System and method for facilitating accelerated network selection using a weighted network list

• US 8,010,105 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2007
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Crowley, Michael J., Buckley, Adrian
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang; Kent
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DINH
• Application Number:
  US11/750,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20070268877A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,565 Days
• Field of Search: 455/432.1, 455/432.2, 455/435.2, 455/435.3, 455/456.1, 370/310, 370/310.2, 370/335, 370/342, 370/351, 370/352
• US Class Current: 455/435.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

A scheme for facilitating accelerated network selection by a wireless user equipment (UE) device. In one exemplary embodiment, prior to performing a full band scan, the wireless UE device is operable to interrogate a list of networks with which the wireless UE device has registered at least once in a given period of time, wherein a network availability likelihood score may be associated with each of the list of networks. A particular network is selected from the list of networks based on its network availability likelihood score.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating accelerated network selection by a wireless user equipment (UE) device, comprising:

maintaining a list of networks;

for each network in said list of networks, determining a respective network availability likelihood score associated therewith by one of (a) multiplying a connections count, corresponding to a number of prior connections of said wireless UE device with said network, by a connections count weighting factor of a weighting factors array;

(b) multiplying a minutes count, corresponding to a total duration of prior connections of said wireless UE device with said network, by a minutes count weighting factor of said weighting factors array; and

(c) multiplying a time lapse value, corresponding to an amount of elapsed time since at least one time stamp of at least one prior connection of said wireless UE device with said network, by a time lapse weighting factor of said weighting factors array; and

prior to performing a full band scan, selecting a network from said list of networks based on said network availability likelihood score associated therewith.

2. The method for facilitating accelerated network selection by a wireless UE device as recited in claim 1, wherein said selecting is performed as part of an initial scan procedure.

3. The method for facilitating accelerated network selection by a wireless UE device as recited in claim 1, wherein said selecting is performed after one of losing coverage of a network with which said wireless UE device was previously registered and said wireless UE device is powered up.

4. The method for facilitating accelerated network selection by a wireless UE device as recited in claim 1, further comprising scanning in a frequency band associated with said network selected from said list of networks.

5. The method for facilitating accelerated network selection by a wireless UE device as recited in claim 1, wherein said list of networks includes a network that is operable with at least one of IEEE 802.11 standard, HiperLan standard, HiperLan II standard, Wi-Max standard, OpenAir standard, and Bluetooth standard.

6. The method for facilitating accelerated network selection by a wireless UE device as recited in claim 1, wherein said list of networks includes at least one of a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network, an Enhanced Data Rates for Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) Evolution (EDGE) network, a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)-compliant network, an Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (IDEN), a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network, a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) network, a 3GPP2 network, and a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) network.

7. The method for facilitating accelerated network selection by a wireless UE device as recited in claim 1, wherein said list of networks is provided as part of a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) card, Removable User Identity Module (RUIM) card, a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card, a compact Flash card, a Secure Digital (SD) card, or a memory circuit integrated within said wireless UE device.

8. The method for facilitating accelerated network selection by a wireless UE device as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

if multiple networks are determined to have identical network availability likelihood scores, choosing a particular network for service based on a priority parameter.

9. The method for facilitating accelerated network selection by a wireless UE device as recited in claim 1, wherein said list of networks is populated based on where said wireless UE device was last powered off.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for facilitating accelerated network selection by a wireless user equipment (UE) device, comprising:

maintaining a list of networks;

for each network in said list of networks, determining a respective network availability likelihood score by one of (a) multiplying a connections count, corresponding to a number of prior connections of said wireless UE device with said network, by a connections count weighting factor of a weighting factors array;

(b) multiplying a minutes count, corresponding to a total duration of prior connections of said wireless UE device with said network, by a minutes count weighting factor of said weighting factors array; and

(c) multiplying a time lapse value, corresponding to an amount of elapsed time since at least one time stamp of at least one prior connection of said wireless UE device with said network, by a time lapse weighting factor of said weighting factors array; and

selecting a network from said list of networks based on said respective network availability score prior to performing a full-band scan.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 10, further comprising instructions for adjusting at least one weighting factor of said weighting factors array such that a particular network is more likely to be selected upon a subsequent connection attempt.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 10, further comprising at least one of:

instructions for updating said connections count corresponding to a particular network;

instructions for updating said minutes count corresponding to said particular network; and

instructions for appending said time stamp to a list of time stamps corresponding to said particular network.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 10, further comprising instructions for rearranging said networks in said list of networks in an order based on said respective network availability likelihood score.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

instructions for iteratively attempting a connection to each network of said list of networks in accordance with a respective network availability likelihood scores until a connection attempt is successful;

instructions for updating said array of data values corresponding to a selected network for which said connection attempt is successful; and

instructions for updating said weighting factors array.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 12, wherein said instructions for updating are triggered by one of a) a successful connection attempt, b) an unsuccessful connection attempt, c) a connection termination, d) powering on of the UE device, e) powering off of the UE device, f) loss of coverage and g) a periodic event.

15. A wireless user equipment (UE) device, comprising:

a storage module operative to contain a list of networks; and

a selection module operative prior to a full band scan to select a network for an attempted connection based on a respective network availability likelihood score associated therewith, each network'"'"'s network availability likelihood score being determined by one of (a) multiplying a connections count, corresponding to a number of prior connections of said wireless UE device with said network, by a connections count weighting factor of a weighting factors array;

(b) multiplying a minutes count, corresponding to a total duration of prior connections of said wireless UE device with said network, by a minutes count weighting factor of said weighting factors array; and

(c) multiplying a time lapse value, corresponding to an amount of elapsed time since at least one time stamp of at least one prior connection of said wireless UE device with said network, by a time lapse weighting factor of said weighting factors array.

16. The wireless UE device as recited in claim 15, further comprising an update module operative to update said weighting factors array based on history of connections by said wireless UE device with one or more networks of said list of networks.

17. The wireless UE device as recited in claim 15, further comprising means for manipulating a scanning order sequence based on respective network availability likelihood scores associated with each network of said list of networks.

18. The wireless UE device as recited in claim 15, wherein said storage module comprises a removable module.

19. The wireless UE device as recited in claim 15, wherein said storage module comprises a memory circuit integrated within said wireless UE device.