Apparatus and method, for making measurements in universal mobile telecommunications system user equipment

1. A method for taking measurements in a user equipment (UE) pursuant to cell selection, the UE being configurable for use in a mobile telecommunications system, the method comprising:

while the UE is not camped on a cell and before selecting a cell, scanning frequency bands searching for signals, each signal being associable with a cell;

while the UE is not camped on a cell and before selecting a cell, generating and storing measurement data for a plurality of signals including, when the signals include more than one signal per frequency band, generating and storing measurement data for more than one signal in the frequency band;

using the generated measurement data to identify a first signal and a first associated cell which best meets a cell selection criteria;

determining whether the first associated cell is suitable;

selecting the first associated cell if the first associated cell is suitable; and

using the generated measurement data to identify a second signal and a second associated cell which best meets the selection criteria, when the first associated cell is deemed unsuitable.

2. The method of claim 1 where the generated measurement data for the second signal comprises the second signal being the next strongest signal at any of the plurality of frequencies.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether the measurement data meets a predetermined criterion and storing the measurement data in an order relative to the meeting of the criterion.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating farther measurement data for frequencies other than the frequency on which the first associated cell is found, when the first associated cell is deemed unsuitable.

5. A user equipment (UE) apparatus for taking and using measurements, the UE being configurable for use in a mobile telecommunications system comprising a network of a plurality of cells, the UE comprising:

a processor and memory with program code operable with a communications subsystem to, while the UE is not camped on a cell and before selecting a cell, scan frequency bands searching for signals each signal being associable with a cell;

program code to gather and retrievably store measurement data for a plurality of signals while the UE is not camped on a cell and before selecting a cell, including, when the signals received include more than one signal per frequency band, gathering and storing measurement data for more than one signal in the frequency band;

program code to use the generated measurement data to identify a first signal and a first associated cell which best meets a cell selection criteria;

program code to determine whether the first associated cell is suitable; and

program code to select the first associated cell if the first associated cell is suitable and to identify a second signal and a second associated cell which best meets the selection criteria, when the first associated cell is deemed unsuitable.

6. The UE of claim 5 further comprising:

program code to identify, as the second signal, the measurement data that is the next strongest signal compared to the first strongest signal at any of the plurality of frequencies.

7. The UE of claim 5 further comprising:

program code to determine if the measurement data meets a predetermined criterion and storing the measurement data in an order relative to the meeting of the criterion.

8. The UE of claim 5 further comprising:

program code to generate further measurement data for frequencies other than the frequency on which the first associated cell is found, when the first associated cell is deemed unsuitable.