Patent ID: 8019378

Claim:
An apparatus for preventing power consumption in a multi-mode portable terminal supporting access to at least two different networks, the apparatus comprising: a first communicator communicating with a mobile communication network; a second communicator communicating with a heterogeneous network; and a controller controlling the second communicator to scan an Access Point (AP) so as to perform a service connection to the heterogeneous network if a service connection to the mobile communication network is performed, wherein the controller releases a connection to the heterogeneous network when the service connection through the heterogeneous network has stopped, wherein, if the AP is not sensed, the controller controls the first communicator to maintain a service of the mobile communication network to which the multi-mode portable terminal is connected, and wherein, if a period of time elapses after the service of the mobile communication network is maintained, the controller controls the second communicator to scan the AP to perform a service connection to the heterogeneous network.