Patent ID: 11910253
Assignee: T-MOBILE USA, INC.
Field: Digital communication (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 0:
1. A method for inter-frequency scanning by a user equipment device (UE) that includes multiple radios including at least a first radio and a second radio, the method comprising:
when the first radio of the UE has a first air-interface connection with an access node on a first carrier and the first radio is engaging in interruption-sensitive air-interface communication over the first air-interface connection on the first carrier, (a) encountering by the UE a trigger to scan for and report to the access node coverage on a second carrier different than the first carrier, and (b) responsive to at least encountering the trigger and to the first radio engaging in the interruption-sensitive air-interface communication over the first air-interface connection on the first carrier, (i) scanning by the second radio, rather than by the first radio, for coverage on the second carrier, and (ii) reporting by the first radio to the access node, over the air-interface connection on the first carrier, a result of the scanning by the second radio,
wherein the first radio operates according to a first radio access technology (RAT) and the second radio operates according to a second RAT different than the first RAT, and
whereby scanning by the second radio, rather than the first radio, for coverage on the second carrier helps to avoid a measurement gap interrupting service of the first radio on the first carrier.