Apparatus and method for multimode terminals

1. A method in a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

operating on a serving cell of a first network type;

receiving a neighbor list;

modifying the neighbor list based on a preferred list to generate a modified neighbor list, by:

retrieving a first set of preferred list entries from a first subscriber module, the first subscriber module being a subscriber module for the first network type; and

retrieving a second set of preferred list entries from a second subscriber module, the second subscriber module being a subscriber module for the second network type, wherein the modified neighbor list comprises the union of the intersection of the neighbor list and the first set of preferred list entries and the intersection of the neighbor list and the second set of preferred list entries; and

taking cell measurements of cells of a first network type and cells of a second network type based on the modified neighbor list,

wherein the first network type is a global system for mobile communication network type, and

wherein the second network type is a code division multiple access network type,

wherein the method further comprises:

sending the cell measurements based on the modified neighbor list to the serving cell,

receiving an optimized neighbor list after sending the cell measurements based on the modified neighbor list to the serving cell; and

taking cell measurements of cells of a first network type and cells of a second network type based on the optimized neighbor list.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a handoff message from the serving cell, the handoff message including a newly assigned channel based on the modified list; and

switching to the newly assigned channel.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first subscriber module is a subscriber identity module and wherein the second subscriber module is a user identity module.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first subscriber module is a user identity module and wherein the second subscriber module is a subscriber identity module.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising accessing information in a second network type subscriber module while operating on the serving cell of the first network type.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the preferred list is stored on the wireless communication device.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

determining the first network type is a desired network type;

sending first network type cell measurements to the serving cell; and

sending modified second network type cell measurements to the serving cell.

8. A wireless communication device comprising:

a controller configured to operate the wireless communication device on a serving cell of a first network type and a sewing cell of a second network type;

a receiver configured to receive a neighbor list;

a neighbor list modification module configured to modify the neighbor list based on a preferred list to generate a modified neighbor list;

a cell measurement module configured to take cell measurements of cells of a first network type and cells of a second network type based on the modified neighbor list,

wherein the first network type comprises a first air interface technology and the second network type comprises a second air interface technology different from the first air interface technology,

wherein the wireless communication device further comprises a transmitter configured to send the cell measurements based on the modified neighbor list to the serving cell,

wherein the receiver is further configured to receive an optimized neighbor list after the transmitter sends the cell measurements based on the modified neighbor list to the serving cell; and

wherein the cell measurement module is further configured to take cell measurements of cells of a first network type and cells of a second network type based on the optimized neighbor list; and

a first subscriber module; and

a second subscriber module,

wherein the neighbor list modification module is further configured to generate the modified neighbor list by:

retrieving a first set of preferred list entries from the first subscriber module, the first subscriber module being a subscriber module for the first network type; and

retrieving a second set of preferred list entries from the second subscriber module, the second subscriber module being a subscriber module for the second network type, wherein the modified neighbor list comprises the union of the intersection of the neighbor list and the first set of preferred list entries and the intersection of the neighbor list and the second set of preferred list entries.

9. The wireless communication device according to claim 8 ,

wherein the receiver is further configured to receive a handoff message from the serving cell, the handoff message including a newly assigned channel based on the modified list; and

wherein the controller is further configured to operate the wireless communication device on the newly assigned channel.

10. The wireless communication device according to claim 8 , wherein the first subscriber module is a subscriber identity module and wherein the second subscriber module is a user identity module.

11. The wireless communication device according to claim 8 , wherein the first subscriber module is a user identity module and wherein the second subscriber module is a subscriber identity module.

12. The wireless communication device according to claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to access information in a second network type subscriber module while operating on the serving cell of the first network type.

13. The wireless communication device according to claim 8 ,

wherein the first network type is a code division multiple access network type, and

wherein the second network type is a global system for mobile communication network type.

14. The wireless communication device according to claim 8 ,

wherein the first network type is a global system for mobile communication network type, and

wherein the second network type is a code division multiple access network type.

15. The wireless communication device according to claim 8 , further comprising a memory,

wherein the preferred list is stored in the memory.

16. The wireless communication device according to claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine the first network type is a desired network type, send first network type cell measurements to the serving cell, and send modified second network type cell measurements to the serving cell.

17. A method in a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

operating on a serving cell of a first network type;

receiving a neighbor list;

modifying the neighbor list based on a preferred list stored in a memory of the wireless communication device to generate a modified neighbor list, by:

retrieving a first set of preferred list entries from a first subscriber module, the first subscriber module being a subscriber module for the first network type; and

retrieving a second set of preferred list entries from a second subscriber module, the second subscriber module being a subscriber module for the second network type, wherein the modified neighbor list comprises the union of the intersection of the neighbor list and the first set of preferred list entries and the intersection of the neighbor list and the second set of preferred list entries;

taking cell measurements of cells of a first network type and cells of a second network type based on the modified neighbor list,

wherein the first network type comprises a first air interface technology and the second network type comprises a second air interface technology different from the first air interface technology.

18. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising:

sending the cell measurements based on the modified neighbor list to the serving cell;

receiving a handoff message from the serving cell, the handoff message including a newly assigned channel based on the modified list; and

switching to the newly assigned channel.

19. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising accessing information in a second network type subscriber module while operating on the serving cell of the first network type.