Method of selecting a SIM for a location service and multi-SIM device utilizing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9712973-B2
Application number	US-201414259498-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2014
Priority date	Apr 23, 2014
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

A method of selecting a SIM for a location service and a multi-SIM device utilizing the same are disclosed. The method, adopted by a multi-SIM device, includes: acquiring Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) information from a corresponding communications network which each SIM is in connection with; determining which communications network supports a location service based on the SUPL information; and requesting the location service on a SIM that is in connection with the supported communications network.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, adopted by a multi-SIM device, comprising:
acquiring, by the multi-SIM device, Radio Access Technology (RAT) information and Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) information from each corresponding communications network which each SIM is in connection with;
determining, by the multi-SIM device, which communications network is currently supporting a location service based on the SUPL information;
establishing a priority list which prioritizes SIMs according to the RAT information and the SUPL information;
selecting a SIM from the priority list according to a priority thereof; and
requesting, by the multi-SIM device, the location service on the SIM.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the RAT information includes a service status or a data rate supported by the corresponding communication network, and the SUPL information includes at least one of a SUPL version, a SUPL Location Platforms (SLP) server status and a SUPL positioning method supported by the corresponding communications network.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of the establishing the priority list comprises:
establishing the priority list according to the SUPL information.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of the establishing the priority list comprises:
establishing the priority list according to data rates of the communications networks which support the location service.

5. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
removing a first SIM from the priority list after the multi-SIM device fails to acquire the location service on the first SIM.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of the selecting the SIM from the priority list comprises:
when no SIM is on the priority list, determining whether a SUPL version fallback can be performed on a second SIM among all SIMs; and
selecting the SIM which the SUPL version fallback can be performed thereon.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the SUPL information includes a SUPL version supported by the corresponding communications network.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the steps of the acquiring the SUPL information, the determining which communications network supports the location service, and the requesting the location service on the SIM are performed when being powered up.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the steps of the acquiring the SUPL information, the determining which communications network supports the location service, and the requesting the location service on the SIM are performed when a service status of a second SIM in all SIMs is changed.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the steps of the acquiring the SUPL information, the determining which communications network supports the location service, and the requesting the location service on the SIM are performed when receiving a request for the location service.

11. A multi-SIM device, comprising:
a plurality of SIMs, wherein each SIM is configured to connect with a corresponding communications network;
a receiver, configured to acquire Radio Access Technology (RAT) information and Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) information from the corresponding communications network which each SIM is in connection with;
a select circuit, configured to determine which communications network is currently supporting a location service based on the SUPL information, establish a priority list which prioritizes SIMs according to the RAT information and the SUPL information, and select a SIM from the priority list according to a priority thereof; and
a transmitter, configured to request the location service on the SIM.

12. The multi-SIM device of claim 11 , wherein the RAT information includes a service status or a data rate supported by the corresponding communication network, and the SUPL information includes at least one of a SUPL version, a SUPL Location Platforms (SLP) server status and a SUPL positioning method supported by the corresponding communications network.

13. The multi-SIM device of claim 12 , wherein the select circuit is configured to establish the priority list according to the SUPL information.

14. The multi-SIM device of claim 12 , wherein the select circuit is configured to establish the priority list according to data rates of the communications networks which support the location service.

15. The multi-SIM device of claim 12 , wherein the select circuit is configured to removing a first SIM from the priority list after the multi-SIM device fails to acquire the location service on the first SIM.

16. The multi-SIM device of claim 12 , wherein the select circuit is further configured to:
when no SIM is on the priority list, determine whether a SUPL version fallback can be performed on a second SIM among all SIMs; and
select the SIM which the SUPL version fallback can be performed thereon.

17. The multi-SIM device of claim 11 , wherein the SUPL information includes a SUPL version supported by the corresponding communications network.

18. The multi-SIM device of claim 11 , wherein when being powered up, the receiver is configured to acquire the SUPL information, the select circuit is configured to determine which communications network supports the location service, and transmitter is configured to request the location service on the SIM.

19. The multi-SIM device of claim 11 , wherein when a service status of a second SIM in all SIMs is changed, the receiver is configured to acquire the SUPL information, the select circuit is configured to determine which communications network supports the location service, and transmitter is configured to request the location service on the SIM.

20. The multi-SIM device of claim 11 , wherein when receiving a request for the location service, the receiver is configured to acquire the SUPL information, the select circuit is configured to determine which communications network supports the location service, and transmitter is configured to request the location service on the SIM.

Assignees

• Mediatek Inc

Inventors

• Shih Wei-Feng
• Lee Chih-Hung
• Lee Ming
• You Yuh-Hwang

Classifications

• H04W4/025 Primary

  using location based information parameters · CPC title

• H04W64/00

  Locating users or terminals {or network equipment} for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management · CPC title

• H04W8/183

  Processing at user equipment or user record carrier · CPC title