Method of controlling a mobile terminal, and an associated mobile terminal
A method is disclosed for controlling a mobile terminal having a first wireless interface for cellular communication in a mobile telecommunications network and a second wireless interface for non-cellular wireless communication, such as wireless local area network (WLAN) communication, in at least one frequency band. In the mobile terminal, the following steps are performed. Information is received from the mobile telecommunications network, and the information is processed. Then, based on an outcome of the processing of the information, the second wireless interface is disabled from wireless communication in at least one frequency band.
1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a mobile terminal having a first wireless interface for cellular communication in a mobile telecommunications network and having a second wireless interface for non-cellular wireless communication in at least one frequency band, information from said mobile telecommunications network via said first wireless interface, said information comprising a code associated with the mobile telecommunications network;
processing said information;
disabling, based on an outcome of said processing of said information, said second wireless interface from wireless communication in at least one frequency band; and
wherein said processing determines whether one or more frequency bands of the second wireless interface should be disabled based on a lookup of the code in reference data stored in the mobile terminal, the reference data indicating predetermined access information for the second wireless interface according to codes.
2. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein said information further comprises control information from a node in said mobile telecommunications network over said first wireless interface.
3. The method as defined in claim 2 , wherein said step of disabling is performed if said control information includes a disabling command.
4. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein said at least one frequency band disabled in said step of disabling is a frequency band which is unlicensed in a first country or geographic area, but is reserved, prohibited or otherwise unavailable in a second country or geographic area, wherein said step of disabling is performed if the information received in said step of receiving indicates that said mobile telecommunications network is associated with said second country or geographic area.
5. The method as defined in claim 4 , wherein said step of processing involves comparison between contents of said information and said reference data stored in local memory of said mobile terminal, and wherein said step of disabling is performed if the outcome of said processing is a match from said comparison, indicating that said mobile telecommunications network is associated with said second country or geographic area.
6. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein said second wireless interface is capable of wireless communication in at least a first and a second frequency band, wherein said step of disabling involves disabling the second wireless interface from wireless communication in said first frequency band but not in said second frequency band.
7. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein said second wireless interface is capable of wireless communication in at least a first and a second frequency band, wherein said step of disabling involves disabling the second wireless interface from wireless communication in said first frequency band as well as in said second frequency band.
8. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein said second wireless interface is an interface adapted for connectionless packet data communication.
9. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein said second wireless interface is a wireless local area network interface.
10. An apparatus, comprising:
a first wireless interface for cellular communication in a mobile telecommunications network;
a second wireless interface for non-cellular communication; and
a controller coupled to said first and second wireless interfaces, wherein the controller is adapted to:
receive information from said mobile telecommunications network via said first wireless interface, said information comprising a code associated with the mobile telecommunications network;
process said information by looking up said code in reference data stored in the mobile terminal, the reference data indicating predetermined access information for the second wireless interface according to codes; and
disable, based on an outcome of said processing of said information, said second wireless interface from wireless communication in at least one frequency band.
11. The apparatus as defined in claim 10 , wherein said information comprises control information from a node in said mobile telecommunications network.
12. The apparatus as defined in claim 11 , wherein the controller is adapted to disable said second wireless interface if said control information includes a disabling command.
13. The apparatus as defined in claim 10 , wherein the at least one frequency band is a frequency band which is unlicensed in a first country or geographic area, but is reserved, prohibited or otherwise unavailable in a second country or geographic area, wherein the controller is adapted to disable said at least one frequency band, if the information received from said mobile telecommunications network indicates that said mobile telecommunications network is associated with said second country or geographic area.
14. The apparatus as defined in claim 13 , wherein the controller is adapted to process the information received from said mobile telecommunications network by comparing between contents of said information and said reference data stored in local memory of said mobile terminal, and wherein the controller is adapted to disable said at least one frequency band, if the outcome of said processing is a match from the comparison, indicating that said mobile telecommunications network is associated with said second country or geographic area.
15. The apparatus as defined in claim 10 , wherein said second wireless interface is being capable of wireless communication in at least a first and a second frequency band, wherein the controller is adapted to disable the second wireless interface from wireless communication in said first frequency band but not in said second frequency band.
16. The apparatus as defined in claim 10 , wherein said second wireless interface is capable of wireless communication in at least a first and a second frequency band, wherein the controller is adapted to disable the second wireless interface from wireless communication in said first frequency band as well as in said second frequency band.
17. The apparatus as defined in claim 10 , wherein said second wireless interface is an interface adapted for connectionless packet data communication.
18. The apparatus as defined in claim 10 , wherein said second wireless interface is a wireless local area network interface.
19. The apparatus as defined in claim 10 , said second wireless interface being capable of wireless communication in at least a first and a second frequency band, said mobile terminal further having local memory for storing said reference data, wherein:
said reference data defines a mapping between different countries, geographic areas or mobile telecommunications networks, represented by at least one of a network code or operator code, and allowability or non-allowability of different frequency bands for non-cellular wireless communication;
the controller is adapted to receive said information over said first wireless interface as control information from a node in said mobile telecommunications network;
the controller is adapted to process said control information received from said node by deriving at least one of a network code or operator code associated with said mobile telecommunications network, and comparing the derived network code or operator code to said reference data to produce said outcome of said processing; and
the controller is adapted to disable the second wireless interface from wireless communication in said first frequency band, said second frequency band, none of said first and second frequency bands, or both of said first and second frequency bands, depending on said out-come of said processing.
20. The apparatus as defined in claim 19 , wherein said local memory comprises non-volatile memory in which said reference data is stored in a manner that prevents manipulation.
21. The apparatus as defined in claim 10 , further having a user interface, wherein the controller is adapted to provide an alert in said user interface, before disabling said second wireless interface.
22. The apparatus as defined in claim 21 , wherein the controller is further adapted, after having provided said alert in said user interface, to await a confirmation from a user of the mobile terminal before disabling said second wireless interface.