KR20160134439A - Method and Apparatus for Searching Networks - Google Patents

Abstract

According to the present invention, disclosed are an electronic apparatus capable of reducing time required for searching a first available network to improve user experience and a method thereof. The electronic apparatus comprises: a communication module connected to an antenna capable of transmitting signals to and receiving signals from a network; a memory to store a database including a plurality of pieces of network identification (ID) information and country information corresponding to each network ID information; and a processor to control the communication module to perform a first network scan with respect to a predetermined frequency band of a predetermined radio access technology (RAT), determine country information by using the network ID information acquired by the first network scan and the information stored in the database, and perform a second network scan with respect to the RAT and the frequency band determined based on the determined country information. Other than this, various embodiments understood through the description are possible.

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SEARCHING NETWORKS [0002]

Various embodiments of the present invention relate to techniques for searching for a network to which a terminal that is not connected to a network can quickly connect.

Electronic devices such as smart phones can scan the network in various situations. Typically, when the electronic device is powered on, the electronic device can search for the highest priority network among the available networks. For example, when the smartphone is powered on, it can discover the nearby cellular network and connect to an available carrier network.

For a typical user, the environment of the network to which the user's mobile device is connected (e.g., country or region) does not vary significantly. Therefore, the mobile device is likely to reconnect to a network that has recently accessed or has a connection history. That is, the mobile device can scan the network using PLMN (Public Land Mobile Network) information that has been recently accessed. For example, when the code number of the registered PLMN (RPLMN) stored in the mobile device is "45005 ", the mobile device confirms the history of accessing the WCDMA network of the SK Telecom provider You can try to connect to SK Telecom's network. If the connection is successful, the mobile device can perform functions related to wireless communication. If the mobile device is located in an area outside of SK Telecom's operator network, such a network connection attempt will fail and the mobile device will not be able to perform a full scan for all possible Radio Access Technology (RAT) and frequency bands, Can be performed.

Network communication after 4G (Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-Advanced), etc.) compared to 2G / 3G (2 ^nd / 3 ^rd Generation) Band. For example, a mobile device for 2G / 3G network communication may be a WDCMA 2100MHz band (W1 band), a Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) 900 / 1800MHz band, or a GSM 850/1900MHz band signal However, a mobile device for LTE network communication using various frequency bands for each country may transmit / receive signals of various frequency bands including a frequency band for 3G network communication (For example, an antenna) can be mounted. In this manner, when the mobile device supports a large number of frequency bands and the network scan and connection attempt based on the network connection history fails, the mobile device performs a full scan on all RATs and frequency bands supported by the mobile device, The time it takes to detect the network can increase. During this time, the user can not receive the functions / services associated with the network communication of the electronic device, and may experience inconvenience.

Various embodiments of the present invention may provide an electronic device and method for improving the user experience by reducing the time consumed in searching for an available network.

An electronic device according to various embodiments of the present invention includes a communication module connected to an antenna capable of transmitting and receiving signals to and from a network, a database including a plurality of network identification information, and country information corresponding to each network identification information Memory and a network module for causing the communication module to perform a first network scan for a designated frequency band of a designated Radio Access Technology (RAT), and using the network identification information obtained by the first network scan and the database information, And to cause the communication module to perform a second network scan for the determined RAT and frequency band based on at least the determined country information.

According to various embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the time required for a search in a situation in which an electronic device, such as a roaming situation, must search for a network to which it can connect. Also, when the power of the electronic device is turned on, the network search is performed using the time before the subscriber identity module is activated, but the network connection by the subscriber identity module may not be interrupted.

1 shows an electronic device according to an embodiment.
2 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary process of a network selection method in accordance with one embodiment.
3 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary process for retrieving a network based on country information in accordance with one embodiment.
FIG. 4 shows the state of network support by country according to an embodiment.
5 is a flow diagram illustrating another process of a network selection method in accordance with one embodiment.
6 is a flow diagram illustrating a network discovery process performed prior to SIM activation according to one embodiment.
7 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary network discovery process in accordance with an embodiment in consideration of neighboring countries.
FIG. 8 shows a timing diagram of a network search using a plurality of scan lists according to an exemplary embodiment.
9 is a flowchart illustrating a network search process using a plurality of scan lists according to an exemplary embodiment.
10 shows a hardware configuration of an electronic device according to an embodiment.
11 shows a block diagram of a program module according to an embodiment.

Various embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments, but includes various modifications, equivalents, and / or alternatives of the embodiments of the invention. In connection with the description of the drawings, like reference numerals may be used for similar components.

In this document, the expressions "have," "may," "include," or "include" may be used to denote the presence of a feature (eg, a numerical value, a function, Quot ;, and does not exclude the presence of additional features.

In this document, the expressions "A or B," "at least one of A and / or B," or "one or more of A and / or B," etc. may include all possible combinations of the listed items . For example, "A or B," "at least one of A and B," or "at least one of A or B" includes (1) at least one A, (2) Or (3) at least one A and at least one B all together.

The expressions "first," " second, "" first, " or "second ", etc. used in this document may describe various components, It is used to distinguish the components and does not limit the components. For example, the first user equipment and the second user equipment may represent different user equipment, regardless of order or importance. For example, without departing from the scope of the rights described in this document, the first component can be named as the second component, and similarly the second component can also be named as the first component.

(Or functionally or communicatively) coupled with / to "another component (eg, a second component), or a component (eg, a second component) Quot; connected to ", it is to be understood that any such element may be directly connected to the other element or may be connected through another element (e.g., a third element). On the other hand, when it is mentioned that a component (e.g., a first component) is "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another component (e.g., a second component) It can be understood that there is no other component (e.g., a third component) between other components.

As used herein, the phrase " configured to " (or set) to be "adapted to, " To be designed to, "" adapted to, "" made to, "or" capable of ". The term " configured (or set) to "may not necessarily mean " specifically designed to" Instead, in some situations, the expression "configured to" may mean that the device can "do " with other devices or components. For example, a processor configured (or configured) to perform the phrases "A, B, and C" may be a processor dedicated to performing the operation (e.g., an embedded processor), or one or more software programs To a generic-purpose processor (e.g., a CPU or an application processor) that can perform the corresponding operations.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of the other embodiments. The singular expressions may include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, may have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The general predefined terms used in this document may be interpreted in the same or similar sense as the contextual meanings of the related art and are intended to mean either ideally or in an excessively formal sense It is not interpreted. In some cases, even the terms defined in this document can not be construed as excluding the embodiments of this document.

An electronic device in accordance with various embodiments of the present document may be, for example, a smartphone, a tablet personal computer, a mobile phone, a video phone, an e-book reader, Such as a desktop PC, a laptop PC, a netbook computer, a workstation, a server, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable multimedia player (PMP) A camera, or a wearable device. According to various embodiments, the wearable device may be of the type of accessory (e.g., a watch, a ring, a bracelet, a bracelet, a necklace, a pair of glasses, a contact lens or a head-mounted-device (HMD) (E. G., Electronic apparel), a body attachment type (e. G., A skin pad or tattoo), or a bioimplantable type (e.g., implantable circuit).

In some embodiments, the electronic device may be a home appliance. Home appliances include, for example, televisions, DVD players, audio, refrigerators, air conditioners, vacuum cleaners, ovens, microwaves, washing machines, air cleaners, set- (Such as a home automation control panel, a security control panel, a TV box such as Samsung HomeSync ™, Apple TV ™ or Google TV ™), a game console (eg Xbox ™, PlayStation ™) A dictionary, an electronic key, a camcorder, or an electronic frame.

In an alternative embodiment, the electronic device may be any of a variety of medical devices (e.g., various portable medical measurement devices such as a blood glucose meter, a heart rate meter, a blood pressure meter, or a body temperature meter), magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) Navigation system, global navigation satellite system (GNSS), event data recorder (EDR), flight data recorder (FDR), infotainment (infotainment) ) Automotive electronic equipment (eg marine navigation systems, gyro compass, etc.), avionics, security devices, head units for vehicles, industrial or home robots, automatic teller's machines (ATMs) Point of sale, or internet of things (eg, light bulbs, various sensors, electrical or gas meters, sprinkler devices, fire alarms, thermostats, street lights, A toaster, a fitness equipment, a hot water tank, a heater, a boiler, and the like).

According to some embodiments, the electronic device is a piece of furniture or a part of a building / structure, an electronic board, an electronic signature receiving device, a projector, Water, electricity, gas, or radio wave measuring instruments, etc.). In various embodiments, the electronic device may be a combination of one or more of the various devices described above. An electronic device according to some embodiments may be a flexible electronic device. Further, the electronic device according to the embodiment of the present document is not limited to the above-described devices, and may include a new electronic device according to technological advancement.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An electronic apparatus according to various embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this document, the term user may refer to a person using an electronic device or a device using an electronic device (e.g., an artificial intelligence electronic device).

1 shows an electronic device according to an embodiment.

The electronic device 100 may include a processor 110, a memory 120, and a communication module 130. The communication module 130 may be connected to an antenna capable of transmitting / receiving signals of various frequency bands. The electronic device 100 may further include additional components such as a subscriber identity module 140, an input / output interface 150, and a display 160. In some embodiments, the electronic device 100 may omit at least one of the components or additionally comprise other components. Each component included in the electronic device 100 can be connected via a bus. The bus may include circuitry for connecting the components 110-160 to one another and for communicating (e.g., control messages and / or data) between the components. The connection relationship between the components via the bus is not limited to the form shown in Fig. For example, the communication module 130 may have a bus that is directly connected to the memory 120.

The processor 110 may include one or more of a central processing unit (CPU), an application processor (AP), or a communication processor (CP). The processor 110 may perform, for example, operations or data processing relating to the control and / or communication of at least one other component of the electronic device 100.

Memory 120 may include volatile and / or non-volatile memory. Memory 120 may store instructions or data related to at least one other component of electronic device 100, for example. According to one embodiment, the memory 120 may store software and / or programs. The program may include, for example, a kernel, middleware, an application programming interface (API), and / or an application program (or "application"). At least a portion of the kernel, middleware, or API may be referred to as an Operating System (OS).

In one embodiment of the present document, the memory 120 may store a first database 121 including network identification information and country information corresponding to each network identification information. The first database 121 may be, for example, a PLMN database. In the first database 121, the PLMN can be identified as an MCC (Mobile Country Code) and an MNC (Mobile Network Code). For example, when the PLMN code is "45008 ", the MCC may correspond to 450 and the MNC may correspond to 08. If the PLMN code is "45005 ", the MCC may be 450 and the MNC may be 05. [ Here, the PLMN code corresponds to the network identification information, the MCC corresponds to the country information, and the MNC corresponds to the operator information. In addition, the first database 121 may include additional information in addition to the above-described information. For example, band information corresponding to the network identification information (e.g., WCDMA band 1), and the like.

The communication module 130 may establish a wireless communication connection, for example, between the electronic device 100 and the network 200 (or any AP (Access Point)). The wireless communication may use at least one of, for example, LTE, LTE-A, CDMA, WCDMA, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Wireless Broadband (WiBro), or GSM as a cellular communication protocol. The wireless communication may also include at least one of, for example, Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), Bluetooth, Near Field Communication (NFC), or GNSS. The GNSS may be implemented by a GPS (Global Positioning System), Glonass (Global Navigation Satellite System), Beidou Navigation Satellite System (Beidou), or Galileo (European Global Satellite-based navigation system) Or the like. Hereinafter, in this document, "GPS" can be interchangeably used with "GNSS ".

A Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) 140 may include information about a service provider to which a user of the electronic device 100 subscribes. Generally, when the electronic device 100 is powered on, the processor 110 activates the subscriber identity module 140, acquires information about the service provider included in the subscriber identity module 140, and attempts to access the network provided by the service provider have.

In one embodiment disclosed herein, the subscriber identity module 140 has a storage space and may include a database in the storage space. The database may be distinguished from the first database 121 stored in the memory 120 described above. The database stored in the subscriber identity module 140 stores network history information such as the user's home network information, recently accessed network information (e.g., RPLMN), frequently accessed network information, network information set by the user, . The home network information includes the MNC 030 (i.e., AT & T provider), the MMC 310 (ie, US), and the home network information when the user purchases the electronic device 100 and opens through the AT & , RAT for GSM, and frequency (band) for 850 MHz. If the electronic device 100 attempts to search for a network in the OOS (Out Of Service) state, the processor 110 may read the home network information from the subscriber identity module 140, and then try to access the corresponding provider network. At this time, the database stored in the subscriber identity module 140 may include information on a specific channel included in a specific band. For example, information on a band of the GSM 850 MHz band and a specific channel to which the electronic device 100 last accessed among the plurality of channels included in the band may be stored in the subscriber identity module 140. The electronic device 100 may attempt to connect via the scan for the specific channel instead of performing a scan for all channels included in the GSM 850 MHz band. In this document, in the band represented by a specific frequency, the specific frequency means a center frequency or a representative frequency of each band. For example, LTE Band 1 has a center frequency of 2100 MHz, but has an uplink frequency band of 1920-1980 MHz and a downlink frequency band of 2110-2170 MHz. Band 1 also includes a plurality of channels having bandwidths of 5, 10, 15, and 20 MHz. As such, each band may comprise a plurality of channels having a relatively smaller bandwidth.

As another example, the electronic device 100 may register directly to the PLMN of a home network or an available PLMN (available PLMN) among PLMNs of a network to which the PLMN of a recently accessed network is searched. For example, when the PLMN 45008 as a home network and the PLMN 50502 as a recently accessed network are stored in the database of the subscriber identity module 140 and the power of the electronic device 100 is turned on, the communication module 130 transmits the PLMN 50502 YES OPTUS communication carrier's GSM network), and if the search fails, the home network (KT's WCDMA network in Korea) can be searched and a connection can be attempted. If no network is found, the electronic device 100 may attempt to search for all networks capable of being supported by the communication module 130 and the antenna, or may search the network based on the country information as in the various embodiments disclosed herein Can be performed.

In some embodiments, the processor 110 may copy or back up the database stored in the subscriber identification module 140 to the memory 120 periodically, or in response to the occurrence of a particular event. For example, the processor 110 may copy the database of the subscriber identity module 140 to the second database 123 of the memory 120. Alternatively, in one embodiment, the data used when performing a network scan may be stored in both the subscriber identity module 140 and the memory 120, or alternatively. For example, the PLMN information may be stored in the subscriber identity module 140 and the network connection (history) information may be stored in the memory 120 (e.g., the first database 121), or some of the network connection information may be stored in the subscriber identity module 140, Or the data stored in the subscriber identity module 140 may all be stored in the memory 120. The processor 110 may read necessary information from at least one of the memory 120 and the subscriber identity module 140. In various embodiments disclosed herein, various methods of utilizing data stored in the subscriber identity module 140 may be replaced by various methods utilizing data stored in the memory 120 (e.g., the first database 121 or the second database 123) . Or vice versa.

The input / output interface 150 may serve as an interface by which commands or data input from, for example, a user or other external device can be transmitted to another component (s) of the electronic device 100. Output interface 150 may output commands or data received from other component (s) of the electronic device 100 to a user or other external device.

Display 160 may display various content (e.g., text, images, video, icons, symbols, etc.) to the user. Display 160 may include a touch screen and may receive touch, gesture, proximity, or hovering input using an electronic pen or a portion of a user's body.

2 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary process of a network selection method in accordance with one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 2, at operation 210, the electronic device 100 may search for a currently accessible network based on network connection information. Operation 210 may be performed in various situations. For example, when the electronic device 100 is powered on, the flight / airplane mode of the electronic device 100 is released, or the electronic device 100 moves in the Out Of Service (OOS) area, And can be performed when it is desired to confirm. In addition, it can be performed even when the network connection is resumed with the network disconnected by the user. Operation 210 may also be performed when a network search is manually performed by a user. In other words, the various network scanning methods disclosed herein can be applied in various situations described above. As used herein, expressions such as network search (search), network scan, frequency scan, radio resource search, and the like can be understood as operations for confirming RATs and frequency bands connectable in an electronic device.

In operation 210, the electronic device 100 may determine the network to which the first attempt is to be made based on the PLMN information stored in the subscriber identification module 140 or the memory 120 and the previously-connected network history information. For example, the electronic device 100 may perform a network scan to connect to the last connected network. For example, when a user visits Japan and China with the electronic device 100 and returns to Korea, when the electronic device 100 is powered on in Korea, the electronic device 100 determines the last connected Chinese network based on the connection history Can be scanned.

In the above example, because the electronic device 100 is located in a region that does not support the Chinese network (i.e., Korea), network retrieval (e.g., search for available PLMMs) through a network scan based on the last- can do. The subscriber identity module 140 or the memory 120 may include a plurality of network connection information. For example, the network history information for each network accessed from China-Japan-Korea and the carrier network information (e.g., home network) of the country where the electronic device 100 is first opened are stored in the subscriber identity module 140 or the memory 120 May be included. The electronic device 100 can perform a network scan based on the network connection history stored in the subscriber identification module 140 or the memory 120, the home network (e.g., Korean service provider network) information, or the network information set through the user / manufacturer. A plurality of network connection information (e.g., PLMN, etc.) stored in the subscriber identity module 140 or the memory 120 may have priorities, respectively, and the electronic device 100 may perform network scans according to priorities. In other words, operation 210 may be performed iteratively.

At operation 220, the electronic device 100 may determine whether a network search has failed based on the network access information stored in the subscriber identification module 140 or the memory 120. If the network search is successful, the electronic device 100 can register with the provider network and use network related functions. When the network search fails, for example, unlike the above-mentioned example, the electronic device 100 is located in an area where the network included in the network connection history or the network access information such as the United States or Europe The network search at operation 210 may fail.

At operation 230, the electronic device 100 may scan the available RAT and the available network at the designated frequency. For example, the electronic device 100 can scan the network using 850 MHz, which is the frequency of the GSM network, which is widely used in the world, or WCDMA 2100 MHz. Operation 230 may also be performed iteratively. For example, the electronic device 100 may search WCDMA 2100 MHz first, and GSM 850 MHz if the search fails.

At operation 230, the electronic device 100 may configure the scan list according to the RAT and the frequency band for efficient network search. For example, the list may include one or more RATs and frequency bands (bands). In one embodiment, the electronic device 100 can perform a scan by selecting RATs and frequency bands in the order of greater global coverage in the list. In this case, the electronic device 100 can obtain the country information through the first or second scan based on the scan list in the roaming situation of most countries.

At operation 230, the electronic device 100 may scan the network in a different manner than operation 210 (or operation 250, operation 270) to quickly obtain country information. For example, the electronic device 100 may perform PLMN detection (PLMN detection) only on a limited number (e.g., the upper one or two) of the candidates retrieved in the power scan, . Here, the power scan can be understood as an operation of searching for PLMNs for all ARFCN (Absolute Radio-Frequency Channel Number), and for detecting presence or absence of a signal having a reference strength or more. Through the power scan, the electronic device 100 can check the presence or absence of the signal and the intensity of the signal. In other words, the electronic device 100 can perform the PLMN search for candidates limited in order of the signal strength among the candidates retrieved through the power scan.

In the case of a general GSM network scan, a search time of about 15 seconds can be performed if a PLMN search is performed for about 150 candidates. However, if a PLMN search is performed for five candidates of signal strength through a network scan (e.g., quick scan) according to operation 230, the network scan can be completed within one second. In other words, the electronic device 100 can obtain country information within one second at operation 230 and perform the following operations.

At operation 240, the electronic device 100 may determine whether the network scan result country information at operation 230 has been obtained. At operation 230, the electronic device 100 may obtain PLMN information (code), which includes MCC information. The MCC information may correspond to country information in the various embodiments disclosed herein.

For example, when the electronic device 100 attempts to roam in Germany, if there is no information about the network connected in Germany in the recent network connection history or there is no separately set German network information, that is, the network search through the operation 210 fails The electronic device 100 may scan a communication network that supports WCDMA 2100 MHz at operation 230. In operation 230, The scan result electronic device 100 may obtain network identification information (e.g., PLMN) such as 26202 (Vodafone), 26203 (E-Plus), 26207 (O2). The electronic device 100 may obtain country information (e.g., MCC) from the network identification information. In the above example, the processor 110 may obtain the MCC "262" from the network identification information and compare it to the first database 121 of the memory 120 to verify that the country information is "Germany ". If the acquisition of the country information is successful in this way, the electronic device 100 can perform the operation 250. However, if the country information acquisition fails at the designated RAT and frequency, the operation can proceed to operation 270 to scan the entire network through all available frequencies.

In one embodiment, if at operation 240 it is determined to be a roaming situation, the electronic device 100 may determine whether the PLMN obtained by the network scan of operation 230 is available. If the PLMN is available, electronic device 100 may skip operation 250 and operation 260 and perform operation 280. [

At operation 250, the electronic device 100 may perform network discovery (network selection) based on the country information obtained in operations 230-240. For example, when the country corresponding to the home network and the country corresponding to the country information are different, the electronic device 100 can determine that the electronic device 100 is currently in a roaming state. The electronic device 100 receives the RAT (for example, 2G (GSM), 3G (WCDMA, TD-SCDMA), 4G (LTE, WiMAX, HSPA + (E.g., 900/1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 800/1800/2600 MHz). For example, the electronic device 100 can determine an LTE band to be searched based on the country information. The electronic device 100 thus constitutes a network scan object based on the country information, and can quickly scan the configured object. The detailed operations associated with operation 250 are described below with reference to FIG.

At operation 260, the electronic device 100 may determine whether the network scan of operation 250 is successful. If the network scan is successful, the electronic device 100 can perform a connection operation to at least one of the discovered networks. For example, however, if the network scan fails, the electronic device 100 may perform a scan for the entire network at operation 270.

3 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary process for retrieving a network based on country information in accordance with one embodiment.

In one embodiment, the process of FIG. 3 may be understood as the detailed operations that comprise operation 250 of FIG. In other words, the retrieval operation of the network based on the country information, which can be performed between the operations 240 and 260, can be performed in the same process as in Fig. However, in various embodiments, the process of Figure 3 may be applied at certain stages of various processes in which a network search operation based on country information is performed.

At operation 310, the electronic device 100 can compare the network scan results with the first database 121 to verify country information. At operation 320, the electronic device 100 can confirm the RAT and support band information of the corresponding country. For example, if the country information represents Germany, the electronic device 100 may be able to receive radio resources (e.g., GSM 900 MHz, GSM 1800 MHz, WCDMA 2100 MHz, LTE BAND 3 (1800 MHz), BAND 7 (2600 MHz), and BAND 20 resource) is supported.

At operation 330, the electronic device 100 can identify the frequency bands supported by the electronic device 100. For example, the electronic device 100 can identify a frequency band in which signals can be transmitted / received by the RAT supported by the communication module 130 and one or more antennas connected to the communication module 130. For example, when the communication module 130 supports GSM, WCDMA, and TD-SCDMA but does not support LTE, and the antenna mounted on the electronic device 100 can not receive a signal in a frequency band of 1 GHz or less Can be confirmed.

If the available radio resources in the electronic device 100 are fixed, the operation 330 may be omitted. However, when the supportable radio resource is variable for various reasons, for example, prohibiting the use of LTE in the electronic device 100 through software setting, or connecting a special case or antenna to the electronic device 100, The electronic device 100 can determine a supportable RAT and a frequency band. In one embodiment, the network scan in the roaming situation is attempted when the user of the electronic device 100 arrives at the airport and powers on the electronic device 100, so that the electronic device 100 is in the initializing process of the components Operation 330 may be performed in advance.

At operation 340, the electronic device 100 may determine the RAT and the frequency band to perform the network search. With reference to the above example, the electronic device 100 can determine a network search target with GSM 1800 MHz and WCDMA 2100 MHz supported by the electronic device 100 among networks connectable in Germany.

At operation 340, the electronic device 100 may further utilize additional information to determine a network search target. For example, there are 31 MNCs corresponding to MCC 262 in Germany. In other words, there are 31 PLMN codes. If the subscriber identification module 140 of the electronic device 100 has information indicating that the provider whose roaming agreement with the home network of the electronic device 100 is concluded is Vodafone, then the electronic device 100 is a network supported by Vodafone (RAT ≪ / RTI > and frequency). The electronic device 100 can confirm the network connection condition (e.g., whether Vodafone's network is) for the PLMN searched during the scan operation. For example, if the retrieved network identification information is Vodafone's PLMN code 26202, the electronic device 100 may decide to attempt a network connection to the PLMN.

At operation 350, the electronic device 100 may perform a network search for the determined RAT and frequency band as a result of performing operation 340. The electronic device 100 may determine whether it is reachable to the retrieved network in a subsequent process (e.g., after operation 260). For example, it is possible to confirm that a PLMN selection (PLMN selection) is possible for a network of a provider, and then try to connect to the network.

FIG. 4 shows the state of network support by country according to an embodiment.

For example, a user opening an electronic device 100 in Korea can travel to countries in China, Japan, the United States, and Europe. When the user moves to Japan, the electronic device 100 can attempt to access the network in Japan. If there is no connection information for a service provider network available in Japan in a connection database (access DB) stored in the subscriber identity module 140 or the memory 120, if the user does not have a history of accessing the Japanese network in the past, The device 100 may determine that a roaming situation is required and may perform the network discovery method disclosed in this document instead of scanning the entire searchable network.

For example, the electronic device 100 may perform a search at a designated frequency for a designated RAT. For example, the electronic device 100 can acquire the information that the area where the electronic device 100 is currently located is the Japan through the network scan for the WCDMA 2100 MHz band. In other words, the communication module 130 collects the PLMN information through the search for the WCDMA network, and the processor 110 analyzes the MCC information included in the collected PLMN information to check the country information.

The electronic device 100 can perform network search based on the country information when the country information is confirmed as Japan. In the example of FIG. 4, since GSM and TD-SCDMA are not supported in Japan, it is possible to exclude frequency bands corresponding to GSM and TD-SCDMA from the scan list. Thus, the electronic device 100 is available in Japan for WCDMA and LTE networks, and can perform network scans for the RAT and frequency bands supported by the electronic device 100. For example, if the electronic device 100 does not support LTE (e.g., if the communication module 130 does not support LTE, or if the user setup or user-subscribed rate plan is set to use only the 3G network, / 2G network, etc.), the electronic device 100 may scan for a particular frequency band of WCDMA. The electronic device 100 can determine available network identification information from among the acquired network identification information and access the corresponding network. As described above, the search range can be further restricted by using the information of a Japanese telecommunications carrier who has entered into a roaming agreement with the home network carrier of the electronic device 100. [ Through such an operation, it is possible to reduce the time required for network connection, compared to a network connection attempt through a full scan of an available network.

As another example, when the user of the electronic device 100 moves to China, the electronic device 100 can confirm that the area where the electronic device 100 is currently located is China based on the information obtained through the network search for the WCDMA 2100 MHz band. If China's telecom operator is a China Telecom whose roaming agreement with the home network of the electronic device 100 (e.g., a Korean telecommunications carrier) is China Telecom, then the electronic device 100 receives information stored in the database 121 and China Telecom supports LTE or 2G network Can be obtained. Thus, the electronic device 100 can perform a network search for 2G (GSM 900MHz) and 4G (LTE Band 41) except for the search for the 3G network. The electronic device 100 selects China Telecom's PLMN selection operation from this search result Can be performed.

As another example, the electronic device 100 may be located in the United States. If there is no access information for the network provided in the US in the subscriber identity module 140 (or the second database 123) of the electronic device 100, the electronic device 100 searches for a designated frequency band of the GSM or WCDMA network Can be performed. If the electronic device 100 performs a network search for the GSM 900 MHz band, the US may fail to search the network because it does not support GSM 900 MHz. In this case, the electronic device 100 may repeat the operation 230 according to a predetermined order or priority. For example, the electronic device 100 can scan GSM 850 MHz after GSM 900 MHz, and then scan WCDMA 2100 MHz. In this case, the electronic device 100 can obtain the country information (i.e., the US) from the scan result of GSM 850 MHz. The process after operation 250 described above may be performed based on this country information.

5 is a flow diagram illustrating another process of a network selection method in accordance with one embodiment. Overlapping, corresponding or similar contents to those described above with reference to Fig. 5 and Figs. 6 and 7 to be described later may be omitted from description thereof.

Referring to FIG. 5, the electronic device 100 can perform a network connection based on network connection information. The electronic device 100 can perform a network scan based on HPLMN (Home PLMN), RPLMN, Equivalent HPLMN (EHPLMN), user controlled PLMN (PLMN), operator controlled PLMN have. If an accessible PLMN is found in this process, the electronic device 100 can perform registration with the corresponding PLMN. This process can be understood as corresponding to operation 210 and operation 280 described above.

At operation 520, the electronic device 100 may determine whether the network scan of operation 510 is successful. If the network scan fails, the electronic device 100 may determine whether country information is obtained as a result of the operation 510 at operation 530.

For example, electronic device 100 may retrieve available PLMNs using network access information (e.g., home network, recent access network, etc.) stored in subscriber identification module 140 or memory 120 at operation 510. In this case, even if the electronic device 100 fails to search for an available PLMN, it can acquire MCC information if another PLMN is searched. For example, if the electronic device 100 is a Korean service provider terminal and the user has visited Japan and China, the subscriber identity module 140 may include a channel of Korean LTE Band 3, a channel of WCDMA Band 1 of China, and a WCDMA Band of Japan 4 < / RTI > When a user moves from Korea to China again with the electronic device 100, the PLMN of China can be searched because the RPLMN is not searched because it is set as a Korean operator. Even if the searched China PLMN is not an available PLMN, the electronic device 100 can confirm the country information (MCC) from the network identification information. Thus, if it is determined at operation 530 that country information is obtained, the electronic device 100 may skip the network search (e.g., operation 230) to obtain country information over the designated RAT / frequency band. If no country information is obtained at operation 530, the electronic device 100 may perform the process after operation 230. In this case, Fig. 2 and Fig. 5 can be understood as substantially the same process.

If it is determined at operation 530 that the country information has been obtained, the electronic device 100 may perform operations 540 through 570. Operations 540, 550, 560 and 570 may correspond to operations 250, 260, 270 and 280, respectively, of FIG. In the embodiment of FIG. 5, operations 230 and 240 for determining whether to acquire country information may be omitted, in order to scan the designated RAT / frequency band to obtain country information in FIG. 2, Speed network access.

5, network scan results based on the network connection information of operation 510 indicate that the network identification information (PLMN) available in the country where electronic device 100 is determined to be located is not obtained, If the determined country is not included in the network connection information of the electronic device 140 (or the memory 120) (that is, if the user has not visited the country or information about the country is not set) And may proceed to operation 230. < RTI ID = 0.0 >

6 is a flow diagram illustrating a network discovery process performed prior to SIM activation according to one embodiment.

The electronic device 100 can search for and activate hardware components connected to the processor 110 when the power is turned on. For example, when the electronic device 100 is in a flight mode / airplane mode, the processor 110 of the electronic device 100 and the subscriber identity module 140 are in a connected state, but the communication module 130 is in a disabled state Is in a broken state). That is, when the airplane mode is canceled, the electronic device 100 can directly access the subscriber identity module 140, so that there is substantially no time difference between the time when the airplane mode is released and the time when the information stored in the subscriber identity module 140 can be accessed. However, when the power of the electronic device 100 is switched from the OFF state to the ON state, the processor 110 may perform a scan operation to identify the components of the electronic device 100. [ Therefore, a time difference may occur between the power-on time and the time when the subscriber identity module 140 is activated and the information stored in the subscriber identity module 140 can be accessed.

When the electronic device 100 is powered on, the electronic device 100 may perform a network search for a preset RAT and frequency band at operation 610. For example, the communication module 130 or the processor 110 may be set to perform the operation 610 at the power-on time of the electronic device 100.

In one embodiment, in order not to affect the network connection time using the subscriber identity module 140, the operation 610 is performed until the subscriber identity module 140 is activated, and after the activation point, a different process is performed according to the result of the operation 610 .

For example, at operation 620, if country information is obtained prior to the activation of the subscriber identity module 140 as a result of the scan at operation 610, the electronic device 100 may wait until the subscriber identity module 140 is activated. (Operation 630) If the country information acquisition fails before the subscriber identification module 140 is activated, the process after operation 210 of FIG. 2 may be executed. In this case, the same process as that described with reference to Fig. 2 may substantially follow.

When the subscriber identity module 140 is activated, the electronic device may compare the network connection (history) information stored in the subscriber identity module 140 with the country information obtained in operation 610 at operation 640. At act 650, if the connection (history) information and country information match each other, then at operation 660, the electronic device may attempt to establish a network connection based on the network connection (history) information. For example, the electronic device can perform a network connection using the MMC / MNC and channel information of the RPLMN.

If the history information and the country information are not matched at operation 650, the electronic device 100 may be in a situation where roaming is required, and in this case, a network search may be performed based on the country information obtained at operation 610. For example, a process after operation 250 may be performed. According to the embodiment of FIG. 6, since the electronic device 100 is performed before the operation 210, which is performed after the operation 230 and the operation 240 are performed after the subscriber identity module 140 is activated, compared to FIG. 2, .

7 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary network discovery process in accordance with an embodiment in consideration of neighboring countries.

For example, if the country information of country A is obtained as a result of the operation 610 of FIG. 6 and existing access information (for example, network connection information stored in the subscriber identity module 140) matching the country A at operation 650 does not exist 250 < / RTI > In other words, the network search may be performed based on the obtained country information because the country information is acquired before the subscriber identity module 140 is activated, and the connection history matching after activation of the subscriber identity module 140 is not found. In this case, the network connection process using the existing access information of the subscriber identity module 140 may be omitted.

If the A country is a neighboring country of country B and this occurs near the border of country B, for example, the electronic device 100 is actually located in country B, and the existing access information corresponding to country B When stored in the module 140, the electronic device 100 can quickly access the network of the B country using the existing access information stored in the subscriber identity module 140, but it may take time to search the network using the A country information . To prevent this, in one embodiment, the electronic device 100 may, at act 710, determine whether the country information obtained in operation 510 corresponds to at least one neighboring country in another country. Operation 710 may be performed, for example, before proceeding from operation 650 to operation 250. For example, the electronic device 100 may further include a database for the countries bordered by each other in the memory 120. Alternatively, the database may be included in the database 121. If it is determined that the acquired country information corresponds to a neighboring country of the country included in the existing access information, the electronic device 100 in operation 720 transmits the network connection information (e.g., RPLMN or HPLMN stored in the subscriber identification module 140) You can try to connect. If the obtained country information does not correspond to the existing access information and does not correspond to the neighboring country of the country included in the existing access information, the electronic device 100 performs network search based on the country information in operation 250 as described above .

Also, if the connection attempt of operation 720 is successful, the electronic device 100 may terminate the network discovery process. If at operation 730 it is determined that the network connection has failed, then the electronic device 100 may actually be located in a neighboring country area (i.e., country A), so that the electronic device 100 performs a network search based on the country information can do. (Action 250)

In the above description, a network search method has been described using a cellular network (2G / 3G / LTE or the like) as a main embodiment. However, there are various ways to obtain national information, and there is no need to use a cellular network. For example, in the process of FIG. 2, the electronic device 101 may use the frequency of another RAT instead of using the frequency of GSM or WCDMA in operation 230. For example, the electronic device 100 can acquire neighboring Wi-Fi identification information using 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz of Wi-Fi. In particular, places such as airports where frequent immigration occurs provide Wi-Fi services. The electronic device 100 may include Wi-Fi network identification information for each airport and country information corresponding to the Wi-Fi identification information in the database 121 of the memory 120, and may use Wi-Fi in operation 230 of the electronic device 100 , Or a combination of Wi-Fi and a cellular network to obtain country information.

6, the electronic device 100 acquires the country information through the limited Wi-Fi scan with the RAT and the search target frequency at operation 610 in which the network search is performed within a limited time, The search may use the cellular network to obtain country information or perform network connection operations.

Information on RAT and band (frequency band) that can be supported in the country can be changed for various reasons. For example, the first database 121 may include network information available in China. That is, information on available RATs and frequency bands for respective RATs may be stored in the first database 121. However, there may be changes in China's telecom operators, changes in network information available in China due to China's telecom policies and frequency auctions.

In order to reflect such changes, when the electronic device 100 accesses a predetermined network (for example, a network different from the network to which it has previously connected) and acquires a normal service, And / or information about the RAT. As a result, the database (e.g., the first database 121) can be updated if there is information about another frequency band or RAT as compared with an existing database.

As another example, the electronic device 100 may update the database by periodic network discovery. For example, the electronic device 100 may drive a timer having a predetermined period. When the timer expires, the electronic device 100 can cause the communication module 130 to search for a peripheral network. If it is determined that there is a frequency band different from that stored in the existing database, the electronic device 100 can request the latest network information supported by the corresponding country in the corresponding network. When the latest network information is acquired, the electronic device 100 can update the existing database.

FIG. 8 shows a timing diagram of a network search using a plurality of scan lists according to an exemplary embodiment.

If the electronic device 100 is located in a shaded area such as an elevator or underground of a building, an out of service condition of the electronic device 100 may occur. According to one embodiment, the electronic device 100 can perform a network scan to reduce power consumption by shortening the network search time in the above-described OOS situation, according to the method described in Figs. 8 and 9.

The electronic device 100 may include a first list (LIST 1) 801 that includes information on all wireless communication supportable in the electronic device 100, i.e., RAT and frequency band (band or channel). The first list 801 (and the second list 803, the third list 805 described below) may be stored in at least one of the memory 120 or the subscriber identity module 140.

In the electronic device 100, cell information (for example, RAT and channel information) having a connected history may be stored. The cell information may correspond to existing network history information stored in the subscriber identity module 140 or the memory 120, for example. The stored cell information stored in the electronic device 100 may correspond to the second list (LIST 2) 803 in FIG.

In FIG. 8, the third list (LIST 3) 805 may include information on the designated RAT and the designated frequency band. For example, the third list 805 may include information about GSM 850 MHz, GSM 900 MHz, or WCDMA 2100 MHz, which are frequencies of GSM networks widely used in the world.

In one embodiment, the first list 801, the second list 803, and the third list 805 may include PLMN information (e.g., RPLMN information in the case of the second list 803, etc.) corresponding to the wireless communication resources included in each list have.

The electronic device 100 may schedule a network scan to be performed when the electronic device 100 enters the OOS state as shown in FIG. For example, a network scan for the first list 801, a network scan for the second list 803, and a network scan for the third list 805 may be performed according to a designated schedule for one period. Figure 8 shows an example of scheduling. For example, after performing a network scan based on the first list 801, one network scan based on the third list 805 is repeated (e.g., a first schedule) after two network scans based on the second list 803, . This is exemplary and the scans for the second list 803 and the third list 805 may be alternately performed or the scans for the third list 805 may be repeated after the scans for the second list 803 are repeatedly performed . Also, the interval (e.g., sleep duration) between network scan timings for each list may be the same within one period, or may gradually increase within one period, or may vary according to a set schedule.

In one embodiment, the electronic device 100 may repeat a network scan (e.g., a first scan) according to a first schedule a predetermined number of times. In one embodiment, a full scan based on the first list 801 may be set to be performed only once when the first schedule is performed, since battery consumption is high and seek time is long. On the other hand, since a scan based on the second list 803 (e.g., a second scan) or a scan based on the third list 805 (e.g., a third scan) performs a network scan only on a limited target radio resource, Lt; / RTI > times.

Also, if the first scan is repeated a predetermined number of times but is still in the OOS state, the electronic device 100 may perform a network scan (e.g., a second scan) with a second schedule different from the first schedule. The second scan can have a scan timing with a relatively long interval because the electronic device is likely to be in an area where the network is unavailable for a while.

9 is a flowchart illustrating a network search process using a plurality of scan lists according to an exemplary embodiment.

At operation 901, the electronic device 100 may perform a network scan corresponding to the frequencies contained in the plurality of scan lists. For example, the electronic device 100 may set a first schedule defining the timing of network scans for each of the first list 801, the second list 803, and the third list 805 described above, and based on the first schedule, Can be performed at least once. At operation 903, the electronic device 100 may determine whether PLMN information is obtained in a network scan. If the acquisition fails, the electronic device 100 may repeat the operation 901 until it succeeds in acquiring the PLMN information. In this case, if the PLMN information acquisition fails even though the network scan has been performed more than the designated number of times by the first schedule, the electronic device can change the schedule used in 901 to a second schedule different from the first schedule.

Once the PLMN information is obtained, the electronic device 100 can confirm the country information (MCC) from the acquired PLMN information. Once the country information is confirmed, for example, the electronic device 100 performs a network scan for the RAT and the frequency band set based on the MCC by any of the methods described above with reference to Figures 1 to 7, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > PLMN. ≪ / RTI >

In one embodiment, once the PLMN information is obtained, the electronic device 100 may determine at operation 905 if the PLMN is obtained in the RPLMN list, e.g., the second list 803. For example, the electronic device 100 may determine whether the acquired PLMN information is present in the RPLMN list. If the PLMN obtained as a result of performing the first schedule is a PLMN obtained in the second list 803, then the electronic device 100 may determine at operation 907 if there is a higher priority PLMN in the second list 803 than the obtained PLMN . If there is no higher priority PLMN, then the electronic device 100 may perform the registration procedure for the current PLMN (the obtained PLMN) at operation 913. If there is a higher priority PLMN, then the electronic device 100 searches for a higher priority PLMN among the PLMNs (e.g., RPLMN) included in the second list at operation 911, and for the PLMN discovered in operation 913 The registration procedure can be performed. Of course, if the search fails, the registration procedure can be performed again on the PLMN acquired in operation 903.

In one embodiment, if the PLMN obtained as a result of performing the first schedule is not the PLMN obtained in the second list 803, i. E., The PLMN obtained in the first list 801 or the third list 805, Based on the MCC information of the PLMN, the PLMN having the higher priority in the same MCC (i.e., the same country) exists. If there is no higher priority PLMN, then the electronic device 100 may perform the registration procedure for the current PLMN (the obtained PLMN) at operation 913. If there is a higher priority PLMN, the electronic device 100 can newly set up a list to be searched based on the MCC at operation 915. For example, the electronic device 100 can set up a list that is available in the country corresponding to the MCC, and simultaneously includes information on the RAT and the frequency band that the electronic device 100 can support. The electronic device 100 may search for a higher priority PLMN based on the newly set list at operation 915. [

10 shows a hardware configuration of an electronic device according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 10, the electronic device 1001 may include all or part of the electronic device 100 shown in FIG. 1, for example. The electronic device 1001 includes one or more processors (e.g., AP) 1010, a communication module 1020, a subscriber identification module 1024, a memory 1030, a sensor module 1040, an input device 1050, a display 1060, an interface 1070, an audio module 1080, a camera module 1091, A module 1095, a battery 1096, an indicator 1097, and a motor 1098.

The processor 1010 may, for example, operate an operating system or an application program to control a number of hardware or software components coupled to the processor 1010, and may perform various data processing and computations. The processor 1010 may be implemented with, for example, a system on chip (SoC). According to one embodiment, the processor 1010 may further include a graphics processing unit (GPU) and / or an image signal processor. Processor 1010 may include at least some of the components shown in FIG. 10 (e.g., cellular module 1021). The processor 1010 may load and process instructions or data received from at least one of the other components (e.g., non-volatile memory) into volatile memory and store the various data in non-volatile memory.

The communication module 1020 may have the same or similar configuration as the communication module 130 of FIG. The communication module 1020 may include, for example, a cellular module 1021, a Wi-Fi module 1023, a Bluetooth module 1025, a GNSS module 1027 (e.g., a GPS module, a Glonass module, a Beidou module or a Galileo module), an NFC module 1028, frequency < / RTI >

The cellular module 1021 can provide voice calls, video calls, text services, or Internet services, for example, over a communication network. According to one embodiment, the cellular module 1021 may perform identification and authentication of the electronic device 1001 within the communication network using a subscriber identity module (e.g., SIM card) 1024. According to one embodiment, the cellular module 1021 may perform at least some of the functions that the processor 1010 may provide. According to one embodiment, the cellular module 1021 may include a communications processor (CP).

Each of the Wi-Fi module 1023, the Bluetooth module 1025, the GNSS module 1027, or the NFC module 1028 may include, for example, a processor for processing data transmitted and received through a corresponding module. According to some embodiments, at least some (e.g., two or more) of the cellular module 1021, the Wi-Fi module 1023, the Bluetooth module 1025, the GNSS module 1027 or the NFC module 1028 may be included in one integrated chip (IC) .

The RF module 1029 can, for example, send and receive communication signals (e.g., RF signals). The RF module 1029 may include, for example, a transceiver, a power amplifier module (PAM), a frequency filter, a low noise amplifier (LNA), or an antenna. According to another embodiment, at least one of the cellular module 1021, the Wi-Fi module 1023, the Bluetooth module 1025, the GNSS module 1027, or the NFC module 1028 can transmit and receive RF signals through separate RF modules.

The subscriber identification module 1024 may include, for example, a card containing a subscriber identity module and / or an embedded SIM and may include unique identification information (e.g., an integrated circuit card identifier (ICCID) (E.g., international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)).

Memory 1030 (e.g., memory 120) may include, for example, internal memory 1032 or external memory 1034. The internal memory 1032 may be a volatile memory such as a dynamic RAM (DRAM), a static random access memory (SRAM), or a synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM), a non-volatile memory such as an OTPROM one time programmable ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), erasable and programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable and programmable ROM (EEPROM), mask ROM, flash ROM, flash memory (e.g., NAND flash, or NOR flash), a hard drive, or a solid state drive (SSD).

The external memory 1034 may be a flash drive, for example, a compact flash (CF), a secure digital (SD), a micro-SD, a mini-SD, an extreme digital (xD), a multi- a memory stick, and the like. The external memory 1034 may be functionally and / or physically connected to the electronic device 1001 through various interfaces.

The sensor module 1040 can, for example, measure a physical quantity or sense the operating state of the electronic device 1001 and convert the measured or sensed information into an electrical signal. The sensor module 1040 includes a gyro sensor 1040A, a gyro sensor 1040B, an air pressure sensor 1040C, a magnetic sensor 1040D, an acceleration sensor 1040E, a grip sensor 1040F, a proximity sensor 1040G, a color sensor 1040H , A temperature / humidity sensor 1040J, an illuminance sensor 1040K, or an ultraviolet (UV) sensor 1040M. Additionally or alternatively, the sensor module 1040 may be, for example, an E-nose sensor, an EMG (electromyography) sensor, an EEG (electroencephalogram) sensor, an ECG (electrocardiogram) sensor, an IR And / or a fingerprint sensor. The sensor module 1040 may further include a control circuit for controlling at least one sensor included therein. In some embodiments, the electronic device 1001 may further include a processor configured to control the sensor module 1040, either as part of the processor 1010 or separately, to control the sensor module 1040 while the processor 1010 is in a sleep state .

The input device 1050 may include, for example, a touch panel 1052, a (digital) pen sensor 1054, a key 1056, or an ultrasonic input device 1058. The touch panel 1052 can employ, for example, at least one of an electrostatic type, a pressure sensitive type, an infrared type, and an ultrasonic type. Further, the touch panel 1052 may further include a control circuit. The touch panel 1052 may further include a tactile layer to provide a tactile response to the user.

 (Digital) pen sensor 1054 may be, for example, part of a touch panel or may include a separate sheet of identification. The key 1056 may include, for example, a physical button, an optical key, or a keypad. The ultrasonic input device 1058 can sense the ultrasonic wave generated by the input tool through the microphone (e.g., the microphone 1088) and confirm the data corresponding to the ultrasonic wave detected.

Display 1060 (e.g., display 160) may include a panel 1062, a hologram device 1064, or a projector 1066. Panel 1062 may include the same or similar configuration as display 160 of FIG. The panel 1062 can be implemented, for example, flexible, transparent, or wearable. The panel 1062 may be composed of a touch panel 1052 and one module. The hologram apparatus 1064 can display a stereoscopic image in the air using the interference of light. The projector 1066 can display an image by projecting light onto a screen. The screen may be located, for example, inside or outside the electronic device 1001. According to one embodiment, the display 1060 may further include control circuitry for controlling the panel 1062, the hologram device 1064, or the projector 1066.

The interface 1070 may include, for example, an HDMI 1072, a USB 1074, an optical interface 1076, or a D-sub (D-subminiature) 1078. The interface 1070 may be included in, for example, the communication module 130 shown in FIG. Additionally or alternatively, the interface 1070 may include, for example, a mobile high-definition link (MHL) interface, an SD card / MMC interface, or an infrared data association (IrDA) interface.

Audio module 1080 can, for example, convert sound and electrical signals in both directions. At least some components of the audio module 1080 may be included, for example, in the input / output interface 150 shown in FIG. The audio module 1080 can process sound information input or output through, for example, a speaker 1082, a receiver 1084, an earphone 1086, a microphone 1088, or the like.

The camera module 1091 is, for example, a device capable of capturing still images and moving images, and according to one embodiment, one or more image sensors (e.g., a front sensor or a rear sensor), a lens, an image signal processor And may include a flash (e.g., LED or xenon lamp).

The power management module 1095 can manage the power of the electronic device 1001, for example. According to one embodiment, the power management module 1095 may include a power management integrated circuit (PMIC), a charger integrated circuit ("IC"), or a battery or fuel gauge. The PMIC may have a wired and / or wireless charging scheme. The wireless charging scheme may include, for example, a magnetic resonance scheme, a magnetic induction scheme, or an electromagnetic wave scheme, and may further include an additional circuit for wireless charging, for example, a coil loop, a resonant circuit, have. The battery gauge can measure, for example, the remaining amount of the battery 1096, the voltage during charging, the current, or the temperature. The battery 1096 may include, for example, a rechargeable battery and / or a solar battery.

The indicator 1097 may indicate a particular state of the electronic device 1001 or a portion thereof (e.g., processor 1010), such as a boot state, a message state, or a state of charge. The motor 1098 can convert an electrical signal into mechanical vibration, and can generate vibration, haptic effects, and the like. Although not shown, the electronic device 1001 may include a processing unit (e.g., a GPU) for mobile TV support. The processing device for supporting mobile TV can process media data conforming to standards such as DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting), DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting), or MediaFLOTM.

Each of the components described in this document may be composed of one or more components, and the name of the component may be changed according to the type of the electronic device. In various embodiments, the electronic device may comprise at least one of the components described herein, some components may be omitted, or may further include additional other components. In addition, some of the components of the electronic device according to various embodiments may be combined into one entity, so that the functions of the components before being combined can be performed in the same manner.

11 shows a block diagram of a program module according to one embodiment

11, program module 1110 includes an operating system (OS) for controlling resources associated with an electronic device (e.g., electronic device 100) and / or various applications running on an operating system For example, an application program). The operating system may be, for example, android, iOS, windows, symbian, tizen, or bada.

The program module 1110 may include a kernel 1120, a middleware 1130, an API 1160, and / or an application 1170. At least a portion of the program module 1110 may be preloaded on the electronic device or downloaded from the external electronic device.

The kernel 1120 may include, for example, a system resource manager 1121 or a device driver 1123. The system resource manager 1121 can perform control, assignment, or recovery of system resources. According to one embodiment, the system resource manager 1121 may include a process management unit, a memory management unit, or a file system management unit. The device driver 1123 may include, for example, a display driver, a camera driver, a Bluetooth driver, a shared memory driver, a USB driver, a keypad driver, a Wi-Fi driver, an audio driver, or an inter-process communication .

The middleware 1130 can provide various functions to the application 1170 through the API 1160, for example, to provide the functions that the application 1170 needs in common, or to allow the application 1170 to efficiently use the limited system resources inside the electronic device have. According to one embodiment, the middleware 1130 includes a runtime library 1135, an application manager 1141, a window manager 1142, a multimedia manager 1143, a resource manager 1144, a power manager 1142, 1145, a database manager 1146, a package manager 1147, a connectivity manager 1148, a notification manager 1149, a location manager 1150, a graphic manager 1151 , Or a security manager 1152. The security manager 1152 may be any of the following:

The runtime library 1135 may include, for example, a library module used by the compiler to add new functionality via a programming language while the application 1170 is running. The runtime library 1135 can perform input / output management, memory management, or functions for arithmetic functions.

The application manager 1141 can manage the life cycle of at least one of the applications 1170, for example. The window manager 1142 can manage GUI resources used on the screen. The multimedia manager 1143 can recognize the format required for playback of various media files and can encode or decode a media file using a codec suitable for the format. The resource manager 1144 can manage resources such as source code, memory, or storage space of at least one of the applications 1170.

The power manager 1145 operates in conjunction with, for example, a basic input / output system (BIOS) or the like to manage a battery or a power source and provide power information and the like necessary for the operation of the electronic device. The database manager 1146 may create, retrieve, or modify a database for use in at least one of the applications 1170. The package manager 1147 can manage installation or update of an application distributed in the form of a package file.

The connection manager 1148 can manage wireless connections, such as, for example, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. The notification manager 1149 may display or notify events such as arrival messages, appointments, proximity notifications, etc. in a way that is not disturbed to the user. The location manager 1150 can manage the location information of the electronic device. The graphic manager 1151 may manage the graphical effect to be presented to the user or a user interface associated therewith. The security manager 1152 can provide all security functions necessary for system security or user authentication. According to one embodiment, when the electronic device (e.g., electronic device 100) includes a telephone function, the middleware 1130 may further include a telephony manager for managing the voice or video call capability of the electronic device.

The middleware 1130 may include a middleware module that forms a combination of various functions of the above-described components. The middleware 1130 can provide a module specialized for each type of operating system in order to provide differentiated functions. In addition, the middleware 1130 can dynamically delete some existing components or add new ones.

API 1160 (e.g., API) is a collection of API programming functions, for example, and may be provided in different configurations depending on the operating system. For example, for Android or iOS, you can provide one API set per platform, and for tizen, you can provide more than two API sets per platform.

The application 1170 may include, for example, a home 1171, a dialer 1172, an SMS / MMS 1173, an instant message 1174, a browser 1175, a camera 1176, an alarm 1177, a contact 1178, a voice dial 1179, an email 1180, a calendar 1181, 1182, an album 1183, or a clock 1184, a function to perform health care (e.g., to measure momentum or blood sugar), or to provide environmental information (e.g., to provide pressure, humidity, or temperature information) Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > applications. ≪ / RTI >

According to one embodiment, the application 1170 may include an application that supports the exchange of information between an electronic device (e.g., electronic device 100) and an external electronic device (hereinafter, "information exchange application" The information exchange application may include, for example, a notification relay application for communicating specific information to an external electronic device, or a device management application for managing an external electronic device.

For example, the notification delivery application may include the ability to forward notification information generated by other applications of the electronic device (e.g. SMS / MMS application, email application, healthcare application, or environmental information application) to an external electronic device . Further, the notification delivery application can receive notification information from, for example, an external electronic device and provide it to the user.

The device management application may be configured to perform at least one of the functions of the external electronic device communicating with the electronic device (e.g., turn-on / turn-off of the external electronic device itself (or some component) (E.g., install, delete, or update) services provided by an external electronic device or external electronic device (e.g., call service or message service).

According to one embodiment, the application 1170 may include an application (e.g., a healthcare application of a mobile medical device) designated according to the attributes of the external electronic device. According to one embodiment, the application 1170 may include an application received from an external electronic device. According to one embodiment, application 1170 may include a preloaded application or a third party application downloadable from a server. The names of the components of the program module 1110 according to the illustrated embodiment may vary depending on the type of the operating system.

According to various embodiments, at least some of the program modules 1110 may be implemented in software, firmware, hardware, or a combination of at least two of them. At least some of the program modules 1110 may be implemented (e.g., executed) by, for example, a processor (e.g., processor 1010). At least some of the program modules 1110 may include, for example, modules, programs, routines, sets of instructions or processes, etc., to perform one or more functions.

As used in this document, the term "module" may refer to a unit comprising, for example, one or a combination of two or more of hardware, software or firmware. A "module" may be interchangeably used with terms such as, for example, unit, logic, logical block, component, or circuit. A "module" may be a minimum unit or a portion of an integrally constructed component. A "module" may be a minimum unit or a portion thereof that performs one or more functions. "Modules" may be implemented either mechanically or electronically. For example, a "module" may be an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chip, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) or programmable-logic devices And may include at least one.

At least a portion of a device (e.g., modules or functions thereof) or a method (e.g., operations) according to various embodiments may include, for example, computer-readable storage media in the form of program modules, As shown in FIG. When the instruction is executed by a processor (e.g., processor 110), the one or more processors may perform a function corresponding to the instruction. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, a memory 120. [

The computer-readable recording medium may be a hard disk, a floppy disk, a magnetic media such as a magnetic tape, an optical media such as a CD-ROM, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) May include magneto-optical media (e.g., a floppy disk), a hardware device (e.g., ROM, RAM, or flash memory, etc.) Etc. The hardware devices described above may be configured to operate as one or more software modules to perform the operations of the various embodiments. And vice versa.

Modules or program modules according to various embodiments may include at least one or more of the elements described above, some of which may be omitted, or may further include additional other elements. Operations performed by modules, program modules, or other components in accordance with various embodiments may be performed in a sequential, parallel, iterative, or heuristic manner. Also, some operations may be performed in a different order, omitted, or other operations may be added.

And the embodiments disclosed in this document are provided for the explanation and understanding of the disclosed technical contents, and do not limit the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the scope of this document should be interpreted to include all modifications based on the technical idea of the present invention or various other embodiments.

Claims (30)

In an electronic device,
A communication module connected to an antenna capable of transmitting and receiving signals to and from the network,
A memory for storing a database including a plurality of network identification information and country information corresponding to each network identification information,
To cause the communication module to perform a first network scan for a designated frequency band of Radio Access Technology (RAT), determine country information using the network identification information obtained by the first network scan and the database information And cause the communication module to perform a second network scan for the determined RAT and frequency band based on at least the determined country information. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the designated RAT and the designated frequency band comprise one or more of GSM 850 MHz, GSM 900 MHz, or WCDMA 2100 MHz. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the database further comprises Wi-Fi network identification information and country information corresponding to the Wi-Fi identification information,
The designated RAT includes at least one of Wi-Fi, the designated frequency is 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz. The method according to claim 1,
The processor is configured to determine a RAT and a frequency band to perform the second network scan based on a RAT and a frequency band available in a country corresponding to the country information, and a RAT and a frequency band supported by the electronic device , An electronic device. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the electronic device further comprises a subscriber identity module,
Wherein the subscriber identity module comprises network access information,
Wherein the processor is configured to cause the communication module to attempt a network scan based on the network connection information prior to the first network scan. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the network connection information includes at least one of home network identification information, recently accessed network identification information, and network identification information set by a user. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the processor is configured to perform the first network scan if the network scan fails. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the processor is further configured to cause the communication module to transmit the network identification information to the second network when the acquisition of the network identification information usable in the network scan results in failure, To perform the scan. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the processor is configured to skip the first network scan. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the electronic device further comprises a subscriber identity module,
Wherein the processor is configured to perform the first network scan from the time the electronic device is powered on until the subscriber identity module is activated. The method of claim 10,
The first network scan result country information is obtained and the processor compares the obtained network information stored in the subscriber identity module with the obtained country information after the subscriber identity module is activated, Or to perform a network scan. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the processor is further configured to cause the communication module to perform a network connection attempt using the network identification information corresponding to the obtained country information when the comparison result indicates that network identification information corresponding to the obtained country information exists in the network connection information, Is set to perform an operation. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the processor is further configured to cause the communication module to perform the second network scan based on the obtained country information if the network identification information corresponding to the acquired country information does not exist in the network connection information as a result of the comparison Lt; / RTI > The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the processor is further configured to transmit the RAT and the frequency band corresponding to the determined country information, the RAT supported by the communication module, and the RAT corresponding to both the frequency band in which the antenna can transmit / And is configured to configure the object. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the processor causes the communication module to attempt to connect to the available network if the second network scan result usable network exists and if the available network does not exist, To perform a network scan for all RATs and frequency bands. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein if the second network scan result usable network does not exist, the processor causes the communication module to perform an additional network scan for all frequency bands other than the determined RAT and frequency band among all RATs and frequency bands supported by the electronic device The electronic device. A network scanning method of an electronic device,
Performing a first network scan for a designated frequency band of a designated RAT,
Obtaining country information based on the first network scan,
Determining an RAT and a frequency band to be scanned based on the country information, and
And performing a second network scan for the determined RAT and frequency band. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the determining RAT and frequency band to scan comprises:
Confirming the country information,
Confirming the first RAT and the frequency band provided by the country,
Confirming a second RAT and frequency band supported by the electronic device, and
And determining the RAT and frequency band to scan based on the first RAT and frequency band and the second RAT and frequency band. 18. The method of claim 17,
Wherein the act of performing the first network scan is performed before the subscriber identification module of the electronic device is activated. 12. A storage medium storing computer-readable instructions, the instructions comprising instructions for causing the electronic device, when executed by a processor of the electronic device,
Performing a first network scan for a designated frequency band of a designated RAT,
Obtaining country information based on the first network scan,
Determining an RAT and a frequency band to be scanned based on the country information, and
And perform a second network scan for the determined RAT and frequency band. In an electronic device,
A communication module connected to an antenna capable of transmitting and receiving signals to and from the network,
A first list including information on a plurality of RATs and frequency bands supported by the electronic device, a second list including history cell information connected to the electronic device, a specified RAT and a designated frequency band A memory for storing a third list containing information about
Establishing a first schedule defining the timing of network scans for each of the first list, the second list, and the third list, and performing a network scan based on the first schedule at least once Lt; / RTI > 23. The method of claim 21,
Wherein the processor sets an interval between network scan timings for each of the first list, the second list, and the third list. 23. The method of claim 21,
Wherein the processor is configured to perform at least one network scan based on a second schedule having a different network scan timing than the first schedule if the first schedule is repeated a predetermined number of times or more. 23. The method of claim 21,
Wherein the processor is configured to determine an MCC based on PLMN information obtained as a result of performing the first schedule and to perform a network scan for a RAT and frequency band set based on the MCC. 23. The method of claim 21,
Wherein the processor determines whether a PLMN having a higher priority than the acquired PLMN exists in the second list when the PLMN obtained as a result of the execution of the first schedule exists in the second list, And register to the acquired PLMN or search for the high priority PLMN. 26. The method of claim 25,
Wherein the processor is configured to register with the high priority PLMN if the search is successful and to register with the obtained PLMN if the search fails. 23. The method of claim 21,
Wherein the processor determines an MCC based on the obtained PLMN if the PLMN obtained as a result of performing the first schedule is a PLMN acquired from the first list or the second list, Determining whether there is a higher priority PLMN and registering with the obtained PLMN or searching for the higher priority PLMN based on the determination result. 23. The method of claim 21,
Wherein the third list comprises information on the RAT and the frequency band for one or more of GSM 850 MHz, GSM 900 MHz, or WCDMA 2100 MHz. 23. The method of claim 21,
Wherein the processor sets the first schedule such that a network scan for the first list is performed once while a network scan for the first schedule is performed once. 23. The method of claim 21,
Wherein the processor sets the first schedule such that the network scan for the second list or the third list is performed more than once while the network scan for the first schedule is performed once.

Images