Claims
- 1. A method for channel selection in a multi-mode wireless communications device comprising:
receiving a first signal on a first channel with a first receiver associated with a first radio access technology; obtaining, from the first signal, first cell selection information; receiving a second signal on a second channel with a second receiver associated with a second radio access technology that is simultaneously operating while the first receiver is operating; obtaining, from the second signal, second cell selection information; and selecting a suitable channel to camp on based at least on the first and second cell selection information.
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first cell selection information and the second cell selection information includes at least one of: a quality rating of the first signal, a service provider associated with the first channel, a camping availability indication, and signal strength of the first signal.
- 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of selecting includes the steps of:
determining from the first cell selection information whether the first channel is suitable to camp on; and camping on the first channel when the first channel is suitable to camp on and the first radio access technology is preferred.
- 4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:
halting processing of the second cell selection information.
- 5. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:
determining from the first cell selection information whether the first channel is suitable to camp on; storing data representing the first channel when the first radio access technology is not preferred and the first channel is suitable to camp on; and halting processing of signals received by the first receiver.
- 6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of selecting includes the step of:
determining that no channels of the second radio access technology are suitable to camp on; and camping on the channel represented by the stored data when no channels of the second radio access technology are suitable to camp on.
- 7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving a third signal on a third channel with the first receiver associated with a first radio access technology; and obtaining, from the third signal, third cell selection information.
- 8. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:
determining whether to update a service provider list with a service provider associated with the first channel; and adding the service provider associated with the first channel to the service provider list when a determination to update the service provider list has been made.
- 9. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:
determining from the first cell selection information whether the first channel is suitable to camp on; determining, if the first channel is suitable to camp on, from the first cell selection information whether a service provider associated with the first channel is a preferred service provider; and camping on the first channel if the service provider associated with the first channel is the preferred service provider.
- 10. The method of claim 9 further including the steps of:
adding, if the service provider associated with the first channel is not the preferred service provider, the service provider associated with the first channel to a service provider list; receiving a third signal on a third channel with the first receiver of the first radio access technology; and obtaining, from the third signal, third cell selection information.
- 11. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:
determining from the first cell selection information whether the first channel is suitable to camp on; determining, if the first channel is suitable to camp on, from the first cell selection information whether a service provider associated with the first channel is a preferred service provider; and camping on the first channel if the service provider associated with the first channel is the preferred service provider and the first radio access technology is the preferred radio access technology.
- 12. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:
determining from the first cell selection information whether the first channel is suitable to camp on; determining, if the first channel is suitable to camp on, from the first cell selection information whether a service provider associated with the first channel is a preferred service provider; storing data representing the first channel when the first access technology is not a preferred access technology if the service provider associated with the first channel is the preferred service provider and the first channel is suitable to camp on; and halting processing of signals received by the first receiver.
- 13. The method of claim 12 further including the steps of:
determining that no channels of the second radio access technology are suitable to camp on; and camping on the channel represented by the stored data when no channels of the second radio access technology are suitable to camp on.
- 14. A method for obtaining service provider information in a multi-mode wireless communications device comprising:
receiving a first signal on a first channel with a first receiver associated with a first radio access technology; obtaining, from the first signal a first service provider associated with the first channel; determining if the first service provider should be added to a service provider list; receiving a second signal on a second channel with a second receiver associated with a second radio access technology that is simultaneously operating while the first receiver is operating; obtaining, from the second signal a second service provider associated with the second channel; and determining if the second service provider should be added to the service provider list.
- 15. The method of claim 14 further including the step of:
selecting, from the service providers on the service provider list, a service provider for the multi-mode communication device, wherein selecting includes at least one of selecting a home service provider as the service provider if the home service provider is on the service provider list and selecting a service provider from the service provider list that is highest in priority.
- 16. The method of claim 14 wherein the service provider list comprises a list of channels, radio access technologies associated with each of the channels, and a service provider associated with each of the channels.
- 17. The method of claim 14 further comprising:
initiating, prior to the steps of receiving, a scan for available service providers in response to a request from a user of the multi-mode communications device.
- 18. The method of claim 14 further comprising:
initiating, prior to the steps of receiving, a scan for available service providers in response to a timer when the multi-mode communication device is camped on a channel of a service provider that is not a home a service provider of the multi-mode communication device.
- 19. The method of claim 14 including the steps of:
determining, that the first service provider is a home service provider; and halting processing of the second signal.
- 20. A method in a multi-mode wireless communication device comprising:
receiving a first signal on a first channel with a first receiver associated with a first radio access technology; obtaining, from the first signal, first cell selection information including a first service provider associated with the first channel; determining from the first cell selection information whether the first channel is suitable to camp on; determining, if the first channel is suitable to camp on, if the first service provider should be added to a service provider list; receiving a second signal on a second channel with a second receiver of the second transceiver that is simultaneously operating while the first receiver is operating; obtaining, from the second signal, second cell selection information including a second service provider associated with the second channel; determining from the second cell selection information whether the second channel is suitable to camp on; determining, if the second channel is suitable to camp on, if the second service provider should be added to the service provider list; and selecting a service provider from the service providers on the service provider list wherein selecting includes at least one of: selecting a home service provider as the service provider if the home service provider is on the service provider list and selecting a service provider from the service provider list that is highest in priority.
- 21. A multi-mode wireless communication device comprising:
a first receiver associated with a first radio access technology operable to receive a first signal on a first channel; a second receiver associated with a second radio access technology operable to receive a second signal on a second channel while simultaneously operating while the first receiver is operating to receive the first signal; a multi-mode channel selection circuit operably coupled to the first receiver and second receiver, the multi-mode channel selection circuit operable select a suitable channel to camp on based at least on first and second cell selection information that is obtained from the first and second signals that were received by the first and second receivers simultaneously.
- 22. The multi-mode wireless communication device of claim 21 further comprising:
a service provider list builder circuit coupled to the cell selection information parser circuit, the service provider list builder circuit operable to determine whether a first service provider associated with the first channel should be added to a service provider list.
- 23. The multi-mode wireless communication device of claim 22 further comprising:
a service provider selection circuit coupled to the multi-mode channel selection circuit, the service provider selection circuit operable to select a service provider for the multi-mode wireless communication device from the service providers on the service provider list.
- 24. The multi-mode wireless communication device of claim 21 further comprising:
a channel data storage circuit coupled to the multi-mode channel determination circuit, the channel data storage circuit that stores data representing the first channel when the first radio access technology is not preferred and the first channel is suitable to camp on; and wherein the multi-mode channel determination circuit is further operable to camp on the channel represented by the stored data when no channels of the second radio access technology are suitable to camp on.
- 25. A multi-mode wireless communication device comprising:
one or more processors; and a storage device, coupled to the one or more processors, having stored thereon executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: receive a first signal on a first channel with a first receiver associated with a first radio access technology; obtain, from the first signal, first cell selection information; receive a second signal on a second channel with a second receiver associated with a second radio access technology that is simultaneously operating while the first receiver is operating; obtain, from the second signal, second cell selection information; and select a suitable channel to camp on based at least on the first and second cell selection information.
- 26. The multi-mode wireless communication device of claim 25 wherein the memory has stored thereon further executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes at least one processor to:
determine from the first cell selection information whether the first channel is suitable to camp on; and store data representing the first channel when the first radio access technology is not preferred and the first channel is suitable to camp on; and halt processing of signals received by the first receiver.
- 27. The multi-mode wireless communication device of claim 26 wherein the memory has stored thereon further executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes at least one processor to:
determine that no channels of the second radio access technology are suitable to camp on; and camp on the channel represented by the stored data when no channels of the second radio access technology are suitable to camp on.
- 28. The multi-mode wireless communication device of claim 25 wherein the memory has stored thereon further executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes at least one processor to:
obtain, from the first signal a first service provider associated with the first channel; determine if the first service provider should be added to a service provider list; obtain, from the second signal a second service provider associated with the second channel; and determine if the second service provider should be added to the service provider list.
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is related to application Ser. No. 10/027,650 entitled “Multi-Mode Mobile Communication Device With Continuous Mode Transceiver and Method Therefore”, having inventors Christopher Leyh et al., filed on Dec. 21, 2001, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, and incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.