Method of scheduling cell search operations

1. A method of scheduling cell search activity executed by a mobile communication user terminal which includes a control device and a data storage device, during a transmission gap sequencing in a burst mode, the method comprising:

maintaining, as executed by the control device and as stored in the data storage device, a table of regular periodic patterns of discreet cell search commands for execution during the transmission gap sequences, wherein the commands are ordered by the desired execution times; and

sequentially executing, as executed by the control device, commands in the table stored in said data storage device at the desired execution time.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the cell search commands include pause and resume commands for pausing and resuming any two or more of intra-frequency, inter-frequency, or inter-system cell search activity.

3. A method according to claim 2 , wherein the burst mode includes a W-CDMA compressed mode.

4. A method according to claim 1 , further including calculating, as executed by the control device, the table of regular periodic patterns of discreet cell search commands under one or more predefined conditions.

5. A method according to claim 4 , wherein the predefined conditions include when the burst mode is required and when there is a need to interleave separate cell search activities.

6. A method according to claim 4 , wherein the predefined conditions include when cell search activities are required to be performed and when a final command from the table has been executed.

7. A method according to claim 4 , wherein the predefined conditions include when new patterns of discreet cell search commands are received from a communications network while cell search activities are currently being executed.

8. A method according to claim 1 , further including calculating, as executed by the control device, the table of regular periodic patterns of discreet cell search commands by:

decomposing all active burst mode patterns into regular periodic patterns of discreet commands;

storing the discreet cell search commands and a command execution time in the table; and

sorting the commands in the table according to the desired execution time.

9. A method according to claim 2 , further including calculating, as executed by the control device, the table of regular periodic patterns of discreet cell search commands under one or more predefined conditions.

10. A method according to claim 3 , further including calculating, as executed by the control device, the table of regular periodic patterns of discreet cell search commands under one or more predefined conditions.

11. A method according to claim 5 , wherein the predefined predefined conditions include when cell search activities are required to be performed and when a final command from the table has been executed.

12. A method according to claim 5 , wherein the predefined conditions include when new patterns of discreet cell search commands are received from a communications network while cell search activities are currently being executed.

13. A method according to claim 6 , wherein the predefined conditions include when new patterns of discreet cell search commands are received from a communications network while cell search activities are currently being executed.

14. A method according to claim 2 , further including calculating, as executed by the control device, the table of regular periodic patterns of discreet cell search commands by:

decomposing all active burst mode patterns into regular periodic patterns of discreet commands;

storing discreet commands and a command execution time in the table; and

sorting the commands in the table according to a desired execution time.

15. A method according to claim 3 , further including calculating, as executed by the control device, the table of regular periodic patterns of discreet cell search commands by:

decomposing all active burst mode patterns into regular periodic patterns of discreet commands;

storing discreet commands and a command execution time in the table; and

sorting the commands in the table according to a desired execution time.

16. A method according to claim 4 , further including calculating, as executed by the control device, the table of regular periodic patterns of discreet cell search commands by:

decomposing all active burst mode patterns into regular periodic patterns of discreet commands;

storing discreet commands and a command execution time in the table; and

sorting the commands in the table according to a desired execution time.

17. A method according to claim 5 , further including calculating, as executed by the control device, the table of regular periodic patterns of discreet cell search commands by:

decomposing all active burst mode patterns into regular periodic patterns of discreet commands;

storing discreet commands and a command execution time in the table; and

sorting the commands in the table according to a desired execution time.

18. A mobile communication user terminal, including:

a data storage device for maintaining a table of regular periodic patterns of discreet cell search commands for execution during transmission gap sequences in a burst mode, wherein the commands are ordered by the desired execution times; and

a control device for scheduling cell search activity according to the method of claim 1 .