Conditional wireless communication channel for a wireless communication device

• US 8,948,802 B1
• Filed: 07/08/2011
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Singh, Jasinder Pal, Sigg, Jason Peter, Shah, Maulik K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hai V
• Application Number:
  US13/178,745
• Time in Patent Office: 1,306 Days
• Field of Search: 455/513
• US Class Current: 455/513
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/305 Handover due to radio link failure control signalling for hand-off failure H04W36/0079
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A method of operating a wireless communication device comprises storing initial data in a first wireless channel table that associates a geographic identifier, a network availability signal, and a first wireless communication channel. New data is received that associates the geographic identifier, the network availability signal, and a second wireless communication channel. The initial data is compared to the new data to determine that the first wireless communication channel in the initial data changed to the second wireless communication channel associated in the new data. A conditional statement is generated that directs the wireless communication device to utilize the first wireless communication channel for the geographic identifier if a performance metric of the second wireless communication channel fails to meet a performance standard. The conditional statement is stored along with the new data that associates the geographic identifier, the network availability signal, and the second wireless communication channel in a second wireless channel table.

Claims

1. A method of operating a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

storing initial data in a first wireless channel table that associates a geographic identifier, a network availability signal, and a first wireless communication channel;

receiving new data that associates the geographic identifier, the network availability signal, and a second wireless communication channel;

comparing the initial data to the new data to determine that the first wireless communication channel associated with the geographic identifier in the initial data changed to the second wireless communication channel associated with the geographic identifier in the new data;

generating a conditional statement that directs the wireless communication device to utilize the first wireless communication channel for the geographic identifier if a performance metric of the second wireless communication channel fails to meet a performance standard; and

storing the conditional statement along with the new data that associates the geographic identifier, the network availability signal, and the second wireless communication channel in a second wireless channel table.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing historical data associated with a performance of the first wireless communication channel for the geographic identifier.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising determining the performance standard based on the historical data associated with the performance of the first wireless communication channel for the geographic identifier.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising reporting to a communication network when the conditional statement is triggered.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing the first wireless communication channel in a memory system of the wireless communication device, and wherein the conditional statement identifies a location in the memory system where the first wireless communication channel is stored.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the performance metric comprises a received signal strength indicator and the performance standard comprises a threshold level of received signal strength.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the performance metric comprises a carrier-to-noise-and-interference ratio and the performance standard comprises a threshold level of carrier-to-noise-and-interference.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the performance metric comprises a number of connection failures, the performance standard comprises a maximum number of connection failures, and the performance metric fails to meet the performance standard if the number of connection failures exceeds the maximum number of connection failures.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein storing the conditional statement along with the new data that associates the geographic identifier, the network availability signal, and the second wireless communication channel in the second wireless channel table comprises storing the conditional statement along with the new data in a preferred roaming list.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the network availability signal comprises a system identification number of a communication network.

11. A wireless communication device comprising:

a processing system configured to store initial data in a first wireless channel table that associates a geographic identifier, a network availability signal, and a first wireless communication channel; and

a wireless communication interface configured to receive new data that associates the geographic identifier, the network availability signal, and a second wireless communication channel;

the processing system configured to compare the initial data to the new data to determine that the first wireless communication channel associated with the geographic identifier in the initial data changed to the second wireless communication channel associated with the geographic identifier in the new data, generate a conditional statement that directs the wireless communication device to utilize the first wireless communication channel for the geographic identifier if a performance metric of the second wireless communication channel fails to meet a performance standard, and store the conditional statement along with the new data that associates the geographic identifier, the network availability signal, and the second wireless communication channel in a second wireless channel table.

12. The wireless communication device of claim 11 further comprising the processing system configured to store historical data associated with a performance of the first wireless communication channel for the geographic identifier.

13. The wireless communication device of claim 12 further comprising the processing system configured to determine the performance standard based on the historical data associated with the performance of the first wireless communication channel for the geographic identifier.

14. The wireless communication device of claim 11 further comprising the wireless communication transceiver configured to report to a communication network when the conditional statement is triggered.

15. The wireless communication device of claim 11 further comprising the processing system configured to store the first wireless communication channel in a memory system of the wireless communication device, and wherein the conditional statement identifies a location in the memory system where the first wireless communication channel is stored.

16. The wireless communication device of claim 11 wherein the performance metric comprises a received signal strength indicator and the performance standard comprises a threshold level of received signal strength.

17. The wireless communication device of claim 11 wherein the performance metric comprises a carrier-to-noise-and-interference ratio and the performance standard comprises a threshold level of carrier-to-noise-and-interference.

18. The wireless communication device of claim 11 wherein the performance metric comprises a number of connection failures, the performance standard comprises a maximum number of connection failures, and the performance metric fails to meet the performance standard if the number of connection failures exceeds the maximum number of connection failures.

19. The wireless communication device of claim 11 wherein the processing system configured to store the conditional statement along with the new data that associates the geographic identifier, the network availability signal, and the second wireless communication channel in the second wireless channel table comprises the processing system configured to store the conditional statement along with the new data in a preferred roaming list.

20. A method of operating a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

storing initial data in a first wireless channel table that associates a geographic identifier, a network availability signal, and a first wireless communication channel;

receiving new data that associates the geographic identifier, the network availability signal, and a second wireless communication channel;

comparing the initial data to the new data to determine that the first wireless communication channel associated with the geographic identifier in the initial data changed to the second wireless communication channel associated with the geographic identifier in the new data;

storing historical data associated with a performance of the first wireless communication channel for the geographic identifier;

determining a performance standard based on the historical data associated with the performance of the first wireless communication channel for the geographic identifier;

generating a conditional statement that directs the wireless communication device to utilize the first wireless communication channel for the geographic identifier if a performance metric of the second wireless communication channel fails to meet the performance standard;

storing the conditional statement along with the new data that associates the geographic identifier, the network availability signal, and the second wireless communication channel in a second wireless channel table; and

reporting to a communication network when the conditional statement is triggered.