METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MULTI-MODE SYSTEM SELECTION

• US 20110207473A1
• Filed: 08/18/2010
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Ramachandran, Shyamal, Swaminathan, Arvind, Klingenbrunn, Thomas, Balasubramanian, Srinivasan
• Granted Patent: US 8,903,382 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• 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 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Devices and methods are provided for optimizing the timing of multi-mode system scans in a wireless communication environment. In one embodiment, the method may involve determining at least one of location and movement of a mobile entity (ME). The method may involve adjusting a timer between preferred system scans based on the at least one of the location and the movement of the ME. For example, determining may involve utilizing a movement sensor (e.g., an accelerometer and/or a voltage-controlled oscillator accumulator) to detect the movement of the ME, and/or receiving signals from a Global Positioning System or the like.

Claims

1. A method operable by a mobile entity (ME) in a wireless communication system, comprising:

determining at least one of location and movement of the ME; and

adjusting a timer between preferred system scans based on the at least one of the location and the movement of the ME.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining comprises utilizing a movement sensor to detect the movement of the ME.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the movement sensor comprises at least one of an accelerometer and a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) accumulator.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining comprises receiving signals from a Global Positioning System (GPS).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining comprises:

obtaining a cell identifier for one of a servicing cell and a neighboring cell;

using the cell identifier to access position data of a base station associated with the one of the serving cell and the neighboring cell; and

approximating the at least one of the location and the movement of the ME based on the position data of the base station.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining comprises:

accessing a neighbor list of base stations within a defined distance from one of the ME and a serving base station;

using the neighbor list to access position data of the base stations; and

approximating the at least one of the location and the movement of the ME based on the position data of the base stations.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein base stations comprise at least one of a macro base station and a femto base station.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining comprises using heuristic data regarding at least one of serving cells and roaming cells within a geographic area in which the ME is located to approximate the at least one of the location and the movement of the ME.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining comprises using a Technology Order Table (TOT) to approximate the location of the ME, in response to the ME being powered up.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising focusing a preferred system scan to a subset of available systems on the TOT.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting comprises decreasing the timer, in response to detecting that the movement meets a minimum movement threshold.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting comprises increasing the timer, in response to detecting that the movement fails to meet a minimum movement threshold.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting comprises decreasing the timer, in response to detecting at least one of:

a change in the ME location relative to a previous ME location meets a location change threshold; and

a decrease in a distance between the ME and a preferred system.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the previous ME location corresponds to where the ME was when the previous preferred system was acquired.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting comprises increasing the timer, in response to detecting that a change in the ME location relative to a previous ME location fails to meet a location change threshold.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a preferred system scan according to a Multimode Location association Priority List (MLPL).

17. The method of claim 16, wherein performing comprises identifying a location group in which the ME is located, the location group comprising a plurality of systems in a geographic area.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein performing further comprises building the system priority list by rank-ordering the plurality of systems in the geographic area.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein identifying comprises scanning most recently used frequencies of the ME.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

caching previous systems the ME has visited in a defined period; and

avoiding at least one of a given frequency and a given cell associated with at least one of the previous systems, during a preferred system scan.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the timer comprises a default timer for a plurality of available systems.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising restricting a given preferred system scan to a subset of bands and Radio Access Technologies (RATs) supported by the ME based on a table that includes a Mobile Country Code (MCC) or a MCC/Mobile Network Code (MNC) specific listing of the bands and the RATs.

23. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

determine at least one of location and movement of a mobile entity (ME); and

adjust a timer between preferred system scans based on the at least one of the location and the movement of the ME; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor for storing data.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising a movement sensor to detect the movement of the ME.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver inoperative communication with the at least one processor.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the at least one processor:

obtains a cell identifier for one of a servicing cell and a neighboring cell;

uses the cell identifier to access position data of a base station associated with the one of the serving cell and the neighboring cell; and

approximates the at least one of the location and the movement of the ME based on the position data of the base station.

27. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the at least one processor uses heuristic data regarding at least one of serving cells and roaming cells within a geographic area in which the ME is located to approximate the at least one of the location and the movement of the ME.

28. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the at least one processor decreases the timer, in response to detecting that the movement meets a minimum movement threshold.

29. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the at least one processor increases the timer, in response to detecting that the movement fails to meet a minimum movement threshold.

30. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the at least one processor decreases the timer, in response to detecting at least one of:

a change in the ME location relative to a previous ME location meets a location change threshold; and

a decrease in a distance between the ME and a preferred system.

31. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the at least one processor increases the timer, in response to detecting that a change in the ME location relative to a previous ME location fails to meet a location change threshold.

32. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the at least one processor performs a preferred system scan according to a system priority list.

33. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the timer comprises a default timer for a plurality of available systems.

34. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising restricting a given preferred system scan to a subset of bands and Radio Access Technologies (RATs) supported by the ME based on a table that includes a Mobile Country Code (MCC) or a MCC/Mobile Network Code (MNC) specific listing of the bands and the RATs.

35. An apparatus, comprising:

means for determining at least one of location and movement of a mobile entity (ME); and

means for adjusting a timer between preferred system scans based on the at least one of the location and the movement of the ME.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, further comprising means for sensing the movement of the ME.

37. The apparatus of claim 35, further comprising means for receiving Global Positioning System (GPS) signals.

38. The apparatus of claim 35, further comprising:

means for obtaining a cell identifier for one of a servicing cell and a neighboring cell;

means for using the cell identifier to access position data of a base station associated with the one of the serving cell and the neighboring cell; and

means for approximating the at least one of the location and the movement of the ME based on the position data of the base station.

The apparatus of claim 35, further comprising means for using heuristic data regarding at least one of serving cells and roaming cells within a geographic area in which the ME is located to approximate the at least one of the location and the movement of the ME.

39. The apparatus of claim 35, further comprising means for decreasing the timer, in response to detecting that the movement meets a minimum movement threshold.

40. The apparatus of claim 35, further comprising means for increasing the timer, in response to detecting that the movement fails to meet a minimum movement threshold.

41. The apparatus of claim 35, further comprising means for decreasing the timer, in response to detecting at least one of:

a change in the ME location relative to a previous ME location meets a location change threshold; and

a decrease in a distance between the ME and a preferred system.

42. The apparatus of claim 35, further comprising means for increasing the timer, in response to detecting that a change in the ME location relative to a previous ME location fails to meet a location change threshold.

43. The apparatus of claim 35, further comprising means for performing a preferred system scan according to a system priority list.

44. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising code for causing a computer to;

determine at least one of location and movement of a mobile entity (ME); and

adjust a timer between preferred system scans based on the at least one of the location and the movement of the ME.

45. The computer program product of claim 44, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for causing the computer to sense the movement of the ME.

46. The computer program product of claim 44, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for causing the computer to receive Global Positioning System (GPS) signals.

47. The computer program product of claim 44, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for causing the computer to:

obtain a cell identifier for one of a servicing cell and a neighboring cell;

use the cell identifier to access position data of a base station associated with the one of the serving cell and the neighboring cell; and

approximate the at least one of the location and the movement of the ME based on the position data of the base station.

48. The computer program product of claim 44, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for causing the computer to use heuristic data regarding at least one of serving cells and roaming cells within a geographic area in which the ME is located to approximate the at least one of the location and the movement of the ME.

49. The computer program product of claim 44, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for causing the computer to decrease the timer, in response to detecting that the movement meets a minimum movement threshold.

50. The computer program product of claim 44, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for causing the computer to increase the timer, in response to detecting that the movement fails to meet a minimum movement threshold.

51. The computer program product of claim 44, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for causing the computer to decrease the timer, in response to detecting at least one of:

a change in the ME location relative to a previous ME location meets a location change threshold; and

a decrease in a distance between the ME and a preferred system.

52. The computer program product of claim 44, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for causing the computer to increase the timer, in response to detecting that a change in the ME location relative to a previous ME location fails to meet a location change threshold.

53. The computer program product of claim 44, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for causing the computer to perform a preferred system scan according to a system priority list.