Method and apparatus for inbound channel selection in a communication system

摘要

A system controller (102) is used in a communication system (100) which has a set of inbound channels. The system controller (102) includes a processing system (204) for generating a first message which is transmitted to selective call devices (106). The first message includes a subset identifier which identifies an ALOHA subset of the set of inbound channels for use by a set of the selective call devices (106). A selective call device (106) includes a transmitter (708) and a processing system (710). The processing system (710) identifies the ALOHA subset of the set of inbound channels, and generates a second message and couples the second message to the transmitter (708) using an ALOHA protocol on an inbound channel which is in the ALOHA subset of the set of inbound channels when the second message is a first type. The transmitter (708) transmits the second message.