Ericsson Gmbh

Amish Kirit Shah

Nadi Sakir Findikli

Scott Gordon Hicks

David James Hoover

Richard Michael Abdella

A method and intelligent roaming mobile station for emulating a pre-intelligent roaming scanning routine used by a pre-intelligent roaming mobile station. The method includes the steps of selecting a search scheme from a plurality of search scheme, and restricting an intelligent roaming scanning routine to scan only the service bands within an 800 MHZ spectrum. In response to the selected search scheme, the intelligent roaming mobile station then prioritizes at least one service band operating in the 800 MHZ spectrum into a band scan order. Thereafter, the intelligent roaming mobile station scans for a channel according to the prioritized band scan order, where the channel connects a service provider to the intelligent roaming mobile station according to the selected search scheme.

Intelligent roaming mobile station for emulating a pre-intelligent roaming mobile station

A method for responding to a pointer received on an analog control channel pointing to a control channel belonging to a forbidden service provider includes avoiding a power-up scan and resuming camping on the analog control channel. A wireless communications mobile unit is camped on an analog control channel may receive a channel pointer to a digital control channel. If the digital control channel has acceptable received signal strength, the service provider information for that control channel is checked. If the control channel belongs to a non-forbidden service provider, the mobile unit camps on the digital control channel. If the control channel belongs to a forbidden service provider, the mobile unit returns to camping on the analog control channel without performing an intervening power-up scan. By avoiding power-up scans when the pointed-to channel belongs to a forbidden service provider, less power is consumed and users receive more consistent communications service.

Method for responding to DCCH pointers

An improved band scan method is claimed which allows a mobile unit to more quickly locate appropriate control channels in a wireless communications system operating on a communications spectrum having channel bands. The method includes storing a list of acceptable service providers in the mobile unit, receiving service provider information identifying the service provider for a particular control channel, receiving minimum acceptable signal strength information for the control channel, determining the acceptability of the service provider by comparing the received service provider information against the acceptable service provider list, and, if the service provider is acceptable, comparing the received signal strength for the control channel against the minimum acceptable level. If the control channel is allocated to an unacceptable service provider, the mobile unit terminates the band scan and returns to the procedure invoking the band scan without comparing the received signal strength for the control channel against the minimum acceptable level. By checking the service provider information earlier than in prior art methods, the present method allows for the checking of received signal strength against the minimum acceptable level to be deferred or avoided in many circumstances. The method helps reduce the time required and otherwise increases the efficiency of control channel scanning, particularly in IS-136 cellular telephone systems.

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Cary, NC, United States of America

Amish Kirit Shah