COMMUNICATION APPARATUSES EQUIPPED WITH MORE THAN ONE SUBSCRIBER IDENTITY CARD AND CAPABLE OF PROVIDING RELIABLE COMMUNICATION QUALITY

• US 20090239582A1
• Filed: 11/21/2008
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xueshan Technologies Inc. (Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Inventors: Lin, Keng-Chung
• Granted Patent: US 8,108,002 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/558
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/45 using multiple identity modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0245 according to signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A communication apparatus is provided. The communication apparatus includes at least one radio transceiver module, a first subscriber identity card, a second subscriber identity card and a processor. The first subscriber identity card camps on a first cell belonging to a first wireless network via the same or different radio transceiver modules. The second subscriber identity card camps on a second cell belonging to a second wireless network via the same or different radio transceiver modules. The processor, coupled to the first subscriber identity card, the second subscriber identity card and the radio transceiver module(s), receives an apparatus originated communication request with a destination address, compares a signal strength of a first signal received from the first cell with a signal strength of a second signal received from the second cell and establishes a wireless communication with a peer device having the destination address through the cell with better signal strength.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus, comprising:

at least one radio transceiver module;

a first subscriber identity card camping on a first cell belonging to a first wireless network via the same or different radio transceiver modules;

a second subscriber identity card camping on a second cell belonging to a second wireless network via the same or different radio transceiver modules; and

a processor coupled to the first subscriber identity card, the second subscriber identity card and the radio transceiver module(s), receiving an apparatus originated communication request with a destination address, comparing a signal strength of a first signal received from the first cell with a signal strength of a second signal received from the second cell and establishing a wireless communication with a peer device having the destination address through the cell with better signal strength.

2. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first subscriber identity card and the second subscriber identity card is the subscriber identity module (SIM) card corresponding to the global system for mobile communications (GSM) communication system, the universal subscriber identity module (USIM) card corresponding to the universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) communication system, or the removable user identity module (RUIM) card or the CDMA subscriber identity module (CSIM) card corresponding to the code division multiple access (CDMA) 2000 communication system.

3. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal strength of the first signal and the signal strength of the second signal are measured according to a power or a signal to noise ratio of a plurality of pilot signals carried in broadcast messages received from the first cell and the second cell, respectively.

4. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a memory device storing information indicating one of the first and second subscriber identity cards as a preferred subscriber identity card, wherein the processor establishes the wireless communication with the peer device having the destination address through the cell that the preferred subscriber identity card camps on when the signal strength of the first signal and the signal strength of the second signal are substantially the same.

5. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a memory device storing a signal strength setting, wherein the processor further receives an indication message from an user for indicating a selection of either the first subscriber identity card or the second subscriber identity card, and establishes the wireless communication with the peer device having the destination address through the first cell or the second cell according to the indication message when the signal strength setting is disabled.

6. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a memory device storing a signal strength setting, wherein the processor further determines whether the signal strength setting is enabled, and establishes the wireless communication with the peer device having the destination address through the cell with better signal strength when the signal strength setting is enabled.

7. A communication apparatus, comprising:

at least one radio transceiver module;

a first subscriber identity card with a first address camping on a first cell belonging to a first wireless network via the same or different radio transceiver modules;

a second subscriber identity card with a second address camping on a second cell belonging to a second wireless network via the radio transceiver module; and

a processor coupled to the first subscriber identity card, the second subscriber identity card and the radio transceiver module(s), receiving a apparatus terminated communication request of the first subscriber identity card with an origination address from the first cell, comparing a signal strength of a first signal received from the first cell with a signal strength of a second signal received from the second cell and transmitting a redirection request through the first cell to the first wireless network via the radio transceiver module to instruct the first wireless network to redirect the apparatus terminated communication request to the second subscriber identity card when the signal strength of the second signal is better than the signal strength of the first signal.

8. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the redirection request is a call deflection request with the second address or a call forwarding request with the second address.

9. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein at least one of the first subscriber identity card and the second subscriber identity card is the subscriber identity module (SIM) card corresponding to the global system for mobile communications (GSM) communication system, the universal subscriber identity module (USIM) card corresponding to the universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) communication system, or the removable user identity module (RUIM) card or the CDMA subscriber identity module (CSIM) card corresponding to the code division multiple access (CDMA) 2000 communication system.

10. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the signal strength of the first signal and the signal strength of the second signal are measured according to a power or a signal to noise ratio of a plurality of pilot signals carried in broadcast messages received from the first cell and the second cell, respectively.

11. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the processor further receives a release message from the first cell to release the apparatus terminated communication request of the first subscriber identity card, receives an apparatus terminated communication request of the second subscriber identity card with the origination address from the second cell and establishes a wireless communication with the origination address through the second cell.

12. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a memory device storing a signal strength setting, wherein the processor further establishes a wireless communication with the origination address through the first cell when the signal strength setting is disabled or when the signal strength of the second signal is not better than the signal strength of the first signal.

13. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a memory device storing a signal strength setting, wherein the processor further determines whether the signal strength setting is enabled and transmits the redirection request through the first cell to the first wireless network via the radio transceiver module when the signal strength of the second signal is better than the signal strength of the first signal and the signal strength setting is enabled.

14. A communication apparatus, comprising:

a single radio transceiver module;

a first subscriber identity card camping on a first cell belonging to a first wireless network via the radio transceiver module;

a second subscriber identity card camping on a second cell belonging to a second wireless network via the radio transceiver module; and

a processor coupled to the first subscriber identity card, the second subscriber identity card and the radio transceiver module, transmitting a message through the second cell to the second wireless network via the radio transceiver module right after the first subscriber identity card has finished a wireless communication with a peer communication apparatus.

15. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the message is a location update message providing current location information to the second wireless network.

16. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the message is a supplementary service query message querying a status of a supplementary service for the second subscriber identity card.

17. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the message is an apparatus originated communication request originating a wireless communication with the second wireless network.

18. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the processor transmits the message to the second wireless network within 4 seconds right after the first subscriber identity card has finished the wireless communication with the peer communication apparatus.

19. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the processor transmits the message to the second wireless network right after the first subscriber identity card has finished the wireless communication with the peer communication apparatus when the second wireless network is trying to inform the second subscriber identity card of a transmission of an incoming short message during the wireless communication of the first subscriber identity card.

20. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the processor further determines a location update period of the second subscriber identity card according to a location update period parameter obtained from system information carried in a Broadcast Control Channel (BCCH) burst through the second cell, and transmits the supplementary service query message to the second wireless network when the location update period is determined to be longer than a predetermined period.