IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,615,680
Granted Patent B2
US 12,615,680 · App. 17/908,754 · Granted Apr 28, 2026

Network access method and terminal

Inventors: Xin Wang (Shenzhen, CN); Yajun Yu (Shenzhen, CN); Feng Wang (Shenzhen, CN); Ting Kang (Shenzhen, CN); Bing Wang (Shenzhen, CN)
Assignee: HONOR DEVICE CO., LTD.
H04W76/19H04W76/15H04W88/06
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,615,680
App. No.
17/908,754
Granted
Apr 28, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

This specification relates to the field of mobile communications technologies, and specifically to a network access method and a terminal. The method is applied to a terminal that is connected to the primary access network device and the secondary access network device through the first SIM card, and is connected to the secondary access network device. The method includes: disconnecting, by the terminal, an RRC connection between the terminal and the secondary access network equipment when the terminal executes a first service through the second SIM card; determining, by the terminal, that the first service ends; and actively disconnecting, by the terminal, an RRC connection between the terminal and the primary access network equipment, and sending an RRC connection re-establishment request, so that the terminal is reconnected to the secondary access network equipment through the first SIM card with assistance of the primary access network equipment.

Claims (47)

1 . A method, applied to a terminal configured with a first subscriber identity module (SIM) card and a second SIM card, wherein the terminal is simultaneously connected to primary access network equipment of a first network using a first protocol through the first SIM card and secondary access network equipment of a second network using a second protocol through the first SIM card, the terminal is connected to the secondary access network equipment with assistance of the primary access network equipment, and the method comprises:

based on that the terminal executes a first service via the first network through the second SIM card, disconnecting, by the terminal, a second radio resource control (RRC) connection between the terminal and the secondary access network equipment while remaining connected to the primary access network equipment through the first SIM card;

determining, by the terminal, that the first service through the second SIM card ends;

actively disconnecting, by the terminal, a first RRC connection between the terminal and the primary access network equipment through the first SIM card; and

sending, by the terminal, an RRC connection re-establishment request to the primary access network equipment, so that the terminal is reconnected to the primary access network equipment of the first network through the first SIM card and the secondary access network equipment of the second network through the first SIM card with assistance of the primary access network equipment.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the actively disconnecting, by the terminal, the first RRC connection between the terminal and the primary access network equipment, and the sending the RRC connection re-establishment request to the primary access network equipment comprise:

when a first cell on which the terminal camps through the first SIM card at an end of the first service supports dual connectivity, actively disconnecting, by the terminal, the first RRC connection between the terminal and the primary access network equipment, and sending the RRC connection re-establishment request to the primary access network equipment.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the dual connectivity is universal terrestrial radio access network-new radio dual connectivity (EN-DC).

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the actively disconnecting, by the terminal, the first RRC connection between the terminal and the primary access network equipment, and the sending the RRC connection re-establishment request to the primary access network equipment comprise:

when the terminal does not receive a measurement control message of an event or an RRC connection reconfiguration request through the first SIM card within a first time period, actively disconnecting, by the terminal, the first RRC connection between the terminal and the primary access network equipment, and sending the RRC connection re-establishment request to the primary access network equipment, wherein the first time period is a time period that starts when the first service ends.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the actively disconnecting, by the terminal, the first RRC connection between the terminal and the primary access network equipment, and the sending the RRC connection re-establishment request to the primary access network equipment comprise:

when a total number of times that the terminal executes service(s) in at least one service through the second SIM card within a second time period is less than or equal to n, actively disconnecting, by the terminal, the first RRC connection between the terminal and the primary access network equipment, and sending the RRC connection re-establishment request to the primary access network equipment, wherein n is a preset integer greater than 1, the second time period is a time period that terminates when the first service ends, and the first service is one of the at least one service.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one service comprises at least one of:

a voice service corresponding to the second SIM card or a multimedia messaging service corresponding to the second SIM card.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the actively disconnecting, by the terminal, the first RRC connection between the terminal and the primary access network equipment, and the sending the RRC connection re-establishment request to the primary access network equipment comprise:

when the terminal runs no delay-sensitive application, actively disconnecting, by the terminal, the first RRC connection between the terminal and the primary access network equipment, and sending the RRC connection re-establishment request to the primary access network equipment; or

when the terminal executes no delay-sensitive service, actively disconnecting, by the terminal, the first RRC connection between the terminal and the primary access network equipment, and sending the RRC connection re-establishment request to the primary access network equipment.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein after the actively disconnecting, by the terminal, the first RRC connection between the terminal and the primary access network equipment, and the sending the RRC connection re-establishment request to the primary access network equipment, the method further comprises:

listing, by the terminal, a cell on which the terminal currently camps through the first SIM card into a first list when the terminal fails to connect to the secondary access network equipment through the first SIM card, wherein when the terminal camps on a cell in the first list through the first SIM card, the terminal no longer sends any RRC connection re-establishment request to the primary access network equipment.

9 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:

clearing, by the terminal, the first list when the terminal restarts, or when a tracking area of a wireless network accessed by the terminal through the first SIM card changes.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the primary access network equipment is 4th generation (4G) access network equipment, and the secondary access network equipment is 5th generation (5G) access network equipment.

11 . A terminal, wherein the terminal is configured with a first subscriber identity module (SIM) card and a second SIM card, the terminal is simultaneously connected to primary access network equipment of a first network using a first protocol through the first SIM card and secondary access network equipment of a second network using a second protocol through the first SIM card, and the terminal is connected to the secondary access network equipment with assistance of the primary access network equipment;

the terminal comprises a processor, a memory, and a transceiver, wherein

the memory is configured to store a computer instruction; and

when the terminal operates, the processor executes the computer instruction, so that the terminal performs:

based on that the terminal executes a first service via the first network through the second SIM card, disconnecting a second radio resource control (RRC) connection between the terminal and the secondary access network equipment while remaining connected to the primary access network equipment through the first SIM card;

determining that the first service through the second SIM card ends;

actively disconnecting a first RRC connection between the terminal and the primary access network equipment through the first SIM card; and

sending an RRC connection re-establishment request to the primary access network equipment, so that the terminal is reconnected to the primary access network equipment of the first network through the first SIM card and the secondary access network equipment of the second network through the first SIM card with assistance of the primary access network equipment.

12 . The terminal according to claim 11 , wherein the processor executes the computer instruction, so that the terminal further performs:

when a first cell on which the terminal camps through the first SIM card at an end of the first service supports dual connectivity, actively disconnecting the first RRC connection between the terminal and the primary access network equipment, and sending the RRC connection re-establishment request to the primary access network equipment.

13 . The terminal according to claim 12 , wherein the dual connectivity is universal terrestrial radio access network-new radio dual connectivity (EN-DC).

14 . The terminal according to claim 11 , wherein the processor executes the computer instruction, so that the terminal further performs:

when the terminal does not receive a measurement control message of an event or an RRC connection reconfiguration request through the first SIM card within a first time period, actively disconnecting the first RRC connection between the terminal and the primary access network equipment, and sending the RRC connection re-establishment request to the primary access network equipment, wherein the first time period is a time period that starts when the first service ends.

15 . The terminal according to claim 11 , wherein the processor executes the computer instruction, so that the terminal further performs:

when a total number of times that the terminal executes service(s) in at least one service through the second SIM card within a second time period is less than or equal to n, actively disconnecting the first RRC connection between the terminal and the primary access network equipment, and sending the RRC connection re-establishment request to the primary access network equipment, wherein n is a preset integer greater than 1 , the second time period is a time period that terminates when the first service ends, and the first service is one of the at least one service.

16 . The terminal according to claim 15 , wherein the at least one service comprises at least one of:

a voice service corresponding to the second SIM card or a multimedia messaging service corresponding to the second SIM card.

17 . The terminal according to claim 11 , wherein the processor executes the computer instruction, so that the terminal further performs:

when the terminal runs no delay-sensitive application, actively disconnecting the first RRC connection between the terminal and the primary access network equipment, and sending the RRC connection re-establishment request to the primary access network equipment; or

when the terminal executes no delay-sensitive service, actively disconnecting the first RRC connection between the terminal and the primary access network equipment, and sending the RRC connection re-establishment request to the primary access network equipment.

18 . The terminal according to claim 11 , wherein after the actively disconnecting the first RRC connection between the terminal and the primary access network equipment, and the sending the RRC connection re-establishment request to the primary access network equipment, the processor executes the computer instruction, so that the terminal further performs:

listing a cell on which the terminal currently camps through the first SIM card into a first list when the terminal fails to connect to the secondary access network equipment through the first SIM card, wherein when the terminal camps on a cell in the first list through the first SIM card, the terminal no longer sends any RRC connection re-establishment request to the primary access network equipment.

19 . The terminal according to claim 18 , wherein the processor executes the computer instruction, so that the terminal further performs:

clearing the first list when the terminal restarts, or when a tracking area of a wireless network accessed by the terminal through the first SIM card changes.

20 . The terminal according to claim 11 , wherein the primary access network equipment is 4th generation (4G) access network equipment, and the secondary access network equipment is 5th generation (5G) access network equipment.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 20, 2023
From: WANG, XIN; YU, YAJUN; WANG, FENG; KANG, TING; WANG, BING
To: HONOR DEVICE CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 063990/0590 →
Priority Claims (2)
CN 202010405578.0 · May 14, 2020 · national
CN 202010544883.8 · Jun 15, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230128087A1 · Apr 27, 2023
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