Selectively skipping listen windows in power saving mode in multi-mode radio handsets

A multi-mode radio handset capable of operating on a plurality of radio access networks (RANs) comprising:

• a processor for controlling the operation of the multi-mode radio handset;
• one or more RF modules coupled with the processor for communicating with the plurality of RANs;
• and
• a software application for managing a sleep mode comprised of sleep windows and listen windows wherein the software application:
• determines whether a remaining length of a sleep window is adequate to complete a scan of the plurality of RANs, and
• in response to determining the remaining length of the sleep window is not adequate to complete the scan, requests from a base station an altered listen and sleep window sequence within the sleep mode such that one or more listen windows can be selectively skipped to allow for more time to perform a network scanning operation during an extended sleep window.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program product for selectively skipping one or more listen windows during sleep mode in a multi-mode radio handset capable of operating on a plurality of radio access networks (RANs), the non-transitory computer readable medium comprising:

• computer program code for determining whether a remaining length of a sleep window is adequate to complete a scan of the plurality of RANs;
• computer program code for in response to determining the remaining length of the sleep window is not adequate to complete the scan, signaling a serving base station to which the multi-mode radio handset is currently in communication to request that one or more listen windows be skipped wherein the request includes data defining an altered listen and sleep window sequence;
• computer program code for receiving an acknowledgment from the serving base station indicating that the request has been granted wherein the acknowledgement includes a start frame parameter that defines when the altered listen and sleep window sequence will begin;
• and
• computer program code for reverting back to the original alternating sequence of listen and sleep windows upon completion of the altered listen and sleep window sequence.