# US 12,225,516 B2 · Apparatuses and methods for selectively scanning resources of a communication network and system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,225,516 B2 - Document ID: US12225516B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/702,863 - Filed: 2022-03-24 - Published: 2023-09-28 - Granted: 2025-02-11 - Earliest claimed: 2022-03-24 - Assignees: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P. - Applicants: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P. - Inventors: Yupeng Jia; Hongyan Lei - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12225516B2 ## CPC - H04W 72/0453: Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA - H04W 24/08: Testing, {supervising or monitoring} using real traffic - H04W 48/16: Discovering, processing access restriction or access information - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, transmitting a first value for a first parameter to a first user equipment, wherein the first parameter pertains to a first number of scans to be performed by the first user equipment to detect a first signal having a first frequency within a first frequency band as part of a first scanning procedure, and transmitting a second value for a second parameter to the first user equipment, wherein the second parameter pertains to a first amount of time that the first user equipment is to wait between the first scanning procedure and a second scanning procedure, the second scanning procedure pertaining to detection of the first signal having the first frequency within the first frequency band. Other embodiments are disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device, comprising: a processing system including a processor; and a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising: transmitting a first value for a first parameter to a first user equipment, wherein the first parameter pertains to a first number of scans to be performed by the first user equipment to detect a first signal having a first frequency within a first frequency band as part of a first scanning procedure; transmitting a second value for a second parameter to the first user equipment, wherein the second parameter pertains to a first amount of time that the first user equipment is to wait between the first scanning procedure and a second scanning procedure, the second scanning procedure pertaining to detection of the first signal having the first frequency within the first frequency band; and transmitting a third value for a third parameter to the first user equipment for use by the first user equipment as part of the first scanning procedure, wherein the third value pertains to a first signal power level threshold associated with detection of the first signal by the first user equipment. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the transmitting of the first value causes the first user equipment to store the first value in conjunction with the first parameter, and wherein the transmitting of the second value causes the first user equipment to store the second value in conjunction with the second parameter. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The device of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise: subsequent to the transmitting of the first value, transmitting a fourth value for the first parameter to the first user equipment that causes the first user equipment to overwrite the first value stored at the first user equipment with the fourth value, wherein the fourth value is different from the first value. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The device of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise: subsequent to the transmitting of the second value, transmitting a fourth value for the second parameter to the first user equipment that causes the first user equipment to overwrite the second value stored at the first user equipment with the third value, wherein the fourth value is different from the second value. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise: transmitting a fourth value for a third parameter to the first user equipment, wherein the third parameter pertains to a second number of scans to be performed by the first user equipment to detect a second signal having a second frequency within a second frequency band as part of a third scanning procedure. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The device of claim 5, wherein the fourth value is different from the first value such that the second number of scans is different from the first number of scans. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The device of claim 5, wherein the second frequency band is different from the first frequency band. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The device of claim 5, wherein the operations further comprise: transmitting a fifth value for a fourth parameter to the first user equipment, wherein the fourth parameter pertains to a second amount of time that the first user equipment is to wait between the third scanning procedure and a fourth scanning procedure, the fourth scanning procedure pertaining to the detection of the second signal having the second frequency within the second frequency band. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The device of claim 8, wherein the fifth value is different from the second value such that the second amount of time is different from the first amount of time. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise: subsequent to the transmitting of the third value, transmitting a fourth value for the third parameter to the first user equipment for use by the first user equipment as part of the second scanning procedure, wherein the fourth value pertains to a second signal power level threshold associated with detection of the first signal by the first user equipment, and wherein the fourth value is different from the third value. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise: transmitting the first value for the first parameter to a second user equipment. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise: transmitting the second value for the second parameter to the second user equipment, a third user equipment, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the first user equipment is powered by a battery, and wherein the operations further comprise: determining an amount of mobility of the first user equipment; and selecting the second value from a plurality of different values based on the determining of the amount of mobility of the first user equipment. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise: handing over a portion of a communication service that is provided to the first user equipment based on the first scanning procedure, the second scanning procedure, and a third scanning procedure. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising: performing a first measurement to determine a first signal strength of a first signal having a first frequency included in a first frequency band; based on the performing of the first measurement, comparing the first signal strength to a first threshold, resulting in a first comparison; determining, based on the first comparison, that the first signal strength is less than the first threshold, resulting in a first determination; based on the first determination, incrementing a first counter a first time; based on the incrementing of the first counter the first time, determining that a value of the first counter is less than a second threshold, resulting in a second determination; and based on the second determination, performing a second measurement to determine a second signal strength of a second signal having a second frequency included in the first frequency band. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise: based on the performing of the second measurement, comparing the second signal strength to the first threshold, resulting in a second comparison; determining, based on the second comparison, that the second signal strength is less than the first threshold, resulting in a third determination; based on the third determination, incrementing the first counter a second time; based on the incrementing of the first counter the second time, determining that the value of the first counter is equal to or greater than the second threshold, resulting in a fourth determination; and based on the fourth determination, initiating a counting of a second counter, wherein during the counting of the second counter the processing system does not scan for signals having frequencies included in the first frequency band. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise: based on the performing of the second measurement, comparing the second signal strength to the first threshold, resulting in a second comparison; determining, based on the second comparison, that the second signal strength is equal to or greater than the first threshold, resulting in a third determination; based on the third determination, determining that the first frequency band has a higher priority relative to a second frequency band, resulting in a fourth determination, wherein the processing system obtains a first part of a communication service utilizing a first plurality of signals, each of the first plurality of signals having a frequency in the second frequency band; and based on the fourth determination, the processing system obtaining a second part of the communication service utilizing a second plurality of signals, each of the second plurality of signals having a frequency in the first frequency band. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein each frequency in the first frequency band is greater than each frequency in the second frequency band. ### Claim 19 A method, comprising: obtaining, by a processing system including a processor, a first part of a communication service via a first plurality of signals, wherein each signal of the first plurality of signals has a respective frequency that is included in a first range of frequencies; subsequent to the obtaining of the first part of the communication service, obtaining, by the processing system, a first signal that has a first frequency that is included in a second range of frequencies, the second range of frequencies being different from the first range of frequencies; determining, by the processing system, that the first signal has a first power level that is less than a threshold, resulting in a first determination; and based on the first determination, initiating a counting of a timer, wherein during the counting of the timer the processing system ceases scanning for signals having frequencies in the second range of frequencies. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising: subsequent to a completion of the counting of the timer, obtaining, by the processing system, a second signal that has a second frequency that is included in the second range of frequencies; determining, by the processing system, that the second signal has a second power level that is equal to or greater than the threshold, resulting in a second determination; based the second determination, determining, by the processing system, that the second range of frequencies is a higher priority range of frequencies relative to the first range of frequencies in respect of the communication service, resulting in a third determination; and based on the third determination, obtaining, by the processing system, a second part of the communication service via a second plurality of signals, wherein each signal of the second plurality of signals has a respective frequency that is included in the second range of frequencies.