Effective scanning solution during multi-sim roaming

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018160386-A1
Application number	US-201615368183-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 2, 2016
Priority date	Dec 2, 2016
Publication date	Jun 7, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for home public land mobile network (HPLMN) search during roaming for a multi-subscriber identity module (SIM) mobile communication device, may include: determining that a first subscription and a second subscription are roaming; determining whether an HPLMN search timer has expired for the first subscription; in response to determining that the HPLMN search timer has expired for the first subscription, determining whether a mode capability of the first subscription is greater than a mode capability of the second subscription; and in response to determining that the mode capability of the first subscription is greater than the mode capability of the second subscription, performing an HPLMN search for the first subscription.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for home public land mobile network (HPLMN) search during roaming for a multi-subscriber identity module (SIM) mobile communication device, the method comprising:
determining that a first subscription and a second subscription are roaming; determining whether an HPLMN search timer has expired for the first subscription; in response to determining that the HPLMN search timer has expired for the first subscription, determining whether a mode capability of the first subscription is greater than a mode capability of the second subscription; and in response to determining that the mode capability of the first subscription is greater than the mode capability of the second subscription, performing an HPLMN search for the first subscription.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to determining that the mode capability of the first subscription is not greater than the mode capability of the second subscription, determining whether the mode capability of the first subscription is a subset of the mode capability of the second subscription; in response to determining that the mode capability of the first subscription is not a subset of the mode capability of the second subscription, determining whether the mode capability of the first subscription is equal to the mode capability of the second subscription; and in response to determining that the mode capability of the first subscription is not equal to the mode capability of the second subscription, performing the HPLMN search for the first subscription.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
in response to determining that the mode capability of the first subscription is equal to the mode capability of the second subscription, determining whether data is enabled on the first subscription; and in response to determining the data is enabled on the first subscription, performing the HPLMN search for the first subscription.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
in response to determining the data is not enabled on the first subscription, determining whether an HPLMN search for the second subscription was performed within a previous predetermined time period; and in response to determining that an HPLMN search for the second subscription was performed within the previous predetermined time period, skipping performing the HPLMN search for the first subscription.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
in response to determining that an HPLMN search for the second subscription was not performed within the previous predetermined time period, determining whether an HPLMN search for the second subscription is scheduled to be performed within a subsequent predetermined time period; and in response to determining that an HPLMN search for the second subscription is not scheduled to be performed within the subsequent predetermined time period, performing the HPLMN search for the first subscription.

6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
in response to determining that an HPLMN search for the second subscription is scheduled to be performed within the subsequent predetermined time period, skipping performing the HPLMN search for the first subscription.

7 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
in response to determining that the mode capability of the first subscription is a subset of the mode capability of the second subscription, determining whether an HPLMN search for the second subscription was performed within a previous predetermined time period; and in response to determining that an HPLMN search for the second subscription was performed within the previous predetermined time period, skipping performing the HPLMN search for the first subscription.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
in response to determining that an HPLMN search for the second subscription was not performed within the previous predetermined time period, determining whether an HPLMN search for the second subscription is scheduled to be performed within a subsequent predetermined time period; and in response to determining that an HPLMN search for the second subscription is not scheduled to be performed within the subsequent predetermined time period, performing the HPLMN search for the first subscription.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
in response to determining that an HPLMN search for the second subscription is scheduled to be performed within the subsequent predetermined time period, skipping performing the HPLMN search for the first subscription.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
utilizing results of the HPLMN search for the first subscription to identify an HPLMN for the second subscription.

11 . A multi-subscriber identity module (SIM) mobile communication device, comprising:
a communication unit configured to communicate with one or more communication networks; a memory operably connected to the communication unit; a timing unit configured to implement an HPLMN search timer; and a control unit operably connected to the communication unit, the memory, and the timing unit, the control unit configured to:
determine that a first subscription and a second subscription are roaming;
monitor the HPLMN search timer to determine whether the HPLMN search timer has expired for the first subscription;
in response to determining that the HPLMN search timer has expired for the first subscription, determine whether a mode capability of the first subscription is greater than a mode capability of the second subscription; and
in response to determining that the mode capability of the first subscription is greater than the mode capability of the second subscription, control the communication unit to perform an HPLMN search for the first subscription.

12 . The multi-SIM mobile communication device of claim 11 , wherein the control unit is further configured to:
in response to determining that the mode capability of the first subscription is not greater than the mode capability of the second subscription, determine whether the mode capability of the first subscription is a subset of the mode capability of the second subscription; in response to determining that the mode capability of the first subscription is not a subset of the mode capability of the second subscription, determine whether the mode capability of the first subscription is equal to the mode capability of the second subscription; and in response to determining that the mode capability of the first subscription is not equal to the mode capability of the second subscription, control the communication unit to perform the HPLMN search for the first subscription.

13 . The multi-SIM mobile communication device of claim 12 , wherein the control unit is further configured to:
in response to determining that the mode capability of the first subscription is equal to the mode capability of the second subscription, determine whether data is enabled on the first subscription; and in response to determining the data is enabled on the first subscription, control the communication unit to perform the HPLMN search for the first subscription.

14 . The multi-SIM mobile communication device of claim 13 , wherein the control unit is further configured to:
in response to determining the data is not enabled on the first subscription, determine whether an HPLMN search for the second subscription was performed within a previous predetermined time period; and in response to determining that an HPLMN search for the second subscription was performed within the previous predetermined time period, contr

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Arumugam Bhaskaran
• Ladhagiri Krishnakumar Sai Lokesh
• Ananda Manjunatha Subbamma

Classifications

• H04L69/28 Primary

  Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols · CPC title

• H04W72/048

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W60/005 Primary

  Multiple registrations, e.g. multihoming · CPC title

• H04W84/042

  Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems · CPC title

• H04L63/0853

  using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234) · CPC title