Scanning and decoding methods and apparatus for mobile communication devices

1. A network selection method, comprising:

for each broadcast control channel of a plurality of broadcast control channels associated with a plurality of wireless communication networks:

measuring, on the broadcast control channel, a signal strength level of a radio frequency (RF) signal of a wireless communication network;

receiving and decoding control information which is broadcasted on the broadcast control channel and storing the broadcasted control information in memory, the broadcasted control information including a broadcasted network identification which uniquely identifies the wireless communication network;

repeating the act of measuring on the broadcast control channel at least one time so that at least one other signal strength level of the RF signal on the broadcast control channel is identified;

completing the averaging function with the signal strength level and the at least one other signal strength level for calculating an averaged signal strength level of the RF signal on the broadcast control channel;

wherein the acts of receiving, decoding, and storing for said broadcast channel are performed in between the repeated acts of measuring signal strength levels of the RF signal on said broadcast control channel, and prior to completion of the averaging function for calculating the averaged signal strength level; and

reading the stored broadcasted network identifications that were received, for use in performing a network selection technique for selecting and registering with one of the wireless communication networks corresponding to one of the stored broadcasted network identifications.

2. The network selection method of claim 1 , wherein the network selection technique is performed after performing the recited acts for each said broadcast control channel.

3. The network selection method of claim 1 , further comprising:

wherein the averaging function is performed in accordance with Global Systems for Mobile communications (GSM) standards and the broadcasted control information comprises broadcasted control information of a broadcast control channel (BCCH).

4. The network selection method of claim 1 , further comprising the acts of:

prior to the completion of the averaging function for the calculating of the averaged signal strength level of the RF signal on each said broadcast control channel, identifying at least one optimal RF signal from the signal strength levels measured on each said broadcast control channel; and

wherein the act of decoding comprises decoding the broadcasted control information on the broadcast control channel if the broadcast control channel has the at least one optimal RF signal.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the broadcasted network identification comprises a mobile network code (MNC) and a mobile country code (MCC) pair.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is performed by a mobile station, the wireless communication network comprises a Global Systems for Mobile communications (GSM) network, and the averaging function is performed on five consecutive measured signal strength levels.

7. A communication device, comprising;

a radio frequency (RF) transceiver;

one or more processors coupled to the RF transceiver;

memory coupled to the one or more processors;

the one or more processors being operative to:

for each broadcast control channel of a plurality of broadcast control channels associated with a plurality of wireless communication networks:

measure, on the broadcast control channel, a signal strength level of an RF signal of a wireless communication network;

receive and decode control information which is broadcasted on the broadcast control channel and store the broadcasted control information in the memory, the broadcasted control information including a broadcasted network identification which uniquely identifies the wireless communication network;

repeat the measuring on the broadcast control channel at least one time so that at least one other signal strength level of the RF signal on the broadcast control channel is identified;

complete an averaging function with the signal strength level and the at least one other signal strength level for calculating an averaged signal strength level of the RF signal on the broadcast control channel;

wherein the receiving, decoding, and storing for said broadcast channel are performed in between the repeated acts of measuring signal strength levels of the RF signal on said broadcast control channel, and prior to completion of the averaging function for calculating the averaged signal strength level; and

read the stored broadcasted network identifications that were received, for use in performing a network selection technique for selecting and registering with one of the wireless communication networks corresponding to one of the stored broadcasted network identifications.

8. The communication device of claim 7 , wherein the one or more processors are further operative to perform the network selection technique after performing the recited acts for each said broadcast control channel.

9. The communication device of claim 7 , wherein the one or more processors are further operative to perform the averaging function in accordance with Global Systems for Mobile communications (GSM) standards and the broadcasted control information comprises broadcasted control information of a broadcast control channel (BCCH).

10. The communication device of claim 7 , wherein the one or more processors are further operative to:

prior to the completion of the averaging function for the calculating of the averaged signal strength level of the RF signal on each said broadcast control channel, identify at least one optimal RF signal from the signal strength levels measured on each said broadcast control channel; and

wherein the decoding comprises decoding the broadcast control information on the broadcast control channel if the broadcast control channel has the at least one optimal RF signal.

11. The communication device of claim 7 , wherein the broadcasted network identification comprises a mobile network code (MNC) and a mobile country code (MCC) pair.

12. The communication device of claim 7 , wherein the wireless communication network comprises a Global Systems for Mobile communications (GSM) network, and the averaging function is performed on five consecutive measured signal strength levels.

13. A computer program product, comprising:

a storage medium;

computer program instructions stored in the storage medium;

the computer program instructions being executable by one or more processors for performing a network selection method by:

for each broadcast control channel of a plurality of broadcast control channels associated with a plurality of wireless communication networks:

measuring, on the broadcast control channel, a signal strength level of a radio frequency (RF) signal of a wireless communication network;

receiving and decoding control information which is broadcasted on the broadcast control channel and storing the broadcasted control information in memory, the broadcasted control information including a broadcasted network identification which uniquely identifies the wireless communication network;

repeating the act of measuring on the broadcast control channel at least one time so that at least one other signal strength level of the RF signal on the broadcast control channel is identified;

completing an averaging function with the signal strength level and the at least one other signal strength level for calculating an averaged signal strength level of the RF signal on the broadcast control channel;

wherein the receiving, decoding, and storing for said broadcast channel are performed in between the repeated acts of measuring signal strength levels of the RF signal on said broadcast control channel, and prior to completion of the averaging function for calculating the averaged signal strength level; and

reading the stored broadcasted network identifications that were received, for use in performing a network selection technique for selecting and registering with one of the wireless communication networks corresponding to one of the stored broadcasted network identifications.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 , the computer program instructions being further executable for performing the network selection technique after performing the recited acts for each said broadcast control channel.

15. The computer program product of claim 13 , the computer program instructions being further executable for performing the averaging function in accordance with Global Systems for Mobile communications (GSM) standards, the broadcasted control information comprising broadcasted control information of a broadcast control channel (BCCH).

16. The computer program product of claim 13 , the computer program instructions being further executable for:

prior to the completion of the averaging function for the calculating of the averaged signal strength level of the RF signal on each said broadcast control channel, identifying at least one optimal RF signal from the signal strength levels measured on each said broadcast control channel; and

wherein the decoding comprises decoding the broadcasted control information on the broadcast control channel if the broadcast control channel has the at least one optimal RF signal.

17. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the wireless communication network comprises a Global Systems for Mobile communications (GSM) network, and the identifying is performed five times for each said RF signal on each said broadcast control channel.