Patent ID: 7970416

Claim:
A mobile communication terminal configured for receiving a multimedia broadcast signal, comprising: an input unit configured to receive a channel selection input from a user for receiving a multimedia broadcast; a memory unit configured to store a channel broadcasting list including broadcasting channel information for broadcasting areas, the channel broadcasting list being provided by a broadcasting station when the mobile communication terminal is initially activated; a receiving unit configured to receive a multimedia broadcast signal from a broadcast station according to the channel selection input; a positioning unit for periodically determining the position of the mobile communication terminal; a controlling unit configured to: determine a current broadcast area of the mobile communication terminal according to a determined position of the mobile communication terminal, extract a first broadcasting channel information for the multimedia broadcast signal associated with the current broadcast area, receive the multimedia broadcast signal corresponding to the channel selection input based on the extracted first broadcasting channel information of the current broadcast area, determine if the mobile communication terminal has moved from the current broadcast area according to the periodically determined position of the mobile communication terminal while receiving the multimedia broadcast signal associated with the channel selection input, determine, via the positioning unit, if the mobile communication terminal is located in an overlapped broadcast service area located between the current broadcast area and a second broadcast area when the mobile communication terminal has moved from the current broadcast area, and extract, from the memory unit, a second broadcasting channel information associated with the second broadcast area that overlaps the current broadcast area; and a comparing unit configured to compare the extracted first broadcasting channel information with the extracted second broadcasting channel information, wherein the controlling unit switches to a broadcasting channel of the second broadcast area that provides the same broadcasting signal as the current broadcast area when the first broadcasting channel information is different from the second broadcasting channel information, and wherein the second broadcast area does not completely overlap the current broadcast area.