Method and Apparatus for Controlling Cellular Reselection Attempts on a Computing Device

• US 20120069816A1
• Filed: 09/18/2010
• Published: 03/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Kashikar, Anand, Bhandari, Puneet
• Granted Patent: US 8,665,831 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0245 according to signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling cellular reselection attempts on a computing device is disclosed. A computing device performs an automated process to repeatedly check the adequacy of the serving cell that it is currently assigned to. The computing device performs the check to determine whether it should perform a neighbor search and cell reselection. If the computing device determines the presence of particular conditions, it can perform the reselection by a default automated process. On the other hand, if the computing device determines criteria based, at least in part, on past instances, the computing device can modify the default automated process and skip attempts at performing neighbor search and cell reselections.

Claims

1. A method for operating a computing device on a cellular network, the method comprising:

performing an automated process in which the computing device is programmed to automatically and repeatedly check an adequacy of a serving cell that is currently assigned to the computing device for purpose of determining whether neighbor search and cell reselection is to be performed by the computing device;

determining presence of a condition in which neighbor search and cell reselection is to be performed by default performance of the automated process;

identifying a result of one or more past instances in which the computing device, by default performance of the automated process, attempts to perform neighbor search and cell reselection as a result of the presence of the condition;

determining criteria for attempting neighbor search and cell reselection based at least in part on the result of the one or more past instances;

based on the criteria, making a determination as to whether default performance of the automated process is to be modified;

skipping an attempt at performing neighbor search and cell reselection, as would otherwise be required by default performance of the automated process, when performing the automated process.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the automated process includes performing a Discontinuous Reception (DRX) process in which the radio module of the computing device is placed into a low power state and then awakened.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining presence of the condition in which neighbor search and cell reselection is to be performed includes determining that one or more characteristics of a cellular transmission from the serving cell is below a designated threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, the one or more characteristics is based at least in part on a power level or quality of the transmission as received on the computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the designated threshold is a network determined level.

6. The method of claim 1, determining the criteria includes determining a number of past instances of a specified duration in which neighbor search and cell reselection was attempted and failed.

7. The method of claim 6, determining the number of past instances includes determining a number of consecutive past instances in which neighbor search and cell reselection was attempted and failed.

8. The method of claim 1, determining the criteria includes determining a number of past instances of a specified duration in which neighbor search and cell reselection is not attempted.

9. The method of claim 1, determining the criteria includes determining a number of past instances of a specified duration in which neighbor search and cell reselection is skipped.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the automated process is performed when the computing device is in an idle state.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising discontinuing the automated process when the computing device is out of the idle state.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising discontinuing the automated process when the condition is updated by the cellular network.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising discontinuing the automated process upon occurrence of a successful neighbor search and cell reselection.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the automated process is initiated when the computing device is in an idle state.

15. A computing device comprising:

one or more processors;

a radio module;

wherein the one or more processors are configured to;

perform an automated process in which the radio module is programmed to automatically and repeatedly check an adequacy of a serving cell that is currently assigned to the computing device for purpose of determining whether neighbor search and cell reselection is to be performed by the computing device;

determine presence of a condition in which neighbor search and cell reselection is to be performed by default performance of the automated process;

identify a result of one or more past instances in which the computing device, by default performance of the automated process, attempts to perform neighbor search and cell reselection as a result of the presence of the condition;

determine criteria for attempting neighbor search and cell reselection based at least in part on the result of the one or more past instances;

based on the criteria, make a determination as to whether default performance of the automated process is to be modified;

skip an attempt at performing neighbor search and cell reselection, as would otherwise be required by default performance of the automated process, when performing the automated process.

16. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors determine the criteria by determining a number of past instances of a specified duration in which neighbor search and cell reselection was attempted and failed.

17. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the one or more processors determine the criteria by determining a number of consecutive past instances in which neighbor search and cell reselection was attempted and failed.

18. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors determine the criteria by determining a number of past instances of a specified duration in which neighbor search and cell reselection is not attempted.

19. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors determine the criteria by determining a number of past instances of a specified duration in which neighbor search and cell reselection is skipped.

20. A radio module for a computing device, the radio module comprising:

one or more processors that are configured to;

perform an automated process in which the radio module is programmed to automatically and repeatedly check an adequacy of a serving cell that is currently assigned to the computing device for purpose of determining whether neighbor search and cell reselection is to be performed by the computing device;

determine presence of a condition in which neighbor search and cell reselection is to be performed by default performance of the automated process;

identify a result of one or more past instances in which the computing device, by default performance of the automated process, attempts to perform neighbor search and cell reselection as a result of the presence of the condition;

determine criteria for attempting neighbor search and cell reselection based at least in part on the result of the one or more past instances;

based on the criteria, make a determination as to whether default performance of the automated process is to be modified;

skip an attempt at performing neighbor search and cell reselection, as would otherwise be required by default performance of the automated process, when performing the automated process.