Patent ID: 8249590

Claim:
A method for selecting a communication service, said method comprising: receiving, at a communication handset, a request for an inbound or outbound communication while the communication handset is registered with one type of communication service but is not scanning for a second type of communication service; in response to receiving the request while the communication handset is not scanning for the second type of communication service, determining, at the communication handset, if the second type of communication service is available; switching a component on the communication handset from an asleep state to an awake state in response to the request for an inbound or outbound communication, the component used in determining if the second type of communication service is available; registering the communication handset with the second type of communication service; comparing metrics of the one type of communication service with metrics of the second type of communication service; selecting between the one type of communication service and the second type of communication service based upon the comparison of the metrics; and responding to the request using the selected type of service.