Method, apparatus, and system for selecting a service provider system

• US 20040192304A1
• Filed: 12/23/2002
• Published: 09/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Casaccia, Lorenzo, Cooper, Rotem
• Granted Patent: US 7,277,705 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

A wireless communication device selects another service provider system when the MWCD has not changed its geographic position more than a threshold level.

Claims

1. A method selecting a new service provider system of a plurality of service provider systems serving a geographic region by a mobile wireless communication device (MWCD), the method comprising:

attempting acquisition of a predetermined service provider system of the plurality of service provider systems;

determining if the acquisition of the predetermined service provider system is successful;

when the acquisition of the predetermined service provider system is not successful, determining if the MWCD has changed its geographic position more than a predetermined change-in-position threshold; and

when the MWCD has not changed its geographic position more than a predetermined change-in-position threshold level, selecting another service provider system of the plurality of service provider systems as the predetermined service provider system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined provider system is selected from a Preferred Roaming List.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the another provider system is selected from a Preferred Roaming List.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

when the acquisition of the predetermined service provider system is not successful, determining if the number of attempts of acquisition of the predetermined service provider system exceeds a predetermined number-of-attempts threshold level; and

when the number of attempts of acquisition of the predetermined service provider system exceeds the predetermined number-of-attempts threshold level, proceeding to the step of determining if the MWCD has changed its geographic position.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

when the number of attempts of acquisition of the predetermined service provider system does not exceed the predetermined number-of-attempts threshold level, proceeding to the step of attempting acquisition of the predetermined service provider system of the plurality of service provider systems.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

when the MWCD has changed its geographic position more than a predetermined change-in-position threshold level, proceeding to the step of attempting acquisition of the predetermined service provider system of the plurality of service provider systems.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

when the MWCD has changed its geographic position more than a predetermined change-in-position threshold level, resetting the number of attempts of acquisition of the predetermined service provider system to a predetermined value.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

when the acquisition of the predetermined service provider system is successful, performing registration with the predetermined service provider system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the MWCD has the change in geographic position is determined by way of a Global Positioning System.

10. A mobile wireless communication device (MWCD) comprising:

a radio frequency unit configured to attempt acquisition of a predetermined service provider system of the plurality of service provider systems and to determine if the acquisition of the predetermined service provider system is successful; and

a logic and processing unit configured to determine if the MWCD has changed its geographic position more than a predetermined change-in-position threshold when the acquisition of the predetermined service provider system is not successful and to select another service provider system of the plurality of service provider systems as the predetermined service provider system when the MWCD has not changed its geographic position more than a predetermined change-in-position threshold level.

11. An article of manufacture comprising:

means for attempting acquisition of a predetermined service provider system of the plurality of service provider systems;

means for determining if the acquisition of the predetermined service provider system is successful;

means for determining if the article of manufacture has changed its geographic position more than a predetermined change-in-position threshold when the acquisition of the predetermined service provider system is not successful; and

means for selecting another service provider system of the plurality of service provider systems as the predetermined service provider system when the article of manufacture has not changed its geographic position more than a predetermined change-in-position threshold level.