Method and apparatus for managing cells of multi-mode portable terminal

A method operable in a multi-mode portable terminal for managing a number of neighboring cells when said terminal is in communication with a licensed network and an unlicensed network, the method comprising:

• measuring a network environment by the multi-mode portable terminal, said network environment comprising signal strengths of the licensed and unlicensed networks;
• comparing signals strengths of the licensed and unlicensed networks with corresponding first and second thresholds;
• and
• adaptively changing and managing the number of neighbor cells near the licensed wireless system in response to the measured network environment, said number of neighbor cells being changed in view of said signal strengths of the licensed and unlicensed network with respect to respective ones of the first and second thresholds.

A method for managing cells of a multi-mode portable terminal in communication with at least one of an unlicensed network and a licensed network, said method comprising:

• measuring a network environment in an unlicensed wireless system supporting mode, said measuring a network environment comprises:
• comparing a received signal strength indicator of the unlicensed wireless system with a preset first threshold in a unlicensed wireless system management module;
• and
• comparing a received signal strength indicator of the licensed wireless system with a preset second threshold in a licensed wireless system management module;
• adaptively adjusting a number of neighbor cells managed by the portable terminal, which are from among the neighbor cells of the unlicensed wireless system, said number of neighbor cells being changed in view of said received signal strength indicators of the licensed and unlicensed network with respect to respective ones of the first and second thresholds;
• and
• re-measuring a received signal strength indicator of the unlicensed wireless system if the number of neighbor cells is changed.

A multi-mode portable terminal comprising:

• a first communication module for communicating with a licensed wireless system;
• second communication module for communicating with an unlicensed wireless system;
• and
• a common module for measuring a network environment based on signals received through the first and second communication modules and controlling a number of managed neighbor cells to comply with the measured network environment, said number of managed neighbor cells being changed in view of said received signals of the licensed and unlicensed network with respect to respective ones of the first and second thresholds.

A dual-system portable terminal comprising:

• first and second receiving systems;
• a common module in communication with each of said first and second receiving systems comprising:
• a processor in communication with a memory, the memory including software instruction, which when accessed by the processor causes the processor to execute the steps of:
• measuring a signal strength indicator from at least one of said first and second receiving systems;
• comparing the measured signal of the first system with a first threshold;
• and the measured signal of the second system with a second threshold;
• and
• determining a number of managed cells based on the relationship of the measured signal strength of the first and second receiving systems with respective threshold values, and
• changing the number of managed cells, wherein the number of neighbor cells is changed in view of said measured signal strengths of the licensed and unlicensed network in relation to respective ones of the first and second thresholds.