Acquisition of Preferential Wireless Access Technology Using Cloud Sourcing Database

Abstract

A user equipment (UE) transmits location information to a crowdsourcing server configured to generate a crowdsourced cell list from an adjacent cell list received from one or more cellular networks. After receiving the location information from the UE, the crowdsourcing server selects a crowdsourced cell list for transmission based on the location information and transmits the selected crowdsourced cell list to the UE. In response to receiving the crowdsourced cell list, the UE compares the crowdsourced cell list with one or more stored adjacent cell lists and determines whether cells identified in the crowdsourced cell list are not identified in the adjacent cell lists. From the cells identified in the crowdsourced cell list but not in the adjacent cell lists, the UE selects a cell to camp on based on a RAT priority list and camping on the selected cell.

Description

Background Art

[0001] To determine which cellular networks are connectable, a user equipment (UE) uses an adjacent cell list received from a cellular network that identifies cells of the cellular networks potentially available for connection. The UE selects a cell to camp on from the adjacent cell list, based in part on the preference trends of the radio access technology (RAT) associated with the UE. That is, the UE selects a cell of the cellular network associated with the RAT that the UE prefers for camping. However, the adjacent cell lists received from some cellular networks do not enumerate all cells potentially available for connection within the area. These omissions occur, for example, because the network vendor has not upgraded the RAT used in the cellular network, there is insufficient cooperation between cellular networks, or the cellular network does not support handoff to a particular RAT. Due to such omissions, the UE may not be able to connect to a cellular network using the preferred RAT, resulting in a decrease in data throughput or an increase in communication latency, which may negatively affect the user experience.

[0002] By referring to the accompanying drawings, the present disclosure can be better understood, and numerous features and advantages may become apparent to those skilled in the art. The use of the same reference numerals in different drawings indicates similar or identical items.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0003]

Figure 1

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[0004] **Overview of Embodiments** The techniques and systems described herein are directed to user equipment (UE) that selects and camps on cells of a cellular network based on a cloud-sourced cell list. According to an exemplary embodiment, a method for cell selection by cloud-sourcing includes receiving, at a UE, a cloud-sourced cell list from a cloud-sourcing database based on the location information of the UE. The cloud-sourced cell list may be generated from a plurality of neighboring cell lists from a plurality of cellular networks. Further, the method may include selecting a cell from the cloud-sourced cell list and camping on the selected cell.

[0005] In an embodiment, selecting a cell from the cloud-sourced cell list may include comparing the cloud-sourced cell list with the neighboring cell lists to identify one or more cells not identified in the neighboring cell lists. Additionally, selecting a cell from the cloud-sourced cell list may include selecting a cell from the one or more cells not identified in the neighboring cell lists based on a radio access technology (RAT) priority list. According to an embodiment, the selected cell may be associated with the available and fastest RAT identified in the RAT priority list.

[0006] In some embodiments, camping on a selected cell may include releasing the connection to the cell on which the UE is currently camping. Further, the method may include transmitting the UE's location information to a crowdsourcing database in response to the UE camping on a first cell of a cellular network. Additionally, the method may include transmitting the UE's location information to a crowdsourcing database in response to the UE moving a predetermined distance. According to an embodiment, the UE's location information may include the UE's Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates, and the crowdsourced cell list may be based on the GPS coordinates. Further, in an embodiment, the UE's location information may include a cell identifier that identifies the first cell on which the UE is currently camping, and the crowdsourced cell list may be based on the cell identifier.

[0007] According to another embodiment, a method for cell selection by crowdsourcing includes receiving, in a crowdsourcing database, respective neighbor cell lists from a plurality of cellular networks. Additionally, the method may include determining a crowdsourced cell list from the received neighbor cell lists. Further, the method may include transmitting the crowdsourced cell list to a user equipment (UE) based on location information associated with the UE.

[0008] In an embodiment, the location information may include the UE's GPS coordinates, and the crowdsourced cell list may be transmitted to the UE based on the GPS coordinates. Further, in an embodiment, the location information may include a cell identifier, and the crowdsourced cell list may be transmitted to the UE based on the cell identifier.

[0009] Generally, in an embodiment, the UE includes a smartphone, a tablet, a mobile hot spot, a personal computer, or a router. Further, the UE can be configured to operate in an idle mode. Also, the UE may be configured to operate in a connected mode. Additionally, the UE can be configured to camp on a cell based on the operating mode of the UE. Also, the UE can be configured to camp on a cell based on a RAT associated with the cell. Further, the crowdsourcing database can be configured to periodically query the cellular network for a list of neighboring cells.

[0010] According to another embodiment, a system for cell selection by crowdsourcing includes a user equipment (UE) communicatively connected to a crowdsourcing server. The UE can include one or more processors and a memory connected to the one or more processors, the memory storing executable instructions configured to operate the one or more processors to execute any of the methods disclosed herein.

[0011] According to one embodiment, a system for cell selection by crowdsourcing includes a crowdsourcing database communicatively connected to a user equipment (UE). The crowdsourcing server may include one or more processors and a memory connected to the one or more processors, the memory storing executable instructions configured to operate the one or more processors to execute any of the methods disclosed herein.

[0012] Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention In response to camping on a new cell of a cellular network or moving a predetermined distance, the user equipment (UE) is configured to determine other available cells to ensure that the UE camps on a cell associated with a preferred (e.g., available and fastest) radio access technology (RAT). To achieve this purpose, in response to camping on a new cell of a cellular network or moving a predetermined distance, the UE transmits location information associated with the UE (e.g., global positioning system (GPS) coordinates, cell identifier, Wi-Fi positioning system (WPS) information (e.g., when GPS is not available)) to a cloud-sourcing server. The cloud-sourcing server is configured to generate a cloud-sourced cell list based on an adjacent cell list collected from two or more cellular networks, UEs, or both. By generating a cloud-sourced cell list based on an adjacent cell list collected from two or more cellular networks, even if one or more cells are omitted from one or more of the received adjacent cell lists due to, for example, the cellular network not being upgraded (e.g., legacy network), the cellular network lacking a connection to other cellular networks, the cellular network lacking a handoff function to a cellular network associated with a different RAT, or any combination thereof, the cloud-sourced cell list generated by the cloud-sourced database identifies potentially available cells of one or more cellular networks within a predetermined distance from a location.

[0013] In response to receiving the location information from the UE, the crowdsourcing server selects a crowdsourced cell list for transmission based on the location information and transmits the crowdsourced cell list to the UE. That is, the crowdsourcing server transmits to the UE a crowdsourced cell list that identifies potentially available cells within the area containing the location indicated by the received location information. After receiving the crowdsourced cell list, the UE compares the crowdsourced cell list with one or more stored neighbor cell lists received from one or more cellular networks to determine whether cells identified in the crowdsourced cell list are not identified in the neighbor cell lists. From the cells identified in the crowdsourced cell list but not identified in the neighbor cell lists, the UE selects a cell to camp on based on the RAT priority list. That is, the UE selects, from among the cells identified in the crowdsourced cell list that are not identified in the neighbor cell lists, the cell associated with the highest-ranked RAT in the RAT priority list. After selecting a cell, the UE then camps on the selected cell. In this way, the UE is configured to camp on a cell associated with the most preferred RAT (e.g., the most available and fastest RAT), even if that cell is not identified (e.g., omitted) in the neighbor cell list received from the cellular network. Such an omission in the neighbor cell list may occur, for example, if the cellular network has not been upgraded (e.g., legacy network), the cellular network lacks connectivity to other cellular networks, the cellular network lacks the ability to hand off to a cellular network associated with a different RAT, or any combination thereof. Therefore, by using the crowdsourced cell list to select a cell to camp on, a higher-priority RAT (e.g., a faster RAT) can be identified by the UE102 even if it is omitted from the received neighbor cell list, improving the user experience of the UE.

[0014] Figure 1 shows a cellular networking framework 100 for cloud-sourced cell selection for one or more UEs according to an embodiment. The framework 100 includes one or more cellular networks 106, each configured to transmit and receive data with one or more UEs 102. For example, the framework 100 includes one or more 2G networks 108, one or more 3G networks 110, one or more 4G networks 112, one or more 5G networks 114, or any combination thereof, each configured to transmit and receive data with one or more UEs 102. To facilitate the transmission and reception of data with the UEs 102, each cellular network 106 includes one or more cells, each configured to transmit and receive data using one or more RATs. A cell includes, for example, a mobile base station tower (e.g., a "cell tower"), an antenna, a transmitter, a receiver, a digital signal processor, control electronics, a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, a base station, or any combination thereof, configured to transmit and receive data with the UEs 102 using one or more RATs.Each RAT includes a physical connection method or protocol used to communicatively connect the UE 102 to one or more cellular networks 106. Examples thereof include 2G network connections (e.g., Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM (registered trademark)) protocol, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) protocol, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) protocol, GSM Evolution Data Rates (EDGE) protocol), 3G network connections (e.g., Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) protocol, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA) protocol, CDMA-200 protocol, High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) protocol), 4G network communications (e.g., Long Term Evolution (LTE) protocol, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) protocol), 5G network communications (e.g., 5G New Radio (NR) protocol, 5G Technology Forum (5GTF) protocol, 5G Special Interest Group (5G-SIG) protocol), or any combination thereof. According to an embodiment, each cellular network 106 is associated with a network type (e.g., 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G) and uses a RAT associated with the associated network type. For example, referring to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the 2G network 108 uses 2G network communications, the 3G network 110 uses 3G network communications, the 4G network 112 uses 4G network communications, and the 5G network 114 uses 5G network communications. The exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1 shows one 2G network 108, one 3G network 110, one 4G network 112, and one 5G network 114, but in other embodiments, the cellular network 106 can include any number of 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G networks.

[0015] Each UE102 is configured to communicatively connect to one or more cellular networks 106 by camping on one or more cells of the cellular network 106. Each UE102 includes, for example, a computing-enabled telephone (a "smartphone"), a tablet computer, a personal computer, a laptop computer, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, a GPS system, a router, a mobile hotspot device, a wearable device, a vehicle system, or any combination thereof. The exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1 shows three UEs (102-1, 102-2, 102-3) connected to the cellular network 106, but in other embodiments, any number of UEs may be connected to the cellular network 106. In an embodiment, the UE102 camps on a cell of the cellular network 106 using a RAT associated with the cellular network 106. For example, the UE102 camps on a cell of the 3G network 110 using 3G network communication (e.g., UMTS protocol, W-CDMA protocol, CDMA-200 protocol, HSPA protocol). According to an embodiment, each UE102 is configured to select a cell of the cellular network 106 on which to camp based on a RAT associated with the cellular network 106. To select a cell of the cellular network 106 based on the associated RAT, each UE102 includes a RAT priority list 116 that includes data representing the priority, settings, conditions, or any combination thereof of one or more RATs. For example, the RAT priority list 116 includes a preference list, a priority ranking, or both of one or more RATs based on one or more user inputs (e.g., inputs received on the UE102 such as gestures on a touch screen, taps on a touch screen, keystrokes, mouse clicks, etc.), user preferences, default settings, network settings, or any combination thereof.That is, the RAT priority list 116 includes rankings of one or more RATs according to their respective priorities based on, for example, user input, user preferences, default settings, network settings, or any combination thereof. As another example, the RAT priority list 116 includes rankings of one or more RATs based on the speed of the RAT (e.g., download speed, upload speed). In an embodiment, the UE 102 selects a cell of the cellular network 106 to camp on based on the RAT rankings in the RAT priority list 116. For example, the UE 102 selects and camps on a cell of the cellular network 106 that uses the RAT with the highest rank in the RAT priority list 116.

[0016] To ensure that UE102 camps on a cell associated with the highest-ranked RAT in RAT priority list 116, UE102 is configured to determine cells of cellular network 106 that are potentially available for camping in response to a RAT transfer event. The RAT transfer event includes, for example, UE102 camping on a new cell of cellular network 106, UE102 moving a predetermined distance, or both. As one example, the RAT transfer event includes UE102 determining that it has moved a predetermined distance, for example, based on GPS coordinates. In an embodiment, each UE102 uses one or more respective neighbor cell lists 118 to determine which cells of cellular network 106 are potentially available for camping. The neighbor cell list 118 includes data indicating one or more potentially available cells of one or more cellular networks 106, for example. For example, neighbor cell list 180 includes data representing respective frequencies of one or more potentially available cells of one or more cellular networks 106. In an embodiment, UE102 is configured to receive neighbor cell list 118 from the cell of cellular network 106 on which UE102 is camping. That is, UE102 receives neighbor cell list 118 from cellular network 106 to which UE102 is communicatively connected. According to an embodiment, neighbor cell list 118 received from such a cellular network 106 includes data indicating one or more available cells of one or more cellular networks 106 that are within a predetermined distance from a cell of the reporting cellular network (e.g., the cell on which UE102 is camping). In some embodiments, cellular network 106 transmits one or more neighbor cell lists 118 each indicating a cell of cellular network 106 associated with the same RAT, while in other embodiments, cellular network 106 transmits one or more neighbor cell lists 118 each indicating a cell of cellular network 106 associated with two or more RATs.

[0017] In an embodiment, one or more cellular networks 106 are configured to send one or more neighbor cell lists 118 to a crowdsourcing database 104. The crowdsourcing database 104 includes one or more physical servers, virtual servers, or both, and is configured to store one or more neighbor cell lists 118 from one or more cellular networks 106. For example, the crowdsourcing database 104 is configured to periodically request (e.g., based on a predetermined interval of seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, or any combination thereof) the neighbor cell list 118 from one or more cellular networks 106 and store the neighbor cell list 118 in response to receiving the neighbor cell list 118. Further, according to an embodiment, one or more UEs 102 are configured to send one or more neighbor cell lists 118 (e.g., received from a cellular network 106, a crowdsourced cell list 120 received from one or more crowdsourcing databases 104) to the crowdsourcing database 104. In response to receiving the neighbor cell list 118 from the UE 102, the crowdsourcing database 104 stores the neighbor cell list 118. In an embodiment, the crowdsourcing database 104 is configured to generate one or more crowdsourced cell lists 120 based on one or more stored neighbor cell lists 118. For example, the crowdsourcing database 104 is configured to generate a crowdsourced cell list 120 that includes data representing one or more potentially available cells of one or more cellular networks 106 based on the potentially available cells identified in the stored neighbor cell list 118 in response to receiving one or more neighbor cell lists 118. As an example, the crowdsourcing database 104 is configured to generate a crowdsourced cell list 120 that includes respective frequencies representing one or more potentially available cells of the cellular network 106.In an embodiment, the cloud-sourced cell list 120 further identifies one or more RATs associated with one or more cellular networks 106. For example, the cloud-sourced cell list 120 identifies one or more potentially available cells of one or more cellular networks 106, each associated with one or more RATs. The cloud-sourced cell list 120 further identifies one or more potentially available cells of one or more cellular networks 106 for a given location. For example, the cloud-sourced cell list 120 identifies one or more potentially available cells of one or more cellular networks 106 within a predetermined distance from a determined location. The predetermined distance represents, for example, the range of one or more cells of one or more cellular networks 106, and the determined location represents, for example, the location of a cell of the cellular network 106, the location of the UE 102, a predetermined location, the average location of one or more cells, or any combination thereof. As another example, the cloud-sourced cell list 120 identifies one or more potentially available cells of one or more cellular networks 106, each associated with a respective RAT, within a certain radius (e.g., a predetermined distance) from a predetermined location. By generating the cloud-sourced cell list 120 in this manner, the UE 102 can more easily identify potentially available cells of one or more cellular networks 106 as compared to the neighboring cell list 118 received from the cellular network 106. For example, even if cells of the cellular network 106 are omitted from one or more neighboring cell lists 118 used to generate the cloud-sourced cell list due to the cellular network not being upgraded (e.g., a legacy network), the cellular network lacking connectivity to other cellular networks, the cellular network lacking the ability to hand off to a cellular network associated with a different RAT, or any combination thereof, the cloud-sourced cell list 120 enumerates those cells.As another example, a cloud-sourced cell list 120 that identifies potentially available cells within a predetermined distance from an average position (e.g., the average position of one or more cells identified within the cloud-sourced cell list 120) helps an actively moving or moved UE 102 more accurately identify potentially available cells.

[0018] According to an embodiment, one or more UEs 102 are configured to determine which cellular network 106 can be camped on by requesting one or more cloud-sourced cell lists 120 from a cloud-sourcing database 104. For example, in response to a RAT handover event (e.g., the UE 102 moves a predetermined distance, the UE 102 camps on a new cell), the UE 102 may provide the cell identifier of the cell on which the UE 102 is currently camped (e.g., data identifying one or more cells of the cellular network), the cell identifier of the cell on which the UE 102 was previously camped, the GPS coordinates of the UE 102 (e.g., GPS latitude, GPS longitude), the WPS information of the UE 102 (e.g., when GPS is not available), or any combination thereof to the cloud-sourcing database 104. In response to the reception of GPS coordinates, cell identifiers, or both, the cloud-sourcing database 104 is configured to select a cloud-sourced cell list 120 based on the location indicated by the GPS coordinates, cell identifiers, or both. As an example, the cloud-sourcing database 104, in response to the reception of GPS coordinates from the UE 102, determines whether the location is within a predetermined distance from the location indicated by the GPS coordinates, is the closest to the location indicated by the GPS coordinates, is within a threshold distance from the location indicated by the GPS coordinates, has a signal strength exceeding a predetermined threshold at the location indicated by the GPS coordinates, or any combination thereof, and selects a cloud-sourced cell list 120 identifying potentially available cells of one or more cellular networks 106.In another embodiment, the cloud-sourcing database 104, in response to receiving a cell identifier from the UE 102 (e.g., data identifying the cell on which the UE 102 is currently camped, data identifying the cell on which the UE 102 was previously camped, or both), selects a cloud-sourced cell list 120 that identifies one or more available cells of the cellular network 106 that are within a predetermined distance from the location of one or more cells indicated by the cell identifier, closest to the location of one or more cells indicated by the cell identifier, within a threshold distance from the location of one or more cells indicated by the cell identifier, have a signal strength that exceeds a predetermined threshold at the location of one or more cells indicated by the cell identifier, or any combination thereof.

[0019] UE102 determines which cells of one or more cellular networks are potentially available for camping on, based on the crowdsourced cell list 120 received from the crowdsourcing database 104. According to an embodiment, UE102 is configured to compare the received crowdsourced cell list 120 with one or more neighbor cell lists 118 received from one or more cellular networks 106. For example, UE102 is configured to compare the crowdsourced cell list 120 with one or more neighbor cell lists 118 to determine whether the crowdsourced cell list 120 identifies one or more cells that are not shown and not identified in the neighbor cell lists 118. If it is determined that the crowdsourced cell list 120 identifies one or more cells that are not shown in the neighbor cell lists 118, UE102 selects one of the cells not shown in the neighbor cell lists 118 to camp on, based on each RAT priority list 116. As an example, UE102 selects a cell associated with a RAT that is more prioritized than the cells listed in the neighbor cell lists 118, from among the cells not shown in the neighbor cell lists 118. Thus, UE102 camps on a cell associated with the highest priority RAT (e.g., the most available and fastest RAT), even if, for example, the corresponding cellular network is not upgraded (e.g., a legacy network), lacks connectivity to other cellular networks 106, or lacks the ability to hand off to other cellular networks 106 associated with other RATs, and the corresponding cell is not listed in the neighbor cell lists 118 provided by the cellular network 106. In this way, a higher priority RAT (e.g., a faster RAT) becomes more identifiable to UE102, improving the user experience.

[0020] According to an embodiment, in response to the selection of cells from the neighbor cell list 118, the crowdsourced cell list 120, or both, the UE 102 is configured to determine whether the selected cell is campable, suitable for camping, or both. To determine whether the selected cell is campable, suitable for camping, or both, the UE 102 is configured to perform measurements of the frequency of the selected cell. As an example, the UE 102 compares the measured frequency of the selected cell with a predetermined threshold. In response to the frequency matching or exceeding the threshold, the UE 102 determines whether the selected cell is campable, suitable for camping, or both. In response to the frequency being less than the threshold, the UE 102 determines that the selected cell is not campable or not suitable for camping. If the selected cell is campable, suitable for camping, or both, the UE 102 communicatively connects to the cell using the RAT associated with the cell. If the selected cell is not campable, not suitable for camping, or both, the UE 102 selects another cell from the neighbor cell list 118, the crowdsourced cell list 120, or both and camps on it.

[0021] Referring now to FIG. 2, a UE 200 that uses cloud-sourcing for cell selection is shown. The UE 200 (similar or identical to UE 102) includes a processor 238 and a modem 224 configured to communicatively connect to one or more cellular networks 106. In an embodiment, to communicatively connect to one or more cellular networks 106, the modem 224 includes a Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer 236, which is hardware and software configured to, for example, establish a connection between the UE 200 and one or more cellular networks 106, broadcast system information related to the UE 200, release the UE 200 from the connected cellular network 106, or any combination thereof. For example, the RRC layer 236 is configured to establish a connection between the UE 200 and a cell of the cellular network 106 such that the UE 200 camps on the cell of the cellular network 106. In an embodiment, the RRC layer 236 is configured to establish a connection between a cell of the cellular network 106 and the UE 200 using a protocol stack 226. The protocol stack 226 includes hardware and software configured to communicatively connect (e.g., camp on) to a cell of the cellular network 106, transmit data to a cell of the cellular network 106, receive data from a cell of the cellular network 106, or perform any combination thereof, using one or more RATs associated with the type of cellular network (e.g., 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G).For example, the protocol stack 226 includes hardware and software configured to camp on a cell of the cellular network 106 using a 2G protocol 228 (e.g., a protocol or RAT associated with a 2G network), a 3G protocol 230 (e.g., a protocol or RAT associated with a 3G network), a 4G protocol 232 (e.g., a protocol or RAT associated with a 4G network), and a 5G protocol 234 (e.g., a protocol or RAT associated with a 5G network).

[0022] According to an embodiment, the UE 200 is configured to receive one or more neighbor cell lists 218 (the same or similar to the neighbor cell list 118) from one or more cells of the cellular network 106 currently communicatively connected to the UE 200, one or more cells of the cellular network 106 previously communicatively connected to the UE 200, or both. Each neighbor cell list 218 includes data identifying one or more potentially available cells of one or more cellular networks 106 that are, for example, within a predetermined distance (e.g., the range of one or more cells) from a cell currently communicatively connected to the UE 200, a cell previously communicatively connected to the UE 200, or both. The UE 200 includes a memory 240 configured to store the received one or more neighbor cell lists 218. The memory 240 includes, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD), solid state memory, flash memory, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), programmable read only memory (PROM), electronically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), or any combination thereof. In an embodiment, the UE 200 is configured to transmit one or more neighbor cell lists 218 to a crowdsourcing database 204 (e.g., periodically based on a predetermined time).

[0023] To select and camp on or connect to a cell of the cellular network 106, the UE 200 includes cell selection engine 222 software, which is configured to select and camp on a cell of the cellular network 106 based on one or more adjacent cell lists 218. For example, the cell selection engine 222 is configured to select a cell from one or more adjacent cell lists 218 based on a RAT priority list 216 (the same as or similar to the RAT priority list 116) stored in the memory 240. The RAT priority list 216 includes data representing, for example, the priorities, preferences, conditions, or any combination thereof of one or more RATs. For example, the RAT priority list 216 includes rankings of one or more RATs according to their respective preferences based on, for example, user input, user preferences, default settings, network settings, or any combination thereof. As another example, the RAT priority list 216 includes rankings of one or more RATs based on the speed of the RAT (e.g., download speed, upload speed). In an embodiment, the cell selection engine 222 is configured to select a cell from one or more adjacent cell lists 218 associated with the RAT that is ranked highest (e.g., has the highest priority) within the RAT priority list 216. For example, based on the RAT priority list 216 that ranks RATs by speed, the RAT selection engine selects a cell associated with the 4G protocol from the adjacent cell list 218 that identifies cells of 3G and 4G networks. That is, the cell selection engine 222 selects a cell associated with the fastest available RAT from one or more adjacent cell lists 218 based on the RAT priority list 216 that ranks RATs by speed. In response to the cell selection engine 222 selecting a cell from one or more adjacent cell lists 218, the RRC layer 236 is configured to camp on the connected cell using one or more protocols (e.g., RATs) from the protocol stack 226 associated with the selected cell.

[0024] In an embodiment, the UE 200 is configured to receive one or more crowdsourced cell lists 220 (similar or identical to the crowdsourced cell list 120) from a crowdsourcing database 204 (similar or identical to the crowdsourcing database 104). According to an embodiment, in response to a RAT transfer event, the UE 200 is configured to request the crowdsourced cell list 220 from the crowdsourcing database 204 by transmitting location information 242 to the crowdsourcing database 204 via one or more cellular networks 106, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth (registered trademark), short-range wireless communication, or any combination thereof. Such location information 242 includes, for example, a cell identifier of the cell on which the UE 200 is currently camping (e.g., data identifying one or more cells of a cellular network), a cell identifier of the cell on which the UE 200 was previously camping, GPS coordinates of the UE 200 (e.g., GPS latitude, GPS longitude), or any combination thereof. The crowdsourcing database 204 is configured to transmit the crowdsourced cell list 220 to the UE 200 based on the location indicated by the location information 242 in response to the reception of the location information 242. As an example, in response to the reception of location information 242 including GPS coordinates, the crowdsourcing database 204 determines whether the available cells of one or more cellular networks 106 are within a predetermined distance from the location indicated by the GPS coordinates, closest to the location indicated by the GPS coordinates, within a threshold distance from the location indicated by the GPS coordinates, have a signal strength exceeding a predetermined threshold at the location indicated by the GPS coordinates, or any combination thereof, and transmits a crowdsourced cell list 220 identifying such available cells.In another embodiment, the cloud-sourcing database 204, in response to receiving location information 242 that includes cell identifiers (e.g., data identifying the cell on which the UE 200 is currently camping, data identifying the cells on which the UE 200 has previously camped, or both), determines whether one or more cells of the cellular network 106 are within a predetermined distance from the same location as the location of one or more cells indicated by the cell identifier, closest to the location of one or more cells indicated by the cell identifier, within a threshold distance from the location of one or more cells indicated by the cell identifier, have a signal strength exceeding a predetermined threshold at the location of one or more cells indicated by the cell identifier, or any combination thereof, and is configured to transmit a cloud-sourced cell list 220 identifying the available cells. In response to receiving the cloud-sourced cell list 220 from the cloud-sourcing database 204, the UE 200 stores the received cloud-sourced cell list 220 in the memory 240.

[0025] According to an embodiment, the cell selection engine 222 is configured to select a cell to camp on from the cells identified in one or more cloud-sourced cell lists 220 stored in the memory 240. For example, the cell selection engine 222 compares one or more cloud-sourced cell lists 220 with one or more stored neighbor cell lists 218 to determine whether there are cells identified in the cloud-sourced cell lists 220 that are not identified in the stored neighbor cell lists 218. In an embodiment, in response to determining that a cell not identified in the stored neighbor cell list 218 is identified in one or more cloud-sourced cell lists 220, the cell selection engine 222 is configured to select one of the cells not identified in the stored neighbor cell list 218 based on the RAT priority list 216. For example, the cell selection engine 222 is configured to determine whether any of the cells not identified in the stored neighbor cell list 218 are associated with a RAT having a higher priority (e.g., a higher ranking) in the RAT priority list 216 than the cell on which the UE 200 is currently camping, the cells listed in the neighbor cell list 218, or both. If it is determined that at least one of the cells not identified in the stored neighbor cell list 218 is associated with a RAT having a higher priority, the cell selection engine 222 selects one of these cells to camp on. In this way, the cell selection engine 222 is configured to select a cell associated with the RAT having the highest priority (e.g., a higher ranking) within the RAT priority list 216 from either the neighbor cell list 218 or the cloud-sourced cell list 220. As an example, if the RAT priority list 216 ranks the RAT priorities by the speed of the RAT, the cell selection engine 222 is configured to select a cell associated with the fastest available RAT from either the neighbor cell list 218 or the cloud-sourced cell list 220.In response to the cell selection engine 222 selecting a cell from the neighbor cell list 218, the cloud-sourced cell list 220, or both, the RRC layer 236 is configured to determine whether the cell is campable-on, suitable for camping-on, or both. For example, the UE 200 is configured to perform measurements of the frequency of the selected cell to determine whether the selected cell is campable-on, suitable for camping-on, or both. The UE 200 then compares the measured frequency of the selected cell with a predetermined threshold. In response to the frequency matching or exceeding the threshold, the UE 200 determines whether the selected cell is campable-on, suitable for camping-on, or both. In response to the frequency being less than the threshold, the UE 200 determines that the selected cell is not campable-on or not suitable for camping-on. If the selected cell is campable-on, suitable for camping-on, or both, the RRC layer 236 camps-on the selected cell using one or more protocols (e.g., RAT) associated with the selected cell in the protocol stack 226. If the selected cell is not campable-on, the cell selection engine 222 selects another cell from the neighbor cell list 218, the cloud-sourced cell list 220, or both.

[0026] In an embodiment, the RRC layer 236 is configured to camp on a cell selected based on the operating mode of the UE 200. The operating mode of the UE 200 is determined based on, for example, the current connection state between the UE 200 and one or more cells of the cellular network 106. As an example, if the UE 200 is not currently connected to a cell of the cellular network 106 or is not camping on a cell, the UE 200 operates in the idle mode. While operating in the idle mode, the connection between the UE 200 and one or more cells of one or more cellular networks 106 is executed by the RRC layer 236, and the RRC layer 236 camps directly on a cell of the cellular network 106. As another example, if the UE 200 is currently camping on a cell of the cellular network 106, the UE 200 operates in the connected mode. While operating in the connected mode, the connection between the UE 200 and one or more cells of one or more cellular networks 106 is executed by the currently camped cellular network 106. For example, to camp on a cell of the second cellular network 106, the first cellular network 106 on which the UE 200 is currently camping performs a handoff to the second cellular network 106. According to an embodiment, to camp on a cell selected from the neighbor cell list 218 or the crowdsourced cell list 220, while the UE 200 is operating in the idle mode, the RRC layer 236 is configured to perform, for example, a background search, cell reselection, or both to camp on the selected cell. Further, while the UE 200 is operating in the connected mode, to camp on a cell selected from the neighbor cell list 218 or the crowdsourced cell list 220, the RRC layer 236 is configured to perform, for example, a scan to determine whether the selected cell is campable, a local release of the currently connected cell, or both to camp on the selected cell.

[0027] Referring now to FIG. 3, an exemplary framework 300 for cell selection via cloud-sourcing is shown. In an exemplary embodiment, a UE 302 (similar or the same as UE 102, UE 200) camps on a cell of a cellular network 310 (similar or the same as 3G network 110) associated with one or more 3G RATs (e.g., protocols). According to an embodiment, the cellular network 310 has a coverage 340 (e.g., the maximum distance at which one or more cells of the cellular network 310 are campable or suitable for camping). In an exemplary embodiment, the UE 302 is configured to move to a position within the coverage of both the coverage 340 of the cellular network 310 and the coverage 344 of a cellular network 314 (similar or the same as 5G network 114) associated with one or more 5G RATs (e.g., protocols). The coverage 344 represents, for example, the maximum distance available for one or more cells of the cellular network 314 to be camped on. In an exemplary embodiment, the cellular network 310 provides the UE 302 with one or more neighbor cell lists (similar or the same as neighbor cell lists 118, 218), but one or more cells of the cellular network 314 are not identified therein.

[0028] To determine which cells can be camped on, UE 302 is configured to provide location information (the same as or similar to location information 242) indicating the location of UE 302 to cloud-sourcing database 304 (the same as or similar to cloud-sourcing databases 104 and 204). Such location information includes, for example, a cell identifier identifying the cell of cellular network 310 on which UE 302 is currently camped, a cell identifier identifying the cell on which UE 302 was previously camped, the GPS coordinates of UE 302 (e.g., GPS latitude, GPS longitude), or any combination thereof. In response to receiving the location information from UE 302, cloud-sourcing database 304 is configured to transmit one or more cloud-sourced cell lists (the same as or similar to cloud-sourced cell lists 120 and 220) based on the received location information. For example, in response to receiving location information including the cell identifier of a cell of cellular network 310, cloud-sourcing database 304 determines whether a cell is within a predetermined distance from the location of the cell of cellular network 310, closest to the location of the cell of cellular network 310, within a threshold distance from the location of the cell of cellular network 310, has a signal strength exceeding a predetermined threshold at the location of the cell of cellular network 310, or any combination thereof, and is configured to transmit a cloud-sourced cell list identifying the available cells of one or more cellular networks. As another example, in response to receiving location information including the GPS coordinates of UE 302, cloud-sourcing database 304 determines whether a cell is within a predetermined distance from the location indicated by the GPS coordinates, closest to the location indicated by the GPS coordinates, within a threshold distance from the location indicated by the GPS coordinates, has a signal strength exceeding a predetermined threshold at the location indicated by the GPS coordinates, or any combination thereof, and is configured to provide a cloud-sourced cell list identifying the available cells of one or more cellular networks.In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the crowdsourcing database 304 is configured to provide a crowdsourced cell list that identifies one or more cells of cellular network 310, cellular network 314, or both.

[0029] In response to receiving one or more crowdsourced cell lists from the crowdsourcing database 304, UE 302 is configured to determine cells potentially available for camping on. For example, UE 302 compares the received one or more crowdsourced cell lists with one or more neighbor cell lists to determine whether there are cells that are not identified in the neighbor cell lists but are identified in the crowdsourced cell lists. In response to determining that there are cells that are not identified in the neighbor cell lists but are identified in the crowdsourced cell lists, UE 302 is configured to select one of the cells not identified in the neighbor cell lists for camping on based on a RAT priority list (the same as or similar to RAT priority lists 116, 216). For example, UE 302 is configured to select a cell from the cells not identified in the neighbor cell lists that is associated with the highest priority (e.g., highest ranked) RAT shown in the RAT priority list. As one example, UE 302 is configured to select, from among the cells not identified in the neighbor cell lists, a cell associated with the fastest and available RAT based on a RAT priority list that ranks RAT priorities by the speed of the RAT. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 3, since cellular network 314 is associated with a faster RAT (e.g., 5G) than cellular network 310 (e.g., 3G), UE 302 is configured to select one or more cells of cellular network 314 based on a RAT priority list in which RAT priorities are ranked by the speed of the RAT.

[0030] According to an embodiment, the UE 302 is configured to camp on a selected cell based on the current operating mode of the UE 302 (e.g., idle operating mode, connected operating mode). During the idle operating mode, the UE 302 is configured to perform, for example, background search, cell reselection, or both, to camp on the selected cell. Further, while in the connected operating mode, the UE 302 is configured to perform, for example, a scan to determine whether the selected cell is campable, a local release of the currently connected cell, or both, to camp on the selected cell.

[0031] Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, both FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate an exemplary method 400 for cell selection by crowdsourcing according to an exemplary embodiment. At block 405, a UE (the same or similar to UE 102, 200, 302) determines whether a RAT transfer event has occurred. A RAT transfer event includes, for example, the UE camping on a new cell of a cellular network (similar or the same as cellular network 106), moving a predetermined distance, or both. In response to determining that a RAT transfer event has occurred, the system moves to block 410. In response to determining that no RAT transfer has occurred, the system repeats block 405. At block 410, the UE determines whether the currently camped cell is associated with the highest priority RAT listed in a RAT priority list (similar or the same as RAT priority lists 116, 216). For example, based on a RAT priority list that ranks RATs by speed, the UE determines whether the currently camped cell is associated with the fastest available RAT specified in the RAT priority list. If the UE determines that the cell is associated with the highest priority RAT listed in the RAT priority list, the system returns to block 405. If the UE determines that the cell is not associated with the highest priority RAT listed in the RAT priority list, the system moves to block 415.

[0032] In block 415, the UE queries a crowdsourcing database (the same or similar to crowdsourcing databases 104, 204, 304) for one or more crowdsourced cell lists (the same or similar to crowdsourced cell lists 120, 220). For example, the UE transmits location information (the same or similar to location information 242) to the crowdsourcing database. The location information includes, for example, the cell identifier of the cell on which the UE is currently camping (e.g., data identifying one or more cells of the cellular network), the cell identifier of the cell on which the UE previously camped, the GPS coordinates of the UE, or any combination thereof. In response to receiving the location information, the crowdsourcing database transmits one or more crowdsourced cell lists based on the location information. For example, in response to receiving location information including the GPS coordinates of the UE, the crowdsourcing database selects a crowdsourced cell list for transmission that identifies available cells of one or more cellular networks based on whether they are within a predetermined distance from the location indicated by the GPS coordinates, are closest to the location indicated by the GPS coordinates, are within a threshold distance from the location indicated by the GPS coordinates, have a signal strength exceeding a predetermined threshold at the location indicated by the GPS coordinates, or any combination thereof. In another example embodiment, in response to receiving location information including the cell identifier identifying the cell on which the UE is currently camping, the crowdsourcing database selects a crowdsourced cell list that identifies available cells of one or more cellular networks based on whether they are within a predetermined distance from the location of the identified cell, are closest to the location of the identified cell, are within a threshold distance from the location of the identified cell, have a signal strength exceeding a predetermined threshold at the location of the identified cell, or any combination thereof. In response to the selection of the crowdsourced cell list for transmission, the crowdsourcing database transmits the selected crowdsourced cell list to the UE.

[0033] In block 420, the UE determines whether the received cloud-sourced cell list identifies cells associated with a cell on which the UE is currently camping, cells listed in one or more neighbor cell lists received from one or more cellular networks, or one or more RATs (e.g., based on a RAT priority list) having a higher priority than both. For example, the UE compares the received cloud-sourced cell list with one or more neighbor cell lists to determine whether the cloud-sourced cell list identifies cells not identified in the neighbor cell lists. In response to determining that the cloud-sourced cell list identifies cells not identified in the neighbor cell lists, the UE determines, based on the RAT priority list, whether any of the cells not identified in the neighbor cell lists are associated with a cell on which the UE is currently camping, cells listed in the neighbor cell lists, or a RAT having a higher priority than both. For example, based on a RAT priority list that ranks RATs by speed, the UE determines whether any of the cells not identified in the neighbor cell lists are associated with a RAT that is faster than the RATs associated with a cell on which the UE is currently camping, cells listed in the neighbor cell lists, or both. In response to determining that any of the cells not identified in the neighbor cell lists are associated with a cell on which the UE is currently camping, cells listed in the neighbor cell lists, or a RAT having a higher priority than both, the system moves to block 430. In response to determining that none of the cells not identified in the neighbor cell lists are associated with a cell on which the UE is currently camping, cells listed in the neighbor cell lists, or a RAT having a higher priority than both, the system moves to block 425. In block 425, the UE follows processing procedures according to one or more specifications, e.g., specifications according to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP (registered trademark)).

[0034] At block 430, the UE selects a cell from the crowdsourced cell list based on, for example, a RAT priority order cell list, the location of the cell, the signal strength of the cell, or any combination thereof. For example, the UE selects a cell from the crowdsourced cell list associated with the RAT having the highest priority tendency (e.g., ranking) within the RAT priority list. As an example, based on a RAT priority list that ranks the priority tendency of RATs by speed, the UE selects a cell from the crowdsourced cell list associated with the available and fastest RAT. At block 435, in response to selecting a cell from the crowdsourced cell list, the UE determines whether the selected cell is campable. For example, the UE performs a measurement of the frequency of the selected cell to determine whether the selected cell is campable and suitable for camping. To achieve this purpose, the UE compares the measured frequency with a predetermined threshold. In response to the frequency matching or exceeding the threshold, the UE determines that the selected cell is campable and suitable for camping. In response to the frequency being less than the threshold, the UE determines that the selected cell is not campable or not suitable for camping. In response to determining that the selected cell is campable and suitable for camping, the system moves to block 440. In response to determining that the selected cell is not campable or not suitable for camping, the UE flags the cell as currently unavailable, flags the cell as currently ineligible, or does both, and the system repeats block 420 with the remaining cells identified in the crowdsourced cell list (e.g., cells not marked as unavailable or ineligible).

[0035] In block 440, the UE is configured to camp on a selected cell based on the operating mode of the UE (e.g., idle mode, connected mode). For example, the UE determines whether its operating state is idle. In response to the UE operating in the idle mode, the system moves to block 445, and the UE performs background search and cell reselection to camp on the selected cell. In response to the UE not operating in the idle mode (e.g., operating in the connected mode), the system moves to block 450. In block 450, the UE releases the current connection to a cell (e.g., the cell on which the UE is currently camping) and camps on the selected cell. In an embodiment, the UE is configured to measure the frequency of the selected cell and compare the measured frequency with a predetermined threshold before releasing the current connection to the cell. In response to the measured frequency being less than the predetermined threshold (e.g., indicating that the signal strength of the selected cell is not strong enough for connection), the system repeats block 420 with other cells identified in the crowdsourced cell list. In response to the measured frequency being greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold (e.g., indicating that the signal strength of the selected cell is strong enough for connection), the UE camps on the selected cell.

[0036] In some embodiments, certain aspects of the foregoing techniques may be implemented by one or more processors of a processing system that executes software. The software includes one or more sets of executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium or otherwise tangibly embodied. The software can include instructions and certain data that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to operate to execute one or more aspects of the foregoing techniques. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media can include, for example, magnetic or optical disk storage devices, solid state storage devices such as flash memory, cache, random access memory (RAM), or other single or multiple non-volatile memory devices, and the like. The executable instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium can be in the form of source code, assembly language code, object code, or other instruction formats that are interpretable or otherwise executable by one or more processors.

[0037] A computer-readable storage medium can include any storage medium, or combination of storage media, that is accessible by a computer system during use to provide instructions and / or data to the computer system. Such storage media can include, but are not limited to, optical media (e.g., compact disc (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD), Blu-ray disc), magnetic media (e.g., floppy (registered trademark) disk, magnetic tape, or magnetic hard drive), volatile memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM) or cache), non-volatile memory (e.g., read-only memory (ROM) or flash memory), or microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based storage media. A computer-readable storage medium can be incorporated in a computing system (e.g., system RAM or ROM), fixedly attached to a computing system (e.g., magnetic hard drive), removably attached to a computing system (e.g., optical disc or universal serial bus (USB)-based flash memory), or connected to a computer system via a wired or wireless network (e.g., network-accessible storage (NAS)).

[0038] In addition to the above, note that not all activities or elements described above in the general description are required, that some activities or parts of a particular activity or device may not be required, that one or more additional activities may be performed, or that one or more additional elements may be included. Further, the order in which activities are enumerated is not necessarily the order in which they are performed. Also, the concepts are described with reference to specific embodiments. However, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as set forth in the following claims. Therefore, the specification and drawings should be considered in an illustrative rather than a limiting sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0039] Advantages, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described above with respect to specific embodiments. However, an advantage, advantage, or solution to a problem, and any feature(s) that may give rise to or make more prominent any advantage, advantage, or solution, shall not be construed as a critical, essential, or essential feature of any or all of the claims. Furthermore, the specific embodiments disclosed above are merely illustrative. This is because the disclosed subject matter of the invention may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners that are apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein. It is not intended to limit the disclosure to the details of construction or design shown herein other than as described in the following claims. Therefore, it is clear that the specific embodiments disclosed above may be changed or modified, and all such variations are considered to be within the scope of the disclosed subject matter of the invention. As a result, the protection sought herein is as described within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A method for cell selection by cloud sourcing, comprising: In a user equipment (UE), receiving, from a cloud sourcing database, a cell list cloud-sourced based on the location information of the UE, wherein the cloud-sourced cell list is generated from a plurality of neighboring cell lists from a plurality of cellular networks, and the method further comprises: Selecting a cell from the cloud-sourced cell list; and Camping on the selected cell. A method comprising the above.

2. Selecting the cell from the cloud-sourced cell list comprises: Comparing the cloud-sourced cell list with the neighboring cell lists to identify one or more cells not identified in the neighboring cell lists; and Selecting the cell from the one or more cells not identified in the neighboring cell lists based on a radio access technology (RAT) priority list. The method according to claim 1, comprising the above.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the selected cell is associated with the available and fastest RAT specified in the RAT priority list.

4. Camping on the selected cell comprises: Releasing the connection to the cell on which the UE is currently camping. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising the above.

5. Further comprising, in response to the UE camping on a first cell of a cellular network, transmitting the location information of the UE to the cloud sourcing database. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising the above.

6. Further comprising, in response to the UE moving a predetermined distance, transmitting the location information of the UE to the cloud sourcing database. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising the above.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the location information of the UE includes the global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the UE, and the cloud-sourced cell list is based on the GPS coordinates.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the location information of the UE includes a cell identifier for identifying a first cell on which the UE is currently camping, and the cloud-sourced cell list is based on the cell identifier.

9. A method for cell selection by cloud sourcing, comprising: In a cloud-sourcing database, receiving respective neighbor cell lists from a plurality of cellular networks, determining a cell list cloud-sourced from the received neighbor cell lists, and transmitting the cloud-sourced cell list to a user equipment (UE) based on location information associated with the UE A method comprising.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the location information includes GPS coordinates of the UE, and the cloud-sourced cell list is transmitted to the UE based on the GPS coordinates.

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the location information includes a cell identifier, and the cloud-sourced cell list is transmitted to the UE based on the cell identifier.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the UE includes a smartphone.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the UE includes a tablet, a mobile hot spot, a personal computer or a router.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the UE is configured to operate in an idle mode.

15. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the UE is configured to operate in a connected mode.

16. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the UE is configured to camp on a cell based on an operating mode of the UE.

17. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the UE is configured to camp on a cell based on a RAT associated with the cell.

18. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the cloud-sourcing database is configured to periodically query a cellular network for a neighbor cell list.

19. A system for cell selection by cloud-sourcing, comprising a user equipment (UE) communicatively connected to a cloud-sourcing server, the user equipment (UE) comprising one or more processors, a memory connected to the one or more processors, the memory storing executable instructions configured to operate the one or more processors to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 Including, system.

20. A system for cell selection by cloud sourcing, comprising: A cloud sourcing database communicatively connected to a user equipment (UE), the cloud sourcing database comprising: One or more processors; A memory connected to the one or more processors, the memory storing executable instructions configured to operate the one or more processors to execute the method according to any one of claims 9 to 11; And comprising; A system.

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