CN117882439A

CN117882439A - Electronic device for obtaining network information and operation method thereof

Info

Publication number: CN117882439A
Application number: CN202280058693.2A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 梁秀容; 尹锡炅; 郑东锡; 金镇烨; 郑明焕
Original assignee: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Current assignee: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Priority date: 2021-08-30
Filing date: 2022-05-30
Publication date: 2024-04-12

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present invention relate to apparatus and methods for an electronic device to obtain information of a cellular network by direct communication. The electronic device includes: a memory; a first communication circuit; a second communication circuit; and at least one processor, wherein when it is determined that the region in which the electronic device is located has changed by using the first communication circuit, the processor may obtain network information of at least one external electronic device through direct communication using the second communication circuit, detect a PLMN accessible to the electronic device based on the network information of the at least one external electronic device, and perform a network registration procedure by detecting a cell based on a network search related to the detected PLMN. Other embodiments are also possible.

Description

Electronic device for obtaining network information and operation method thereof

Technical Field

Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an apparatus and method for obtaining information of a cellular network through direct communication in an electronic device.

Background

The electronic device may perform a process of registering (or accessing) a network (or base station) for wireless communication. The electronic device may store information (e.g., cell information or base station information) for registration in a network (or base station).

When registering a network in an area (e.g., a region) in which a registration history of an electronic device exists, the electronic device can perform network registration by using information used at a point of time before network registration.

When registering a network in an area (e.g., a region) in which there is no registration history of the electronic device, the electronic device may acquire network information by performing a network search for all supportable frequency bands. The electronic device may perform network registration based on network information acquired through network searching.

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem

When the electronic device is powered on or away from the shadow area, a network search may be performed to search for cells to which the electronic device is to access (or register). For example, when the electronic device is powered on or away from a shadow area, information related to the PLMN stored in a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) of the electronic device may be acquired. For example, the PLMN related information may include information related to Registered Public Land Mobile Networks (RPLMNs), home PLMNs (HPLMNs), and/or preferred PLMNs). When the electronic device fails to find the RPLMN, HPLMN, and/or PPLMN through a network search based on information related to the PLMN, the electronic device may perform a network search (e.g., a full band scan) with respect to all frequency bands that the electronic device may support.

When information about PLMNs (e.g., PPLMN-related information) stored in the SIM and PLMN-related information of a network installed in an actual environment are different, the electronic device needs to perform a network search (e.g., full band scan) for all frequencies that the electronic device can support for PLMN registration, and this may cause a time delay due to the network search.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide an apparatus and method for reducing time delay due to network searches in an electronic device.

Technical proposal

According to various embodiments, an electronic device may include: a memory; a first communication circuit supporting cellular communication; a second communication circuit supporting Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE); and a processor operatively connected with the memory, the first communication circuit, and the second communication circuit, wherein the processor: identifying a region in which the electronic device is located by using the first communication circuit; obtaining network information of at least one external electronic device by direct communication using the second communication circuit when it is determined that the region in which the electronic device is located has changed; detecting a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) accessible to the electronic device based on network information of at least one external electronic device; performing, by the first communication circuit, a network search associated with the detected PLMN; and performing a network registration procedure through the detected cell based on the network search through the first communication circuit.

According to various embodiments, a method of operating an electronic device may include: identifying a region in which the electronic device is located through cellular communication; obtaining network information of at least one external electronic device through Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) based direct communication when it is determined that a region in which the electronic device is located has changed; detecting a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) accessible to the electronic device based on network information of at least one external electronic device; performing a network search related to the detected PLMN through cellular communication; and performing a network registration procedure through the detected cell based on the network search through the cellular communication.

Advantageous effects

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, an electronic apparatus may share information of a cellular network with at least one external electronic apparatus through direct communication (e.g., device-to-device (D2D)) in a roaming state, thereby reducing time delay due to network searching.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device in a network environment, in accordance with various embodiments.

Fig. 2 is an example of a wireless communication system supporting direct communication in accordance with various embodiments.

Fig. 3 is a block diagram of an electronic device for obtaining network information through direct communication, in accordance with various embodiments.

Fig. 4 is a flow diagram for registering in a network in an electronic device, in accordance with various embodiments.

Fig. 5 is an example of a flow chart for obtaining network information in an electronic device, in accordance with various embodiments.

Fig. 6 is another example of a flow chart for obtaining network information in an electronic device, in accordance with various embodiments.

Fig. 7 is a flow chart for configuring a target PLMN in an electronic device according to various embodiments.

Fig. 8 is an example for updating network information in an electronic device, in accordance with various embodiments.

Fig. 9 is another example for updating network information in an electronic device, in accordance with various embodiments.

Fig. 10 is a flow diagram for sharing network information in an electronic device, in accordance with various embodiments.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, various embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device 101 in a network environment 100 according to various embodiments. Referring to fig. 1, an electronic device 101 in a network environment 100 may communicate with the electronic device 102 via a first network 198 (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network) or with at least one of the electronic device 104 or the server 108 via a second network 199 (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). According to an embodiment, the electronic device 101 may communicate with the electronic device 104 via the server 108. According to an embodiment, the electronic device 101 may include a processor 120, a memory 130, an input module 150, a sound output module 155, a display module 160, an audio module 170, a sensor module 176, an interface 177, a connection end 178, a haptic module 179, a camera module 180, a power management module 188, a battery 189, a communication module 190, a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) 196, or an antenna module 197. In some embodiments, at least one of the above-described components (e.g., connection end 178) may be omitted from electronic device 101, or one or more other components may be added to electronic device 101. In some embodiments, some of the components described above (e.g., sensor module 176, camera module 180, or antenna module 197) may be implemented as a single integrated component (e.g., display module 160).

The processor 120 may run, for example, software (e.g., program 140) to control at least one other component (e.g., hardware component or software component) of the electronic device 101 that is connected to the processor 120, and may perform various data processing or calculations. According to one embodiment, as at least part of the data processing or calculation, the processor 120 may store commands or data received from another component (e.g., the sensor module 176 or the communication module 190) into the volatile memory 132, process the commands or data stored in the volatile memory 132, and store the resulting data in the non-volatile memory 134. According to an embodiment, the processor 120 may include a main processor 121 (e.g., a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or an Application Processor (AP)) or an auxiliary processor 123 (e.g., a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), a Neural Processing Unit (NPU), an Image Signal Processor (ISP), a sensor hub processor, or a Communication Processor (CP)) that is operatively independent of or combined with the main processor 121. For example, when the electronic device 101 comprises a main processor 121 and a secondary processor 123, the secondary processor 123 may be adapted to consume less power than the main processor 121 or to be dedicated to a particular function. The auxiliary processor 123 may be implemented separately from the main processor 121 or as part of the main processor 121.

The auxiliary processor 123 (instead of the main processor 121) may control at least some of the functions or states related to at least one of the components of the electronic device 101 (e.g., the display module 160, the sensor module 176, or the communication module 190) when the main processor 121 is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state, or the auxiliary processor 123 may control at least some of the functions or states related to at least one of the components of the electronic device 101 (e.g., the display module 160, the sensor module 176, or the communication module 190) with the main processor 121 when the main processor 121 is in an active state (e.g., running an application). According to an embodiment, the auxiliary processor 123 (e.g., an image signal processor or a communication processor) may be implemented as part of another component (e.g., the camera module 180 or the communication module 190) functionally related to the auxiliary processor 123. According to an embodiment, the auxiliary processor 123 (e.g., a neural processing unit) may include hardware structures dedicated to artificial intelligence model processing. The artificial intelligence model may be generated through machine learning. Such learning may be performed, for example, by the electronic device 101 where artificial intelligence is performed or via a separate server (e.g., server 108). The learning algorithm may include, but is not limited to, for example, supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, or reinforcement learning. The artificial intelligence model may include a plurality of artificial neural network layers. The artificial neural network may be a Deep Neural Network (DNN), a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), a Recurrent Neural Network (RNN), a boltzmann machine limited (RBM), a Deep Belief Network (DBN), a bi-directional recurrent deep neural network (BRDNN), or a deep Q network, or a combination of two or more thereof, but is not limited thereto. Additionally or alternatively, the artificial intelligence model may include software structures in addition to hardware structures.

The memory 130 may store various data used by at least one component of the electronic device 101 (e.g., the processor 120 or the sensor module 176). The various data may include, for example, software (e.g., program 140) and input data or output data for commands associated therewith. Memory 130 may include volatile memory 132 or nonvolatile memory 134.

The program 140 may be stored as software in the memory 130, and the program 140 may include, for example, an Operating System (OS) 142, middleware 144, or applications 146.

The input module 150 may receive commands or data from outside the electronic device 101 (e.g., a user) to be used by other components of the electronic device 101 (e.g., the processor 120). The input module 150 may include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, a keyboard, keys (e.g., buttons) or a digital pen (e.g., a stylus).

The sound output module 155 may output a sound signal to the outside of the electronic device 101. The sound output module 155 may include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. Speakers may be used for general purposes such as playing multimedia or playing a record. The receiver may be used to receive an incoming call. Depending on the embodiment, the receiver may be implemented separate from the speaker or as part of the speaker.

Display module 160 may visually provide information to the outside (e.g., user) of electronic device 101. The display device 160 may include, for example, a display, a holographic device, or a projector, and a control circuit for controlling a corresponding one of the display, the holographic device, and the projector. According to an embodiment, the display module 160 may comprise a touch sensor adapted to detect a touch or a pressure sensor adapted to measure the strength of the force caused by a touch.

The audio module 170 may convert sound into electrical signals and vice versa. According to an embodiment, the audio module 170 may obtain sound via the input module 150, or output sound via the sound output module 155 or headphones of an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device 102) that is directly (e.g., wired) or wirelessly connected to the electronic device 101.

The sensor module 176 may detect an operational state (e.g., power or temperature) of the electronic device 101 or an environmental state (e.g., a state of a user) external to the electronic device 101 and then generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to the detected state. According to an embodiment, the sensor module 176 may include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyroscope sensor, an atmospheric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an Infrared (IR) sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.

Interface 177 may support one or more specific protocols that will be used to connect electronic device 101 with an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device 102) directly (e.g., wired) or wirelessly. According to an embodiment, interface 177 may include, for example, a High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, a Secure Digital (SD) card interface, or an audio interface.

The connection end 178 may include a connector via which the electronic device 101 may be physically connected with an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device 102). According to an embodiment, the connection end 178 may include, for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector).

The haptic module 179 may convert the electrical signal into a mechanical stimulus (e.g., vibration or motion) or an electrical stimulus that may be recognized by the user via his sense of touch or kinesthetic sense. According to an embodiment, the haptic module 179 may include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrostimulator.

The camera module 180 may capture still images or moving images. According to an embodiment, the camera module 180 may include one or more lenses, an image sensor, an image signal processor, or a flash.

The power management module 188 may manage power supply to the electronic device 101. According to an embodiment, the power management module 188 may be implemented as at least part of, for example, a Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC).

Battery 189 may power at least one component of electronic device 101. According to an embodiment, battery 189 may include, for example, a primary non-rechargeable battery, a rechargeable battery, or a fuel cell.

The communication module 190 may support establishing a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between the electronic device 101 and an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device 102, the electronic device 104, or the server 108) and performing communication via the established communication channel. The communication module 190 may include one or more communication processors capable of operating independently of the processor 120 (e.g., an Application Processor (AP)) and supporting direct (e.g., wired) or wireless communication. According to an embodiment, the communication module 190 may include a wireless communication module 192 (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, or a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module 194 (e.g., a Local Area Network (LAN) communication module or a Power Line Communication (PLC) module). A respective one of these communication modules may communicate with external electronic devices via a first network 198 (e.g., a short-range communication network such as bluetooth, wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) direct, or infrared data association (IrDA)) or a second network 199 (e.g., a long-range communication network such as a conventional cellular network, a 5G network, a next-generation communication network, the internet, or a computer network (e.g., a LAN or wide-area network (WAN)). These various types of communication modules may be implemented as a single component (e.g., a single chip), or may be implemented as multiple components (e.g., multiple chips) separate from each other. The wireless communication module 192 may identify and authenticate the electronic device 101 in a communication network, such as the first network 198 or the second network 199, using user information (e.g., an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI)) stored in the user identification module 196.

The wireless communication module 192 may support a 5G network following a 4G network as well as next generation communication technologies (e.g., new Radio (NR) access technologies). NR access technologies may support enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), large-scale machine type communication (mctc), or Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC). The wireless communication module 192 may support a high frequency band (e.g., millimeter wave band) to achieve, for example, a high data transmission rate. The wireless communication module 192 may support various techniques for ensuring performance over high frequency bands, such as, for example, beamforming, massive multiple-input multiple-output (massive MIMO), full-dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antennas, analog beamforming, or massive antennas. The wireless communication module 192 may support various requirements specified in the electronic device 101, an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device 104), or a network system (e.g., second network 199). According to an embodiment, the wireless communication module 192 may support a peak data rate (e.g., 20Gbps or greater) for implementing an eMBB, a lost coverage (e.g., 164dB or less) for implementing an emtc, or a U-plane delay (e.g., a round trip of 0.5ms or less, or 1ms or less for each of the Downlink (DL) and Uplink (UL)) for implementing a URLLC.

The antenna module 197 may transmit signals or power to the outside of the electronic device 101 (e.g., an external electronic device) or receive signals or power from the outside of the electronic device 101 (e.g., an external electronic device). According to an embodiment, the antenna module 197 may include an antenna including a radiating element composed of a conductive material or conductive pattern formed in or on a substrate, such as a Printed Circuit Board (PCB). According to an embodiment, the antenna module 197 may include a plurality of antennas (e.g., array antennas). In this case, at least one antenna suitable for a communication scheme used in a communication network, such as the first network 198 or the second network 199, may be selected from the plurality of antennas, for example, by the communication module 190 (e.g., the wireless communication module 192). Signals or power may then be transmitted or received between the communication module 190 and the external electronic device via the selected at least one antenna. According to an embodiment, further components (e.g., a Radio Frequency Integrated Circuit (RFIC)) other than radiating elements may additionally be formed as part of the antenna module 197.

According to various embodiments, antenna module 197 may form a millimeter wave antenna module. According to embodiments, a millimeter-wave antenna module may include a printed circuit board, a Radio Frequency Integrated Circuit (RFIC) disposed on a first surface (e.g., a bottom surface) of the printed circuit board or adjacent to the first surface and capable of supporting a specified high frequency band (e.g., a millimeter-wave band), and a plurality of antennas (e.g., array antennas) disposed on a second surface (e.g., a top surface or a side surface) of the printed circuit board or adjacent to the second surface and capable of transmitting or receiving signals of the specified high frequency band.

At least some of the above components may be interconnected via an inter-peripheral communication scheme (e.g., bus, general Purpose Input Output (GPIO), serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), or Mobile Industrial Processor Interface (MIPI)) and communicatively communicate signals (e.g., commands or data) therebetween.

According to an embodiment, commands or data may be sent or received between the electronic device 101 and the external electronic device 104 via the server 108 connected to the second network 199. Each of the electronic device 102 or the electronic device 104 may be the same type of device as the electronic device 101 or a different type of device from the electronic device 101. According to an embodiment, all or some of the operations to be performed at the electronic device 101 may be performed at one or more of the external electronic device 102, the external electronic device 104, or the server 108. For example, if the electronic device 101 should automatically perform a function or service or should perform a function or service in response to a request from a user or another device, the electronic device 101 may request the one or more external electronic devices to perform at least part of the function or service instead of or in addition to the function or service, or the electronic device 101 may request the one or more external electronic devices to perform at least part of the function or service. The one or more external electronic devices that received the request may perform the requested at least part of the function or service or perform another function or another service related to the request and transmit the result of the performing to the electronic device 101. The electronic device 101 may provide the result as at least a partial reply to the request with or without further processing of the result. For this purpose, for example, cloud computing technology, distributed computing technology, mobile Edge Computing (MEC) technology, or client-server computing technology may be used. The electronic device 101 may provide ultra-low latency services using, for example, distributed computing or mobile edge computing. In another embodiment, the external electronic device 104 may comprise an internet of things (IoT) device. Server 108 may be an intelligent server using machine learning and/or neural networks. According to an embodiment, the external electronic device 104 or the server 108 may be included in the second network 199. The electronic device 101 may be applied to smart services (e.g., smart home, smart city, smart car, or healthcare) based on 5G communication technology or IoT-related technology.

The electronic device according to various embodiments may be one of various types of electronic devices. The electronic device may include, for example, a portable communication device (e.g., a smart phone), a computer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medical device, a camera, a wearable device, or a household appliance. According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the electronic device is not limited to those described above.

It should be understood that the various embodiments of the disclosure and the terminology used therein are not intended to limit the technical features set forth herein to the particular embodiments, but rather include various modifications, equivalents or alternatives to the respective embodiments. For the description of the drawings, like reference numerals may be used to refer to like or related elements. It will be understood that a noun in the singular corresponding to a term may include one or more things unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, each of the phrases such as "a or B", "at least one of a and B", "at least one of a or B", "A, B or C", "at least one of A, B and C", and "at least one of A, B or C" may include any or all possible combinations of items listed with a corresponding one of the plurality of phrases. As used herein, terms such as "1 st" and "2 nd" or "first" and "second" may be used to simply distinguish one element from another element and not to limit the element in other respects (e.g., importance or order). It will be understood that if the terms "operatively" or "communicatively" are used or the terms "operatively" or "communicatively" are not used, then if an element (e.g., a first element) is referred to as being "coupled to," "connected to," or "connected to" another element (e.g., a second element), it is intended that the element can be directly (e.g., wired) connected to, wireless connected to, or connected to the other element via a third element.

As used in connection with various embodiments of the present disclosure, the term "module" may include an element implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with other terms (e.g., "logic," "logic block," "portion," or "circuitry"). A module may be a single integrated component adapted to perform one or more functions or a minimal unit or portion of the single integrated component. For example, according to an embodiment, a module may be implemented in the form of an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC).

The various embodiments set forth herein may be implemented as software (e.g., program 140) comprising one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (e.g., internal memory 136 or external memory 138) readable by a machine (e.g., electronic device 101). For example, under control of a processor, a processor (e.g., processor 120) of the machine (e.g., electronic device 101) may invoke and execute at least one of the one or more instructions stored in the storage medium with or without the use of one or more other components. This enables the machine to operate to perform at least one function in accordance with the at least one instruction invoked. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code capable of being executed by an interpreter. The machine-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Wherein the term "non-transitory" merely means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not include a signal (e.g., electromagnetic waves), but the term does not distinguish between data being semi-permanently stored in the storage medium and data being temporarily stored in the storage medium.

According to embodiments, methods according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may be included and provided in a computer program product. The computer program product may be used as a product for conducting transactions between sellers and buyers. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium, such as a compact disk read only memory (CD-ROM), or may be distributed (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) online via an application store, such as a playstore (tm), or may be distributed (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) directly between two user devices, such as smartphones. At least some of the computer program product may be temporarily generated if published online, or at least some of the computer program product may be stored at least temporarily in a machine readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or a forwarding server.

According to various embodiments, each of the above-described components (e.g., a module or a program) may include a single entity or multiple entities, and some of the multiple entities may be separately provided in different components. According to various embodiments, one or more of the above components may be omitted, or one or more other components may be added. Alternatively or additionally, multiple components (e.g., modules or programs) may be integrated into a single component. In this case, according to various embodiments, the integrated component may still perform the one or more functions of each of the plurality of components in the same or similar manner as the corresponding one of the plurality of components performed the one or more functions prior to integration. According to various embodiments, operations performed by a module, a program, or another component may be performed sequentially, in parallel, repeatedly, or in a heuristic manner, or one or more of the operations may be performed in a different order or omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

According to various embodiments with reference to fig. 2, the external electronic device 220 may be located within the coverage area of the base station 200. According to an embodiment, the external electronic device 220 may receive data and/or signals (e.g., control information) from the base station 200 through a Downlink (DL). The external electronic device 220 may transmit data and/or signals (e.g., control information) to the base station 200 through an Uplink (UL). For example, the coverage area of the base station 200 may comprise an area (or service area) capable of transmitting and/or receiving data and/or signals to/from the base station 200.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device 101 may send data and/or signals to the external electronic device 220 and/or receive data and/or signals (e.g., control information) from the external electronic device 220 via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) based direct communication (e.g., device-to-device (D2D)).

According to various embodiments, the electronic device 101 may access the base station 200 based on network information provided from the external electronic device 220 by BLE-based direct communication. According to an embodiment, in case the electronic device 101 enters the coverage area of the base station 200, the electronic device 101 may obtain network information related to the base station 200 from the external electronic device 220 by direct communication. The electronic device 101 may access the base station 200 based on network information related to the base station 200 obtained from the external electronic device 220. According to an embodiment, the electronic device 101 may receive data and/or signals (e.g., control information) from the base station 200 over a Downlink (DL) based on access to the base station 200. The electronic device 101 may send data and/or signals (e.g., control information) to the base station 200 over an Uplink (UL) based on access to the base station 200.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device 101 and the external electronic device 220 may perform direct communication based on BLE. However, the direct communication between the electronic device 101 and the external electronic device 220 is not limited to BLE-based direct communication, and may include direct communication based on a near field communication network such as wireless LAN (e.g., wi-Fi), bluetooth, and/or Ultra Wideband (UWB). For example, direct communication may support a multi-peer connection framework (multi-peer connectivity, MCF).

According to various embodiments with reference to fig. 3, the electronic device 101 may include a processor (e.g., including processing circuitry) 300, a first communication circuit 310, a second communication circuit 320, and/or a memory 330. According to an embodiment, processor 300 may be substantially the same as processor 120 of fig. 1, or may include processor 120. The first communication circuit 310 and/or the second communication circuit 320 may be substantially identical to the wireless communication module 192 of fig. 1, or may include the wireless communication module 192. Memory 330 may be substantially the same as memory 130 of fig. 1 or may include memory 130. According to an embodiment, the processor 300 may be operatively connected to the first communication circuit 310, the second communication circuit 320, and/or the memory 330.

According to various embodiments, the processor 300 may identify whether the region in which the electronic device 101 is located has changed in the case where the first communication circuit 310 in the inactive state is switched to the active state. According to an embodiment, the processor 300 may include an Application Processor (AP) and/or a Communication Processor (CP). For example, in the event that the first communication circuit 310 in the inactive state is switched to the active state, the application processor and/or the communication processor may identify whether the region in which the electronic device 101 is located has changed. For example, the state in which the first communication circuit 310 in the inactive state is switched to the active state may include a state in which power is supplied (e.g., energized) to the electronic device 101, a state in which the flight mode of the electronic device 101 is released, and/or a state in which power is supplied to the first communication circuit 31. For example, the state that the region in which the electronic device 101 is located has changed may include a roaming state. For example, the roaming state may include a state in which the electronic device 101 has moved to another area (e.g., region) different from the communication service provider operating the network.

According to an embodiment, in case the first communication circuit 310 in the inactive state is switched to the active state, the processor 300 may identify the region in which the electronic device 101 is located based on the Mobile Country Code (MCC) and/or the Mobile Network Code (MNC) of the region in which the electronic device 101 is located obtained through the network search related to the MCC. When it is determined that the region in which the electronic device 101 is located has changed, the processor 300 may determine that the electronic device is in a roaming state. For example, a network search associated with an MCC may include a series of operations to perform a network search for a specified frequency band. For example, the region in which the electronic device 101 is located may be obtained based on system information (e.g., a Master Information Block (MIB) and/or a System Information Block (SIB) 1) obtained through a network search related to the MCC.

According to an embodiment, in case the first communication circuit 310 in the inactive state is switched to the active state, the processor 300 may obtain information related to the MCC and/or MNC of the area where the electronic device 101 is located through the first communication circuit 310 by means of network searches related to Registered Public Land Mobile Networks (RPLMNs), home PLMNs (HPLMNs) and/or preferred PLMNs. When it is determined that the region in which the electronic device 101 is located has changed based on information related to the MCC and/or MNC in the region in which the electronic device 101 is located, the processor 300 may determine that the electronic device is in a roaming state.

According to various embodiments, when it is determined that the electronic device 101 is in the roaming state, the processor 300 may control the second communication circuit 320 to check network information of the external electronic device 220. According to an embodiment, when it is determined that the electronic device 101 is in the roaming state, the processor 300 may identify network information of the at least one external electronic device 220 in a response message related to the network information received through the second communication circuit 320 in response to the request message related to the network information. For example, when the first communication circuit 310 in the inactive state is switched to the active state or when it is determined that the region in which the electronic device 101 is located has changed, a request message related to network information may be transmitted (or broadcast) through direct communication. For example, the request message related to the network information may include a BLE advertisement message including indication information related to the request for network information and/or information related to the home PLMN of the electronic device 101 (e.g., MCC and/or MNC). For example, the response message related to the network information may include a BLE response message or a BLE advertisement message including indication information related to the network information and/or a response of the network information of the external electronic device 220. For example, the network information of the external electronic device 220 may include information related to a PLMN of the external electronic device, a Radio Access Technology (RAT), a registration status of the external electronic device 200 with the network, and/or a registration time point of the external electronic device 200 with the network. For example, the PLMNs of the external electronic device 220 may include PLMNs of networks to which the external electronic device 200 is to register or has registered. For example, the RAT of the external electronic device 220 may include a RAT of a network to which the external electronic device 220 is to register or has registered. For example, the network information of the external electronic device 220 may include network information of the external electronic device 220 related to the home PLMN of the electronic device 101.

According to various embodiments, the processor 300 may detect a target PLMN for registration of the electronic device 101 based on network information of the external electronic device 220 and/or network information of the electronic device 101 corresponding to the region in which the electronic device 101 is located. According to an embodiment, the processor 300 may select a target PLMN registered by the electronic device 101 based on a registration time point into the network included in the network information of the at least one external electronic device 220 obtained through the direct communication. For example, the target PLMN may include a PLMN of the at least one external electronic device 220 associated with the external electronic device having the most recent registration time to the network.

According to an embodiment, the processor 300 may generate (or update) a shared network list corresponding to a region in which the electronic device 101 is located based on network information of at least one external electronic device 220 obtained through direct communication. The processor 300 may select a target PLMN to which the electronic device 101 is registered based on a registration time point of the external electronic device 220 included in the shared network list. For example, the processor 300 may remove redundant network information from the network information of the at least one external electronic device 220 obtained through direct communication to generate (or update) a shared network list corresponding to the region in which the electronic device 101 is located. For example, the shared network list may include information related to PLMNs and RATs of the external electronic device 220 and/or information related to registration times of the external electronic device 220 with the network.

According to an embodiment, the processor 300 may identify whether there is network information of the at least one external electronic device 220 obtained through direct communication. For example, when it is determined that there is network information of at least one external electronic device 220 obtained through direct communication, the processor 300 may select a target PLMN to which the electronic device 101 is registered based on the network information of the external electronic device 220 and/or the network information of the electronic device 101 corresponding to the region in which the electronic device 101 is located. For example, the target PLMN may include a PLMN associated with the external electronic device 220 or a PLMN associated with the electronic device 101 that has the most recent registration time with the network. For example, the network information of the electronic device 101 corresponding to the region in which the electronic device 101 is located may include information related to a PLMN, RAT, and/or registration time when the electronic device 101 is registered or is to be registered in the region in which the electronic device 101 is located.

According to an embodiment, when it is determined that there is no network information of at least one external electronic device 220 obtained through direct communication, the processor 300 may select a target PLMN to which the electronic device 101 is registered based on the network information of the electronic device 101 corresponding to a region in which the electronic device 101 is located. For example, the target PLMN may include a PLMN associated with the electronic device 101 nearest to the registration time point of the identified network based on network information of the electronic device 101 corresponding to the region in which the electronic device 101 is located.

According to various embodiments, the processor 300 may control the first communication circuit 310 to perform a network search based on a target PLMN associated with the electronic device 101. For example, the target PLMN-based network search may include a series of operations for performing a network search related to a frequency (or frequency band) of the target PLMN.

According to various embodiments, the processor 300 may control the first communication circuit 310 to perform a network registration procedure (or a cell access procedure) by detecting cells based on a network search of a target PLMN associated with the electronic device 101. According to an embodiment, the processor 300 may select a cell (e.g., a best cell) to be accessed by the electronic device 101 based on signal quality of a cell searched by a network search based on a target PLMN associated with the electronic device 101. The processor 300 may control the first communication circuit 310 to perform a network registration procedure (or a cell access procedure) through a cell accessed by the electronic device 101. For example, the signal quality of the cell may include at least one of Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP), reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ), received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI), and signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR). For example, the network registration procedure may include a series of operations in which the electronic device 101 performs registration with a network (e.g., a core network) through radio resources allocated via an access procedure (e.g., a cell access procedure) with a cell (e.g., the base station 200). For example, the cell access procedure may include the electronic device 101 performing a series of operations for access to a cell (e.g., base station 200).

According to various embodiments, the processor 300 may control the second communication circuit 320 to share network information of the electronic device 101 with at least one external electronic device through direct communication. According to an embodiment, in case that a request message related to network information is received through the second communication circuit 320, the processor 300 may recognize whether the request message related to network information satisfies a specified sharing condition. In the case where the processor 300 determines that the request message related to the network information satisfies the specified sharing condition, the processor 300 may control the second communication circuit 320 to transmit the network information of the electronic device 101 to the external electronic device 220 through direct communication. For example, the state in which the specified sharing condition is satisfied may include a state in which identification information of the external electronic device 101 related to direct communication is included in the identification information configured to share network information. For example, the identification information of the external electronic device 220 may include a network operator (e.g., a home PLMN) operating the cellular network supported by the external electronic device 20, a manufacturer of the external electronic device, and/or a predefined shared Identity (ID). For example, the identification information configured to share network information may include information related to the external electronic device 220 for sharing network information by the electronic device 101. For example, the state satisfying the specified sharing condition may include a state in which information related to the home PLMN included in the request message related to the network information is the same as the home PLMN of the electronic apparatus 101.

According to various embodiments, the first communication circuit 310 may support cellular communication of the electronic device 101. According to an embodiment, the first communication circuit 310 may support cellular communication with an external device (e.g., the base station 200 of fig. 2) over a cellular network. For example, the first communication circuit 310 may include a Radio Frequency Integrated Circuit (RFIC) and a Radio Frequency Front End (RFFE) for cellular communication. For example, the cellular network may include a 2G network (e.g., global system for mobile communications (GSM)), a 3G network (e.g., universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS)), a 4G network (e.g., long Term Evolution (LTE)), and/or a 5G network (e.g., new Radio (NR)).

According to various embodiments, the second communication circuit 320 may support direct communication of the electronic device 101. According to an embodiment, the second communication circuit 320 may send and/or receive data and/or control information to and/or from the at least one external electronic device 220 by direct communication. For example, the direct communication may be performed through a near field communication network such as at least one of wireless LAN (e.g., wi-Fi), bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), or Ultra Wideband (UWB). According to an embodiment, the first communication circuit 310 and the second communication circuit 320 may be logically (e.g., software) divided. The first communication circuit 310 and the second communication circuit 320 may be configured with different circuits or different hardware, depending on the embodiment.

According to various embodiments, the memory 330 may store various data used by at least one component of the electronic device 101 (e.g., the processor 300, the first communication circuit 310, and/or the second communication circuit 320). According to an embodiment, the data may include network information of the at least one external electronic device 220, the shared network list, and/or network information of the electronic device 101 obtained by direct communication. According to an embodiment, the memory 330 may store various instructions that may be executed by the processor 300.

According to various embodiments, the processor 300 may identify the region in which the electronic device 101 is located based on at least one of a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), a phone number, a Carrier Portability Code (CPC), an International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI), an international subscriber identity (IMSI), an electronic network code (MNC), a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi), and a data network (e.g., an IP address).

According to various embodiments, the processor 300 may control the second communication circuit 320 to periodically collect network information of the external electronic device 220 through direct communication. According to an embodiment, the processor 300 may control the second communication circuit 320 to collect network information of the external electronic device through direct communication based on a specified period from a point in time when the network information of the external electronic device 220 is obtained through direct communication based on the roaming state of the electronic device 101.

According to various embodiments, when it is determined that there is no network information of at least one external electronic device 220 obtained through direct communication and network information of an electronic device 101 corresponding to a region where the electronic device 101 is located, the processor 300 may control the first communication circuit 310 to perform a network search (e.g., full-band scan) for at least one frequency band that the electronic device 101 may support.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device 101 may send a request message related to network information, including indication information related to a request for network information, through direct communication. The electronic device 101 may receive network information of at least one external electronic device 220 through direct communication in response to a request message related to the network information. The electronic device 101 may obtain (or extract) network information of the external electronic device 220 related to the home PLMN of the electronic device 101 from network information of at least one external electronic device 220 obtained through direct communication. The electronic device 101 may detect the target PLMN based on network information of the external electronic device 220 related to the home PLMN of the electronic device 101.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device 101 (e.g., the electronic device 101 of fig. 1, 2, or 3) may include a memory (e.g., the memory 130 of fig. 1 or the memory 330 of fig. 3), a first communication circuit supporting cellular communication (e.g., the wireless communication module 192 of fig. 1 or the first communication circuit 310 of fig. 3), a second communication circuit supporting Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) (e.g., the wireless communication module 192 of fig. 1 or the second communication circuit 320 of fig. 3), and a processor (e.g., the processor 120 of fig. 1 or the processor 300 of fig. 3) operatively connected to the memory, the first communication circuit, and the second communication circuit may identify a region in which the electronic device is located by using the first communication circuit, detect a public land mobile network accessible to the electronic device by direct communication using the second communication circuit when it is determined that the region in which the electronic device is located has changed, perform a search for a network associated with the detected PLMN by the first communication circuit, and perform a network registration procedure by the first PLMN by the network based on the detected PLMN.

According to various embodiments, in the event that the first communication circuit in the inactive state is switched to the active state, the processor may identify at least one of a Mobile Country Code (MCC) or a Mobile Network Code (MNC) of an area in which the electronic device is located, and identify a region in which the electronic device is located based on at least one of the MCC and MNC.

According to various embodiments, the processor may identify at least one of an MCC and an MNC of an area in which the electronic device is located based on at least one of a Master Information Block (MIB) or a system information block 1 (SIB 1) obtained through the first communication circuit switched to an active state.

According to various embodiments, the processor may send a BLE advertisement request message including information related to a Home PLMN (HPLMN) of the electronic device through the second communication circuit, and obtain network information of the at least one internal electronic device from a response message received from the at least one external electronic device in response to the BLE advertisement request message.

According to various embodiments, the processor may send a BLE advertisement request message including information related to a Home PLMN (HPLMN) of the electronic device through the second communication circuit in case the first communication circuit in the inactive state is switched to the active state.

According to various embodiments, when it is determined that the region in which the electronic device is located has changed, the processor may transmit a BLE advertisement request message including information related to a Home PLMN (HPLMN) of the electronic device through the second communication circuit.

According to various embodiments, the network information of the external electronic device may include information related to a PLMN, a Radio Access Technology (RAT), a registration status, and/or a registration time.

According to various embodiments, the processor may detect PLMNs accessible to the electronic device based on registration times of PLMNs included in the network information of the at least one external electronic device.

According to various embodiments, in case the processor does not obtain network information of at least one external electronic device by direct communication using the second communication circuit, the processor may detect a PLMN accessible to the electronic device based on the network information of the electronic device corresponding to the region in which the electronic device is located.

According to various embodiments, in the case where the processor receives the BLE advertisement request message through the second communication circuit, the processor may identify information related to a Home PLMN (HPLMN) included in the request message, and when it is determined that the HPLMN related information included in the request message satisfies a specified sharing condition, transmit a response message including network information of the electronic device through the second communication circuit.

Fig. 4 is a flow chart 400 for registering in a network in an electronic device, in accordance with various embodiments. In the following embodiments, each operation may be sequentially performed, but is not necessarily sequentially performed. For example, the order of each operation may be changed, and at least two operations may be performed in parallel. For example, the electronic device of fig. 4 may be the electronic device 101 of fig. 1, 2, or 3.

According to various embodiments with reference to fig. 4, in operation 401, the electronic device may identify whether the region in which the electronic device 101 (e.g., the processor 120 of fig. 1 or the processor 300 of fig. 3) is located has changed. According to an embodiment, the processor 300 may identify the region in which the electronic device 101 is located in case the first communication circuit 310 in the inactive state is switched to the active state. For example, in the case where the first communication circuit 310 in the inactive state is switched to the active state, the processor 300 may identify the region in which the electronic device 101 is located based on the Mobile Country Code (MCC) and/or the Mobile Network Code (MNC) of the region in which the electronic device 101 is located obtained through the network search related to the MCC. For example, a network search associated with an MCC may include a series of operations to perform a network search for a specified frequency band. For example, the processor 300 may obtain information related to the MCC and/or MNC of the area in which the electronic device 101 is located through the first communication circuit 310 via a network search related to the registered PLMN, home PLMN, and/or preferred PLMN. The processor 300 may determine whether the region in which the electronic device 101 is located has changed based on information related to the MCC and/or MNC of the region in which the electronic device 101 is located. For example, in the case where the MCC of the area in which the electronic device 101 is located is different from the MCC of the registered PLMN of the electronic device 101, the processor 300 may determine that the area in which the electronic device 101 is located has changed. For example, in the case where the MCC of the area in which the electronic device 101 is located is the same as the MCC of the registered PLMN of the electronic device 101, the processor 300 may determine that the area in which the electronic device 101 is located has not changed. For example, the state in which the first communication circuit 310 in the inactive state is switched to the active state may include a state in which power is supplied to the electronic device 101 (e.g., energized), a state in which the flight mode of the electronic device 101 is released, and/or a state in which power is supplied to the first communication circuit 31.

According to various embodiments, when it is determined that the region in which the electronic device 101 is located has not changed (e.g., "no" in operation 401), the electronic device (e.g., the processor 120 or 300) may terminate the embodiment for registering in the network.

According to various embodiments, when it is determined that the region in which the electronic device 101 is located has changed (e.g., "yes" in operation 401), the electronic device (e.g., the processor 120 or 300) may obtain network information of the at least one external electronic device 220 through direct communication in operation 403. According to an embodiment, when it is determined that the region (or service area) in which the electronic device 101 is located has changed, the processor 300 may obtain the network information of the at least one external electronic device 220 from a response message related to the network information received through the second communication circuit 320 in response to the request message related to the network information. For example, when the first communication circuit 310 in the inactive state is switched to the active state or when it is determined that the region of the electronic device 101 is changed, a request message related to network information may be transmitted (or broadcast) through direct communication. For example, the request message related to the network information may include a BLE advertisement message including indication information related to the request for network information and/or information related to the home PLMN of the electronic device 101 (e.g., MCC and/or MNC). For example, the response message related to the network information may include a BLE response message or a BLE advertisement message including indication information related to the response of the network information and/or information of the external electronic device 220. For example, the network information of the external electronic device 220 may include information related to a PLMN and RAT of the external electronic device 220, a registration status of the external electronic device 220 with a network, and/or a registration time point of the external electronic device 20. For example, the state that the region in which the electronic device 101 is located has changed may include a roaming state.

In operation 405, the electronic device (e.g., the processor 120 or 300) may detect (or identify) a target PLMN for registration of the electronic device 101 based on network information of at least one external electronic device 220 and/or network information of the electronic device 101 corresponding to the region in which the electronic device 101 is located. According to an embodiment, the processor 300 may identify a PLMN associated with the at least one internal electronic device 220 and a registration time point of the at least one external electronic device 220 in the network based on network information of the at least one external electronic device 220 obtained through direct communication. The processor 300 may select a PLMN associated with the external electronic device 220 and/or the electronic device 101 having the most recent registration time to the network as the target PLMN. For example, the state that the point in time of registration with the network is the most recent may include a state that the point in time of registration with the network is closest to the current time.

According to various embodiments, in operation 407, the electronic device (e.g., the processor 120 or 300) may perform registration with the network through a cell of the target PLMN registered by the electronic device 101. According to an embodiment, the processor 300 may control the first communication circuit 310 to perform a network search based on the target PLMN registered by the electronic device 101. The processor 300 may select a cell (e.g., a best cell) to be accessed by the electronic device 101 based on signal quality of a cell searched by a network search based on a target PLMN associated with the electronic device 101. The processor 300 may control the first communication circuit 310 to perform a network registration procedure (or a cell access procedure) through a cell accessed by the electronic device 101. For example, the network search based on the target PLMN may include a series of operations of performing the network search related to the frequency band of the target PLMN. For example, the signal quality of the cell may include at least one of RSRP, RSRQ, RSSI and SINR.

Fig. 5 is an example of a flow chart 500 for obtaining network information in an electronic device, in accordance with various embodiments. According to an embodiment, at least a portion of fig. 5 may be the detailed operation of operations 401 and 403 of fig. 4. In the following embodiments, each operation may be sequentially performed, but is not necessarily sequentially performed. For example, the order of each operation may be changed, and at least two operations may be performed in parallel. For example, the electronic device of fig. 5 may be the electronic device 101 of fig. 1, 2, or 3.

According to various embodiments with reference to fig. 5, in operation 501, an electronic device (e.g., processor 120 of fig. 1 or processor 300 of fig. 3) may identify whether cellular communication of electronic device 101 is activated. According to an embodiment, in the event that power is supplied (e.g., powered on) to the electronic device 101, the processor 300 may determine that the first communication circuit 310 in the inactive state is switched to the active state to activate cellular communication of the electronic device 101. According to an embodiment, when the flight mode of the electronic device 101 is released, the processor 300 may determine that the first communication circuit 310 in the inactive state is switched to the active state to activate cellular communication in the electronic device 101. According to an embodiment, in case a menu related to activating the cellular mode of the electronic device 101 is set, the processor 300 may determine that the first communication circuit 310 in the inactive state is switched to the active state to activate the cellular communication of the electronic device.

According to various embodiments, in the event that cellular communication of electronic device 101 is activated (e.g., "yes" in operation 501), the electronic device (e.g., processor 120 or 300) may send (or broadcast) a request message related to the network information via direct communication in operation 503. For example, the request message related to the network information may include a BLE advertisement message including indication information related to the request for network information and/or information related to the home PLMN of the electronic device 101 (e.g., MCC and/or MNC).

According to various embodiments, in operation 505, an electronic device (e.g., processor 120 or 300) may identify a region in which the electronic device 101 is located. According to an embodiment, the processor 300 may identify the region in which the electronic device 101 is located based on the MCC and/or MNC of the region in which the electronic device 101 is located obtained through a network search related to the MCC. According to an embodiment, the processor 300 may identify the region in which the electronic device 101 is located based on the MCC and/or MNC of the region in which the electronic device 101 is located obtained through a network search associated with a Registered PLMN (RPLMN), a home PLMN, and/or a preferred PLMN.

According to various embodiments, in operation 507, an electronic device (e.g., processor 120 or 300) may identify whether the region in which the electronic device 101 is located has changed. According to an embodiment, the processor 300 may determine that the region in which the electronic device 101 is located has changed in case the MCC of the region in which the electronic device 101 is located is different from the MCC of the registered PLMN of the electronic device 101. According to an embodiment, in case the MCC of the area where the electronic device 101 is located is the same as the MCC of the registered PLMN of the electronic device 101, the processor 300 may determine that the area where the electronic device 101 is located is not changed.

According to various embodiments, when it is determined that the region in which the electronic device 101 is located has changed (e.g., "yes" in operation 507), the electronic device (e.g., the processor 120 or 300) may obtain network information of the at least one external electronic device 220 through direct communication in operation 509. According to an embodiment, in response to the request message related to the network information transmitted through the direct communication in operation 503, the processor 300 may obtain the network information of the at least one external electronic device 220 from the response message related to the network information received through the second communication circuit 320. For example, the response message related to the network information may include a BLE response message or a BLE advertisement message including indication information related to the network information and/or a response of the network information of the external electronic device 220.

According to various embodiments, an electronic device (e.g., processor 120 or 300) may terminate an embodiment for acquiring network information in the event that cellular communication of the electronic device 101 is inactive (e.g., "no" in operation 501) or the region in which the electronic device 101 is located is determined to be unchanged (e.g., "no" in operation 507).

Fig. 6 is another example of a flow chart 600 for obtaining network information in an electronic device, in accordance with various embodiments. According to an embodiment, at least a portion of fig. 6 may be the detailed operation of operations 401 and 403 of fig. 4. In the following embodiments, each operation may be sequentially performed, but is not necessarily sequentially performed. For example, the order of each operation may be changed, and at least two operations may be performed in parallel. For example, the electronic device of fig. 6 may be the electronic device 101 of fig. 1, 2, or 3.

According to various embodiments with reference to fig. 6, in operation 601, an electronic device (e.g., processor 120 of fig. 1 or processor 300 of fig. 3) may identify whether cellular communication of electronic device 101 is activated. According to an embodiment, the processor 300 may determine that the first communication circuit 310 in the inactive state is switched to the active state to activate cellular communication of the electronic device 101 in the event of powering (e.g., powering on) the electronic device 101, canceling a flight mode of the electronic device 101, or configuring a menu related to activating a cellular mode of the electronic device 101.

According to various embodiments, in the event that cellular communication of the electronic device 101 is activated (e.g., "yes" in operation 601), the electronic device (e.g., processor 120 or 300) may identify the region in which the electronic device 101 is located in operation 603. According to an embodiment, the processor 300 may identify the region in which the electronic device 101 is located based on the MCC and/or MNC of the region in which the electronic device 101 is located. For example, the MCC and/or MNC in the area where the electronic device 101 is located may be obtained by a network search associated with the MCC and/or a network search associated with a Registered PLMN (RPLMN), a home PLMN, and/or a preferred PLMN).

According to various embodiments, in operation 605, an electronic device (e.g., processor 120 or 300) may identify whether the region in which the electronic device 101 is located has changed. According to an embodiment, the processor 300 may determine that the region in which the electronic device 101 is located has changed in case the MCC of the region in which the electronic device 101 is located is different from the MCC of the registered PLMN of the electronic device 101. According to an embodiment, in case the MCC of the area where the electronic device 101 is located is the same as the MCC of the registered PLMN of the electronic device 101, the processor 300 may determine that the area where the electronic device 101 is located is not changed.

According to various embodiments, when it is determined that the region in which the electronic device 101 is located has changed (e.g., yes in operation 605), the electronic device (e.g., processor 120 or 300) may send (or broadcast) a request message related to the network information through direct communication in operation 607. According to an embodiment, when it is determined that the region in which the electronic device 101 is located has changed, the processor 300 may control the second communication circuit 320 to transmit (or broadcast) a request message related to network information through direct communication. For example, the request message related to the network information may include a BLE advertisement message including indication information related to the request for network information and/or information related to the home PLMN of the electronic device 101 (e.g., MCC and/or MNC).

According to various embodiments, in operation 609, the electronic device (e.g., processor 120 or 300) may obtain network information of the at least one external electronic device 220 through direct communication. According to an embodiment, the processor 300 may obtain the network information of the at least one external electronic device 220 from the response message related to the network information received through the second communication circuit 320 in response to the request message related to the network information transmitted through the direct communication. For example, the response message related to the network information may include a BLE response message or a BLE advertisement message including indication information related to the network information and/or a response of the network information of the external electronic device 220.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device (e.g., processor 120 or 300) may terminate an embodiment for acquiring network information in the event that the cellular communication of the electronic device 101 is inactive (e.g., "no" in operation 601) or the region in which the electronic device 101 is located is determined to be unchanged (e.g., "no" in operation 605).

Fig. 7 is a flow chart 700 for configuring a target PLMN in an electronic device according to various embodiments. According to an embodiment, at least a portion of fig. 7 may be the detailed operation of operations 401 and 403 of fig. 4. In the following embodiments, each operation may be sequentially performed, but is not necessarily sequentially performed. For example, the order of each operation may be changed, and at least two operations may be performed in parallel. For example, the electronic device of fig. 7 may be the electronic device 101 of fig. 1, 2, or 3.

According to various embodiments with reference to fig. 7, when it is determined that the region in which the electronic device 101 is located has changed (e.g., "yes" of operation 401 of fig. 4), the electronic device (e.g., the processor 120 of fig. 1 or the processor 300 of fig. 3) may identify whether network information of the external electronic device 220 is received through direct communication in operation 701. According to an embodiment, the processor 300 may identify whether network information of the at least one external electronic device 220 is received through the second communication circuit 320 in response to a request message related to the network information transmitted through direct communication. For example, the network information of the external electronic device 220 may be included in a response message related to the network information. For example, the response message related to the network information may include a BLE response message or a BLE advertisement message including indication information related to the network information and/or a response of the network information of the external electronic device 220. For example, the network information of the external electronic device 220 may include information related to a PLMN and RAT of the external electronic device 220, a registration status of the external electronic device 220 with a network, and/or a registration time point of the external electronic device 220.

According to various embodiments, in the event that the electronic device receives network information of at least one external electronic device 220 via direct communication (e.g., "yes" of operation 701), the electronic device (e.g., processor 120 or 300) may generate (or update) a shared network list corresponding to the region in which the electronic device 101 is located based on the network information of the at least one external electronic device 220 in operation 703. For example, the shared network list may be generated (updated) by removing redundant network information (e.g., redundant PLMNs) from the network information of the at least one external electronic device 220. For example, the shared network list may include information related to at least one PLMN to which the external electronic device 220 has registered or is to be registered.

According to various embodiments, in operation 705, the electronic device 101 may detect a target PLMN for registration of the electronic device 101 based on the shared network list and/or network information of the electronic device 101. According to an embodiment, the processor 300 may select a PLMN closest to a point of time currently registered to the network among PLMNs included in the shared network list and the network information of the electronic device 101 as the target PLMN. For example, the network information of the electronic device 101 may include information related to at least one PLMN registered with the electronic device 101 in a region in which the electronic device 101 is located.

According to various embodiments, in the event that network information of at least one external electronic device 220 is not received through direct communication (e.g., "no" in operation 701), in operation 707, the electronic device (e.g., processor 120 or 300) may detect a target PLMN registered by the electronic device 101 based on the network information of the electronic device 101 corresponding to the region in which the electronic device 101 is located. According to an embodiment, the processor 300 may select a PLMN closest to a current point of time registered to the network among PLMNs included in network information of the electronic device 101 corresponding to a region in which the electronic device 101 is located as a target PLMN.

According to various embodiments, when a target PLMN is detected, the electronic device 101 may perform a network search related to the target PLMN. The electronic device 101 may perform a network registration procedure by searching for detected cells via a network associated with the target PLMN.

According to various embodiments, in the event that network information of at least one external electronic device 220 is received through direct communication (e.g., "yes" in operation 701), an electronic device (e.g., processor 120 or 300) may detect network information of an external electronic device related to at least one PLMN stored in a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) used by the electronic device 101 in the network information of the at least one external electronic device 220. According to an embodiment, the processor 300 may detect network information of the external electronic device related to the home PLMN of the electronic device 101 among network information of the at least one external electronic device 220 obtained by direct communication. For example, the processor 300 may extract network information of the external electronic device including the same home PLMN as the home PLMN of the electronic device 101 from the network information of the at least one external electronic device 220 obtained through the direct communication. According to an embodiment, the processor 300 may generate (or update) a shared network list corresponding to the region in which the electronic device 101 is located based on network information of the external electronic device 220 related to the home PLMN of the electronic device 101.

According to various embodiments with reference to fig. 8, the electronic device 101 may detect a network (or cell 800) through a network search to access the electronic device 101 (operation 821).

According to various embodiments, the electronic device 101 may send a registration request message to a network (or cell 800) detected through network searching to be accessed by the electronic device 101 (operation 823).

According to various embodiments, in the event that the electronic device 101 receives a registration accept message in response to the registration request message (operation 825), the electronic device 101 may determine that registration is complete in the network (or cell) 800.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device 101 may generate and/or update network information (or a list of networks) of the electronic device 101 based on information about networks that the electronic device 101 has registered. According to the embodiment, in the case where there is no network information of the electronic apparatus 101 corresponding to the region where the electronic apparatus 101 is located, the electronic apparatus 101 may generate the network information (or the network list) of the electronic apparatus 101 including the information of the registered network.

According to the embodiment, in the case where there is network information of the electronic apparatus 101 corresponding to the region where the electronic apparatus 101 is located, the electronic apparatus 101 may update the network information of the electronic apparatus 101 based on the information on the network in which the electronic apparatus 101 has been registered. For example, the electronic device 101 may include network information 810 of the electronic device 101, including "PLMN a, RAT LTE" and "PLMN B, RAT 5G". The electronic device 101 may add information of a registered network of the electronic device 101 (e.g., PLMN C and RAT LTE) to network information of the electronic device 101 (operation 830).

According to various embodiments with reference to fig. 9, the electronic device 101 may detect a network (or cell 900) through a network search to access the electronic device 101 (operation 921).

According to various embodiments, the electronic device 101 may transmit a registration request message to a network (or cell 900) detected through network searching to be accessed by the electronic device 101 (operation 923). According to an embodiment, when searching for a network (e.g., PLMNB and RAT 5G) included in the network information 910 of the electronic apparatus 101, the electronic apparatus 101 may transmit a registration request message to the corresponding network.

According to various embodiments, in the event that the electronic device 101 receives a registration rejection message in response to the registration request message (operation 925), the electronic device 101 may determine that registration in the network (or cell) failed.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device 101 may update network information in the electronic device 101 based on information of a network for which registration of the electronic device 101 failed. According to an embodiment, the electronic device 101 may include network information 910 of the electronic device 101 including "PLMNA, RAT LTE", "PLMNB, RAT 5G", and "PLMNC, RAT LTE". The electronic device 101 may delete information of networks (e.g., PLMNB and RAT 5G) that the electronic device 101 fails to register from the network information of the electronic device 101 (operation 930).

Fig. 10 is a flow diagram 1000 for sharing network information in an electronic device, in accordance with various embodiments. In the following embodiments, each operation may be sequentially performed, but is not necessarily sequentially performed. For example, the order of each operation may be changed, and at least two operations may be performed in parallel. For example, the electronic device of fig. 10 may be the electronic device 101 of fig. 1, 2, or 3.

According to various embodiments with reference to fig. 10, in operation 1001, an electronic device (e.g., the processor 120 of fig. 1 or the processor 300 of fig. 3) may identify whether a request message related to network information is received through direct communication. For example, the request message related to the network information may include a BLE advertisement message including indication information related to the request for network information and/or information related to the home PLMN of the electronic device 101 (e.g., MCC and/or MNC).

According to various embodiments, an electronic device (e.g., processor 120 or 300) may terminate an embodiment for sharing network information of electronic device 101 without receiving a request message related to the network information via direct communication (e.g., "no" in operation 1001).

According to various embodiments, in the event that a request message related to network information is received through direct communication (e.g., "yes" in operation 1001), an electronic device (e.g., processor 120 or 300) may determine whether to share network information with external electronic device 220 based on the request message related to network information in operation 1003. According to an embodiment, in case that a request message related to network information is received through the second communication circuit 320, the processor 300 may recognize whether the request message related to network information satisfies a specified sharing condition. When it is determined that the request message related to the network information satisfies the specified sharing condition, the processor 300 may determine whether to share the network information with the external electronic device 220. For example, the state in which the specified sharing condition is satisfied may include a state in which identification information of the external electronic device 101 related to direct communication is included in the identification information configured to share network information. For example, the identification information of the external electronic device 220 may include a communication carrier (e.g., home PLMN) operating a cellular network supported by the external electronic device 20, a manufacturer of the external electronic device 220, and/or a predefined shared Identification (ID). For example, the processor 300 may obtain information related to the home PLMN of the external electronic device 220 included in the request message related to the network information. In the event that the home PLMN of the external electronic device 220 is the same as the home PLMN of the electronic device 101, the processor 300 may determine that the network information is shared with the external electronic device 200. In the event that the home PLMN of the external electronic device 220 is different from the home PLMN of the electronic device 101, the processor 300 may determine that the network information is not shared with the external electronic device 200.

According to various embodiments, when it is determined that the network information is shared with the external electronic device 220 (e.g., "yes" in operation 1003), the electronic device (e.g., the processor 120 or 300) may transmit the network information of the electronic device 101 through direct communication in operation 1005. According to an embodiment, when it is determined that the network information is shared with the external electronic device 220, the processor 300 may control the second communication circuit 320 to transmit a response message related to the network information including the network information of the electronic device 101. For example, the response message related to the network information may include a BLE response message or a BLE advertisement message.

According to various embodiments, when it is determined that the network information is not shared with the external electronic device 220 (e.g., "no" in operation 1003), the electronic device (e.g., the processor 120 or 300) may transmit information related to the sharing restriction of the network information through direct communication in operation 1007. According to an embodiment, when it is determined that the network information is not shared with the external electronic device 220, the processor 300 may control the second communication circuit 320 to transmit a response message including information related to a sharing restriction of the network information. For example, the response message related to the network information may include a BLE response message or a BLE advertisement message.

According to various embodiments, a method of operating an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device 101 of fig. 1, 2, or 3) may include identifying a region in which the electronic device is located through cellular communication, obtaining network information of at least one external electronic device through Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) -based direct communication when it is determined that the region in which the electronic device is located has changed, detecting a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) accessible to the electronic device based on the network information of the at least one external electronic device, performing a network search related to the detected PLMN through cellular communication, and performing a network registration procedure through the detected cell based on the network search through cellular communication.

According to various embodiments, identifying the region in which the electronic device is located may include identifying at least one of a Mobile Country Code (MCC) or a Mobile Network Code (MNC) of an area in which the electronic device is located if cellular communication of the electronic device is activated, and identifying the region in which the electronic device is located based on at least one of the MCC and MNC.

According to various embodiments, at least one of the MCC or MNC may be identified based on at least one of a Master Information Block (MIB) or a system information block 1 (SIB 1) obtained through cellular communication.

According to various embodiments, sending a BLE advertisement request message including information related to a Home PLMN (HPLMN) of the electronic device via BLE-based direct communication may further include obtaining network information of the at least one external electronic device from a response message received from the at least one external electronic device in response to the BLE advertisement request message.

According to various embodiments, sending the request message may include sending a BLE advertisement request message including information related to a Home PLMN (HPLMN) of the electronic device via BLE-based direct communication in a case where cellular communication of the electronic device is activated.

According to various embodiments, transmitting the request message may include transmitting a BLE advertisement request message including information related to a Home PLMN (HPLMN) of the electronic device through BLE-based direct communication when it is determined that a region in which the electronic device is located has changed.

According to various embodiments, detecting a PLMN may include detecting a PLMN accessible to the electronic device based on a registration time of the PLMN included in the network information of the at least one external electronic device.

According to various embodiments, detecting a PLMN accessible to the electronic device based on information of the electronic device corresponding to the region in which the electronic device is located may also be included without obtaining network information of at least one external electronic device through direct communication using the second communication circuit.

According to various embodiments, in case of receiving the BLE advertisement request message through the BLE-based direct communication, identifying information related to a Home PLMN (HPLMN) included in the request message may be further included, and when it is determined that the HPLMN related information included in the request message satisfies the specified sharing condition, transmitting a response message including network information of the electronic device through the second communication circuit may be further included.

The embodiments of the present disclosure disclosed in the present disclosure and the accompanying drawings are merely specific examples for easily explaining the technical contents according to the embodiments of the present disclosure and helping to understand the embodiments of the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Accordingly, all modifications or modified forms derived based on the technical idea of the present disclosure, other than the embodiments disclosed herein, may be construed as being included in the scope of the various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a memory;

a first communication circuit supporting cellular communication;

a second communication circuit supporting Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE); and

a processor operably connected to the memory, the first communication circuit, and the second communication circuit, wherein the processor:

identifying a region in which the electronic device is located by using the first communication circuit;

obtaining network information of at least one external electronic device by direct communication using the second communication circuit when it is determined that the region in which the electronic device is located has changed;

detecting a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) accessible to the electronic device based on network information of at least one external electronic device;

performing, by the first communication circuit, a network search associated with the detected PLMN; and is also provided with

Based on the network search by the first communication circuit, a network registration procedure is performed by the detected cell.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor, with the first communication circuit in the inactive state switched to the active state:

identifying at least one of a Mobile Country Code (MCC) or a Mobile Network Code (MNC) of an area in which the electronic device is located; and

The region in which the electronic device is located is identified based on at least one of the MCC and the MNC.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor:

transmitting, by the second communication circuit, a BLE advertisement request message including information related to a Home PLMN (HPLMN) of the electronic device; and

network information of the at least one external electronic device is obtained from a response message received from the at least one external electronic device in response to the BLE advertisement request message.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the processor sends a BLE advertisement request message including information related to a Home PLMN (HPLMN) of the electronic device through the second communication circuit in a case where the first communication circuit in the inactive state is switched to the active state.

5. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the processor transmits a BLE advertisement request message including information related to a Home PLMN (HPLMN) of the electronic device through the second communication circuit when it is determined that the region in which the electronic device is located has changed.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the network information of the external electronic device comprises information related to PLMN, radio Access Technology (RAT), registration status, and/or registration time.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the processor detects PLMNs accessible to the electronic device based on registration times of PLMNs included in network information of at least one external electronic device.

8. A method of operating an electronic device, the method comprising:

identifying a region in which the electronic device is located through cellular communication;

obtaining network information of at least one external electronic device through Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) based direct communication when it is determined that a region in which the electronic device is located has changed;

performing a network search related to the detected PLMN through cellular communication; and

based on the network search through the cellular communication, a network registration procedure is performed through the detected cell.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein identifying the region in which the electronic device is located comprises:

identifying at least one of a Mobile Country Code (MCC) or a Mobile Network Code (MNC) of an area in which the electronic device is located in a case where cellular communication of the electronic device is activated; and

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising: transmitting a BLE advertisement request message including information related to a Home PLMN (HPLMN) of the electronic device through BLE-based direct communication, wherein obtaining network information includes obtaining network information of the at least one external electronic device from a response message received from the at least one external electronic device in response to the BLE advertisement request message.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein sending the request message comprises sending a BLE advertisement request message comprising information related to a Home PLMN (HPLMN) of the electronic device via BLE-based direct communication if cellular communication of the electronic device is activated.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein sending the request message comprises sending a BLE advertisement request message comprising information related to a Home PLMN (HPLMN) of the electronic device via BLE-based direct communication when it is determined that the region in which the electronic device is located has changed.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the network information of the external electronic device comprises information related to a PLMN, a Radio Access Technology (RAT), a registration status, and/or a registration time.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein detecting a PLMN comprises detecting a PLMN accessible to the electronic device based on a registration time of the PLMN included in the network information of the at least one external electronic device.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising: in the case where network information of at least one external electronic device directly communicating by using the second communication circuit is not obtained, a PLMN accessible to the electronic device is detected based on the network information of the electronic device corresponding to the region in which the electronic device is located.