Method and apparatus for performing preferred system selection

• US 6,466,802 B1
• Filed: 04/21/2000
• Issued: 10/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Blakeney, Robert D. II, Williamson, Paul T., Sorenson, John R., Ault, Jan C.
• Primary Examiner(s): VO, NGUYEN THANH
• Application Number:
  US09/556,198
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 455/426, 455/432, 455/456, 455/552, 455/422, 455/425, 455/436, 455/437, 455/440, 455/434, 455/435, 455/441, 455/443, 455/444, 455/524-525, 455/186.1
• US Class Current: 455/552.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 Wireless channel access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

A method and apparatus for selecting a communication system in accordance with the geographic region in which the subscriber station is located is described. Upon successful acquisition, a system determination processor examines the received system identification information and compares it with system identification information stored in a universal system table to determine the geographical region of the identified communication system. The system determination processor then determines whether the acquired system is the most desirable system for use in the geographical region. If it is the most desirable system for use in the geographical region, the system determination processor selects the acquired system for providing service. If it is not the most desirable system for use in the geographical region, the subscriber station attempts to acquire a more desirable system using information from the universal system table.

Claims

1. A subscriber station apparatus comprising:

a Universal System Table having a predetermined set of parameters for each of a plurality of communication systems, the predetermined set of parameters comprising system identification code and geographic region; and

a System Determination Processor configured to receive a first system identification code sent by a first communication system that indicates the system identity of the first communication system, wherein the System Determination Processor is further configured to select a second communication system that provides service in the same geographic region as the first communication system based on the first system identification code and the contents of said Universal System Table.

2. The subscriber station apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a receiver configured to downconvert a received wireless signal to produce a first downconverted signal; and

a first modulation module configured to demodulate and decode the first downconverted signal containing the first system identification code and configured to provide the first system identification code to said System Determination Processor.

3. The subscriber station apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a second modulation module configured to demodulate and decode a second downconverted signal received from the second communication system.

4. The subscriber station apparatus of claim 2 wherein the predetermined set of parameters further comprises acquisition parameters corresponding to the first communication system, and wherein said System Determination Processor selects the first communication system from said Universal System Table and configures said receiver and said first modulation module to receive and decode the first system identification code received from the first communication system.

5. The subscriber station apparatus of claim 4 wherein said System Determination Processor is configured to select a home system associated with the subscriber station apparatus as the first communication system.

6. The subscriber station apparatus of claim 4 wherein said System Determination Processor is configured to select the communication most frequently used by the subscriber station apparatus as the first communication system.

7. The subscriber station apparatus of claim 4 wherein said System Determination Processor is configured to select the communication system most recently used by the subscriber station apparatus as the first communication system.

8. The subscriber station apparatus of claim 4 wherein said System Determination Processor is configured to select the first communication system based on which communication system transmits signals that are easy for the subscriber station apparatus to acquire.

9. The subscriber station apparatus of claim 4 wherein said System Determination Processor is configured to select the first communication system based on the number of other communication systems in the Universal System Table that have parameters in common with the parameters of the first communication system.

10. The subscriber station apparatus of claim 2 wherein the predetermined set of parameters further comprises acquisition parameters corresponding to the second communication system, and wherein said System Determination Processor configures said receiver and said first modulation module to receive and decode a second system identification code from the second communication system.

11. The subscriber station apparatus of claim 1 wherein the sets of parameters in said Universal System Table are sorted by geographic region.

12. The subscriber station apparatus of claim 11 wherein the sets of parameters in said Universal System Table associated with communication systems that provides service in the same geographic region are further sequentially ordered based on desirability of each communication system.

13. The subscriber station apparatus of claim 1 wherein said Universal System Table comprises a non-volatile memory.

14. The subscriber station apparatus of claim 1 wherein said Universal System Table comprises a non-volatile memory.

15. The subscriber station apparatus of claim 1 wherein the predetermined set of parameters further comprises cost of service of the associated communication system, and wherein said System Determination Processor is configured to select the second communication system based on the cost of service of the second communication system.

16. The subscriber station apparatus of claim 1 wherein the predetermined set of parameters further comprises quality of service of the associated communication system, and wherein said System Determination Processor is configured to select the second communication system based on the quality of service of the second communication system.

17. The subscriber station apparatus of claim 1 wherein the predetermined set of parameters further comprises support of specific features in the associated communication system, and wherein said System Determination Processor is configured to select the second communication system based on whether the second communication system supports the specific features.

18. The subscriber station apparatus of claim 1 wherein the predetermined set of parameters further comprises whether the associated communication system is a preferred system, and wherein said System Determination Processor is configured to select the second communication system based on whether the second communication system is a preferred system.

19. The subscriber station apparatus of claim 1 wherein the predetermined set of parameters further comprises whether the associated communication system is a negative system, and wherein said System Determination Processor is configured to select a second communication system that is not a negative system.

20. The subscriber station apparatus of claim 1 wherein said System Determination Processor is a microprocessor.

21. The subscriber station apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a Most Recently Used System Table containing a list of most recently used systems, wherein said System Determination Processor chooses the first communication system based on the contents of said Most Recently Used System Table.

22. The subscriber station apparatus of claim 21 wherein said Most Recently Used System Table comprises a non-volatile memory.

23. The subscriber station apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a digital modulation module configured to demodulate and decode a received signal containing the first system identification code and configured to provide the first system identification code to said System Determination Processor.

24. The subscriber station apparatus of claim 23 wherein said digital modulation module is a CDMA demodulation module.

25. The subscriber station apparatus of claim 23 wherein said digital modulation module is a TDMA demodulation module.

26. The subscriber station apparatus of claim 23 wherein said digital modulation module is a GSM demodulation module.

27. The subscriber station apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an analog modulation module configured to demodulate and decode a received signal containing the first system identification code and configured to provide the first system identification code to said System Determination Processor.

28. A subscriber station apparatus comprising:

means for storing a predetermined set of parameters for each of a plurality of communication systems, the predetermined set of parameters comprising system identification code and geographic region; and

means for receiving a first system identification code belonging to a first communication system and selecting a second communication system that provides service in the same geographic region as the first communication system based on the first system identification code and the contents of said Universal System Table.

29. A method for selecting a communication system for acquisition by a subscriber station, the method comprising:

receiving from a first communication system a single system identification code indicative of the system identity of said first communication system;

referring to a table previously stored within the subscriber station to determine, based on said single system identification code, at least one other communication system, having a different system identification code than said received system identification code and which operates in a same geographical region as said first communication system;

selecting a most preferred communication system within the geographical region based on a set of communication system attributes associated with each communication system in the table; and

attempting acquisition upon the most preferred communication system.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the set of communication system attributes includes a cost of service value, and wherein the step of selecting further comprises selecting the most preferred communication system based on the cost of service values associated with the communication systems in the geographical region.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein the set of communication system attributes includes a quality of service value, and wherein the step of selecting further comprises selecting the most preferred communication system based on the quality of service values associated with the communication systems in the geographical region.

32. The method of claim 29 wherein the set of communication system attributes includes whether each communication system supports a unique feature, and wherein the step of selecting further comprises selecting the most preferred communication system based on which communication systems in the geographical region support the unique feature.

33. The method of claim 29 wherein the set of communication system attributes includes whether each communication system is a preferred system, and wherein the step of selecting further comprises selecting the most preferred communication system based on which communication systems in the geographical region are preferred systems.