# US 7,610,014 B2 · System and method for selecting a cellular network on a wireless local area network > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,610,014 B2 - Document ID: US7610014B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/752,802 - Filed: 2004-01-07 - Published: 2005-07-07 - Granted: 2009-10-27 - Earliest claimed: 2004-01-07 - Assignees: Research In Motion Limited - Inventors: Adrian Buckley - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7610014B2 ## CPC - H04W 48/18: Selecting a network or a communication service - H04W 84/042: {Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems} - H04W 84/12: WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract In accordance with the teachings described herein, systems and methods are provided for selecting a cellular network on a wireless local area network (WLAN). A network list may be used to identify a plurality of preferred WLANs and one or more cellular networks that may be accessed via the preferred WLANs. A cellular network may be selected by using the network list to identify the cellular network(s) that may be accessed via the preferred WLANs within coverage range of a mobile device. A WLAN may then be selected based on its access to a most-preferred of the available cellular networks. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for selecting a cellular network on a wireless local area network (WLAN), comprising: identifying a plurality of WLANs within coverage range of a mobile device; for each of the identified WLANs, determining if one or more cellular networks may be accessed via the WLAN; identifying a most preferred cellular network from the cellular networks that may be accessed via the identified WLANs; selecting one of the identified WLANs that may be used to access the most preferred cellular network; and designating the most preferred cellular network for access by the mobile device via the selected WLAN. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: provisioning a list of preferred WLANs that identifies the cellular network that may be accessed via each of the preferred WLANs; and selecting the one of the identified WLANs from the list of preferred WLANs. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: generating network authentication data that identifies the most preferred cellular network; transmitting the network authentication data to the WLAN; and using the network authentication data to establish a communication link with the most preferred cellular network. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising: attempting to establish a communication link with the most preferred cellular network via the selected WLAN; and if the attempt is unsuccessful, then selecting another of the identified WLANs from the list of the preferred WLANs. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising: attempting to establish a communication link with the most preferred cellular network via the selected WLAN; and if the attempt is unsuccessful, then receiving a list of available cellular networks from the selected WLAN and designating one of the cellular networks from the list of available cellular networks for access by the mobile device. ### Claim 6 A mobile device for use in a wireless network, the wireless network including a plurality of wireless local area networks (WLANs) and a plurality of cellular networks, each of the WLANs being interfaced with one or more of the cellular networks, the mobile device comprising: a memory subsystem; a communication subsystem operable to transmit and receive data over the wireless network; a processing subsystem coupled to the memory subsystem and the communication subsystem and operable to store and retrieve data in the memory subsystem, to execute instructions stored in the memory subsystem, and to cause the communication subsystem to transmit and receive data over the wireless network; a network list stored in the memory subsystem, the network list identifying a plurality of preferred WLANs for access by the mobile device, the network list further identifying one or more cellular networks that may be accessed via the preferred WLANs; and a WLAN selection module stored in the memory subsystem and executed by the processing subsystem and comprising instructions operable to cause the mobile device to identify a plurality of WLANs within coverage range of the mobile device, identify a most preferred cellular network from the network list that may be accessed via one of the plurality of WLANs within coverage range of the mobile device, and generating network authentication data for use in establishing a communication link with the most preferred cellular network. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The mobile device of claim 6, wherein the cellular networks identified by the network list include one or more of a home network, a preferred visited network, and a non-preferred visited network. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The mobile device of claim 7, wherein the network list includes a preference status for each of the identified cellular networks that indicates whether the cellular network is a home network, a preferred visited network, or a non-preferred visited network. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the WLAN selection module identifies the most preferred cellular network from the network list based on the preference status of the cellular networks. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The mobile device of claim 6, wherein the network list includes a list of service set identifiers (SSIDs) to identify the plurality of preferred WLANs. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The mobile device of claim 10, wherein one or more of the listed SSIDs include a list of one or more public land mobile networks (PLMNs) to identify the one or more cellular networks that may be accessed via the SSID. ### Claim 12 (depends on 6) The mobile device of claim 6, wherein the network list is provisioned by a home cellular network. ### Claim 13 (depends on 6) The mobile device of claim 6, wherein the WLAN selection module identifies the plurality of WLANs within coverage range of the mobile device by passively scanning for beacon signals from the WLANs. ### Claim 14 (depends on 6) The mobile device of claim 6, wherein the WLAN selection module identifies the plurality of WLANs within coverage range of the mobile device by actively scanning for beacon signals from the preferred WLANs identified by the network list. ### Claim 15 (depends on 6) The mobile device of claim 6, wherein the WLAN selection module establishes a communication link with the most preferred cellular network by generating a network access identifier (NAI) that includes network identification information for the most preferred cellular network and transmitting the NAI to the one of the plurality of WLANs with access to the most preferred cellular network. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the NAL identifies a mobile country code (MCC) and a mobile network code (MNC) for the most preferred cellular network. ### Claim 17 A mobile device for use in a wireless network, the wireless network including a plurality of wireless local area networks (WLANs) and a plurality of cellular networks, each of the WLANs being interfaced with one or more of the cellular networks, the mobile device comprising: means for storing a network list, the network list identifying a plurality of preferred WLANs for access by the mobile device, the network list further identifying one or more cellular networks that may be accessed via the preferred WLANs; means for identifying a plurality of WLANs within coverage range of the mobile device; means for identifying a most preferred cellular network from the network list that may be accessed via one of the plurality of WLANs within coverage range of the mobile device; and means for generating network authentication data for use in establishing a communication link with the most preferred cellular network. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the means for identifying a plurality of WLANs operates by passively scanning for beacon signals from the WLANs. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the means for identifying a plurality of WLANs operates by actively scanning for beacon signals from the WLANs. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the means for identifying a plurality of WLANs operates by actively scanning for beacon signals from the preferred WLANs identified by the network list.