Protocol processing method and apparatus for multi-SIM terminal

Abstract

A protocol processing method and apparatus are disclosed for a multi-SIM terminal holding multiple subscriber identification cards. The method includes: determining whether all the subscriber identification cards are associated with the same base station (e.g., a Public Land Mobile Network); and conducting, when all the subscriber identification cards are associated with the same base station, frequency scanning and measurement for a selected one of the subscriber identification cards, and sharing the results of frequency scanning and measurement with all the subscriber identification cards. Hence, the multi-SIM terminal may reduce battery power consumption without repeated frequency scanning and measurement for multiple subscriber identification cards.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A multi-SIM portable terminal holding multiple subscriber identification cards, comprising:
 a transmitter/receiving unit for establishing a communication link with at least one base station;   a processor in communication with a memory, the memory including code, which when accessed by the processor causes the processor to:
 determine which of the subscriber identification cards are associated with the same base station and which of the subscriber identification cards are registered in different base stations; 
 responsive to all the subscriber identification cards being determined to be associated with the same base station, conduct frequency scanning and measurement for a selected one of the subscriber identification cards and register all the subscriber identification cards with the same base station based on results of the frequency scanning and measurement for the selected one of the subscriber identification cards; 
 responsive to determining that any subscriber identification cards are associated with different base stations, perform a frequency scan and measurement for only one of each subscriber identification card determined to be associated with each of the different base stations; 
 share results of the frequency scan and measurement for each of the subscriber identification cards determined to be associated with a respective one of the different base stations; 
 receive a call message, through the transmitter/receiver, from a base station associated with at least one of the subscriber identification cards; and 
 transmit, through the transmitter/receiver, a release message to each base station associated with a subscriber identification card not associated with the call message. 
   
     
     
       2. The terminal of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 code when accessed by the processor, causing the processor to:
 perform a frequency scan and measurement for one of each multi-SIM determined to be registered in each of the base stations not associated with the call message upon completion of the call; and 
 share the results of the frequency scan and measurement for each of the subscriber identification cards determined to be registered in the same base station. 
   
     
     
       3. A protocol processing method, operable in a processor, of a multi-SIM terminal holding multiple subscriber identification cards, comprising:
 determining whether all the subscriber identification cards are associated with the same base station or not; and   responsive to all the subscriber identification cards being determined to be associated with the same base station, conducting frequency scanning and measurement for a selected one of the subscriber identification cards and registering all the subscriber identification cards with the same base station based on results of the frequency scanning and measurement for the selected one of the subscriber identification cards.   
     
     
       4. The protocol processing method of  claim 3 , further comprising conducting, when all the subscriber identification cards are determined not to be associated with the same base station, frequency scanning and measurement for each of the subscriber identification cards. 
     
     
       5. The protocol processing method of  claim 4 , further comprising conducting, after registration with a mobile communication network when all the subscriber identification cards are determined not to be associated with the same base station, neighbor cell scanning and measurement for each of the subscriber identification cards. 
     
     
       6. The protocol processing method of  claim 3 , wherein determining whether all the subscriber identification cards are associated with the same base station comprises one of:
 checking whether Mobile Network Codes in International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) information of the subscriber identification cards are the same; and   checking whether Service Provider Names stored in the subscriber identification cards are the same.   
     
     
       7. The protocol processing method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 making a call request on one of the subscriber identification cards; and   sending, when the call request is made, a message indicating release of a channel connection assigned to at least one of the remaining subscriber identification cards to the base station.   
     
     
       8. The protocol processing method of  claim 7 , further comprising registering, upon termination of the call, when all the subscriber identification cards are determined to be associated with the same base station, the remaining subscriber identification cards in a mobile communication network on the basis of base station information and cell information of the subscriber identification card involved in the call. 
     
     
       9. The protocol processing method of  claim 7 , further comprising conducting, upon termination of the call when all the subscriber identification cards are determined not to be associated with the same base station, frequency scanning and measurement for each of the remaining subscriber identification cards, and registering each of the remaining subscriber identification cards in a mobile communication network on the basis of results of frequency scanning and measurement. 
     
     
       10. The protocol processing method of  claim 3 , further comprising conducting, after registration with a mobile communication network when all the subscriber identification cards are determined to be associated with the same base station, neighbor cell scanning and measurement for one of the subscriber identification cards, and sharing results of the neighbor cell scanning and measurement with all the subscriber identification cards. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the determining whether all the subscriber identification cards are associated with the same base station is performed as part of a boot procedure that is executed when the multi-SIM terminal is booted. 
     
     
       12. A protocol processing apparatus for a multi-SIM terminal holding multiple subscriber identification cards, comprising:
 a radio frequency unit conducting frequency scanning and measurement;   a network information examiner module determining whether all the subscriber identification cards are associated with the same base station or not; and   a control unit controlling, responsive to all the subscriber identification cards being determined to be associated with the same base station, a process of conducting frequency scanning and measurement for only a selected one of the subscriber identification cards, and registering all subscriber cards with the same base station based on results of the frequency scanning and measurement for the selected one of the subscriber identification cards, and responsive to all the subscriber identification cards being determined not to be associated with the same base station, a process of conducting frequency scanning and measurement for each of the subscriber identification cards.   
     
     
       13. The protocol processing apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the network information examiner module determines whether all the subscriber identification cards are associated with the same base station on the basis of at least one of Mobile Network Codes in International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) information of the subscriber identification cards and Service Provider Names stored in the subscriber identification cards. 
     
     
       14. The protocol processing apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the control unit controls, when a call request is made on one of the subscriber identification cards, the radio frequency unit to send a message indicating release of a channel connection assigned to at least one of the remaining subscriber identification cards to the base station. 
     
     
       15. The protocol processing apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the control unit registers, upon termination of the call when all the subscriber identification cards are determined to be associated with the same base station, the remaining subscriber identification cards in a mobile communication network on the basis of base station information and cell information of the subscriber identification card involved in the call. 
     
     
       16. The protocol processing apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the control unit controls, after registration with a mobile communication network when all the subscriber identification cards are determined to be associated with the same base station, a process of conducting neighbor cell scanning and measurement for one of the subscriber identification cards, and sharing results of neighbor cell scanning and measurement with all the subscriber identification cards. 
     
     
       17. The protocol processing apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the control unit controls, upon termination of the call when all the subscriber identification cards are determined not to be associated with the same base station, the radio frequency unit to conduct frequency scanning and measurement for each of the remaining subscriber identification cards, and to register each of the remaining subscriber identification cards in a mobile communication network on the basis of results of frequency scanning and measurement. 
     
     
       18. The protocol processing apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the control unit conducts, after registration with a mobile communication network when all the subscriber identification cards are determined not to be associated with the same base station, neighbor cell scanning and measurement for each of the subscriber identification cards. 
     
     
       19. A protocol processing method, operable in a processor, of a multi-SIM terminal capable of using a plurality of subscriber identity modules (SIMs) including a first subscriber identity module (SIM) and a second SIM, the method comprising:
 determining whether the first SIM and the second SIM are associated with a same public land mobile network (PLMN) corresponding to a same base station or not;   in case that the first SIM and the second SIM are determined to be associated with the same PLMN,
 conducting frequency scanning and measurement for the first SIM; 
 registering the first SIM with a base station based at least in part on a result of a frequency scanning and measurement for the first SIM; and 
 registering at least one remaining SIM, including the second SIM, of the plurality of SIMs with the base station using the result of the frequency scanning and measurement for the first SIM, 
   in case that the first SIM and the second SIM are determined not to be associated with the same PLMN,
 conducting frequency scanning and measurement for the first SIM and the second SIM; 
 registering the first SIM with a base station using a result of the frequency scanning and measurement for the first SIM, and 
 registering the second SIM with another base station using a result of the frequency scanning and measurement for the second SIM. 
   
     
     
       20. The protocol processing method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 after the second SIM is registered, making a call request for the first SIM; and   after the call request is made, sending, to the base station, a message to be used to release a channel connection for the second SIM.   
     
     
       21. The protocol processing method of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 after a call connected by the call request is terminated, conducting frequency scanning and measurement for the second SIM; and   registering the second SIM with a mobile communication network corresponding to the same PLMN using a result of the frequency scanning and measurement for the second SIM.   
     
     
       22. The protocol processing method of  claim 19 , wherein the determining whether the first SIM and the second SIM are associated with the same PLMN includes:
 determining whether a first Mobile Network Codes (MNC) in first International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) information of the first SIM is the same as a second MNC in second IMSI information of the second SIM.   
     
     
       23. A portable communication device comprising:
 a plurality of subscriber identity modules (SIMs) including a first subscriber identity module (SIM) and a second SIM; and   a processor configured to:
 determine whether the first SIM and the second SIM are associated with a same public land mobile network (PLMN) corresponding to a same base station or not; 
 in case that the first SIM and the second SIM are determined to be associated with the same PLMN,
 conducting frequency scanning and measurement for the first SIM; 
 register the first SIM with the same base station using a result of frequency scanning and measurement for the first SIM; and 
 register at least one remaining SIM, including the second SIM, of the plurality of SIMs with the same base station using the result of the frequency scanning and measurement for the first SIM, 
 
 in case that the first SIM and the second SIM are determined not to be associated with the same PLMN, 
 conducting frequency scanning and measurement for the first SIM and the second SIM; 
 register the first SIM with a base station using a result of the frequency scanning and measurement for the first SIM, and 
 register the second SIM with another base station using a result of a frequency scanning and measurement for the second SIM. 
   
     
     
       24. The portable communication device of  claim 23 , wherein the processor is configured to:
 after the second SIM is registered, make a call request for the first SIM; and   after the call request is made, send, to the base station, a message to be used to release a channel connection for the second SIM.   
     
     
       25. The portable communication device of  claim 24 , wherein the processor is configured to:
 after a call connected by the call request is terminated, conduct frequency scanning and measurement for the second SIM; and   register the second SIM with a mobile communication network corresponding to the same PLMN using a result of the frequency scanning and measurement for the second SIM.   
     
     
       26. The portable communication device of  claim 23 , wherein the processor is configured to:
 as at least part of the determining whether the first SIM and the second SIM are associated with the same PLMN, determine whether a first Mobile Network Code (MNC) in first International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) information of the first SIM is the same as a second MNC in second IMSI information of the second SIM.