Apparatus and method for selecting uplink based on communication state

1. A portable communication device, comprising:

a first communication circuitry configured to perform communication using a first frequency band;

a second communication circuitry configured to perform communication using a second frequency band;

a memory for storing a plurality of threshold values; and

at least one processor configured to:

receive a reference signal transmitted from a first external electronic device using the first communication circuitry;

identify a first sub-band used for communication between the portable communication device and the first external device in the first frequency band;

identify a second sub-band used for communication between the portable communication device and a second external electronic device in the second frequency band;

select a threshold among the plurality of threshold values based on the first sub-band and the second sub-band;

when a received power corresponding to the reference signal is greater than or equal to the threshold, communicate with at least one external electronic device through multiple cellular connections by transmitting a first signal of the first frequency band to the first external electronic device through a first cellular connection established using the first communication circuitry and substantially concurrently transmitting a second signal of the second frequency band to the second external electronic device through a second cellular connection established using the second communication circuitry; and

when the received power corresponding to the reference signal is less than the threshold, communicate with the at least one external electronic device through a single cellular connection by transmitting the first signal to the first external electronic device through the first cellular connection and refraining from transmitting the second signal to the second external electronic device through the second cellular connection.

2. The portable communication device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

receive another reference signal transmitted from the second external electronic device using the second communication circuitry; and

select one of the multiple cellular connections and the single cellular connection based further on another received power corresponding to the other reference signal.

3. The portable communication device of claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to transmit state information indicating that the selected connection is possible to the first external electronic device.

4. The portable communication device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

use a first radio access technology (RAT) for the communication with the first external electronic device; and

use a second RAT for the communication with the second external electronic device.

5. The portable communication device of claim 4 , wherein the second frequency band is a frequency band higher than the first frequency band, and

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

when the received power is equal to or greater than the threshold, communicate control information with the first external electronic device using the first communication circuitry and communicate data corresponding to the control information with the second external electronic device using the second communication circuitry.

6. The portable communication device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to identify the received power corresponding to the reference signal based at least in part on an application running on the portable communication device or capacity of data to be downloaded or uploaded through the application.

7. A base station, comprising:

a memory storing a plurality of threshold values;

a communication circuitry; and

at least one processor configured to:

transmit a reference signal to an external electronic device using the communication circuitry;

receive a received power corresponding to the reference signal, the received power being measured by the external electronic device, from the external electronic device;

select a threshold among the plurality of threshold values based at least in part on the first frequency band and a second frequency band;

when the received power corresponding to the reference signal is equal to or greater than the threshold, transmit information indicating communicating through multiple cellular connections to the external electronic device by transmitting a first signal of a first frequency band through a first cellular connection and substantially concurrently transmitting a second signal of a second frequency band through a second cellular connection; and

when the received power corresponding to the reference signal is less than the threshold, transmit information indicating communicating through a single cellular connection to the external electronic device by transmitting the first signal through the first cellular connection and transmitting the second signal to the external electronic device through the second cellular connection.

8. The base station of claim 7 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to transmit the reference signal using the first frequency band or the second frequency band.

9. The base station of claim 7 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to communicate using a first radio access technology (RAT) for the first cellular connection and using a second RAT for the second cellular connection.

10. The base station of claim 7 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

receive state information indicating that a connection selected from the external device between the multiple cellular connections or the single cellular connection is possible from the external device; and

transmit the information indicating the multiple cellular connections or the information indicating the single cellular connection to the external device based further on the state information.

11. A portable communication device, comprising:

a memory storing a plurality of threshold values;

a first communication circuitry configured to perform communication using a first frequency band;

a second communication circuitry configured to perform communication using a second frequency band; and

at least one processor configured to:

receive a reference signal from a first external electronic device using the first communication circuitry;

select a threshold among the plurality of threshold values based on the first frequency band and the second frequency band;

when a received power of the reference signal is equal to or greater than the threshold, substantially concurrently transmit a first signal corresponding to at least a part of a first frequency and a second signal corresponding to at least a part of the second frequency band using the first communication circuitry and the second communication circuitry; and

when the received power of the reference signal is less than the threshold, limit transmission of the second signal while transmitting the first signal using the first communication circuitry.

12. The portable communication device of claim 11 , wherein the threshold is set for a combination of the first frequency band and the second frequency band, and

wherein the second range is less than the threshold.

13. The portable communication device of claim 11 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

when the received power of the reference signal is less than the threshold, limit transmission of the second signal while transmitting the first signal using the first communication circuitry and limit transmission of the first signal while transmitting the second signal using the second communication circuitry.

14. The portable communication device of claim 13 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to, when the received power of the reference signal is less than the threshold:

receive control information from a first external electronic device using a signal of the first frequency band; and

communicate with a second external electronic device using a signal of the second frequency band based on the control information.

15. The portable communication device of claim 14 , wherein the first external electronic device and the second external electronic device are base stations configured to perform communication based on different radio access technologies (RATs).