Patent ID: 8073441

Claim:
A method for connecting a mobile device with one of a plurality of wireless networks, comprising the steps of: initiating a network selection process for the mobile device with one of the plurality of overlapping wireless networks when the mobile device is located within an overlapping area of at least a home network and a roaming network of the plurality of overlapping wireless networks; determining a geographic position of the mobile device with respect to at least one of the plurality of overlapping wireless networks; determining if the mobile device is within a hole of the at least one of the plurality of overlapping wireless networks; establishing a connection to one of the plurality of overlapping wireless networks in accordance with a hole rule set associated with the hole responsive to a determination that the mobile device is within the hole of the at least one of the plurality of overlapping wireless networks; attempting, responsive to the determined geographic position of the mobile device, to connect with the home network of the plurality of overlapping wireless networks a predetermined plurality of times before trying to connect with the roaming network of the plurality of networks in accordance with a rule set that biases the connection of the wireless device to the home network when the mobile device is located within the overlapping area of the home network and the roaming network; and connecting with the roaming network of the plurality of overlapping wireless networks if connection with the home network fails after attempting to connect with the home network in accordance with the rule set.