Patent ID: 8311536

Claim:
A wireless communication device comprising: a wireless communication interface arranged to communicate over an air interface with a serving radio access network (RAN), wherein the device operates under a service subscription with a home carrier having a home carrier RAN and is served by the home carrier RAN when in coverage of and registered for service with the home carrier RAN but is served by a roaming carrier RAN of a roaming carrier when in coverage of and registered for service with the roaming carrier RAN; and a location-determination module arranged to determine a geographic location of the device, wherein, when the device detects coverage of the roaming carrier RAN, the device sends a registration message to the roaming carrier RAN, which triggers the roaming carrier RAN to notify the home carrier that the device is being served by the roaming carrier RAN, the device then being successfully registered for service with the roaming carrier RAN, wherein, when the device has successfully registered for service with the roaming carrier RAN and is being served by the roaming carrier RAN, the device encounters a reporting trigger and responsively determines the geographic location and sends a report of the determined geographic location via the roaming carrier RAN to a home carrier server operated by the home carrier so as to allow the home carrier server to select, based on the reported geographic location, a nearby home carrier base station to serve the device, and wherein the device receives from the home carrier server via the roaming carrier RAN a directive generated by the home carrier server in response to the report, the directive directing the device to be served by the selected nearby home carrier base station, and wherein, in response to the received directive, the device responsively transitions to be served by the nearby home carrier base station.