Cellular network acquisition method and apparatus

Abstract

A method of network acquisition for a cellular radio communications device arranged for operation in accordance with a plurality of radio technologies and comprising searching to identify a suitable cell on one radio technology. Subsequent to identifying a suitable cell on the one radio technology, cells on another of the plurality of radio technologies are also monitored in order to identify if one of the monitored cells is more suitable than the cell identified on the one radio technology. Subsequent to the monitoring, the cell identified from all of the radio technologies searched as the most suitable is selected and camping for the first time occurs onto that cell.

1 . A method of network acquisition, comprising: 
 identifying a suitable cell on a first radio technology (RAT);    at least one other RAT for possible neighboring cells of said cell already identified as a suitable cell in said first RAT;    determining a most suitable cell from among said suitable cell on said first RAT and any of said neighboring cells monitored on said at least one other RAT; and    camping onto said most suitable cell as an initial camping during a power up sequence.    
   
   
       2 . A device that operates with a plurality of radio technologies (RATs), said device comprising: 
 a detection module for monitoring cells on more than one of said plurality of RATs and for identifying which cell in said plurality of RATs is most suitable for camping; and    a controller for camping on said cell identified as most suitable, to be an initial camping during a power up sequence of said device,    wherein said controller first identifies a suitable cell in a first RAT during said power up sequence, then monitors cells in at least one other RATs that are neighboring cells of said suitable cell without camping on said suitable cell in said first RAT, and then identifies said most suitable cell based on said monitoring of said neighboring cells.