Apparatus, and associated method, for facilitating selection by a mobile node of a network portion to communicate to effectuate a selected communication service

• US 8,229,431 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2005
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Buckley, Adrian, Alfano, Nicholas P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brandt, Christopher M
• Application Number:
  US11/046,086
• Publication Number:
  US 20060172735A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,734 Days
• Field of Search: 455/435.3, 455/434, 455/435.2, 455/432.3, 455/442, 455/436, 455/433, 455/560, 455/418, 370/331
• US Class Current: 455/435.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

Apparatus, and an associated method, for facilitating selection of a radio access network with which a roaming mobile node attempts to effectuate communications pursuant to a selected communication service. Listings are maintained at the mobile node, each containing entries of networks and their communication service capabilities. Different listings identify networks of differing preference levels. Detection is made of available networks, and a selector selects with which network to attempt to communicate based upon network availability, network capability, and preference.

Claims

1. Apparatus for facilitating network selection by a mobile node operable on at least one of a plurality of radio access networks, said apparatus comprising:

a storage element configured to store at least a first database listing and a second database listing, each of the first database listing and the second database listing being formed of entries that identify radio access networks, each of the entries including an identification of a radio access network and at least one communication service identifier associated with the radio access network,

wherein the first database listing is associated with a first preference level, and

wherein the second database listing is associated with a second preference level; and

a selector configured to

receive an indication of when a selected communication service capability is to be performed,

identify a communication service identifier associated with said selected communication service capability, and

select a selected radio access network for said selected communication service capability by successively accessing, in order of preference level, at least the first database listing and the second database listing to select an entry that has the communication service identifier and that identifies an available radio access network.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the storage element is further configured to store a forbidden-list database listing being formed of forbidden-list entries that indicate a prohibited communication entry.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein selection made by said selector of with which entry, if any, of the first and second radio access network list to effectuate the selected communication service capability is further responsive to whether the entry is entered at said forbidden-list database listing.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the storage element is further configured to store an available radio access network list having entries identifying present radio access network availability with an indication of each available radio access network to be presently available and communication service capability of each available radio access network, wherein groups of communication services of the plurality define tiers of network-portion capabilities, and wherein the indications of the communication services capabilities associated with each entry in said first database listing comprise identification of which tier of network-portion capability of the entry associated therewith.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein selection made by said selector is responsive to determinations of whether the tiers of service associated with any entry of said first database listing comprises a tier that includes the selected communication service capability.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a detector for detecting a coverage-area position of the mobile node.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a determiner configured to decide whether a second communication service capability is being initiated while the selected communication service capability is ongoing and to provide indication that the second communication service capability is to be performed; and

said selector further configured to receive the second communication service capability indication identifying a second of the at least one identifier associated with said second communication service capability and to select an available radio access network from said first database having stored identifiers associated with both said selected communication service capability and said second communication service capability.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first preference level is a higher preference than the second preference level.

9. A method for facilitating network selection, at a mobile node operable on at least one of a plurality of radio access networks, comprising:

storing, in a storage element, at least a first database listing and a second database listing, each of the first database listing and the second database listing being formed of entries that identify radio access networks, each of the entries including an identification of a radio access network and at least one communication service identifier associated with the radio access network,

wherein the first database listing is associated with a first preference level, and

wherein the second database listing is associated with a second preference level;

receiving an indication of a selected communication service capability to be performed;

identifying a communication service identifier associated with said selected communication service capability; and

selecting a selected radio access network for said selected communication service capability by successively accessing, in order of preference level, at least the first database listing and the second database listing to select an entry that has the communication service identifier and that identifies an available radio access network.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising storing an available radio access network list having entries identifying present radio access network availability with an indication of each available radio access network to be presently available together with communication service capability of each available radio access network and wherein selection is made during said selecting of an entry listed on the second database listing if no entry of the first database listing is associated with the selected communication service capability.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said selecting further comprises subsequently selecting an additional entry pursuant to effectuation of a second selected communication service capability.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising;

determining whether a second communication service capability is being initiated while the selected communication service capability is ongoing;

providing an indication, in response to said determination, identifying a second identifier, of the at least one identifier, associated with said second communication service capability; and

selecting an available radio access network from said first database having stored identifiers associated with both said selected communication service capability and said second communication service capability.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the first preference level is a higher preference than the second preference level.

14. Apparatus for facilitating network-selection by a mobile node operable on at least one of a plurality of radio access networks, said apparatus comprising:

storing, in a storage element, at least a first database listing associated with a first preference level and including a listing of radio access network entries, each entry including an identification of the radio access network and at least one communication service identifier identifying a communication service capability associated with the radio access network;

the storage element configured to store a forbidden-list database list having entries, each entry identifying a network with which the mobile node is prohibited from using and with which the mobile node does not attempt to select for communication; and

a selector configured to receive an indication of when a selected communication service capability is to be performed, to identify a communication service identifier associated with said selected communication service capability, and to select an available radio access network from said first database listing with a stored communication service identifier associated with said selected communication service capability, associated with the first preference level, that is not at the forbidden-list database list, and that is also capable of providing selected communication service capability to the mobile node.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the storage element is further configured to store at least a second database listing including at least a second radio access network list of entries, each entry thereof including identification of the radio access network and including identification of a communication service capability of the radio access network, and the second radio access network list of entries defining a second preference level associated with each entry thereof, the first preference level being a higher preference than the second preference level.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein a selection is made by said selector of with which entry, if any, of the first and second radio access network lists to effectuate a communication service capability, selection made by successively accessing the first database listing and the second database listing, in order of preference level.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising an available radio access network list having entries identifying present radio access network availability with an indication of each available radio access network to be presently available and communication service capability of each available radio access network, wherein groups of communication services of the plurality define tiers of network-portion capabilities, and wherein the indications of the communication services capabilities associated with each entry in said first database listing comprise identification of which tier of network-portion capability of the entry associated therewith.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein selection made by said selector is responsive to determinations of whether the tiers of service associated with any entry of said first database listing comprises a tier that includes the selected communication service capability.

19. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising a detector for detecting a coverage-area position of the mobile node.

20. Apparatus for facilitating network selection by a mobile node operable on at least one of a plurality of radio access networks, said apparatus comprising:

a storage element configured to store at least a first database listing associated with a first preference level and including a listing of radio access network entries, each entry including an identification of the radio access network and at least one communication service identifier identifying a communication service capability associated with the radio access network;

the storage element configured to store a forbidden-list database listing a forbidden-list of entries, each entry of the forbidden-list of entries identifying a network with which the mobile node is prohibited from using and with which the mobile node does not attempt to select for communication; and

a selector configured to receive an indication of when a selected communication service capability is to be performed, to identify a communication service identifier associated with said selected communication service capability, and to select an available radio access network from said first database listing having a stored communication service identifier associated with said selected communication service capability.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the storage element is further configured to store at least a second database listing including at least a second radio access network list of entries, each entry thereof including identification of the radio access network and including identification of a communication service capability of the radio access network, and the second radio access network list of entries defining a second preference level associated with each entry thereof.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein a selection is made by said selector of with which entry, if any, of the first and second radio access network lists to effectuate a communication service capability.

23. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said selector further is configured to determine whether the selected communication service capability is associated with any of the entries of the first radio access network list of said first database listing.

24. The apparatus of claim 20 further comprising an available radio access network list having entries identifying present radio access network availability with an indication of each available radio access network to be presently available and communication service capability of each available radio access network, wherein groups of communication services of the plurality define tiers of network-portion capabilities, and wherein the indications of the communication services capabilities associated with each entry in said first database listing comprise identification of which tier of network-portion capability of the entry associated therewith.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein selection made by said selector is responsive to determinations of whether the tiers of service associated with any entry of said first database listing comprises a tier that includes the selected communication service capability.

26. The apparatus of claim 20 further comprising a detector for detecting a coverage-area position of the mobile node.

27. The apparatus of claim 20 further comprising:

a determiner configured to decide whether a second communication service capability is being initiated while the selected communication service capability is ongoing and to provide indication that the second communication service capability is to be performed; and

said selector further configured to receive the second communication service capability indication identifying a second of the at least one identifier associated with said second communication service capability and to select an available radio access network from said first database having stored identifiers associated with both said selected communication service capability and said second communication service capability.