for delivering a first message to a selective call device, the system controller comprising:

• a processing system which
• generates the first message intended for the selective call device,
• changes a delivery state of the first message to undelivered after the first message has been transmitted at least once from the system controller, and stores the first message when the delivery state is changed to undelivered;
• and
• a cell site controller, coupled to said processing system, for transmitting the first message, wherein the processing system further schedules the first message for re-transmission when a second message is received from the selective call device, wherein the second message is a request for re-transmission of the first message, and wherein said cell site controller re-transmits the first message.

A system controller for delivering a first message to a selective call device, the system controller comprising:

• a processing system which
• generates the first message intended for the selective call device,
• changes a delivery state of the first message to undelivered after the first message has been transmitted at least once from the system controller, and stores the first message when the delivery state is changed to undelivered;
• and
• a cell site controller, coupled to said processing system for transmitting the first message
• wherein said processing system generates a second message intended for the selective call device when the delivery state of the first message is changed to undelivered, and wherein the second message indicates that the first message is being stored, and wherein the second message is formulated by said processing system to have substantially higher probability of successful reception at the selective call device than the first message, and wherein the cell site controller transmits the second message.

A system controller for delivering a first message to a selective call device, the system controller comprising:

• a processing system which
• generates the first message intended for the selective call device,
• changed a delivery state of the first message to undelivered after the first message has been transmitted at least once from the system controller, and stores the first message when the delivery state is changed to undelivered;
• and
• a cell site controller, coupled to said processing system, for transmitting the first message, wherein said processing system changes the delivery state to undelivered when a predetermined number of non-acknowledgments (NACKs) of the first message have been received from the selective call device.