Research in Motion Corporation

Blackberry Corporation

Yiu Ming Lam

Brian Alexander Oliver

Vytautas Robertas Kezys

Richard John George

Paul Marcus Carpenter

Nicholas Alfano

Balaji Gopalan

Mark Pletsch

Brian Oliver

A method and apparatus for efficient network scanning that selects candidate frequencies based upon the frequency bands that were noted as being active during a previous network scan. A mobile device performs a full network scan on power up or on radio cycle and determines the available active bands. This information is stored as active band information on the device. When the device loses coverage on a selected one of the bands, then it identifies a candidate frequency based upon the stored active band information and attempts to locate a suitable network on the candidate band.

Method and apparatus for efficient network scanning

A method for modulating scanning behavior of a wireless user equipment (UE) device includes determining a geographic area location where the wireless UE device is located and responsive to determining that a radio access technology (RAT) previously available in the geographic area location is not currently available, modifying the frequency of searches for the radio access technology. A corresponding wireless user device is also shown.

Cross-technology coverage mapping system and method for modulating scanning behaviour of a wireless user equipment (UE) device

A network node provides coverage information to wireless UE devices from a database that correlates coverage information for a radio access network with geographic area locations. The network node accepts updates to the coverage information for the radio access network via a first interface and downloads coverage information from the database to a wireless user equipment (UE) device via a second interface.

A cross-technology coverage mapping system and method for modulating scanning behavior of a wireless user equipment (UE) device in a radio network environment. In one exemplary embodiment, the wireless UE device is operable to determine its geographic area location. A logic module of the wireless UE device is adapted for interrogating a database to determine which radio access technologies (RATs) have coverage in the geographic area location. Responsive to the interrogation, scanning by the wireless UE device is restricted to only those RATs that have coverage in the particular geographic area.

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Waterloo, Canada

Yiu Ming Lam