MULTI-SIM DEVICE AND OPERATION METHOD THEREOF

• US 20200137755A1
• Filed: 07/17/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: LEE, Jun-kyoung, KIM, Chul-kyung, NAM, Jong-wook, LEE, Young-yong
• Granted Patent: US 11,272,506 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A multi-subscriber identification module (SIM) device includes: a first SIM configured to use a service of a first network; a second SIM configured to use a service of a second network; a first RF resource configured to support use of non-limited channel configuration according to a radio resource control (RRC) protocol; a second RF resource configured to support use of limited channel configuration according to the RRC protocol; and a baseband processor configured to selectively assign any one of the first RF resource and the second RF resource to the first SIM and the second SIM, based on information regarding the first network and the second network.

Claims

1. A multi-subscriber identification module (SIM) device comprising:

a first SIM configured to use a first service of a first network;

a second SIM configured to use a second service of a second network;

a first radio frequency (RF) resource configured to support use of a non-limited channel configuration according to a radio resource control (RRC) protocol;

a second RF resource configured to support use of a limited channel configuration according to the RRC protocol; and

a baseband processor configured to selectively assign the first RF resource and the second RF resource to the first SIM and the second SIM, based on information regarding the first network and the second network.

2. The multi-SIM device of claim 1, wherein a first structure of the first RF resource is different from a second structure of the second RF resource.

4. The multi-SIM device of claim 1, wherein the first RF resource is further configured to support processing a first channel that a first assigned SIM of the first SIM and the second SIM, which is assigned to the first RF resource, handles in an idle mode and a second channel used to maintain a network connection mode, and

the second RF resource is further configured to support processing a third channel that a second assigned SIM of the first SIM and the second SIM, which is assigned to the second RF resource, handles in the idle mode.

5. The multi-SIM device of claim 1, wherein the information comprises at least one of first channel configuration information regarding a first channel between the first network and the first SIM, first scheduling information regarding the first channel, second channel configuration information regarding a second channel between the second network and the second SIM, and second scheduling information regarding the second channel.

6. The multi-SIM device of claim 1, wherein the baseband processor is further configured to:

select a mode among a dual radio (DR) mode and a dual sim dual standby (DSDS) mode based on the information when a first RF resource use request interval of the first SIM overlaps a second RF resource use request interval of the second SIM; and

control the multi-SIM device to operate in the mode that is selected.

7. The multi-SIM device of claim 6, wherein, in response to the DR mode being selected, the baseband processor is further configured to set a main SIM and a sub-SIM by using the first SIM and the second SIM, assign the first RF resource to the main SIM, and assign the second RF resource to the sub-SIM.

8. The multi-SIM device of claim 7, wherein the baseband processor is further configured to set the main SIM and the sub-SIM based on first periodic/non-periodic characteristics of a first channel between the first network and the first SIM and second periodic/non-periodic characteristics of a second channel between the second network and the second SIM.

9. The multi-SIM device of claim 7, wherein the baseband processor is further configured to set the main SIM and the sub-SIM based on first scheduling information of a first channel between the first network and the first SIM, and second scheduling information of a second channel between the second network and the second SIM.

10. The multi-SIM device of claim 7, wherein the main SIM is configured to perform a first operation with the first network by using the first RF resource, and the sub-SIM is configured to perform a second operation with the second network by using the second RF resource.

12. The multi-SIM device of claim 6, wherein, in response to the DSDS mode being selected, the baseband processor is further configured to assign the first RF resource to one of the first SIM and the second SIM.

13. The multi-SIM device of claim 6, wherein, in response to the first RF resource use request interval not overlapping the second RF resource use request interval, the baseband processor is further configured to control the multi-SIM device to operate in the DSDS mode.

14. The multi-SIM device of claim 1, further comprising a memory configured to store first information regarding the first network that is obtained from the first SIM and second information regarding the second network that is obtained from the second SIM, the first information and the second information being accessible by the baseband processor.

3. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

15. A multi-subscriber identification module (SIM) device comprising:

a plurality of SIMs;

a plurality of radio frequency (RF) resources assigned to the plurality of SIMs, a first portion of the plurality of RF resources supporting use of a non-limited channel configuration and a second portion of the plurality of RF resources supporting use of a limited channel configuration according to a radio resource control (RRC) protocol; and

a baseband processor configured to, in response to RF resource use request intervals of at least two target SIMs among the plurality of SIMs overlapping each other, control the plurality of RF resources to support the use of the non-limited channel configuration for one of the at least two target SIMs and to support the use of the limited channel configuration for the other of the at least two target SIMs, based on information regarding networks respectively corresponding to the at least two target SIMs.

16. The multi-SIM device of claim 15, wherein the baseband processor is further configured to support the use of the non-limited channel configuration for a first target SIM that handles a non-periodic channel among the at least two target SIMs and support the use of the limited channel configuration for a second target SIM that handles a periodic channel.

18. The multi-SIM device of claim 15, wherein the baseband processor is further configured to support the use of the non-limited channel configuration for a first target SIM having a fast wake-up timing in an idle mode among the at least two target SIMs and support the use of the limited channel configuration for a second target SIM among the at least two target SIMs.

17. (canceled)

19. A method of operating a multi-subscriber identification module (SIM) device comprising a first SIM and a second SIM, the method comprising:

generating, by using the first SIM, a radio frequency (RF) resource request;

determining whether it is possible to set a dual radio (DR) mode in which use of a non-limited channel configuration and use of a limited channel configuration are simultaneously supported, based on first information regarding a first network corresponding to the first SIM and second information regarding a second network corresponding to the second SIM; and

selectively assigning a first RF resource supporting the use of the non-limited channel configuration and a second RF resource supporting the use of the limited channel configuration to the first SIM and the second SIM, based on a result of the determining.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the determining comprises:

determining whether a first RF resource use request interval of the first SIM overlaps a second RF resource use request interval of the second SIM; and

determining whether a first channel received from the first network and a second channel received from the second network are processed by using the first RF resource and the second RF resource.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the determining further comprises:

determining whether a first frequency band of the first channel and a second frequency band of the second channel r correspond to a third frequency band supported by the multi-SIM device.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein, in response to determining that it is possible to set the DR mode:

one of the first SIM and the second SIM is set as a main SIM and the other of the first SIM and the second SIM is set as a sub-SIM, based on the first information and the second information; and

the first RF resource is assigned to the main SIM and the second RF resource is assigned to the sub-SIM.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the first information comprises at least one of first channel configuration information regarding a first channel between the first network and the first SIM and first scheduling information regarding the first channel, and

wherein the second information comprises at least one of second channel configuration information regarding a second channel between the second network and the second SIM, and second scheduling information regarding the second channel.

23. (canceled)

25-29. -29. (canceled)