Method and apparatus for acquiring service in a “border area”
US6483824B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 29, 1999 |
| Grant date | Nov 19, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 29, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04W48/18
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and computer program product for acquiring service in a border area that is serviced by two communications systems that share the same frequencies. The method of the present invention includes the steps of scanning a predetermined range of control channels in order to determine the first and second strongest control channels. A determination is then made as to whether a first system identification code (SID) associated with a signal received over the strongest control channel is acceptable. This can be accomplished, for example, by comparing the first SID to a list of acceptable SIDs. Conventionally, if the SID associated with a signal received over the strongest control channel is not acceptable, the system acquisition process will be aborted. However, in the present invention, the probability of acquiring service is increased because a determination is made whether a SID associated with the signal received over the second strongest control channel is acceptable, if the first SID was found not to be acceptable. Similarly, the second strongest paging channel can be used to increase the probability of acquiring service.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.