Processing system, wireless device and method

Abstract

A wireless device has at least a first modem and a second modern and at least a first SIM and a second SIM. The first modem supports a different level of service than the second modem. A processing system of the wireless device selectively reconfigures the connection of the first modem and the second modem to the SIMs. In a first mapping configuration, the first SIM is connected to the first modem and the second SIM is connected to the second modem. In a second mapping configuration, the second SIM is disconnected from the second modem, and the first SIM is disconnected from the first modem and is connected to the second modem thereby to obtain a different level of service for the first SIM than in the first mapping configuration.

1 . An apparatus comprising:
 at least one processor;   and at least one memory including computer program code;   the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:   selectively reconfigure the connection of at least a first modem and a second modem of a wireless device to at least a first SIM and a second SIM of the wireless device in use such that, in a first mapping configuration, said first SIM is connected to said first modem and said second SIM is connected to said second modem and, in a second mapping configuration, said second SIM is disconnected from said second modem, and said first SIM is disconnected from said first modem and is connected to said second modem thereby to provide a different level of service for the first SIM than in the first mapping configuration, wherein disconnection of said first SIM from said first modem and connection of said first SIM to said second modem is accompanied by switching a SIM context for said first SIM from said first modem to said second modem.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , constructed and arranged such that said second SIM is connected to said first modem in the second mapping configuration. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , constructed and arranged such that prior to attempting to change a mapping configuration for a SIM of the wireless device, the processing system determines whether the change to the mapping configuration for said SIM of the wireless device can be carried out prior to a next operation of the modem to which said SIM is about to connect, and the processing system initiates the change to the mapping configuration for the SIM if it is determined that the change to the mapping configuration can be carried out prior to a next operation of the modem to which said SIM is about to connect, and otherwise the processing system does not initiate the change to the mapping configuration. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , constructed and arranged such that, prior to changing the mapping configuration for the first SIM, the second modem is set to a state where it no longer has a network connection, and then the first SIM is connected to the second modem, and then the second modem connects to a network on behalf of the first SIM. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , constructed and arranged such that the mapping configuration for a SIM is changed based on at least one of: the levels of service achievable by the first and second modems respectively; the subscription capability of at least one of the first SIM and the second SIM; the quality-of-service required of an application running on the wireless device and requiring use of a modem; the levels of service provided by the network at a location of the device; and the prices of the services of the SIM subscriptions. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , constructed and arranged such that information relating to the level of service provided by a particular network in a particular network cell is retrieved from a memory of the wireless device for analysis by the processing system if the device subsequently camps in that network cell to determine whether to change the mapping configuration for a SIM of the wireless device. 
     
     
         7 . A wireless device, the wireless device comprising:
 at least a first modern and a second modem, the first modem supporting a different level of service than, the second modem;   at least one processor;   and at least one memory including computer program code;   the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:   selectively reconfigure the connection of the first modem and the second modem to at least a first SIM channel and a second SIM channel of the wireless device in use such that, in a first mapping configuration, the first SIM channel is connected to the first modem and the second SIM channel is connected to the second modem and, in a second mapping configuration, the second SIM channel is disconnected from the second modem, and the first SIM channel is disconnected from the first modem and is connected to the second modem thereby to provide a different level of service for the first SIM channel than in the first mapping configuration, wherein disconnection of said first SIM from said first modem and connection of said first SIM to said second modem is accompanied by switching a SIM context for said first SIM from said first modem to said second modem.   
     
     
         8 . The wireless device according to  claim 7 , constructed and arranged such that the second SIM channel is connected to the first modem in the second mapping configuration. 
     
     
         9 . The wireless device according to  claim 7 , constructed and arranged such that prior to attempting to change a mapping configuration for a SIM channel, the processing system determines whether the change to the mapping configuration for said SIM channel can be carried out prior to a next operation of the modem to which said SIM is about to connect, and the processing system initiates the change to the mapping configuration for said SIM channel if it is determined that the change to the mapping configuration can be carried out prior to a next operation of the modem to which said SIM is about to connect, and otherwise the processing system does not initiate the change to the mapping configuration. 
     
     
         10 . The wireless device according to  claim 7 , constructed and arranged such that, prior to changing the mapping configuration for the first SIM, the second modem is set to a state where it no longer has a network connection, and then the first SIM is connected to the second modem, and then the second modem connects to a network on behalf of the first SIM. 
     
     
         11 . The wireless device according to  claim 7 , constructed and arranged such that the mapping configuration for a SIM channel is changed based on at least one of: the levels of service achievable by the first and second modems respectively; the subscription capability of at least one of a first SIM and a second SIM of the wireless device; the quality-of-service required of an application running on the wireless device and requiring use of a modem; the levels of service provided by the network at a location of the device; and the prices of the services of each SIM subscription. 
     
     
         12 . The wireless device according to  claim 7 , constructed and arranged such that information relating to the level of service provided by a particular network in a particular network cell is retrieved from a memory of the wireless device for analysis by the processing system if the device subsequently camps in that network cell to determine whether to change the mapping configuration for a SIM channel of the wireless device. 
     
     
         13 . A method of operating a wireless device, the wireless device comprising at least one processor, at least one memory including computer program code, at least a first SIM and a second SIM, and at least a first modern and a second modem, the first modern supporting a different level of service than the second modem, the method comprising:
 the at least one processor selectively reconfiguring the connection of the first modem and the second modem to the first SIM and the second SIM such that, in a first mapping configuration, the first SIM is connected to the first modem and the second SIM is connected to the second modem and, in a second mapping configuration, the second SIM is disconnected from the second modem, and the first SIM is disconnected from the first modem and is connected to the second modem thereby to provide a different level of service for the first SIM than in the first mapping configuration, wherein disconnection of said first SIM from said first modem and connection of said first SIM to said second modem is accompanied by switching a SIM context for said first SIM from said first modem to said second modem.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , comprising connecting the second SIM to the first modem in the second mapping configuration. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein prior to attempting to change a mapping configuration for a SIM, the processing system determines whether the change to the mapping configuration for the SIM can be carried out prior to a next operation of the modem to which said SIM is about to connect, and the processing system initiates the change to the mapping configuration for the SIM if it is determined that the change to the mapping configuration can be carried out prior to a next operation of the modem to which said SIM is about to connect, and otherwise the processing system does not initiate the change to the mapping configuration. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 13 , comprising, prior to changing the mapping configuration for the first SIM, setting the second modem to a state where it no longer has a network connection, and then connecting the first SIM to the second modem, and then connecting the second modem to a network on behalf of the first SIM. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the mapping configuration for a SIM is changed based on at least one of: the levels of service achievable by the first and second modems respectively; the subscription capability of at least one of the first SIM and the second SIM; the quality-of-service required of an application running on the wireless device and requiring use of a modem; the levels of service provided by the network at a location of the device; and the prices of the services of each SIM subscription. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein information relating to the level of service provided by a particular network in a particular network cell is retrieved from a memory of the wireless device for analysis by the processing system if the device subsequently camps in that network cell to determine whether to change the mapping configuration for a SIM of the wireless device. 
     
     
         19 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising a set of computer-readable instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a processing system, cause the processing system to carry out a method according to  claim 13 .