Method for locating variable control channels by a mobile station in a radiotelephone system

摘要

A method for locating variable control channels by a mobile station (104) in a radiotelephone system (100) permits the mobile station (104) to quickly find the location of unknown control channels. A locator beacon (300) is transmitted on one or more common locator channels from each base station (102) or from a locator transmitter which covers the entire region. The locator beacon (300) includes control channel location information which defines the location in the spectrum of a designated control channel. A mobile station (104), including a roaming mobile station outside its home service area, tunes to the locator channel and detects the locator beacon (300) to read the control channel location information. In response, the mobile station (104) tunes to the frequency of the designated control channel to receive a control signal from the base station (102). To prevent co-channel interference, the base stations of a radiotelephone system (100) time division duplex the broadcast of respective locator beacons.