Granted Patent B2

US 7,123,912 · App. 10/749,456 · Granted Oct 17, 2006

Abstract

Claims (19)

1. A method for selecting a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

searching available wireless communication systems within a first service area which the mobile terminal is located;

determining whether or not there are any available wireless communication systems having identical system type according to preferred roaming list PRL stored in the mobile terminal;

if there are any available wireless communication system having identical system type as a result of the determining, selecting a wireless communication system having highest priority in the PRL by searching wireless communication system in the first service area and a plurality of second service areas neighbored to the first service area and comparing priorities of wireless communication systems in the first service area and second service areas; and

if there are not any available wireless communication system having identical system type as a result of the determining, selecting a wireless communication system having highest priority in the PRL by searching wireless communication system in a plurality of second service areas neighbored to the first service area.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the selecting a wireless communication system having highest priority in the PRL by searching wireless communication system in the first service area includes:

temporarily connecting to a wireless communication system by selecting a available wireless communication system having highest priority as a connected system among available wireless communication system having identical system type within the first service area according to the PRL stored in the mobile terminal;

determining whether or not the connected system has the highest priority on the PRL;

if the connected system does not have the highest priority on the PRL, searching wireless communication systems having identical system type as a searched system in the second service area, and if the connected system has the highest priority on the PRL, keeping the connection with the connected system;

if there are wireless communication systems having identical system type in the second service areas, making a updated PRL to include system information of the searched systems in the second service areas, and if there isn't, keeping the connection with the connected system; and

selecting a wireless communication system having highest priority according to the updated PRL as a selected system and connecting with the selected system.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the selecting a wireless communication system having highest priority in the PRL by searching wireless communication system in a plurality of second service area includes:

temporally connecting to first available wireless communication system in the first area;

searching wireless communication systems having identical system type as a searched system in a plurality of the second areas;

if there isn't any wireless communication systems having identical system type in the second areas, keeping connection to the connected system, and if there are wireless communication system having identical system type, making a updated PRL include system information of the searched systems in the second service areas; and

selecting a wireless communication system having identical system type according to the updated PRL as a selected system and connecting with the selected system.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the method is reputedly performed in a predetermined time.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the priority is predetermined by comparing a roam indicator, system types, home system identification and network identification NID.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the PRL includes most recently used table and acquisition table.

Assignments (9)