METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR UNIFYING DIFFERENT MULTI-MODE SYSTEM SELECTION FRAMEWORKS

• US 20110092208A1
• Filed: 04/08/2010
• Published: 04/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Ramachandran, Shyamal, Swaminathan, Arvind, Klingenbrunn, Thomas, Balasubramanian, Srinivasan
• Application Number:
  US12/756,812
• Publication Number:
  US 20110092208A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/435.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/385 of the core network

Abstract

A unified approach multi-mode system selection is provided for a mobile device implementing multiple multi-mode system selection (MMSS). Different system operators may provide their own MMSS databases and rules in different frameworks. To allow a mobile device to perform MMSS without modifying its software, the different databases may be mapped into a common database. In one example, an MMSS solution is implemented that uses a Preferred Roaming List (PRL) database according to a 3GPP2 system selection to specify the prioritization of 3GPP and 3GPP2 systems the mobile device. When the mobile device is powered up, the information in the different MMSS databases is mapped into a common database (“PRL with PLMN records”). The wireless communication device then acts on this information in the common database to perform system selection.

Claims

1. A method operational in a mobile device for multi-mode system selection, comprising:

provisioning the mobile device with a first database including one or more geographic records, each geographic record for storing one or more communication system entries having a first type of data structure, the one or more communication system entries to be used for establishing communications in a region;

provisioning the mobile device with a second database including one or more multi-mode system selection entries having a second type of data structure different from the first type of data structure;

mapping the multi-mode system selection entries from the second database to one or more geographic records in the first database; and

establishing network communication service by selecting a first communication system from a geographic record corresponding to a current operating region for the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying the current operating region for the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

performing multi-mode system selection using the first database by selecting a geographic record corresponding to the current operating region and selecting the first communication system entry based on the current operating region.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first communication system is identified as a system entry of highest priority within the selected geographic record.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first database is compatible with a first framework type while the second database is compatible with a second framework type, where the first and second framework types are distinct.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first framework type is compatible with a 3rd Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2) Preferred Roaming List (PRL) framework.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the second framework type is compatible with a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) framework.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

provisioning the mobile device with additional databases of multi-mode system selection entries, where the second database and additional databases are provided by one or more network operators.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

arranging entries in each geographic record according to an order of priority.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein arranging entries in each geographic record according to an order of priority includes

determining the order of priority of entries in each geographic record according to ranking rules in a third database of system priorities.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating each communication system entry in a geographic record with an acquisition record that defines one or more communication channels associated with that entry.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein mapping the multi-mode system selection (MMSS) entries from the second database to one or more geographic records in the first database includes:

obtaining a first MMSS entry from the second database;

determining a first MMSS Location Priority List (MLPL) associated with the first MMSS entry;

determining a first MMSS System Priority List (MSPL) index linked to the first MLPL entry;

determining all existing MMSS Location Priority List (MLPL) records in the first database that are associated with the first MSPL index; and

identifying one or more geographic records in the first database having an existing MMSS Location Priority List record associated with the first MSPL index.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

adding the first MMSS entry to each geographic record in the first database having an existing MLPL record associated with the first MSPL index.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

adding the first MMSS entry to a newly created geographic record in the first database if no existing geographic records in the first database have a MLPL record associated with the first MSPL index.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the first MMSS entry is a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) entry.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining an order of priority of entries in each geographic record according to ranking rules in a multi-mode system selection (MMSS) System Priority List associated with the first MSPL index; and

arranging entries in each geographic record according to the order of priority.

17. A mobile device adapted for multi-mode system selection (MMSS), comprising:

one or more wireless communication interfaces for communicating over one or more different types of networks according to different communication standards;

a memory device adapted to

store a first database including one or more geographic records, each geographic record for storing one or more communication system entries having a first type of data structure, the one or more communication system entries to be used for establishing communications in a region, and

store a second database including one or more multi-mode system selection entries having a second type of data structure different from the first type of data structure; and

a processing circuit coupled to the one or more wireless communication interfaces, the processing circuit adapted to perform MMSS database conversion by;

mapping the multi-mode system selection entries from the second database to one or more geographic records in the first database;

establishing network communication service by selecting a first communication system from a geographic record corresponding to a current operating region for the mobile device.

18. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the processing circuit is further adapted to perform multi-mode system selection by accessing the first database and selecting from among one or more networks in a given region.

19. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the processing circuit is further adapted to perform multi-mode system selection using the first database by selecting a geographic record corresponding to the current operating region and selecting the first communication system based on an order of priority defined within the selected geographic record.

20. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the processing circuit is adapted to perform the mapping from the second database to the first database upon boot-up of the mobile device whenever the second database has changed from a previous boot-up of the mobile device.

21. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the first database is compatible with a first framework type while the second database is compatible with a second framework type, where the first and second framework types are distinct.

22. The mobile device of claim 21, wherein the first framework type is compatible with a 3rd Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2) Preferred Roaming List (PRL) framework.

23. The mobile device of claim 21, wherein the second framework type is compatible with a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) framework.

24. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein arranging entries in each geographic record according to an order of priority includes

determining a order of priority of entries in each geographic record according to ranking rules in a third database of system priorities.

25. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein mapping the multi-mode system selection (MMSS) entries from the second database to one or more geographic records in the first database includes:

obtaining a first MMSS entry from the second database;

determining a first MMSS Location Priority List (MLPL) associated with the first MMSS entry;

determining a first MMSS System Priority List (MSPL) index linked to the first MLPL entry;

determining all existing MMSS Location Priority List (MLPL) records in the first database that are associated with the first MSPL index; and

identifying one or more geographic records in the first database having an existing MMSS Location Priority List record associated with the first MSPL index.

26. The mobile device of claim 25, wherein mapping the multi-mode system selection (MMSS) entries from the second database to geographic records in the first database further includes:

adding the first MMSS entry to each geographic record in the first database having an existing MLPL record associated with the first MSPL index.

27. The mobile device of claim 25, wherein mapping the multi-mode system selection (MMSS) entries from the second database to geographic records in the first database further includes:

adding the first MMSS entry to a newly created geographic record in the first database if no existing geographic records in the first database have a MLPL record associated with the first MSPL index.

28. The mobile device of claim 25, wherein the processing circuit is further adapted to

determine an order of priority of entries in each geographic record according to ranking rules in a multi-mode system selection (MMSS) System Priority List associated with the first MSPL index;

and

arrange entries in each geographic record according to an order of priority includes

29. A mobile device adapted for multi-mode system selection (MMSS), comprising:

means for provisioning the mobile device with a first database including one or more geographic records, each geographic record for storing one or more communication system entries having a first type of data structure, the one or more communication system entries to be used for establishing communications in a region;

means for provisioning the mobile device with a second database including one or more multi-mode system selection entries having a second type of data structure different from the first type of data structure;

means for mapping the multi-mode system selection entries from the second database to one or more geographic records in the first database; and

means for establishing network communication service by selecting a first communication system from a geographic record corresponding to a current operating region for the mobile device.

30. The mobile device of claim 29, further comprising:

means for associating each communication system entry in a geographic record with an acquisition record that defines one or more communication channels associated with that entry.

31. The mobile device of claim 29, further comprising:

means for determining an order of priority of entries in each geographic record according to ranking rules in a third database of system priorities.

32. A machine-readable medium comprising instructions operational in a mobile device for multi-mode system selection (MMSS), which when executed by one or more processors causes the processors to:

provision the mobile device with a first database including one or more geographic records, each geographic record for storing one or more communication system entries having a first type of data structure, the one or more communication system entries to be used for establishing communications in a region;

provision the mobile device with a second database including one or more multi-mode system selection entries having a second type of data structure different from the first type of data structure;

map the multi-mode system selection entries from the second database to one or more geographic records in the first database; and

establish network communication service by selecting a first communication system from a geographic record corresponding to a current operating region for the mobile device.

33. The machine-readable medium of claim 32, further comprising instructions which when executed by the one or more processors causes the processors to

determine an order of priority of entries in each geographic record according to ranking rules in a third database of system priorities.