Efficient paging in a wireless communication system

An apparatus for communicating with wireless terminals in a communications system, the system comprising:

• means for modulating, using a non-coherent type of modulation, a first number of bits of information to generate a first paging signal, the first paging signal conveying the first number of bits of information, the first paging signal including information indicating whether there is a paging message and indicating a wireless terminal group;
• means for modulating, using a coherent type of modulation, a second number of bits of information to generate a second paging signal, the second paging signal including, when there is the paging message, at least a portion of the paging message where the first paging signal indicates that there is the paging message and indicates a particular wireless terminal within the wireless terminal group to which the page is directed;
• means for transmitting the first paging signal;
• and
• means for transmitting the second paging signal.

A non-transitory

• machine readable medium having program code recorded thereon, the program code comprising:
• program code to modulate, using a non-coherent type of modulation, a first number of bits of information to generate a first paging signal, the first paging signal conveying the first number of bits of information, the first paging signal including information indicating whether there is a paging message and indicating a wireless terminal group;
• program code to modulate, using a coherent type of modulation, a second number of bits of information to generate a second paging signal, the second paging signal including, when there is the paging message, at least a portion of the paging message where the first paging signal indicates that there is the paging message and indicates a particular wireless terminal within the wireless terminal group to which the page is directed;
• program code to transmit the first paging signal;
• and
• program code to transmit the second paging signal.

An apparatus configured for communicating with wireless terminals in a communications system, the apparatus comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• a memory coupled to the at least one processor, the at least one processor being configured:
• to modulate, using a non-coherent type of modulation, a first number of bits of information to generate a first paging signal, the first paging signal conveying the first number of bits of information, the first paging signal including information indicating whether there is a paging message and indicating a wireless terminal group;
• to modulate, using a coherent type of modulation, a second number of bits of information to generate a second paging signal, the second paging signal including, when there is the paging message, at least a portion of the paging message where the first paging signal indicates that there is the paging message and indicates a particular wireless terminal within the wireless terminal group to which the page is directed;
• to transmit the first paging signal;
• and
• to transmit the second paging signal.