(54) TECHNIQUES FOR FACILITATING OPTIMAL SERVICE ACQUISITION
(75) Inventors: John R. Sorenson, San Diego, CA
(US); Baaziz Achour, San Diego, CA
(US); Jan C. Ault, Santee, CA (US);
Ashok Bhatia, San Diego, CA (US);
Yugandhar Chiniga, San Diego, CA
(US); James A. Hutchison, IV, San
Diego, CA (US); Wen J. New, San
Diego, CA (US); Henti Tung, San
Diego, CA (US); Paul T. Williamson,
San Diego, CA (US)
(73) Assignee: Qualcomm Incorporated, San Diego, IL (US)
( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.
(21) Appl. No.: 09/512,982
(22) Filed: Feb. 24, 2000
(51) Int. CI.7 H04Q 7/20; H04M 3/00
(52) U.S. CI 455/432; 455/434; 455/425;
455/418
(58) Field of Search 455/418, 432-435,
455/443, 405, 423, 425, 455, 456, 436, 440; 375/224
(56) References Cited
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
5,983,115 A 11/1999 Mizzaikovsky
5,995,829 A * 11/1999 Broderick 455/418
5,999,811 A * 12/1999 Molne 455/432
6,058,309 A * 5/2000 Huang et al 455/433
6,128,489 A * 10/2000 Seazholtz et al 455/432
6,148,198 A * 11/2000 Anderson et al 455/432
FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
EP 0 951 190 A2 * 10/1999 H04Q/7/32
WO 9945723 9/1999
WO 0008883 2/2000
* cited by examiner
Primary Examiner—Edward F. Urban
Assistant Examiner—Meless Zewdu
(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Philip R. Wadsworth; Charles D. Brown; George C. Pappas
(57) ABSTRACT
A system for facilitating the acquisition of a most desirable wireless service for a wireless phone. The system includes a scanning mechanism for periodically scanning for a signal indicative of a wireless service having a coverage area that overlaps one or more coverage areas of other wireless services. A service acquisition mechanism acquires the wireless service or one of the other wireless services based on predetermined selection criteria and the signal. More specifically, the present invention includes a wireless phone having a first mechanism for determining if a detected system, i.e., service is associated with a coverage area that overlaps one or more coverage areas of different systems. A second mechanism compares the different systems to the detected system and selects a preferred system based on the comparison. A third mechanism acquires the preferred system. In the specific embodiment, the wireless phone includes a computer that runs software for implementing the first, second, and third mechanisms.
9 Claims, 9 Drawing Sheets
