Method and apparatus for wireless network selection

• US 6,799,038 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2002
• Issued: 09/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gopikanth, Venkat
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): D AGOSTA, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US10/042,897
• Publication Number:
  US 20030129971A1
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: 455/436, 455/437, 455/438, 455/552.1, 455/414.1, 455/435.1, 455/435.2, 455/450, 455/451, 455/452.1, 455/524, 455/553.1
• US Class Current: 455/435.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/24 Negotiating SLA [Service Level Agreement]; Negotiating QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• 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

Abstract

A method of selecting a wireless communication network, where each wireless communication network has one or more base transceiver stations. The method includes receiving a first signal from a first base transceiver station of a first wireless communication network. The first signal is indicative of one or more communication service types offered by the first wireless communication network. The method further includes receiving a second signal from a second base transceiver station of a second wireless communication network. The second signal is indicative of one or more communication service types offered by the second wireless communication network. One of the first and second wireless communication networks is selected based at least in part on the first and second signals.

Claims

1. A method of selecting a wireless communication network each having one or more base transceiver stations, comprising:

receiving a first signal from a first base transceiver station of a first wireless communication network, wherein the first signal is indicative of one or more communication service types offered by the first wireless communication network, wherein the first wireless communication network is a public land mobile network (PLMN);

receiving a second signal from a second base transceiver station of a second wireless communication network, wherein the second signal is indicative of one or more communication service types offered by the second wireless communication network, wherein the second wireless communication network is a public land mobile network (PLMN), the first and second signals received during a public land mobile network discovery initiated by a mobile station, and

selecting one of the first and second wireless communication networks based at least in part on a degree of match that provides the closest match between the offered communication service types and communication service types required by the mobile station.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the offered communication service types are defined by at least one of bandwidth size, guaranteed bandwidth and non-guaranteed bandwidth.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second signals are received as part of the wireless communication network system information.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein selecting one of the first and second wireless communication networks is further based at least in part on a signal strength of each of the first and second signals.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein selecting one of the first and second wireless communication networks is further based at least in part on the most efficient use of communication resources of the first and second wireless communication networks.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the required communication service types are the minimum communication service types required by the mobile station, and wherein selecting one of the first and second wireless communication networks is further based at least in part on communication service types preferred by a user of the mobile station.

7. A method as defined in claim 6, wherein selecting one of the first and second wireless communication networks comprises selecting a wireless communication network that provides the closest match between the offered communication service types and the preferred communication service types.

8. A method of selecting a communication network comprising:

connecting to a first wireless communication network having one or more offered communication service types, wherein the first wireless communication network is a public land mobile network (PLMN);

evaluating a first degree of match between the offered communication service types of the first wireless communication network and one or more communication service types required by a mobile station;

receiving a signal from a base transceiver station of a second wireless communication network during the same public land mobile network discovery corresponding to the connecting to the first wireless network, the second wireless communication network being a public land mobile network (PLMN), wherein the signal is indicative of one or more communication service types offered by the second wireless communication network;

comparing the offered communication service types of the second network to the communication service types required by the mobile station;

and connecting to the second network if the offered communication service types of the second network provides a closer degree of match to the communication service types required by the mobile station than the first degree of match.

9. A method as defined in claim 8, wherein the offered communication service types are defined by at least one of bandwidth size, guaranteed bandwidth and non-guaranteed bandwidth.

10. A method as defined in claim 8, wherein the signal is received as part of the system information of the second wireless communication network.

11. A method as defined in claim 8, wherein connecting to the second wireless communication networks is further based at least in part on a signal strength of the signal.

12. A method as defined in claim 8, wherein connecting to the second wireless communication network is further based at least in part on the most efficient use of communication resources of the first and second wireless communication networks.

13. A method as defined in claim 8, wherein the required communication service types are the minimum communication service types required by the mobile station, and wherein connecting to the second wireless communication network is further based at least in part on communication service types preferred by a user of the mobile station.

14. In a mobile station, wherein the mobile station is capable of communicating with one or more base transceiver stations within one or more wireless communication networks, the wireless communication networks being public land mobile networks, wherein the mobile station requires one or more communication service types, and wherein the mobile station operates in accordance to a logic circuit for enabling selection of a wireless communication network, the logic circuit comprising:

a first logic that directs the logic circuit to initiate reception of a first signal from a first base transceiver station of a first wireless communication network at a time of public land mobile network discovery, wherein the first signal is indicative of one or more communication service types offered by the first wireless communication network;

a second logic that directs the logic circuit to initiate reception of a second signal from a second base transceiver station of a second wireless communication network during the same mobile station-initiated network discovery as receiving the first signal, wherein the second signal is indicative of one or more communication service types offered by the second wireless communication network;

a third logic that directs the logic circuit to select one of the first and second wireless communication network based at least in part on one or more of the following;

the wireless communication network that provides the closet match between the offered communication services types and the required communication service types; and

communication service types preferred by a user of the mobile station, wherein the required communication service types are the minimum communication service types required by the mobile station.

15. A logic circuit as defined in claim 14, wherein the third logic comprises a logic that directs the logic circuit to select one of the first and second wireless communication networks based at least in part on one or more of the following:

a signal strength of each of the first and second signals;

the most efficient use of communication resources of the first and second wireless communication networks; and

communication service types required by a mobile station.