Scanning and decoding methods and apparatus for mobile communications devices

1. A method in a mobile communication device for use in scanning for wireless communication networks, the method comprising:

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

repeating the act of measuring on the broadcast control channel a plurality of times so that a plurality of signal strength levels of the RF signal on the broadcast control channel are identified;

completing an averaging function using the plurality of signal strength levels for calculating an averaged signal strength level for the broadcast control channel;

repeating the acts of measuring and completing the averaging function for a plurality of additional broadcast control channels;

selecting broadcast control channels that are associated with the strongest averaged signal strength levels for decoding information thereon;

receiving and decoding information which is broadcasted on at least one of the broadcast control channels and storing the broadcasted information in memory;

wherein the acts of receiving, decoding, and storing for the at least one broadcast control channel are performed after measuring the signal strength level of the RF signal on the at least one broadcast control channel but prior to the completion of the averaging function for calculating the averaged signal strength level for the at least one broadcast control channel.

2. The method of claim 1 , the mobile communication device being operative in accordance with Global Systems for Mobile communications (GSM).

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the broadcasted information includes a broadcasted network identification which uniquely identifies a wireless communication network.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

after completing the averaging function, reading the broadcasted information that was decoded and stored prior to completion of the averaging function.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the broadcasted information includes a broadcasted network identification which uniquely identifies a wireless communication network, the method further comprising:

after completing the averaging function, reading the broadcasted network identification that was decoded and stored prior to completion of the averaging function, for use in performing a network selection technique for selecting and registering with one of the wireless communication networks.

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

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

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the broadcasted information comprises a mobile network code (MNC) and a mobile country code (MCC) pair which identify a wireless communication network.

8. 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.

9. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium;

computer program instructions stored in the non-transitory computer readable medium;

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

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

repeating the act of measuring on the broadcast control channel a plurality of times so that a plurality of signal strength levels of the RF signal on the broadcast control channel are identified;

completing an averaging function using the plurality of signal strength levels for calculating an averaged signal strength level for the broadcast control channel;

repeating the acts of measuring and completing the averaging function for a plurality of additional broadcast control channels;

selecting broadcast control channels that are associated with the strongest averaged signal strength levels for decoding information thereon;

receiving and decoding information which is broadcasted on at least one of the broadcast control channels and storing the broadcasted information in memory; and

wherein the receiving, the decoding, and the storing for the at least one broadcast control channel are performed after measuring the signal strength level of the RF signal on the at least one broadcast control channel but prior to the completion of the averaging function for calculating the averaged signal strength level for the at least one broadcast control channel.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 , for operation in accordance with Global Systems for Mobile communications (GSM).

11. 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 configured to, for each one of a plurality of broadcast control channels:

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

repeat 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;

complete an averaging function using the plurality of signal strength levels for calculating an averaged signal strength level for the broadcast control channel;

repeat the acts of measuring and completing the averaging function for a plurality of additional broadcast control channels;

select broadcast control channels that are associated with the strongest averaged signal strength levels for decoding information thereon;

receive and decode information which is broadcasted on at least one of the broadcast control channels and store the broadcasted information in memory; and

wherein the receiving, the decoding, and the storing for the at least one broadcast control channel are performed after measuring the signal strength level of the RF signal on the at least one broadcast control channel but prior to the completion of the averaging function for calculating the averaged signal strength level for the at least one broadcast control channel.

12. The communication device of claim 11 , wherein the averaging function is performed in accordance with Global Systems for Mobile communications (GSM) standards.

13. The communication device of claim 11 , wherein the broadcasted information includes a broadcasted network identification which uniquely identifies a wireless communication network.

14. The communication device of claim 11 , wherein the one or more processor are further configured to:

after completing the averaging function, read the broadcasted information that was stored prior to completion of the averaging function.

15. The communication device of claim 11 , wherein the broadcasted information includes a broadcasted network identification which uniquely identifies a wireless communication network, the one or more processor being further configured to:

after completing the averaging function, read the broadcasted network identification that was stored prior to completion of the averaging function, for use in performing a network selection technique for selecting and registering with one of the wireless communication networks.

16. The communication device of claim 11 , wherein the one or more processor are further configured 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 decoding the broadcasted information on the broadcast control channel is performed if the broadcast control channel has the at least one optimal RF signal.

17. The communication device of claim 11 , wherein the broadcasted information comprises a mobile network code (MNC) and a mobile country code (MCC) pair which identify a wireless communication network.

18. The communication device of claim 11 , 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.