Patent ID: 8532699

Claim:
A method of providing communication services for a mobile station having a plurality of communication interfaces, each communication interface having an active power mode and an inactive power mode wherein the power consumption of a communication interface in the active power mode is greater than the power consumption of the communication interface in the inactive power mode, the method comprising: assessing a communication service level of a first communication interface which is in the active power mode and is providing a communication service; activating a second communication interface independent of a quality of the first communication interface still in the active power mode when the mobile station is within a predetermined geographic area as determined separate from the second communication interface by the mobile station; assessing a communication service level of the activated second communication interface; performing a comparison of the communication service level of the first communication interface with the communication service level of the activated second communication interface; and if the comparison of communication service levels indicates that the second communication interface can provide a greater communication service level than the first communication interface, then: deactivating the first communication interface by changing the first communication interface from the active power mode to the inactive power mode; and providing the communication service through the second communication interface; otherwise continue providing a communication service through the first communication interface.