Selective call communication (paging) systems typically comprise a radio frequency transmitter/encoder (base station) that is accessed locally or via a link to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), and a radio receiver (e.g., a selective call receiver or the like) that has at least one unique call address associated therewith. Operationally, the selective call receiver receives and decodes information transmitted from the base station, the information including an address and possibly a data or voice message. When the selective call receiver detects its address, it may alert a user and present message information received.
To implement messaging capability in a paging system, the address information referred to is encoded and subsequently transmitted using a protocol such as GSC (Motorola's Golay Sequential Code). This protocol is adapted to reliably communicate a selective call address to at least one selective call receiver as is well known to one of ordinary skill in the art of Paging systems. A typical selective call message may consist of an address signal if the message is a tone only message, an address signal and a data packet if the message is a data message, or an address signal and an audio transmission if the message is a voice message.
Present selective call messaging systems capable of voice transmission have a predetermined fixed time window following the address in which a voice message may be transmitted. This limitation is a function of the design of contemporary paging terminals and encoders as their hardware and associated firmware only supports a standard five to eight second voice transmission window. If the user's voice message exceeds the allocated voice transmission time, the message is abruptly cut-off. This Constraint relegates the message originator to sending another paging message if they desire to complete their voice communication. This method is not only inconvenient, but it is inefficient.
Consequently, what is needed is an apparatus and method that allows convenient origination and transmission of extended voice messages to a selective call receiver.