SYSTEM AND METHOD TO FACILITATE ACQUISITION OF ACCESS POINT BASE STATIONS

• US 20090098872A1
• Filed: 10/09/2008
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Deshpande, Manoj M., Nanda, Sanjiv, Balasubramanian, Srinivasan
• Granted Patent: US 8,948,749 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/435.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/0093 Neighbour cell search
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

Devices and methods are provided for facilitating selection and acquisition of an access point (AP) base station via implementation of a system selection file that may include a preferred roaming list (PRL), a public land mobile network (PLMN) database, or the like. The selection attempts may be limited to specific preferred systems, such as, for example, the AP base station. The system selection file includes identification parameters of the preferred systems. In one embodiment, the identification parameters include at least one of a system identifier (SID) and a network identifier (NID) for a given one of the systems.

Claims

1. A method of performing system selection and acquisition, comprising:

receiving a system selection file, the file comprising preference parameters and acquisition parameters for a plurality communication systems, the systems comprising an access point (AP) base station; and

in response to a given one of the preference parameters being set to identify the AP base station as a preferred system, utilizing a corresponding acquisition parameter to attempt acquisition of the AP base station.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising refraining from attempting acquisition of non-preferred systems.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising refraining from attempting acquisition of systems other than the AP base station.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to failing to acquire the preferred system, attempting to acquire another preferred system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the file comprises receiving at least one of a preferred roaming list (PRL), a public land mobile network (PLMN) database, and an overlay algorithm configured to select at least one of a PRL and a PLMN database.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein receiving the file comprises receiving a system table that includes identification parameters of the systems, each identification parameter comprising at least one of a system identifier (SID) and a network identifier (NID) for a given one of the systems.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein receiving the file comprises receiving a system table that includes identification parameters of the systems, each identification parameter comprising at least one of a Mobile Country Code (MCC) and a Mobile Network Code (MNC) for a given one of the systems.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein receiving the file comprises receiving a system table that includes identification parameters of the systems, each identification parameter comprising a subnet-ID for a given one of the systems.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein receiving the file comprises receiving a system table that includes the preference parameters of the systems, each preference parameter comprising a PREF_ONLY field for a given one of the systems.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein receiving the file comprises receiving an acquisition table that includes an indexed list of frequencies for acquisition of the systems.

11. A communication device, comprising:

a receiver adapted to receive a system selection file, the file comprising preference parameters and acquisition parameters for a plurality of communication systems, the systems comprising an access point (AP) base station; and

at least one processor adapted to, in response to a given one of the preference parameters being set to identify the AP base station as a preferred system, utilize a corresponding acquisition parameter to attempt acquisition of the AP base station.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is adapted to refrain from attempting acquisition of non-preferred systems.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is adapted to refrain from attempting acquisition of systems other than the AP base station.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is adapted to facilitate access to a femto cell.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is adapted to, in response to failing to acquire the preferred system, attempts to acquire another preferred system.

16. The device of claim 11, wherein the file comprises at least one of a preferred roaming list (PRL), a public land mobile network (PLMN) database, and an overlay algorithm configured to select at least one of a PRL and a PLMN database.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the file comprises a system table that includes identification parameters of the systems.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the identification parameters comprise at least one of a system identifier (SID) and a network identifier (NID) for a given one of the systems.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein the identification parameters comprise at least one of a Mobile Country Code (MCC) and a Mobile Network Code (MNC) for a given one of the systems.

20. The device of claim 17, wherein the identification parameters comprise subnet-ID for a given one of the systems.

21. The device of claim 17, wherein the system table comprises the preference parameters for the systems.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein each preference parameter comprises a PREF_ONLY field for a given one of the systems.

23. The device of claim 21, wherein at least one of the preference parameters comprises a PREF_ONLY field for a subset of the systems.

24. The device of claim 17, wherein the file further comprises an acquisition table, the acquisition table comprising an indexed list of frequencies for acquisition of the systems.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein each system table entry comprises an acquisition index that refers to at least one the frequencies listed in the acquisition table.

26. The device of claim 11, further comprising a memory unit in operative communication with the receiver and the at least one processor, the memory unit being adapted to store the file.

27. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving a file, the file comprising preference parameters and acquisition parameters for a plurality of communication systems, the systems comprising an access point (AP) base station; and

means for utilizing, in response to a given one of the preference parameters being set to identify the AP base station as a preferred system, a corresponding acquisition parameter to attempt acquisition of the AP base station.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the means for utilizing comprises means for refraining from attempting acquisition of non-preferred systems.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the means for utilizing comprises means for refraining from attempting acquisition of systems other than the AP base station.

30. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising means for acquiring another preferred system in response to failing to acquire the preferred system.

31. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein acquisition of the AP base station facilitates access to a femto cell.

32. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the file comprises at least one of a preferred roaming list (PRL), a public land mobile network (PLMN) database, and an overlay algorithm configured to select at least one of a PRL and a PLMN database.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the file comprises a system table that includes identification parameters of the systems.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the identification parameters comprise at least one of a system identifier (SID) and a network identifier (NID) for a given one of the systems.

35. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the identification parameters comprise at least one of a Mobile Country Code (MCC) and a Mobile Network Code (MNC) for a given one of the systems.

36. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the identification parameters comprise subnet-ID for a given one of the systems.

37. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the system table comprises the preference parameters for the systems.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein each preference parameter comprises a PREF_ONLY field for a given one of the systems.

39. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein at least one of the preference parameters comprises a PREF_ONLY field for a subset of the systems.

40. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the file further comprises an acquisition table, the acquisition table comprising an indexed list of frequencies for acquisition of the systems.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein each system table entry comprises an acquisition index that refers to at least one the frequencies listed in the acquisition table.

42. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising means for storing the file.

43. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

code for causing a computer to receive a system selection file, the file comprising preference parameters and acquisition parameters for a plurality communication systems, the systems comprising an access point (AP) base station; and

code for causing a computer to, in response to a given one of the preference parameters being set to identify the AP base station as a preferred system, utilizing a corresponding acquisition parameter to attempt acquisition of the AP base station.

44. The computer program product of claim 43, wherein the file comprises at least one of a preferred roaming list (PRL), a public land mobile network (PLMN) database, and an overlay algorithm configured to select at least one of a PRL and a PLMN database.

45. The computer program product of claim 44, wherein the file comprises a system table that includes identification parameters of the systems.

46. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein the identification parameters comprise at least one of a system identifier (SID) and a network identifier (NID) for a given one of the systems.

47. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein the identification parameters comprise at least one of a Mobile Country Code (MCC) and a Mobile Network Code (MNC) for a given one of the systems.

48. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein the identification parameters comprise subnet-ID for a given one of the systems.

49. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein the system table that includes the preference parameters for the systems.

50. The computer program product of claim 49, wherein each preference parameter comprises a PREF_ONLY field for a given one of the systems.

51. The computer program product of claim 49, wherein at least one of the preference parameters comprises a PREF_ONLY field for a subset of the systems.

52. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein the file further comprises an acquisition table, the acquisition table comprising an indexed list of frequencies for acquisition of the systems.

53. The computer program product of claim 52, wherein each system table entry comprises an acquisition index that refers to at least one the frequencies listed in the acquisition table.