System and method for controlling paging delay with timing arrangements and dual page scans

Abstract

Systems and methods for controlling a delay associated with paging a remote device. In one implementation, a paging device arranges page operations such that if one of two consecutive page scans performed by a remote device occurs during a response scan, the other page scan occurs during the transmission of a page. In another implementation, a device scanning for a page arranges page scans such that if one of two consecutive page scans occurs during a page response scan, the other page scan occurs during the transmission of a page. In another implementation, a device scanning for a page performs a series of sets of separate page scans, wherein the time interval between two of separate scans in a set is less than the time interval between adjacent sets. The page scans in a set are configured to ensure that one of them occurs during the transmission of a page.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of scanning for a page transmitted by at least one remote device, comprising:
 performing a series of sets of separate scans for the page, wherein a first time interval between two of the separate scans in each set is less than a second time interval between the sets of separate scans.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising responsive to receiving the page during one of the scans, canceling one or more subsequent scans. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising responsive to receiving the page, transmitting a response to the page to the at least one remote device. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the page is received by way of a wireless communication channel, and wherein the response is transmitted via the wireless communication channel. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein a timing of the transmission of the response is based on a timing of receiving the page. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one remote device is configured to perform a series of page operations, and wherein each page operation comprises a transmission of the page and a scan for a page response. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein during each page response scan, the at least one remote device is configured to cease transmitting the page, and during each transmission of the page, the at least one remote device is configured to cease scanning for the page response. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first time interval between the two scans in each set is based on a duration of at least one of the page response scans. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first time interval between the two scans in each set is substantially equal to or greater than a duration of at least one of the page response scans. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first time interval between the two scans in each set is based on a duration of at least one of the page transmissions. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first time interval between the two scans in each set is substantially equal to or less than a duration of at least one of the page transmissions. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first time interval ensures that at least one of the scans in at least one of the sets occurs during the transmission of one of the pages by the at least one remote device. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising responsive to receiving the page, transmitting a response to the page during one of the page response scans. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising determining information related to the page operations by the at least one remote device. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the information is determined as a result of a discovery procedure performed by the at least one remote device. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein performing the series of sets of separate scans for the page is based on the information. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a timing of performing the series of sets of separate scans is independent of a timing of page operations performed by the at least one remote device. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein performing each of the page scans comprises:
 configuring a receiver for detecting the page for a defined interval; and   configuring the receiver for not detecting the page before and after the defined interval.   
     
     
         19 . An apparatus for scanning for a page transmitted by at least one remote device, comprising:
 a page scan module configured to perform a series of sets of separate scans for the page, wherein a first time interval between two of the separate scans in each set is less than a second time interval between the sets of separate scans;   a receiver configured to receive the page from the at least one remote device; and   a transmitter configured to transmit a response to the page to the at least one remote device.   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the page scan module is further configured to, in response to receiving the page during one of the scans, cancel one or more subsequent scans. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the at least one remote device is configured to perform a series of page operations, and wherein each page operation comprises a transmission of the page and a scan for a page response. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the first time interval between the two scans in each set is based on a duration of at least one of the page response scans. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the first time interval between the two scans in each set is substantially equal to or greater than a duration of at least one of the page response scans. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the first time interval ensures that one of the page scans in one of the sets occurs during the transmission of one of the pages by the at least one remote device. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the page scan module is further configured to determine information related to the page operations performed by the at least one remote device. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein the information is determined as a result of a discovery procedure performed by the at least one remote device. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein the page scan module is further configured to perform the series of sets of separate scans for the page based on the information. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the page scan module is further configured to perform the series of sets of separate scans independently of page operations performed by the at least one remote device. 
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the page scan module is further configured to:
 configure the receiver for detecting the page during an interval when each page scan is performed; and   configure the receiver for not detecting the page during other intervals when page scans are not performed.   
     
     
         30 . An apparatus for scanning for a page transmitted by at least one remote device, comprising:
 means for scanning for a page by performing a series of sets of separate scans, wherein a first time interval between two of the separate scans in each set is less than a second time interval between the sets of separate scans;   means for receiving the page from the at least one remote device; and   means for transmitting a response to the page to the at least one remote device.   
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the at least one remote device is configured to perform a series of page operations, and wherein each page operation comprises a transmission of the page and a scan for a page response. 
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the first time interval between the two scans in each set is based on a duration of at least one of the page response scans. 
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the first time interval between the two scans in the set is substantially equal to or greater than a duration of at least one of the page response scans. 
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the first time interval between the two scans in the set is substantially equal to or less than a duration of at least one of the page transmissions. 
     
     
         35 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the first time interval ensures that at least one of the scans in at least one of the sets occurs during the transmission of one of the pages by the at least one remote device. 
     
     
         36 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the scanning means is further configured to perform the series of sets of separate scans independently of page operations performed by the at least one remote device.