Methods And Apparatus For Selecting A Communication Network

• US 20080287125A1
• Filed: 05/13/2008
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Naqvi, Noushad, Hind, Hugh, Church, Mark E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,036,654 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/432.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/24 between backbone network devices

Abstract

A mobile communication device is adapted to provide voice communications with use of a voice service and data communications with use of a data service. The mobile device maintains a preferred network list as well as a service access list in its memory. The preferred network list has a listing of a plurality of networks with assigned priorities for network selection. The service access list has a listing of a plurality of networks that make the data service available to the mobile device. The mobile device performs a scanning operation for identifying one or more communication networks available in a coverage area of the mobile device. When a home network of the mobile device is unavailable in the coverage area, the mobile device consults the preferred network list and the service access list for identifying one of the networks identified by the scanning operation. The mobile device attempts to register for the data service via the identified network and, if successful, operates its wireless transceiver with the identified network to use the data service. If the attempt to register for the data service fails, the mobile device excludes the identified network from being listed in the service access list as making the data service available.

Claims

1. A method in a mobile communication for use in selecting a communication network for communications, the mobile communication device being adapted to provide voice communications with use of a voice service and data communications with use of a data service, the method comprising the acts of:

maintaining a preferred network list which lists a plurality of communication networks having assigned priorities for network selection;

maintaining a service access list used for listing a plurality of communication networks that make the data service available to the mobile communication device;

performing a scanning operation for identifying one or more communication networks available in a coverage area of the mobile communication device;

when a home communication network of the mobile communication device is unavailable in the coverage area, consulting the preferred network list and the service access list in attempt to identify one of the communication networks identified by the scanning operation;

attempting to register for the data service via the identified communication network;

if the attempt to register for the data service is successful, operating in the identified communication network with use of the data service; and

if the attempt to register for the data service fails, excluding the identified communication network from being listed in the service access list as making the data service available.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the attempt to register for the data service is successful, and the identified communication network is not listed in the service access list as making the data service available, including the identified communication network in the service access list as making the data service available.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the service access list excludes communication networks that fail to make the data service available to the mobile communication device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the service access list excludes communication networks that fail to make the data service available to the mobile communication device, and the act of excluding the identified communication network from being listed in the service access list comprises the further act of removing the identified communication network from the service access list.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the service access list is used for listing a plurality of communication networks that make the data service and a data connectivity for a data application available to the mobile communication device, the method comprising the further acts of:

requesting the data connectivity for the data application via the identified communication network;

if the attempt to register for the data service and the request for the data connectivity are successful, operating in the identified communication network with use of the data service and the data connectivity for the data application; and

if the attempt to register for the data service or the request for the packet data connectivity fails, excluding the identified communication network from being listed in the service access list as making the data service and or the data connectivity available.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the preferred network list comprises a Preferred Public Land Mobile Network (PPLMN) list.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the data service comprises a packet data service.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the service access list is associated with a region of operation of the mobile communication device.

9. A mobile communication device adapted to provide voice communications with use of a voice service and data communications with use of a data service, the mobile device comprising:

a wireless transceiver;

one or more processors coupled to the wireless transceiver;

memory coupled to the one or more processors;

the one or more processors being operative to;

maintain a preferred network list in the memory, the preferred network list listing a plurality of communication networks having assigned priorities for network selection;

maintain a service access list in the memory, the service access list used for listing a plurality of communication networks that make the data service available to the mobile communication device;

perform a scanning operation, with use of the wireless transceiver, for identifying one or more communication networks available in a coverage area of the mobile communication device;

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when a home communication network of the mobile communication device is unavailable in the coverage area, consult the preferred network list and the service access list for identifying one of the communication networks identified by the scanning operation;

attempt to register, with use of the wireless transceiver, for the data service via the identified communication network;

if the attempt to register for the data service is successful, operate the wireless transceiver in the identified communication network with use of the data service; and

if the attempt to register for the data service fails, exclude the identified communication network from being listed in the service access list as making the data service available.

10. The mobile communication device of claim 9 wherein the one or more processors are further adapted to:

if the attempt to register for the data service is successful, and the identified communication network is not listed in the service access list as making the data service available, include the identified communication network in the service access list as making the data service available.

11. The mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein the service access list excludes communication networks that fail to make the data service available to the mobile communication device.

12. The mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein the service access list excludes communication networks that fail to make the data service available to the mobile communication device, and the one or more processors are further adapted to:

exclude the identified communication network from being listed in the service access list by removing the identified communication network from the service access list.

13. The mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein the service access list is used for listing a plurality of communication networks that make the data service and a data connectivity for a data application available to the mobile communication device, and the one or more processors are further adapted to:

request, with use of the wireless transceiver, the data connectivity for the data application via the identified communication network;

if the attempt to register for the data service and the request for the data connectivity are successful, operate the wireless transceiver in the identified communication network with use of the data service and the data connectivity for the data application; and

if the attempt to register for the data service or the request for the packet data connectivity fails, exclude the identified communication network from being listed in the service access list as making the data service and or the data connectivity available.

14. The mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein the preferred network list comprises a Preferred Public Land Mobile Network (PPLMN) list.

15. The mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein the data service comprises a packet data service.

16. The mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein the service access list is associated with a region of operation of the mobile communication device.

17. A wireless communication network having a plurality of mobile communication devices operative for communications in the wireless communication network, each mobile communication device being operative to:

maintain a preferred network list which lists a plurality of communication networks having assigned priorities for network selection;

maintain a service access list used for listing a plurality of communication networks that make the data service available to the mobile communication device;

perform a scanning operation for identifying one or more communication networks available in a coverage area of the mobile communication device;

when a home communication network of the mobile communication device is unavailable in the coverage area, consult the preferred network list and the service access list for identifying one of the communication networks identified by the scanning operation;

attempt to register for the data service via the identified communication network;

if the attempt to register for the data service is successful, operate in the identified communication network with use of the data service; and

if the attempt to register for the data service fails, exclude the identified communication network from being listed in the service access list as making the data service available.

18. The wireless communication network of claim 17, wherein each mobile communication device is further operative to:

if the attempt to register for the data service is successful, and the identified communication network is not listed in the service access list as making the data service available, include the identified communication network in the service access list as making the data service available.

19. The wireless communication network of claim 17, wherein the service access list excludes communication networks that fail to make the data service available to the mobile communication device.

20. The wireless communication network of claim 17, wherein the service access list excludes communication networks that fail to make the data service available to the mobile communication device, and each mobile communication device is further operative to:

exclude the identified communication network from being listed in the service access list by removing the identified communication network from the service access list.

21. The wireless communication network of claim 17, wherein the service access list is used for listing a plurality of communication networks that make the data service and a data connectivity for a data application available to the mobile communication device, and each mobile communication device being further operative to:

request the data connectivity for the data application via the identified communication network;

if the attempt to register for the data service and the request for the data connectivity are successful, operate in the identified communication network with use of the data service and the data connectivity for the data application; and

if the attempt to register for the data service or the request for the packet data connectivity fails, exclude the identified communication network from being listed in the service access list as making the data service and or the data connectivity available.

22. The wireless communication network of claim 17, wherein the preferred network list comprises a Preferred Public Land Mobile Network (PPLMN) list.

23. The wireless communication network of claim 17, wherein the service access list is associated with a region of operation of the mobile communication device.

24. A method in a mobile communication for use in selecting a communication network for communications, the method comprising the acts of:

maintaining a preferred network list which lists a plurality of communication networks having assigned priorities for network selection;

maintaining a service access list used for listing a plurality of communication networks that make a packet data service available to the mobile communication but excluding communication networks that fail to make the packet data service available to the mobile communication device;

performing a scanning operation for identifying one or more communication networks available in a coverage area of the mobile communication device;

when a home communication network of the mobile communication device is unavailable in the coverage area, consulting the preferred network list and the service access list in attempt to identify one of the communication networks in the coverage area that is found in the preferred network list and the service access list;

attempting to register for the packet data service via the identified communication network;

if the attempt to register for the packet data service is successful;

operating in the identified communication network with use of the data service;

adding the identified communication network to the service access list if the identified communication network is not already listed in the service access list; and

if the attempt to register for the packet data service fails, excluding the identified communication network from the service access list.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the packet data service comprises a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and the act of attempting to register comprises a GPRS attach request.