System and method for improving battery life of a mobile station

1. A method of lengthening the battery life of a mobile station comprising the steps of:

obtaining a sector capacity in which the mobile station is operating;

initiating a Push-To-Talk (PTT) call message at the mobile station operating in a first Radio Access Network (RAN);

receiving the PTT call message at the first RAN;

increasing a length between paging cycles when the sector capacity is less than a threshold by resting for a waiting period between wake up intervals before a second mobile station in a second RAN powers up to receive communications in order to conserve power in a battery associated with the mobile station;

sending a message from the first RAN to the second RAN;

exchanging a message between the second RAN and the second mobile station;

establishing a channel between the first and second mobile stations;

sending a Talk Permit Tone (TPT) across the first and second RAN to the first mobile station; and

playing out audio at the second mobile station.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising returning the length of the paging cycle to an optimum value when the sector capacity is greater than the threshold.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein returning the length of the paging cycle to the optimum value comprises returning the length to a value, the value being selected from a group comprising: an original length after expiration of a period of time, and an optimal value that is related to RF operating conditions.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein lengthening the paging cycle comprises increasing a size of a slot cycle index of the paging cycle.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising subsequently returning the size of the slot cycle index to an optimal value when the sector capacity is greater than the threshold.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein returning the size of the slot cycle index to an optimal value comprises returning the size to a value, the value being selected from a group comprising: an original size after expiration of a period of time and an optimal size that is related to measured RF operating conditions.

7. The method of claim 1 where the paging cycle is further adjusted based upon a characteristic of the mobile station selected from a group comprising: the mobile station is currently operating a streaming service; a lower mobility of the mobile station; the mobile station is not plugged into a wired battery life source; and a remaining battery life is less than a threshold.

8. A system for lengthening the battery life of a mobile station comprising:

a receiver having an input;

a memory having information stored therein indicative of a threshold value for a sector capacity; and

a controller coupled to the receiver and the memory, the controller programmed to obtain the sector capacity in which the mobile station is operating at the input of the receiver, wherein when the mobile station operating in a first Radio Access Network (RAN) initiates a Push-To-Talk (PTT) call message which is received at the first RAN, the controller is programmed to determine if the sector capacity is less than the threshold stored in the memory and to responsively increase a length between paging cycles when the sector capacity is less than the threshold by resting for a waiting period between wake up intervals before a second mobile station in a second RAN powers up to receive communications in order to conserve power in a battery associated with the mobile station, and wherein

upon the sending of a message from the first RAN to the second RAN, exchanging a message between the second RAN and the second mobile station, and establishing a channel between the first and second mobile stations, the mobile station sends a Talk Permit Tone (TPT) across the first and second RAN to the first mobile station for playing out audio at the second mobile station.