Mobile terminal having enhanced system selection capability

• US 5,903,832 A
• Filed: 12/21/1995
• Issued: 05/11/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Seppanen, Jorma, Vaihoja, Juha, Lietsalmi, Mikko, Vanttila, Jaakko
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Wellington
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ferguson, Keith
• Application Number:
  US08/576,260
• Time in Patent Office: 1,237 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412, 455/414, 455/421, 455/432, 455/433, 455/434, 455/435, 455/436, 455/437, 455/525, 455/186.1, 455/551, 455/552
• US Class Current: 455/435.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A mobile station (10) maintains a single, prioritized list of all available networks (i.e., all public, residential, and private networks). Access to the various networks is then based on the user'"'"'s needs. A first type of access is an automatic access, that requires little or no user involvement. A second type of access is to a user-specified network. A third type of access is to a user-specified service (e.g., data, fax, e-mail, etc.) that is supported by at least one of the networks. The mobile station can search for additional networks, and can also search for additional networks that support only a specified type of service, or for a network that supports a service not supported by networks that are already in the list. All of the networks can be searched at once so that the user can readily make a selection from the single, prioritized network list. The network priorities are user programmable by moving network names up and down in the list using a mobile station user interface, such as the mobile station'"'"'s keypad. The higher the network name is placed in the list, the higher is the priority of the network.

Claims

1. A method for operating a mobile station, comprising the steps of:

storing within the mobile station a single, prioritized list of networks that are accessible from the mobile station, the list of networks being capable of including both public and non-public networks;

displaying the list of networks to a user of the mobile station;

in response to an input from the user, re-prioritizing the list of networks; and

in response to a further input from the user, attempting to register the mobile station with the highest priority network, wherein

the step of re-prioritizing includes a step of assigning a network to a priority that is less than a threshold priority below which the network is not accessed unless a call to a predetermined number is being made by the user.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1, and in response to a further input from the user, re-prioritizing the list of networks to a default priority.

3. A method as set forth in claim 2, wherein the default priority is all residential networks, followed by all private networks, followed by all public networks.

4. A method as set forth in claim 1, and in response to a further input from the user, displaying an identification of a network to the user and, in response to further input from the user, displaying to the user a list of services that are supported by the displayed network.

5. A method for operating a mobile station, comprising the steps of:

storing within the mobile station a prioritized list of networks that are accessible from the mobile station, the list of networks being capable of including both public and non-public networks;

in response to an input from the user, re-prioritizing the list of networks;

in response to another input from the user, attempting to register the mobile station with the highest priority network, wherein

the step of re-prioritizing includes a step of assigning a network to a priority that is less than a threshold priority below which the network is not accessed unless a call to a predetermined number is being made by the user;

in response to further input from the user, displaying a list of services that are supported by at least some networks of the list; and

in response to the user selecting one of the services from the list of services, displaying an identification of at least one network that supports the selected service.

6. A method as set forth in claim 5, and in response to a further input from the user, attempting to register the mobile station with the network that supports the selected service.

7. A method as set forth in claim 5, and in response to a further input from the user, operating a transceiver of the mobile station to attempt to locate at least one other network, that is currently not a part of the list of networks, and that supports the selected service;

and displaying an identification of at least one located network to the user.

8. A method as set forth in claim 7, and further comprising a step of adding the at least one located network to the list of networks.

9. A method for operating a mobile station, comprising the steps of:

maintaining within the mobile station a list of networks, the list of networks being capable of including both public and non-public networks;

in response to an input from the user, displaying a list of services that are supported by at least some networks of the list, the list of services comprising a video service; and

in response to the user selecting one of the services from the list of services, displaying an identification of at least one network from the list of networks that supports the selected service.

10. A method for operating a mobile station, comprising the steps of:

storing within the mobile station a prioritized list of networks that are accessible from the mobile station, the list of networks being capable of including both public and non-public networks;

in response to an input from the user, displaying identifications of networks from the list of networks, the networks being displayed in order from a highest priority to a lowest priority;

in response to a further input from the user, re-prioritizing the list of networks;

in response to another input from the user, attempting to register the mobile station with the highest priority network, wherein

the step of re-prioritizing includes a step of assigning a network to a priority that is less than a threshold priority below which the network is not accessed unless a call to a predetermined number is being made by the user;

in response to a further input from the user, operating a transceiver of the mobile station to attempt to locate at least one other network, that is currently not a part of the list of networks; and

displaying an identification of at least one located network to the user.

11. A method as set forth in claim 10, and in response to a further input from the user, attempting to register the mobile station with the at least one located network.

12. A method as set forth in claim 10, and further comprising a step of adding the at least one located network to the list of networks.

13. A method for operating a mobile station, comprising the steps of:

storing within the mobile station a prioritized list of networks that are accessible from the mobile station, the list of networks being capable of including both public and non-public networks;

in response to an input from the user, re-prioritizing the list of networks;

in response to another input from the user, attempting to register the mobile station with the highest priority network, wherein

the step of re-prioritizing includes a step of assigning a network to a priority that is less than a threshold priority below which the network is not accessed unless a call to a predetermined number is being made by the user;

in response to a further input from the user, displaying a list of services that are supported by at least some networks of the list;

in response to another input from the user, operating a transceiver of the mobile station to attempt to locate at least one other network that supports a service that is currently not listed in the list of services; and

updating and displaying the list of services so as to show the service supported by the located network.

14. A method as set forth in claim 13, and further comprising a step of adding the at least one located network to the list of networks.

15. A mobile station comprising an RF transceiver, a display, and a user input device, said mobile station further comprising:

a memory for storing a single, prioritized list of networks that are accessible from the mobile station through the RF transceiver, the list of networks being capable of including both public and non-public networks; and

control means coupled to said memory, said display, said user input device, and said RF transceiver, said control means being responsive to a first input signals from said user input device for displaying the list of networks to a user of the mobile station, said control means being further responsive to second input signals from said user input device for re-prioritizing the list of networks; and

being further responsive to third input signals from said user input device for attempting to register the mobile station with the highest priority network;

wherein

said control means is further operable for displaying an indication of a type or types of services provided by at least some of the networks.

16. A mobile station as set forth in claim 15, wherein said control means is responsive to further input signals from said user input device for re-prioritizing the list of networks to a default priority.

17. A mobile station as set forth in claim 16, wherein the default priority is all residential networks, followed by all private networks, followed by all public networks.

18. A mobile station comprising an RF transceiver, a display, and a user input device, said mobile station further comprising:

a memory for storing a single, prioritized list of networks that are accessible from the mobile station through the RF transceiver, the list of networks being capable of including both public and non-public networks; and

control means coupled to said memory, said display, said user input device, and said RF transceiver, said control means being responsive to a first input signals from said user input device for displaying the list of networks to a user of the mobile station, said control means being further responsive to second input signals from said user input device for re-prioritizing the list of networks; and

being further responsive to third input signals from said user input device for attempting to register the mobile station with the highest priority network, wherein

said control means is responsive to further input signals from said user input device for displaying an identification of a network to the user and for displaying a list of services to the user that are supported by the displayed network.

19. A mobile station comprising an RF transceiver, a display, and a user input device, said mobile station further comprising:

a memory for storing a single, prioritized list of networks that are accessible from the mobile station through the RF transceiver, the list of networks being capable of including both public and non-public networks; and

control means coupled to said memory, said display, said user input device, and said RF transceiver, said control means being responsive to a first input signals from said user input device for displaying the list of networks to a user of the mobile station, said control means being further responsive to second input signals from said user input device for re-prioritizing the list of networks; and

being further responsive to third input signals from said user input device for attempting to register the mobile station with the highest priority network, wherein

said control means is responsive to further input signals from said user input device for displaying a list of services that are supported by at least some networks of the list; and

in response to the user selecting one of the services from the list of services, for displaying an identification of at least one network that supports the selected service.

20. A mobile station as set forth in claim 19, wherein said control means is responsive to further input signals from said user input device for operating said transceiver to attempt to locate at least one other network, that is currently not a part of the list of networks, and that supports the selected service;

and for displaying an identification of at least one located network to the user.

21. A mobile station comprising an RF transceiver, a display, and a user input device, said mobile station further comprising:

a memory for storing a single, prioritized list of networks that are accessible from the mobile station through the RF transceiver, the list of networks being capable of including both public and non-public networks; and

control means coupled to said memory, said display, said user input device, and said RF transceiver, said control means being responsive to a first input signals from said user input device for displaying the list of networks to a user of the mobile station, said control means being further responsive to second input signals from said user input device for re-prioritizing the list of networks; and

being further responsive to third input signals from said user input device for attempting to register the mobile station with the highest priority network, wherein

said control means is responsive to further input signals from said user input device for displaying a list of services that are supported by at least some networks of the list; and

in response to an input from the user, for operating said transceiver to attempt to locate at least one other network that supports a service that is currently not listed in the list of services; and

for updating and displaying the list of services so as to show the service supported by the located network.

22. A method for operating a mobile station, comprising the steps of:

maintaining within the mobile station a list of networks, the list of networks being capable of including both public and non-public networks;

in response to an input from the user, displaying a list of services that are supported by at least some networks of the list, the list of services comprising at least one of messaging services, data services, and facsimile services; and

in response to the user selecting one of the services from the list of services, displaying an identification of at least one network from the list of networks that supports the selected service.

23. A method as set forth in claim 22, and in response to a further input from the user, attempting to register the mobile station with the network that supports the selected service.

24. A method as set forth in claim 22, and in response to a further input from the user, operating a transceiver of the mobile station to attempt to locate at least one other network, that is currently not a part of the list of networks, and that supports the selected service;

and displaying an identification of at least one located network to the user.

25. A method as set forth in claim 24, and further comprising a step of adding the at least one located network to the list of networks.

26. A method for operating a mobile station, comprising the steps of:

storing within the mobile station a prioritized list of networks that are accessible from the mobile station, the list of networks being capable of including both public and non-public networks;

displaying the list of networks to a user of the mobile station by displaying text on a display of the mobile station;

in response to an input from the user, re-prioritizing the list of networks; and

in response to a further input from the user, attempting to register the mobile station with the highest priority network;

wherein

the step of re-prioritizing is accomplished using a drag and drop technique by manipulating at least one mobile station keypad key so as to move displayed text on the display of the mobile station.

27. A method as in claim 26, wherein the step of re-prioritizing includes a step of assigning a network to a priority that is less than a threshold priority below which the network is barred from access unless a call to a predetermined number is being made by the user, and if a non-barred network cannot be reached first.