Method, apparatus, and system for selecting a service provider system

• US 7,277,705 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2002
• Issued: 10/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Casaccia, Lorenzo, Cooper, Rotem
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild; Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; David Q.
• Application Number:
  US10/329,310
• Publication Number:
  US 20040192304A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,744 Days
• Field of Search: 455/429, 455/432.1, 455/436, 455/437, 455/439, 455/446, 455/450, 455/451, 455/452.1, 455/452.2, 455/517, 455/435
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

A wireless communication device selects another service provider system when the MWCD has not changed its geographic position more than a threshold level.

Claims

1. A method selecting a new service provider system of a plurality of service provider systems serving a geographic region by a mobile wireless communication device (MWCD), the method comprising:

attempting acquisition of a predetermined service provider system of the plurality of service provider systems;

determining if the acquisition of the predetermined service provider system is successful;

determining if the MWCD has changed its geographic position more than a predetermined change-in-position threshold in response to the acquisition of the predetermined service provider system being unsuccessful; and

selecting another service provider system of the plurality of service provider systems as the predetermined service provider system in response to the MWCD not changing its geographic position more than a predetermined change-in-position threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined provider system is selected from a Preferred Roaming List.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the another provider system is selected from a Preferred Roaming List.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining if the number of attempts of acquisition of the predetermined service provider system exceeds a predetermined number-of-attempts threshold level in response to the acquisition of the predetermined service provider system being unsuccessful; and

proceeding to the step of determining if the MWCD has changed its geographic position in response to the number of attempts of acquisition of the predetermined service provider system exceeding the predetermined number of attempts threshold level.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

proceeding to the step of attempting acquisition of the predetermined service provider system of the plurality of service provider systems in response to the number of attempts of acquisition of the predetermined service provider system not exceeding the predetermined number of attempts threshold level.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising;

proceeding to the step of attempting acquisition of the predetermined service provider system of the plurality of service provider systems in response to the MWCD changing its geographic position more than a predetermined change-in-position threshold level.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

resetting the number of attempts of acquisition of the predetermined service provider system to a predetermined value in response to the MWCD changing its geographic position more than a predetermined change-in-position threshold level.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

performing registration with the predetermined service provider system in response to the acquisition of the predetermined service provider system being successful.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the MWCD has the change in geographic position is determined by way of a Global Positioning System.

10. A mobile wireless communication device (MWCD) comprising:

a radio frequency unit configured to attempt acquisition of a predetermined service provider system of the plurality of service provider systems and to determine if the acquisition of the predetermine service provider system is successful; and

a logic and processing unit configured to determine if the MWCD has changed its geographic position more than a predetermined change-in-position threshold in response to the acquisition of the predetermined service provider system being unsuccessful and to select another service provider system of the plurality of service provider systems as the predetermined service provider system in response to the MWCD not changing its geographic position more than a predetermined change-in-position threshold level.

11. An article of manufacture comprising:

means for attempting acquisition of a predetermined service provider system of the plurality of service provider systems;

means for determining if the acquisition of the predetermined service provider system is successful;

means for determining if the article of manufacture has changed its geographic position more than a predetermined change-in-position threshold in response to the acquisition of the predetermined service provider system being unsuccessful; and

means for selecting another service provider system of the plurality of service provider systems as the predetermined service provider system in response to the article of manufacture not chancing its geographic position more than a predetermined change-in-position threshold level.