Method and apparatus for multi-SIM selection
View Patent ↗A mobile transceiver having multiple subscriber identity module (SIM) cards and a method of selection is provided. In accordance with one embodiment, there is provided a method of operating a mobile transceiver, comprising: waking up the mobile transceiver from a low power mode in response to a wakeup event; determining whether a SIM card has been pre-selected for a location of the mobile transceiver or the wakeup event; when a SIM card has been pre-selected, selecting the pre-selected SIM card as a first subscriber identity module (SIM) card, activating a cellular transceiver using the first SIM card, and searching, via the cellular transceiver, for available wireless services associated with the first SIM card; and when a wireless service is available, sending at least a portion of a data log to an asset tracking service using the wireless service.
1. A method of operating a mobile transceiver, comprising:
waking up the mobile transceiver from a low power mode in response to a wakeup event;
determining a location of the mobile transceiver;
determining whether the determined location of the mobile transceiver corresponds to a location in a travel itinerary;
when the determined location corresponds to a location in the travel itinerary, determining whether a SIM card has been pre-selected for the determined location;
when a SIM card has been pre-selected for the determined location, selecting the pre-selected SIM card as a first subscriber identity module (SIM) card,
activating a cellular transceiver using the first SIM card, and
searching, via the cellular transceiver, for available wireless services associated with the first SIM card; and
when a wireless service is available, sending at least a portion of a data log to an asset tracking service using the wireless service.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
when a SIM card has not been pre-selected, selecting a SIM card from a plurality of SIM cards as the first SIM card, activating a cellular transceiver using the first SIM card and searching, via the cellular transceiver, for available wireless services associated with the first SIM card.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein a last used SIM card in the plurality of SIM cards is selected as the first SIM card when a SIM card has not been pre-selected.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the selecting a SIM card from a plurality of SIM cards as the first SIM card comprises:
determining a location of the mobile transceiver, and
wherein a SIM card is selected from a plurality of SIM cards as the first SIM card in accordance with the determined location of the mobile transceiver.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
when a SIM card has not been pre-selected, acquiring location data via a satellite receiver and/or sensor data via one or more sensors and storing the acquired location data and/or sensor data in a data log in a memory of the mobile transceiver.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
when a wireless service is not available, switching from the first SIM card to a different SIM card in the plurality of SIM cards.
7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
resetting the cellular transceiver using the different SIM card; and
searching, via the cellular transceiver, for available wireless services associated with the different SIM card.
8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
when each SIM in a plurality of SIM cards has been attempted and no wireless service is available, initiating a low power mode for the mobile transceiver.
9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
when each SIM in a plurality of SIM cards has been attempted and no wireless service is available,
acquiring location data via a satellite receiver and/or sensor data via one or more sensors and storing the acquired location data and/or sensor data in a data log in a memory of the mobile transceiver, and
initiating a low power mode for the mobile transceiver.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the location of the mobile transceiver comprises determining, via a satellite receiver, a location of the mobile transceiver.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the location of the mobile transceiver comprises determining an expected location of the mobile transceiver from the travel itinerary in accordance with a current time.
12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
acquiring location data via a satellite receiver and/or sensor data via one or more sensors and storing the acquired location data and/or sensor data in a data log in a memory of the mobile transceiver.
13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
when more than one wireless service is available, selecting a wireless service from the available wireless services in accordance with a location of the mobile transceiver or a waypoint associated with the wakeup event and a list of preferred wireless services for a plurality of locations or waypoints of the travel itinerary.
14. A method of operating a mobile transceiver comprising:
waking up the mobile transceiver from a low power mode in response to a wakeup event;
determining a location of the mobile transceiver;
determining whether the determined location of the mobile transceiver corresponds to a location in a travel itinerary;
when the determined location corresponds to a location in the travel itinerary, determining whether a SIM card has been pre-selected for the determined location;
when a SIM card has been pre-selected for the determined location, selecting the pre-selected SIM card as a first subscriber identity module (SIM) card,
activating a cellular transceiver using the first SIM card, and
searching, via the cellular transceiver, for available wireless services associated with the first SIM card; and
when a wireless service is available,
sending at least a portion of a data log to an asset tracking service using the wireless service;
determining whether a different SIM card in a plurality of SIM cards is preferred to the first SIM card in accordance with a mobile country code (MCC) of the available wireless services and a mapping between the plurality of SIM cards and location; and
switching from the first SIM card to the different SIM card when a different SIM card is preferred to the first SIM card.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the determining whether a different SIM card is preferred to the first SIM card is based on the mobile country code (MCC) is used in combination with a mobile network code (MNC) of the available wireless services.
16. A method of operating a mobile transceiver comprising:
waking up the mobile transceiver from a low power mode in response to a wakeup event;
determining a location of the mobile transceiver;
determining whether the determined location of the mobile transceiver corresponds to a location in a travel itinerary;
when the determined location corresponds to a location in the travel itinerary, determining whether a SIM card has been pre-selected for the determined location;
when a SIM card has been pre-selected for the determined location, selecting the pre-selected SIM card as a first subscriber identity module (SIM) card,
activating a cellular transceiver using the first SIM card, and
searching, via the cellular transceiver, for available wireless services associated with the first SIM card; and
when a wireless service is available,
sending at least a portion of a data log to an asset tracking service using the wireless service;
receiving a switch command from the asset tracking service, the switch command including an identity of a different SIM card in the plurality of SIM cards to be used by the mobile transceiver; and
switching from the first SIM card to the different SIM card in response to the switch command.
17. A method of operating a mobile transceiver, comprising:
waking up the mobile transceiver from a low power mode in response to a wakeup event;
determining whether the wakeup event corresponds to a waypoint in a travel itinerary, wherein the travel itinerary defines a number of waypoints including an origin, a destination and intermediate waypoints along an intended route;
when the wakeup event corresponds to a waypoint in the travel itinerary,
determining whether a SIM card has been pre-selected for the waypoint;
when a SIM card has been pre-selected for the waypoint,
selecting the SIM card associated with the waypoint is selected as a first subscriber identity module (SIM) card;
activating a cellular transceiver using the first SIM card, and
searching, via the cellular transceiver, for available wireless services associated with the first SIM card; and
when a wireless service is available, sending at least a portion of a data log to an asset tracking service using the wireless service.
18. A method of operating a mobile transceiver, comprising:
activating a cellular transceiver from a low power mode in response to a wakeup event, wherein the cellular transceiver is activated using a first SIM card;
searching, via the cellular transceiver, for available wireless services associated with the first SIM card; and
when a wireless service is available,
determining whether a different SIM card is preferred to the first SIM card in accordance with a mobile country code (MCC) of the available wireless services and a mapping between the plurality of SIM cards and location; and
switching from the first SIM card to the other SIM card when a different SIM card is preferred to the first SIM card.