Pager receiver having a common timer circuit for both sequential lock-out and out-of-range

Claim 1

A pager receiver including a receiver for receiving transmitted RF signals and converting such signals to received signals for use within the paper receiver, decoder means for decoding the received signals in accordance with a coded paging system format which includes sync words and address function data to generate sync pulse timing signals in response to decoded sync words and to generate a function detect signal in response to a corresponding decoded address function of the pager receiver, means governed by said function detect signal to cause an alert annunciation corresponding to the decoded address function, and a source of timing signals, said pager receiver comprising: means for inhibiting an alert annunciation in response to a repeat decoding of a corresponding address function within a first selected time interval of an initial decoding thereof; means for detecting a lack of decoded sync words over a second selected time interval and for causing an out-of-range annunciation in response to said detection; and single timer means coupled to both of the inhibiting means and the detecting means and responsive to said timing signals for generating an initiated one of either the first or second selected time intervals; said inhibiting means including lock-out means corresponding to each address function of the pager receiver, said lock-out means activated by the function detect signal generated in response to the initial decoding of the corresponding address function to initiate the generation of the first selected time interval by the single timer means and to inhibit an alert annunciation in response to subsequently generated corresponding function detect signals for the duration of the first selected time interval generated by the single timer means; said detecting means including first means responsive to the sync pulse timing signals to initiate at each sync pulse timing signal the generation by the single timer means of the second selected time interval which is substantially longer in time than the time interval between any two successive sync pulse timing signals; second means for generating a set signal at the term of the second selected time interval generated by the single timer means, whereby no set signal is generated as long as sync pulse timing signals are generated; and third means responsive to said set signal for causing the out-of-range annunciation.