Communication receiver for controlling a receive operation in response to a control value

摘要

A method and apparatus determine a response to a control value (316, 320) periodically transmitted by a communication system in at least one code word (306, 332) of a frame (302) of data of a communication protocol. The control value (316, 320) is for controlling a receive operation, such as the sleep interval for increasing battery life of a communication receiver (122) operating in the communication system. The receiver (122) accepts (404, 504) and stores (406, 506) earlier data from an earlier transmission of the frame (302) of data, and receives (408, 508) current data from a current transmission of the frame (302) of data. The receiver (122) thereafter makes a comparison (414, 512) of the earlier data and the current data, and selects from (a) performing (424, 520) the receive operation in accordance with a current control value received in the current data and (b) performing (418, 516, 528) the receive operation in accordance with an alternative (earlier or predetermined) control value, in respone to the comparison.