Method and apparatus for performing acquisition in power save mode for wireless communication systems

• US 7,295,857 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2003
• Issued: 11/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Black, Peter J., Turner, Simon, Joshi, Abhay A., Hutchison, James A., Ekvetchavit, Thunyachate
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Danh
• Application Number:
  US10/447,630
• Publication Number:
  US 20040087309A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,630 Days
• Field of Search: 455/552.1, 455/432.1, 455/433, 455/513, 455/67.1, 455/404.1, 455/550.1, 455/435.1, 370/352, 370/401, 370/331, 370/335, 370/329
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Techniques to efficiently attempt acquisition of a packet data system (e.g., an IS-856 system). If a terminal has acquired one or more channels in a voice/data system (e.g., an IS-2000 system), then it can attempt acquisition on channels in the packet data system that are co-located with the acquired channels in the voice/data system. Multiple acquisition modes may be used, and on-going acquisition attempts on the co-located channels may be performed using one acquisition mode at a time in order to reduce power consumption. Acquisition attempts may be performed in a “ping-pong” manner to improve the likelihood of acquisition. For a ping-pong search, an acquisition attempt is made on the most recently acquired channel prior to an acquisition attempt on each of the remaining channels. Received signal strength estimates may also be obtained for selected channels and may be used to determine whether or not to attempt acquisition on these channels.

Claims

1. A wireless device comprising:

a control unit operative to obtain information for an acquired first wireless communication system implementing a first communication standard, determine one or more channels in a second wireless communication system implementing a second communication standard based on the information obtained for the first system implementing the first communication standard, and initiate acquisition attempts on the one or more channels in the second system, wherein the one or more channels in the second system are determined based on the information obtained for the first system to limit the number of channels to attempt acquisition for the second system; and

a demodulator operative to process a received signal in accordance with the first standard when receiving the first system and in accordance with the second standard when attempting acquisition on the one or more channels in the second system as indicated by the control unit.

2. The device of claim 1, farther comprising:

a memory unit operative to store a roaming list with entries for channels in the first system, entries for channels in the second system, and information indicating which channels in the second system are co-located with which channels in the first system.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the information obtained for the first system indicates one or more channels in the first system which the device has acquired, and wherein the one or more channels in the second system are co-located with the one or more channels in the first system.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more channels in the second system are sorted in an order determined by amount of elapsed time since the one or more channels were last acquired by the device.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is operative to forego initiating acquisition attempts if no channels in the second system are determined based on the information obtained for the first system.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is operative to initiate acquisition attempts on the one or more channels using a plurality of phases, each phase being associated with a respective wait time, and wherein acquisition attempts are initiated on at least one of the one or more channels for each of the plurality of phases.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the first system supports voice and packet data services and the second system supports packet data service.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the first system is an IS-2000 system and the second system is an IS-856 system.

9. A wireless device comprising:

a control unit operative to obtain information for an acquired first wireless communication system, determine one or more channels in a second wireless communication system based on the information obtained for the first system, and initiate acquisition attempts on the one or more channels in the second system using a plurality of phases, each phase being associated with a respective wait time, wherein acquisition attempts are initiated on at least one of the one or more channels for each of the plurality of phases, and wherein the control unit is operative to wait for a wait time of more than 180 seconds prior to initiating an acquisition attempt in a last phase of the plurality of phases; and

a demodulator operative to process the one or more channels as indicated by the control unit.

10. An apparatus comprising:

means for obtaining information for an acquired first wireless communication system implementing a first communication standard;

means for determining one or more channels in a second wireless communication system implementing a second communication standard based on the information obtained for the first system implementing the first communication standard and for limiting the number of channels to attempt acquisition for the second system based on the information obtained for the first system; and

means for initiating acquisition attempts on the one or more channels in the second system.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

means for storing a roaming list with entries for channels in the first system, entries for channels in the second system, and information indicating which channels in the second system are co-located with which channels in the first system.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the information obtained for the first system indicates one or more acquired channels in the first system, and wherein the one or more channels in the second system are co-located with the one or more acquired channels in the first system.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

means for processing a received signal in accordance with the first standard when receiving the first system; and

means for processing the received signal in accordance with the second standard when attempting acquisition on the one or more channels in the second system.

14. A method of acquisition, comprising:

obtaining information for an acquired first wireless communication system implementing a first communication standard;

determining one or more channels in a second wireless communication system implementing a second communication standard based on the information obtained for the first system implementing the first communication standard and limiting the number of channels to attempt acquisition for the second system based on the information obtained for the first system; and

initiating acquisition attempts on the one or more channels in the second system.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the information obtained for the first system indicates one or more acquired channels in the first system, and wherein the one or more channels in the second system are co-located with the one or more acquired channels in the first system.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

processing a received signal in accordance with the first standard when receiving the first system; and

processing the received signal in accordance with the second standard when attempting acquisition on the one or more channels in the second system.

17. A processor readable media for storing instructions operable in a wireless device to:

obtain information for an acquired first wireless communication system implementing a first communication standard;

determine one or more channels in a second wireless communication system implementing a second communication standard based on the information obtained for the first system implementing the first communication standard and limit the number of channels to attempt acquisition for the second system based on the information obtained for the first system; and

initiate acquisition attempts on the one or more channels in the second system.

18. The processor readable media of claim 17, and further for storing instructions operable to:

initiate processing of a received signal in accordance with the first standard when receiving the first system; and

initiate processing of the received signal in accordance with the second standard when attempting acquisition on the one or more channels in the second system.

19. The processor readable media of claim 17, and further for storing instructions operable to:

receive a roaming list with entries for channels in the first system, entries for channels in the second system, and information indicating which channels in the second system are co-located with which channels in the first system.

20. The processor readable media of claim 17, wherein the information obtained for the first system indicates one or more acquired channels in the first system, and wherein the one or more channels in the second system are co-located with the one or more acquired channels in the first system.