Multimode terminal and method of synchronizing such terminal

• US 20030224819A1
• Filed: 02/24/2003
• Published: 12/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Sanchez, Javier
• Granted Patent: US 7,194,054 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/552.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

The invention relates to a multimode communication terminal comprising a first modulation/demodulation circuit adapted to communicate with a first radio access network and at least a second modulation/demodulation circuit adapted to communicate with a second radio access network different from the first radio network.

The terminal according to the invention comprises a synchronization module provided with means for determining a frequency difference between the first modulation/demodulation circuit and the first radio access network and means for synchronizing the second modulation/demodulation circuit with the second radio access network so as to allow said terminal to compare permanently transmission qualities over the first and second radio access networks.

Claims

1. A multimode communication terminal comprising a first modulation/demodulation circuit adapted to communicate with a first radio access network and at least a second modulation/demodulation circuit adapted to communicate with a second radio access network different from the first radio network, characterized in that it comprises a synchronization module comprising means for determining a frequency difference between the first modulation/demodulation circuit and the first radio access network and means for synchronizing the second modulation/demodulation circuit with the second radio access network so as to allow said terminal to compare permanently transmission qualities over the first and second radio access networks.

2. The multimode communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein it comprises a central unit designed to select the radio access network presenting the better communication quality.

3. The multimode communication terminal according to claim 2, wherein that the synchronization module comprises a first counter designed to count pulses of a clock associated with the first modulation/demodulation circuit and a second counter designed to count pulses of a clock associated with the second modulation/demodulation circuit.

4. The multimode communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein that the synchronization module determines the frequency difference between one of the two modulation/demodulation circuits and the radio access network corresponding to that circuit and calculates the frequency difference between the two modulation/demodulation circuits according to the offset determined.

5. The multimode communication terminal according to claim 2, wherein that the synchronization module determines the frequency difference between one of the two modulation/demodulation circuits and the radio access network corresponding to that circuit and calculates the frequency difference between the two modulation/demodulation circuits according to the offset determined.

6. The multimode communication terminal according to claim 3, wherein that the synchronization module determines the frequency difference between one of the two modulation/demodulation circuits and the radio access network corresponding to that circuit and calculates the frequency difference between the two modulation/demodulation circuits according to the offset determined.

7. The multimode communication terminal according to claim 4, wherein that it further comprises a first digital clock coupled to the first counter and a second digital clock coupled to the second counter.

8. The multimode communication terminal according to claim 5, wherein that it further comprises a first digital clock coupled to the first counter and a second digital clock coupled to the second counter.

9. The multimode communication terminal according to claim 6, wherein that it further comprises a first digital clock coupled to the first counter and a second digital clock coupled to the second counter.

10. The multimode communication terminal according to claim 4, wherein that it comprises a first analog clock actuated and coupled to the first modulation/demodulation circuit through a first CNA and a second analog clock actuated and coupled to the second modulation/demodulation circuit through a second CNA.

11. The multimode communication terminal according to claim 5, wherein that it comprises a first analog clock actuated and coupled to the first modulation/demodulation circuit through a first CNA and a second analog clock actuated and coupled to the second modulation/demodulation circuit through a second CNA.

12. The multimode communication terminal according to claim 6, wherein that it comprises a first analog clock actuated and coupled to the first modulation/demodulation circuit through a first CNA and a second analog clock actuated and coupled to the second modulation/demodulation circuit through a second CNA.

13. The multimode communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein that the first radio access network is the GSM access network and the second radio access network is the UMTS access network.

14. The multimode communication terminal according to claim 2, wherein that the first radio access network is the GSM access network and the second radio access network is the UMTS access network.

15. The multimode communication terminal according to claim 3, wherein that the first radio access network is the GSM access network and the second radio access network is the UMTS access network.

16. The multimode communication terminal according to claim 4, wherein that the first radio access network is the GSM access network and the second radio access network is the UMTS access network.

17. The multimode communication terminal according to claim 5, wherein that the first radio access network is the GSM access network and the second radio access network is the UMTS access network.

18. The multimode communication terminal according to claim 6, wherein that the first radio access network is the GSM access network and the second radio access network is the UMTS access network.

19. A method of evaluating transmission quality of a multimode terminal via at least two different radio access network, that is a first active radio access network and a second passive radio access network, wherein that it comprises the following steps:

measuring a first frequency difference between the terminal and the active radio access network,

estimating a second frequency difference between the active radio access network and the passive access network,

calculating a third frequency difference between said terminal and the passive access network according to the first and second frequency differences,

using this third frequency difference to synchronize the terminal with the passive access network,

evaluating the quality of the communication over the passive network,

comparing the measured quality of the communication over the passive network with the communication quality over the active access network,

switching to the passive radio access network if this network presents a better communication quality than the active access network.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein that the first radio access network is the GSM access network and the second radio access network is the UMTS access network.

21. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that the first radio access network is the UMTS access network and the second radio access network is the GSM access network.