Patent ID: 7689216

Claim:
A network selection method comprising: performing the following acts for each broadcast control channel of a plurality of broadcast control channels defined in a wireless communication system which includes a plurality of wireless communication networks: measuring, on the broadcast control channel, a signal strength level of a radio frequency (RF) signal of a wireless communication network; repeating the act of measuring on the broadcast control channel at least one time so that at least one other signal strength level of the RF signal on the broadcast control channel is identified; completing an averaging function with the signal strength level and the at least one other signal strength level for calculating an averaged signal strength level of the RF signal on the broadcast control channel, the averaged signal strength level being an average of the signal strength level and the at least one other signal strength level; prior to the completion of the averaging function for the calculating of the averaged signal strength level of, and in between or during the repeated acts of measuring the signal strength levels of the RF signal on the broadcast control channel: decoding control information on the broadcast control channel and storing the control information in memory, the control information including a network identification which uniquely identifies the wireless communication network; after the performing of the acts for each said broadcast control channel, performing the further acts of: identifying at least one optimal RF signal from the averaged signal strength levels that were calculated from the completion of the averaging function for each said RF signal on each said broadcast control channel; and selecting and registering with one of the wireless communication networks for communication service with use of the control information that was decoded and stored in the memory prior to the completion of the averaging function, the selected wireless communication network being associated with the at least one optimal RF signal identified from the averaged signal strength levels.