System and method for facilitating accelerated network selection in a radio network environment

• US 20070270142A1
• Filed: 02/28/2007
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Buckley, Adrian, Willey, William Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 8,428,586 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/434
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

A scheme for facilitating accelerated network selection by a wireless user equipment (UE) device. In one exemplary embodiment, the wireless UE device includes means for manipulating a search sequence order relating to a system acquisition database structure that is associated with the wireless UE device, the manipulation based at least in part upon how long the wireless UE device was in power off condition. Also included is means for locating a network via scanning based upon the acquisition database responsive to the manipulation.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating accelerated network selection by a wireless user equipment (UE) device, comprising:

manipulating an order of searching sequence relating to a system acquisition database structure that is associated with said wireless UE device based at least in part upon how long said wireless UE device was in power off condition, said system acquisition database structure having acquisition records for storing scanning data operable with said wireless UE device for discovering a network; and

locating a network via scanning by said wireless UE device using scanning data obtained from said system acquisition database structure responsive to said manipulating.

2. The method for facilitating accelerated network selection by a wireless UE device as recited in claim 1, wherein said scanning is performed as an initial scan procedure.

3. The method for facilitating accelerated network selection by a wireless UE device as recited in claim 1, wherein said manipulating is performed after losing coverage of a network with which said wireless UE device was previously registered.

4. The method for facilitating accelerated network selection by a wireless UE device as recited in claim 1, wherein said manipulating is performed after said wireless UE device is powered off.

5. The method for facilitating accelerated network selection by a wireless UE device as recited in claim 1, wherein said scanning data includes frequency band information that is compliant with at least one of IEEE 802.11b standard, IEEE 802.11a standard, IEEE 802.11g standard, IEEE 802.11n standard, HiperLan standard, HiperLan II standard, Wi-Max standard, OpenAir standard, and Bluetooth standard.

6. The method for facilitating accelerated network selection by a wireless UE device as recited in claim 1, wherein said scanning data includes frequency band information that is compliant with at least one of a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network, an Enhanced Data Rates for Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) Evolution (EDGE) network, a 3^rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)-compliant network, an Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (IDEN), a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network, a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) network, a 3GPP2 network, and a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) network.

7. The method for facilitating accelerated network selection by a wireless UE device as recited in claim 1, wherein said system acquisition database structure is provided as part of a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) card, Removable User Identity Module (RUIM) card, a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card, a compact Flash card, a Secure Digital (SD) card, or a memory circuit associated with said wireless UE device.

8. The method for facilitating accelerated network selection by a wireless UE device as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

saving network system data operable with said wireless UE device when it was last powered off;

upon power-up, determining if a network can be acquired using said network system data; and

otherwise, performing said manipulating and said locating to locate a network.

9. The method for facilitating accelerated network selection by a wireless UE device as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

if multiple networks are located by said wireless UE device via said scanning, choosing a particular network for service based on a weighting parameter.

10. The method for facilitating accelerated network selection by a wireless UE device as recited in claim 1, wherein said manipulating is further based on an estimated mode of travel and an estimated speed associated with a user of said wireless UE device.

11. The method for facilitating accelerated network selection by a wireless UE device as recited in claim 1, wherein said manipulating is further based on where said wireless UE device was last powered off.

12. A wireless user equipment (UE) device, comprising:

means for manipulating an order of searching sequence relating to a system acquisition database structure that is associated with said wireless UE device based at least in part upon how long said wireless UE device was in power off condition, said system acquisition database structure having acquisition records for storing scanning data operable with said wireless UE device for discovering a network; and

means for locating a network via scanning based upon scanning data obtained from said system acquisition database structure responsive to said manipulation.

13. The wireless UE device as recited in claim 12, wherein said scanning is performed as an initial scan procedure.

14. The wireless UE device as recited in claim 12, wherein said means for manipulating is operable responsive to losing coverage of a network with which said wireless UE device was previously registered.

15. The wireless UE device as recited in claim 12, wherein said means for manipulating is operable responsive to powering off said wireless UE device.

16. The wireless UE device as recited in claim 12, wherein said means for locating a network is operable with frequency band information that is compliant with at least one of IEEE 802.11b standard, IEEE 802.11a standard, IEEE 802.11g standard, IEEE 802.11n standard, HiperLan standard, HiperLan II standard, Wi-Max standard, OpenAir standard, and Bluetooth standard.

17. The wireless UE device as recited in claim 12, wherein said means for locating a network is operable with frequency band information that is compliant with at least one of a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network, an Enhanced Data Rates for Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) Evolution (EDGE) network, a 3^rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)-compliant network, an Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (IDEN), a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network, a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) network, a 3GPP2 network, and a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) network.

18. The wireless UE device as recited in claim 12, wherein said system acquisition database structure is provided as part of a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) card, Removable User Identity Module (RUIM) card, a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card, a compact Flash card, a Secure Digital (SD) card, or a memory circuit associated with said wireless UE device.

19. The wireless UE device as recited in claim 12, further comprising:

means for saving network system data operable with said wireless UE device when it was last powered off; and

means, operable upon power-up, for determining if a network can be acquired using said network system data.

20. The wireless UE device as recited in claim 12, further comprising means for choosing a particular network for service based on a weighting parameter if multiple networks are located by said wireless UE device via said scanning.

21. The wireless UE device as recited in claim 12, wherein said means for manipulating is operable responsive to an estimated mode of travel and an estimated speed associated with a user of said wireless UE device.

22. The wireless UE device as recited in claim 12, wherein said means for manipulating is operable responsive to where said wireless UE device was last powered off.

23. A storage module (SM) operable to be coupled to a wireless user equipment (UE) device, comprising:

a first database portion populated with a plurality of network system identifiers wherein each network system identifier is associated with a corresponding system acquisition index, said network system identifiers being organized on based on one or more geographic regions; and

a second database portion having a plurality of acquisition records that are populated with system acquisition parametric data including frequency information for each system acquisition index,

wherein a search sequence order associated with said acquisition records in said second database portion is operable to be manipulated based on said wireless UE device'"'"'s expected relocation upon powering down.

24. The storage module as recited in claim 23, wherein said first and second database portions are integrated into a single database structure.

25. The storage module as recited in claim 23, wherein said network system identifiers are compatible with networks selected from at least one of a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network, an Enhanced Data Rates for Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) Evolution (EDGE) network, a ₃rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)-compliant network, an Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (IDEN), a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network, a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) network, a 3GPP2 network, and a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) network.

26. The storage module as recited in claim 23, wherein said network system identifiers are compatible with networks that are operable with at least one of IEEE 802.11b standard, IEEE 802.11a standard, IEEE 802.11g standard, IEEE 802.11n standard, HiperLan standard, HiperLan II standard, Wi-Max standard, OpenAir standard, and Bluetooth standard.