WO2018053312A1

WO2018053312A1 - Multi-subscriber identity module (sim) connection sharing

Info

Publication number: WO2018053312A1
Application number: PCT/US2017/051857
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yongsheng Shi; Bhanu Kiran JANGA; Kavinkadhirselvan ANGAPPAN; Kanuganti Rajeswar REDDY; Uttam Pattanayak
Original assignee: Qualcomm Inc
Current assignee: Qualcomm Inc
Priority date: 2016-09-16
Filing date: 2017-09-15
Publication date: 2018-03-22
Anticipated expiration: 2019-03-16

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods for a wireless communication device having a first Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) and a second SIM to manage communication via the first SIM and the second SIM, the method includes, but not limited to, determining that the first subscription is in a Radio Link Failure (RLF) mode, acquiring service from a first network associated with the first subscription in response to determining that the first subscription is in the RLF mode, and setting the first subscription to be in an idle mode in response to acquiring the service from the first network.

Description

MULTI-SUBSCRIBER IDENTITY MODULE (SIM)

CONNECTION SHARING

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to Indian Patent Application No.

201641031652, filed on September 16, 2016, the entire contents of which are fully incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

[0002] A wireless communication device, such as a mobile phone device or a smart phone, may include two or more Subscriber Identity Modules (SEVIs). Each SIM may correspond to at least one subscription. Each SIM may enable one or more Radio Access Technologies (RATs). Such a wireless communication device may be a multi- SEVI wireless communication device. In a Multi-SIM-Multi-Active (MSMA) wireless communication device, all SEVIs may be active at the same time. In a Multi-SIM-Multi- Standby (MSMS) wireless communication device, if any one SIM is active, then the rest of the SEVI(s) may be in a standby mode. The RATs may include, but are not limited to, Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access

(TDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) (particularly, Evolution-Data Optimized (EVDO)), Universal Mobile Telecommunications Systems (UMTS)

(particularly, Time Division Synchronous CDMA (TD-SCDMA or TDS) Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), and the like), Global System for Mobile

Communications (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access lx Radio Transmission Technology (lx), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Wi-Fi, Personal

Communications Service (PCS), and other protocols that can be used in a wireless communication network or a data communication network.

[0003] In some cases, a MSMS (e.g., a Dual-SIM-Dual-Standby (DSDS)) wireless communication device can support LTE on two subscriptions. For instance, a first subscription may be supported by Voice-over-LTE (VoLTE). A second subscription may be supported by Packet Switching (PS) and VoLTE, or PS and Circuit Switching (CS). In other words, the second subscription may be a "PS+VoLTE" or a "PS+CS" subscription. For such a wireless communication device, while the first subscription is engaged in a VoLTE call, the second subscription is traditionally suspended or otherwise disabled due to higher priority associated with the VoLTE call on the first subscription. In some instances, the VoLTE call on the first subscription may have the highest priority among all subscriptions.

[0004] Conventionally, upon completion of the VoLTE call on the first subscription, a first network associated with the first subscription does not trigger the wireless communication device to perform a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection release. Furthermore, the wireless communication device itself does not trigger the RRC connection release according to current standards. Therefore, after the completion of the VoLTE call on the first subscription, the first subscription may remain in a connected mode.

[0005] In response to detecting incoming activities (e.g., a PS call or other activities) over the second subscription, RF resource shared between the first subscription and the second subscription is traditionally tuned away to the second subscription. The first subscription may accordingly lose assignment of the RF resource while the first subscription is still in the connected mode. This leads to a Radio Link Failure (RLF) with respect to the first subscription (e.g., the first subscription enters a RLF mode). Thereafter, the wireless communication device performs a RRC establishment (or re- establishment) procedure for the first subscription. The tracking area is updated upon timer T311 expiration. Despite that the first subscription enters into the connected mode again through the RRC establishment procedure and the tracking area update, the second subscription may nevertheless be assigned the RF resource, while the connection release with respect to the first subscription cannot be performed. Accordingly, a cycle of detecting the RLF and entering into the connected mode may result, thus reducing the user-experience as the cycle persists.

SUMMARY

[0006] Examples described herein relate to multi- Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) communication management for a wireless communication device. Various examples presented herein can be implemented on a Multi-SFM-Multi-Standby (MSMS) wireless communication device having a first subscription enabled by a first SIM and a second subscription enabled by a second SIM. In some examples, in response to determining that the first subscription is experiencing a Radio Link Failure (RLF), the wireless communication device may perform a system acquisition to acquire service over the first subscription. The wireless communication device may refrain from or otherwise omit RRC establishment (or re-establishment) procedures or tracking area update for the first subscription. In other words, in response to detecting the RLF of the first subscription, the wireless communication device sets the first subscription to be in an idle mode (e.g., a Radio Resource Control (RRC)-idle mode) instead of a connected mode (e.g., a RRC-connected mode). The first subscription can monitor pages in the idle mode. Accordingly, degradation to the user experience with respect to the second subscription can be reduced or eliminated, given that the first subscription is not continuously locked in a cycle of RLF, establishing RRC connection, and updating tracking area.

[0007] In various examples, a method for a wireless communication device having a first SIM enabling a first subscription and a second SEVI enabling a second subscription to manage communications over the first subscription and the second subscription, the method includes determining that the first subscription is in a RLF mode, acquiring service from a first network associated with the first subscription in response to determining that the first subscription is in the RLF mode, and setting the first subscription to be in an idle mode in response to acquiring the service from the first network.

[0008] In some examples, the first subscription is a Long-Term-Evolution (LTE) subscription capable of Voice-over-LTE (VoLTE). The second subscription is a LTE subscription capable of Packet Switching (PS) and VoLTE.

[0009] In some examples, the wireless communication device is in a MSMS mode.

[0010] In some examples, determining that the first subscription is in the RLF mode includes determining that RF resource shared by the first subscription and the second subscription is tuned to the second subscription while the first subscription is in a connected mode.

[0011] In some examples, that the first subscription is in the RLF mode further includes determining that the first subscription is in a connect mode after a VoLTE call is completed, and tuning the RF resource to the second subscription in response to detecting a PS call on the second subscription. [0012] In some examples, determining that the first subscription is in the RLF mode includes determining that the first subscription is Out-of-Service (OOS) by detecting at least one of a failure to decode at least one configuration message or expiration of a timer.

[0013] In some examples, acquiring the service from the first network includes camping on a cell of the first network without setting the first subscription to be in a connected mode.

[0014] In some examples, setting the first subscription to be in the idle mode includes refraining from sending a Tracking Area Update (TAU) message.

[0015] In some examples, the TAU message is refrained from being sent in response to determining that a T311 timer has expired.

[0016] In some examples, setting the first subscription to be in the idle mode includes refraining from performing a RRC establishment procedure.

[0017] In some examples, refraining from performing the RRC establishment procedure includes refraining from sending a RRC connection request message to the first network.

[0018] In some examples, acquiring the service from the first network includes selecting a cell of the first network to camp on, and determining a new tracking area associated with the cell.

[0019] In some examples, setting the first subscription to be in the idle mode includes determining that the new tracking area is a same tracking area as an initial tracking area associated with an initial cell of the first network, wherein the initial cell is camped on by the first subscription prior to the first subscription is determined to be in the RLF mode, and refraining from sending a TAU message in response to determining that the new tracking area is the same tracking area as the initial tracking area.

[0020] In some examples, the method further includes determining that the new tracking area is different from an initial tracking area associated with an initial cell of the first network, wherein the initial cell is camped on by the first subscription prior to the first subscription is determined to be in the RLF mode, and sending a TAU message in response to determining that the new tracking area is different from the initial tracking area. [0021] According to some examples, a wireless communication device includes at least one radio frequency (RF) resource, a processor coupled to the at least one RF resource, adapted to connect to a first SIM enabling a first subscription and to a second SIM enabling a second subscription, and adapted to determine that the first subscription is in a RLF mode, acquire service from a first network associated with the first subscription in response to determining that the first subscription is in the RLF mode, and set the first subscription to be in an idle mode in response to acquiring the service from the first network, and a memory.

[0022] In some examples, the first subscription is a LTE subscription capable of VoLTE, and the second subscription is a LTE subscription capable of PS and VoLTE.

[0023] In some examples, the wireless communication device is in a MSMS mode.

[0024] In some examples, the processor is adapted to determine that the first subscription is in the RLF mode by determining that RF resource shared by the first subscription and the second subscription is tuned to the second subscription while the first subscription is in a connected mode.

[0025] In some examples, the processor is adapted to determine that the first subscription is in the RLF mode by further determining that the first subscription is in a connect mode after a Voice-over- Long-Term-Evolution (VoLTE) call is completed, and tuning the RF resource to the second subscription in response to detecting a Packet Switching (PS) call on the second subscription.

[0026] In some examples, the processor is adapted to determine that the first subscription is in the RLF mode by determining that the first subscription is OOS, wherein the first subscription is OOS in response to detecting at least one of a failure to decode at least one configuration message or expiration of a timer.

[0027] In some examples, the processor is adapted to acquire the service from the first network by camping on a cell of the first network without setting the first subscription to be in a connected mode.

[0028] In some examples, the processor is adapted to set the first subscription to be in the idle mode by refraining from sending a TAU message.

[0029] In some examples, the processor is adapted to refrain from sending the TAU message in response to determining that a T311 timer has expired. [0030] In some examples, the processor is adapted to set the first subscription to be in the idle mode by refraining from performing a RRC establishment procedure.

[0031] In some examples, the processor is adapted to refrain from performing the RRC establishment procedure by refraining from sending a RRC connection request message to the first network.

[0032] In some examples, the processor is adapted to acquire the service from the first network by selecting a cell of the first network to camp on, and determining a new tracking area associated with the cell.

[0033] In some examples, the processor is adapted to set the first subscription to be in the idle mode by determining that the new tracking area is a same tracking area as an initial tracking area associated with an initial cell of the first network, wherein the initial cell is camped on by the first subscription prior to the first subscription is determined to be in the RLF mode, and refraining from sending a TAU message in response to determining that the new tracking area is the same tracking area as the initial tracking area.

[0034] In some examples, the processor is further adapted to determine that the new tracking area is different from an initial tracking area associated with an initial cell of the first network, wherein the initial cell is camped on by the first subscription prior to the first subscription is determined to be in the RLF mode, and send a TAU message in response to determining that the new tracking area is different from the initial tracking area.

[0035] According to various examples, a wireless communication device includes means for determining that the first subscription is in a RLF mode, means for acquiring service from a first network associated with the first subscription in response to determining that the first subscription is in the RLF mode, and means for setting the first subscription to be in an idle mode in response to acquiring the service from the first network.

[0036] In some examples, a method for a wireless communication device having a first SIM providing a first subscription and a second SF providing a second

subscription to manage communications via RF resource shared by the first subscription and the second subscription, the method includes tuning the RF resource to the second subscription for activities over the second subscription while the first subscription is in a connected mode, determining that the first subscription is OOS, camping on a cell of a first network associated with the first subscription, and during at least the activities over the second subscription, refraining from at least one of performing a RRC establishment procedure with respect to the cell or updating a tracking area with respect to the cell.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and constitute part of this specification, illustrate exemplary examples of the disclosure, and together with the general description given above and the detailed description given below, serve to explain the features of the various examples.

[0038] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system in accordance with various examples.

[0039] FIG. 2 is a component block diagram of a wireless communication device according to various examples.

[0040] FIG. 3 is a process flowchart diagram illustrating a scheduling method according to various examples.

[0041] FIG. 4 is a process flowchart diagram illustrating a scheduling method according to various examples.

[0042] FIG. 5 is a signaling diagram illustrating a scheduling method according to various examples.

[0043] FIG. 6 is a process flowchart diagram illustrating a scheduling method according to various examples.

[0044] FIG. 7 is a component block diagram of a wireless communication device suitable for use with various examples.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] Various examples will be described in detail with reference to the

accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers may be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. Different reference numbers may be used to refer to different, same, or similar parts. References made to particular examples and implementations are for illustrative purposes, and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure or the claims.

[0046] A modern communication device, referred to herein as a wireless

communication device, User Equipment (UE), or Mobile Station (MS), may be a cellular telephone, smart phone, personal or mobile multi-media player, personal data assistant, laptop computer, personal computer, tablet computer, smart book, palm-top computer, wireless electronic mail receiver, multimedia Internet-enabled cellular telephone, wireless gaming controller, and similar personal electronic device. Such a wireless communication device may include at least one Subscriber Identity Module (SIM), a programmable processor, memory, and circuitry for connecting to two or more mobile communication networks.

[0047] A wireless communication device may include one or more SFMs that provide access to one or multiple separate mobile communication networks. The access to mobile communication networks may be provided by Radio Access Technologies (RATs). The wireless communication device may be configured to connect to one or more base stations via one or more RATs. Examples of RATs may include, but are not limited to, Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) (particularly, Evolution- Data Optimized (EVDO)), Universal Mobile Telecommunications Systems (UMTS) (particularly, Time Division Synchronous CDMA (TD-SCDMA or TDS), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), and the like), Global System for Mobile

Communications Service (PCS), and other protocols that may be used in a wireless communications network or a data communications network. Each RAT may be associated with a subscription or SFM.

[0048] A wireless communication device provided with a plurality of SFMs and connected to two or more networks with one SIM being active at a given time is a Multi-SFM-Multi-Standby (MSMS) communication device. In one example, the MSMS communication device may be a Dual-SIM-Dual-Standby (DSDS) communication device, which may include two SFMs that may both be active on standby, but one is deactivated when the other one is in use. In another example, the MSMS communication device may be a Triple-SIM-Triple-Standby (TSTS) communication device, which includes three SIMs that may all be active on standby, where two may be deactivated when a third one is in use. In other examples, the MSMS communication device may be other suitable multi-SIM communication devices, with, for example, four or more SIMs, such that when one is in use, the others may be deactivated.

[0049] On the other hand, a wireless communication device that includes a plurality of SIMs and connects to two or more networks with two or more SIMs being active at a given time may be a Multi-SFM-Multi-Active (MSMA) communication device. An example MSMA communication device may be a Dual-SIM-Dual-Active (DSD A) communication device, which may include two SIM. Both SIMs may remain active. In another example, the MSMA device may be a Triple-SIM- Triple-Active (TSTA) communication device, which may include three SIM. All three SIMs may remain active. In other examples, the MSMA communication device may be other suitable multi-SIM communication devices with four or more SIMs, all of which may be active.

[0050] Generally, examples described herein may be applicable to a MSMS wireless communication device having Radio Frequency (RF) resource shared by a first SIM and a second SIM. The first SFM may enable a first subscription via at least a first RAT. The second SFM may enable a second subscription via at least a second RAT. In a non- limiting example, the first subscription and the second subscription may each be supported by LTE, which can provide for Voice-over-LTE (VoLTE). For instance, the first subscription may be a data subscription supported by VoLTE, and the second subscription may be supported by Packet Switching (PS) services and VoLTE, or PS and Circuit Switching (CS) services. The examples may further apply to a MSMA wireless communication device that halts activities of the first subscription due to blanking pattern, power back-off, interference, and/or the like due to tune-away activities of the second subscription.

[0051] As used herein, the terms "SFM," "SIM card," and "subscriber identification module" may be used interchangeably to refer to a memory that may be an integrated circuit or embedded into a removable card, and that stores an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI), related key, and/or other information used to identify and/or authenticate a wireless device on a network and enable communication services with the network. Because the information stored in a SFM may be for the wireless

communication device to establish a communication link for a particular communication service with a particular network, the term "SIM" may also be used herein as a shorthand reference to the communication service (e.g., the networks, the subscriptions, the services, and/or the like) associated with and enabled by the information (e.g., in the form of various parameters) stored in a particular SIM as the SIM and the communication network, as well as the services and RATs supported by that network, correlate to one another.

[0052] Various examples may be implemented within a communication system 100, an example of which is illustrated in FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 1, a first network 102 (e.g., a first mobile network) and second network 104 (e.g. a second mobile network) may each associate with a plurality of cellular base stations. For instance, a first base station 130 may provide the first network 102 in a first serving cell 150. A second base station 140 may provide the second network 104 in a second serving cell 160. A wireless communication device 110 may be associated with (within effective boundaries of) the first serving cell 150 and the second serving cell 160.

[0053] The first base station 130 may be in communication with the first network 102 over a wired or wireless connection 134. The second base station 140 may be in communication with the second network 104 over a wired or wireless connection 144. The wireless communication device 110 may be in communication with the first network 102 through a first cellular connection 132 to the first base station 130. The first cellular connection 132 may correspond to a first RAT on a first subscription (e.g., over a first SIM) of the wireless communication device 110. The wireless

communication device 110 may be in communication with the second network 104 through a second cellular connection 142 to the second base station 140. The second cellular connection 142 may correspond to a second RAT on a second subscription (e.g., over a second SIM) of the wireless communication device 110.

[0054] Each of the first cellular connection 132 and the second cellular connection 142 may be two-way wireless communication links. Examples of each of the first RAT and second RAT may include, but not limited to, FDMA, TDMA, CDMA (e.g., EVDO), UMTS (e.g., TDS, WCDMA, LTE, HSDPA, or the like), GSM, lx, GPRS, Wi-Fi, PCS, and/or another protocol used in a wireless communications network or a data communications network. By way of illustrating with a non-limiting example, the first RAT (employed by the cellular connection 132) may be LTE that can enable VoLTE services. The second RAT (employed by the second cellular connection 142) may be LTE that can enable PS and VoLTE services, or PS and CS services.

[0055] Each of the first base station 130 and the second base station 140 may include at least one antenna group or transmission station located in the same or different areas. The at least one antenna group or transmission station may be associated with signal transmission and reception. Each of the first base station 130 and the second base station 140 may include one or more processors, modulators, multiplexers,

demodulators, demultiplexers, antennas, and the like for performing the functions described herein. In some examples, each of the first base station 130 and the second base station 140 may be an access point, Node B, evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), base transceiver station (BTS), or the like.

[0056] In various examples, the wireless communication device 110 may be configured to access the first network 102 and the second network 104 by virtue of the multi-SIM and/or multi-mode SIM configuration of the wireless communication device 110. When a SIM corresponding to a subscription is inserted, the wireless

communication device 110 may access the mobile communication network associated with that subscription based on the information stored on the SIM through registrations and call setups.

[0057] In some examples, the wireless communication device 110 may establish a wireless connection with a peripheral device (not shown) used in connection with the wireless communication device 110. For example, the wireless communication device 110 may communicate over a Bluetooth® link with a Bluetooth-enabled personal computing device (e.g., a "smart watch"). In some examples, the wireless

communication device 110 may establish a wireless connection with a wireless access point (not shown), such as over a Wi-Fi connection. The wireless access point may be configured to connect to the Internet or another network over a wired connection.

[0058] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a wireless communication device 200 suitable for implementing various examples. The wireless communication device 200 may be the wireless communication device 110 as described with reference to FIG. 1. Referring to FIGS. 1-2, the wireless communication device 200 may include a first SIM interface 202a, which may receive or otherwise include a first SIM 204a that is associated with the first network 102. The wireless communication device 200 may include a second SIM interface 202b, which may receive or otherwise include a second SIM 204b that is associated with the second network 104.

[0059] A SIM (e.g., the first SIM 204a, the second SIM 204b, or the like) in various examples may be a Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC) that is configured with SIM and/or Universal SIM (USIM) applications, enabling access to GSM and/or UMTS networks. The UICC may also provide storage for a phone book and other applications. Alternatively, in a CDMA network, a SIM may be a UICC removable user identity module (R-UIM) or a CDMA Subscriber Identity Module (CSEVI) on a card. A SIM card may have a Central Processing Unit (CPU), Read Only Memory (ROM), Random Access Memory (RAM), Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM) and Input/Output (I/O) circuits. An Integrated Circuit Card Identity (ICCID) SIM serial number may be printed on the SIM card for identification.

However, a SIM may be implemented within a portion of memory of the wireless communication device 200, and thus need not be a separate or removable circuit, chip, or card.

[0060] A SIM used in various examples may store user account information, an EVISI, a set of SIM Application Toolkit (SAT) commands, and other network provisioning information, as well as provide storage space for phone book database of the user's contacts. As part of the network provisioning information, a SIM may store home identifiers (e.g., a System Identification Number (SID)/Network Identification Number (NID) pair, a Home Public Land Network (HPLMN) code, etc.) to indicate the SIM card network operator provider.

[0061] The wireless communication device 200 may include at least one controller, such as a general-purpose processor 206, which may be coupled to a coder/decoder (CODEC) 208. The CODEC 208 may in turn be coupled to a speaker 210 and a microphone 212. The general-purpose processor 206 may also be coupled to at least one memory 214. The general-purpose processor 206 may include any suitable data processing device, such as a microprocessor. In the alternative, the general-purpose processor 206 may be any suitable electronic processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The general-purpose processor 206 may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices (e.g., a combination of a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, at least one microprocessor in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration). [0062] The memory 214 may include a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium that stores processor-executable instructions. For example, the instructions may include routing communication data relating to the first or second SIM though a corresponding baseband-RF resource chain. The memory 214 may include any suitable internal or external device for storing software and data. Examples of the memory 214 may include, but are not limited to, RAM, ROM, floppy disks, hard disks, dongles or other Recomp Sensor Board (RSB) connected memory devices, or the like. The memory 214 may store an Operating System (OS), user application software, and/or executable instructions. The memory 214 may also store application data, such as an array data structure.

[0063] The general -purpose processor 206 and the memory 214 may each be coupled to baseband modem processor 216. The SIMs (e.g., the first SIM 204a, the second SIM 204b, and/or the like) in the wireless communication device 200 may be associated with at least one baseband-RF resource chain. A baseband-RF resource chain may include the baseband modem processor 216, which may perform baseband/modem functions for communications over the SIMs 204a and 204b. The baseband modem processor 216 may include or may be otherwise coupled to one or more amplifiers and radios, referred to generally herein as RF resource 218 or RF chain.

[0064] The RF resource 218 may include at least one transceiver that perform transmit/receive functions for the associated SIMs 204a and 204b of the wireless communication device 200. The RF resource 218 may include separate transmit and receive circuitries, or may include a transceiver that combines transmitter and receiver functions. The RF resource 218 may be coupled to a wireless antenna 220. The RF resource 218 may also be coupled to the baseband modem processor 216.

[0065] The examples described herein may be applicable to wireless communication devices in which the SFMs 204a and 204b share a common set of RF resource

(particularly, the RF resource 218). Examples described herein may be applicable to wireless communication devices in which each of the SFMs 204a and 204b has a separate RF resource, but activities of one of the SIMs 204a and 204b may be deactivated while the other one of the SFMs 204a and 204b is active.

[0066] In some examples, the general-purpose processor 206, the memory 214, the baseband modem processor 216, and the RF resource 218 may be included in the wireless communication device 200 as a system-on-chip. In some examples, the SIMs 204a and 204b and their corresponding interfaces 202a, 202b may be external to the system-on-chip. Further, various input and output devices may be coupled to components on the system-on-chip, such as interfaces or controllers. Example user input components suitable for use in the wireless communication device 200 may include, but are not limited to, a keypad 224, a touchscreen display 226, and the microphone 212.

[0067] In some examples, the keypad 224, the touchscreen display 226, the microphone 212, or a combination thereof, may perform the function of receiving a request to initiate an outgoing call. For example, the touchscreen display 226 may receive a selection of a contact from a contact list or receive a telephone number. In another example, either or both of the touchscreen display 226 and the microphone 212 may perform the function of receiving a request to initiate an outgoing call. For example, the touchscreen display 226 may receive a selection of a contact from a contact list or to receive a telephone number. As another example, the request to initiate the outgoing call may be in the form of a voice command received via the microphone 212. Interfaces may be provided between the various software modules and functions in the wireless communication device 200 to enable communication between them.

[0068] The wireless communication device 200 may include a scheduling module 230. The scheduling module 230 may configure the RF resource 218 to communicate over the first subscription (the first SIM 204a) and the second subscription (the second SEVI 204b) in the manner described. For instance, the scheduling module 230 may configure the RF resource 218 to facilitate VoLTE call over the first subscription, perform system acquisition with respect to the first subscription, facilitate a PS call over the second subscription, and/or the like.

[0069] In some examples, the scheduling module 230 may be implemented within the general-purpose processor 206. For example, the scheduling module 230 may be implemented as a software application stored within the memory 214 and executed by the general-purpose processor 206. Accordingly, such examples can be implemented with minimal additional hardware costs. However, other examples relate to systems and processes implemented with dedicated hardware specifically configured for performing operations described herein with respect to the scheduling module 230. For example, the scheduling module 230 may be implemented as a separate processing component (i.e., separate from the general-purpose processor 206). The scheduling module 230 may be coupled to the memory 214, the general processor 206, the baseband processor 216, and/or the RF resource 218 for performing the function described herein.

[0070] Hardware and/or software for the functions may be incorporated in the wireless communication device 200 during manufacturing, for example, as a part of a

configuration of an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of the wireless

communication device 200. In further examples, such hardware and/or software may be added to the wireless communication device 200 post-manufacture, such as by installing one or more hardware devices and/or software applications onto the wireless

communication device 200.

[0071] In some examples, the wireless communication device 200 may include, among other things, additional SIM cards, SIM interfaces, at least another RF resource associated with the additional SIM cards, and additional antennas for connecting to additional networks.

[0072] FIG. 3 is a process flowchart diagram illustrating a scheduling method 300 according to various examples. Referring to FIGS. 1-3, the scheduling module 230 or the general-purpose processor 206 may be adapted or may be otherwise capable of performing the scheduling method 300 in some examples. The scheduling method 300 may be a general method used to enhance user experience with respect to the second subscription by setting the first subscription to be in an idle mode upon acquiring service (e.g., upon completion of system acquisition) as a response to the first subscription entering into a Radio Link Failure (RLF) mode. The first subscription entering into the RLF mode may be caused by the first subscription being set to a connected mode and a shared RF resource (e.g., the RF resource 218) being tuned to the second subscription for activities over the second subscription.

[0073] At block B310, the scheduling module 230 or the general -purpose processor 206 may determine that the first subscription (enabled by the first SIM 204a) is in the RLF mode. For instance, the scheduling module 230 or the general-purpose processor 206 may determine that the first subscription is in the RLF mode or is experiencing RLF in response to tuning the RF resource 218 to the second subscription (enabled by the second SIM 204b) while the first subscription is set to be in the connected mode (e.g., a RRC-connected mode). In other examples, the first subscription entering in the RLF may be indicated by failure to receive one or more configuration messages from the first network 102 (for a designated period of time). In yet another example, the first subscription is experiencing RLF upon expiration of a timer (e.g., a SPV timer).

[0074] At block B320, the scheduling module 230 or the general-purpose processor 206 may configure the RF resource 218 so that the RF resource 218 may be adapted to or otherwise capable of acquiring service from the first network 102 associated with the first subscription in response to determining that the first subscription is in the RLF mode. That is, the RF resource 218 may be adapted to or capable of selecting a cell (e.g., the first serving cell 150) of the first network 102 using cell selection procedures and camp on the selected cell.

[0075] At block B330, the scheduling module 230 or the general -purpose processor 206 may set the first subscription to be in the idle mode (e.g., a RRC-idle mode) in response to acquiring the service from the first network 102. Instead of setting the first subscription to be in the connected mode, following the system acquisition the first subscription may be set to be in the idle mode to prevent repeated impact on user experience with respect to the second subscription, to which the RF resource 218 may be assigned for the activities of the second subscription. Illustrating with a non- limiting, scheduling module 230 or the general -purpose processor 206 may set the first subscription to be in the idle mode by refraining from updating a tracking area associated with a cell selected during the system acquisition at block B320 and refraining from performing a RRC establishment procedure.

[0076] FIG. 4 is a process flowchart diagram illustrating a scheduling method 400 according to various examples. Referring to FIGS. 1-4, the scheduling module 230 or the general-purpose processor 206 may be adapted or may be otherwise capable of performing the scheduling method 400 in some examples. The scheduling method 400 may exemplify a particular implementation of the scheduling method 300. Thus, one or more of blocks B405-B460 may correspond to one or more of blocks B310-B330.

[0077] At block B405, the scheduling module 230 or the general-purpose processor 206 may initiate activities over the first subscription. For example, the scheduling module 230 or the general-purpose processor 206 may configure the RF resource 218 to tune into the first subscription for activities such as, but not limited to, a VoLTE call.

[0078] At block B410, the scheduling module 230 or the general -purpose processor 206 may determine whether the activities over the first subscription have ended. For instance, the scheduling module 230 or the general-purpose processor 206 may determine whether the VoLTE call is ongoing. In response to determining that the activities over the first subscription have not ended (B410:NO), the method 400 returns to block B410.

[0079] On the other hand, in response to determining that the activities over the first subscription have ended (B410:YES), the scheduling module 230 or the general- purpose processor 206 may determine whether the first subscription is in the connected mode, at block B415. Illustrating with a non-limiting example, the scheduling module 230 or the general-purpose processor 206 may determine whether a RRC connection release message or another suitable trigger has been received from the first network 102. Illustrating with another non-limiting example, the scheduling module 230 or the general-purpose processor 206 may determine whether the wireless communication device 200 has triggered a local RRC connection release with the first network 102. Responsive to determining that no connection release has occurred, the first subscription remains in the connected mode. In response to determining that the first subscription is not in the connected mode (e.g., the first subscription is in the idle mode or is performing the RRC connection release) (B415:NO), the method 400 ends.

[0080] On the other hand, in response to determining that the first subscription is in the connected mode (B415:YES), the scheduling module 230 or the general-purpose processor 206 may determine whether to tune the RF resource 218 to the second subscription at block B420. For instance, the scheduling module 230 or the general- purpose processor 206 may detect incoming activities over the second subscription. Illustrating with a non-limiting example, the scheduling module 230 or the general- purpose processor 206 may tune the RF resource 218 to the second subscription upon receiving a page from the second network 104 indicating an incoming call (e.g., a PS call).

[0081] In response to determining that the RF resource 218 is not to be tuned to the second subscription (B420:NO), the method 400 returns to block B415. On the other hand, in response to determining that the RF resource 218 is to be tuned to the second subscription (B420:YES), the scheduling module 230 or the general-purpose processor 206 may determine that the first subscription is Out-Of-Service (OOS) at block B425. In other words, the scheduling module 230 or the general purpose processor 206 may determine whether the first subscription is experiencing a RLF. In some examples, the first subscription is determined to be OOS in response to determining that the RF resource 218 is being tuned to a subscription (e.g., the second subscription) other than the first subscription while the first subscription remains in the connected mode. In some examples, the first subscription may be OOS in response to detecting a failure to decode at least one configuration message transmitted by the first network 102 for a predetermined period of time. In some examples, the first subscription may be OOS upon expiration of a timer (e.g., a SPV timer, which typically has a length of 5 s).

[0082] At block B430, the scheduling module 230 or the general -purpose processor 206 may select a cell (e.g., the first serving cell 150) of the first network 102 to camp on. The scheduling module 230 or the general-purpose processor 206 may be capable of configuring the RF resource 218 to perform system acquisition and camp on the selected cell without setting the first subscription to be in the connected mode.

Illustrating with a non-limiting example, the system acquisition may include one or more of cell search (e.g., time and frequency synchronization), cell selection, and/or the like. The system acquisition process may exclude (1) sending a RRC connection message and (2) sending a Tracking Area Update (TAU) message. Upon camping on the selected cell (e.g., the first serving cell 150), the scheduling module 230 or the general-purpose processor 206 may be adapted to configure the RF resource 218 to perform idle-mode processes such as, but not limited to, receiving pages over the first subscription. Such idle-mode activities over the first subscription may occur during the activities of the second subscription (e.g., in tune-away gaps scheduled by the scheduling module 230 during the activities of the second subscription), provided that the activities of the second subscription are ongoing. In other examples, such idle-mode activities over the first subscription may occur after but not during the activities over the second subscription.

[0083] At block B435, the scheduling module 230 or the general-purpose processor 206 may determine a new tracking area associated with the cell. Upon selecting a suitable cell at block B430, the scheduling module 230 or the general-purpose processor 206 may configure the RF resource 218 to receive System Information Blocks (SIBs) from the cell. The SIBs may indicate the new tracking area associated with the selected cell.

[0084] At block B440, the scheduling module 230 or the general -purpose processor 206 may determine whether the new tracking area is the same as the initial tracking area. The new tracking area may be compared with a stored initial tracking area associated with an initial cell of the first network. The initial cell may be a cell that is camped on by the first subscription prior to the first subscription entering in the RLF mode. For instance, the initial cell may be the cell providing for the activities over the first subscription at block B405. Illustrating with a non-limiting example, the initial cell may be the last cell that the first subscription has camped on prior to experiencing the RLF.

[0085] In response to determining that the new tracking area is the same as the initial tracking area (B440:YES), the scheduling module 230 or the general-purpose processor 206 may refrain from updating the tracking area at block B445. For example, the scheduling module 230 or the general-purpose processor 206 may refrain from or otherwise omit sending a TAU message to the first network 102, given that the tracking area has not changed. The TAU message may not be sent upon expiration of a T311 timer. Examples of a length of the T311 timer may include, but not limited to, 1 s, 3 s, 5s, 10 s, 15 s, 20 s, 30 s, 1-30 s, or the like.

[0086] At block B450, the scheduling module 230 or the general-purpose processor 206 may refrain from performing the RRC establishment (or re-establishment) procedure. The RRC connection establishment procedure takes the wireless

communication device 200 from the idle mode to the connected mode. The wireless communication device 200 may transition to the connected mode before completing any signaling, or transferring any application data. The Signaling Radio Bearers (SRBs) (e.g., SRB0, SRB1, SRB2, or the like) may be configured by the RRC connection establishment. For instance, the scheduling module 230 or the general-purpose processor 206 may refrain from or otherwise omit sending a RRC connection request message to the first network 102. The scheduling module 230 or the general-purpose processor 206 may further refrain from one or more of initiating a session with the selected cell by sending a Random Access Channel (RACH) preamble to the selected cell, receiving a RACH response from the selected cell, receiving RRC connection setup response (e.g., including the SRBs and other configurations) from the selected cell, or sending an acknowledgement message acknowledging completion.

[0087] On the other hand, in response to determining that the new tracking area is not the same as the initial tracking area (B440:NO), the scheduling module 230 or the general-purpose processor 206 may update the tracking area. The tracking area may be updated by sending, via the RF resource 218, a TAU message to the first network 102. Illustrating with a non-limiting example, the TAU message may be sent to the first network 102 upon expiration of the T311 timer at B455.

[0088] At block B460, the scheduling module 230 or the general -purpose processor 206 may be adapted to configure the RF resource 218 to perform the RRC establishment (or re-establishment) procedure. For instance, the scheduling module 230 or the general-purpose processor 206 may send a RRC connection request message to the first network 102 to trigger the RRC establishment procedure.

[0089] In alternative examples, blocks B435, B440, B455, and B460 may be omitted. That is, in response to selecting the cell of the first network 102 or which to camp block B430, the scheduling module 230 or the general-purpose processor 206 may refrain from updating the tracking area at block B445 and refrain from performing the RRC establishment (or re-establishment) procedure at block B450, without comparing the tracking users.

[0090] FIG. 5 is a signaling diagram illustrating a scheduling method 500 according to various examples. Referring to FIGS. 1-5, the scheduling module 230 or the general- purpose processor 206 may be adapted to or may be otherwise capable of performing the scheduling method 500 in some examples. The scheduling method 500 may exemplify a particular implementation of the scheduling method 300 or 400. Thus, one or more of 530-580 may correspond to one or more of blocks B310-B330 and/or one or more of blocks B405-B460. First subscription 515 and second subscription 520 may represent software layers of the wireless communication device 200 implemented with the scheduling module 230 or the general-purpose processor 206. A first network 525 may be the first network 102 in some examples.

[0091] At 530, Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (FMS) 505 may send a first message to mMode/CM/NAS 510 (e.g., data service servers/protocols) indicating a lowering of Transceiver Resource Manager (TRM) priority to "background traffic" with respect to first subscription 515 (e.g., enabled by the first SIM 204a). At 535, the mMode/CM/NAS 510 may send a second message indicating the lowering of TRM priority to "background traffic" to the wireless communication device 200 (e.g., the first subscription 515). The RF resource 218 may be capable of receiving the second message. [0092] At 540, the first subscription 515 (e.g., the scheduling module 230 or the general-purpose processor 206) may start a T _preserve_access timer and change the TRM priority to "access." Upon expiration of the T_preserve_access timer, the first subscription 515 (e.g., the scheduling module 230 or the general-purpose processor 206) may change the TRM priority to "background traffic" at 545.

[0093] At 550, the second subscription 520 (e.g., the scheduling module 230 or the general-purpose processor 206) may initiate a PS call and acquire a TRM lock or RF resource lock on the RF resource 218. In some examples, the TRM lock may lock the first subscription 515 out of any usage of the RF resource 218 as long as the PS call over the second subscription 520 is ongoing. In other examples, the TRM lock may lock the first subscription 515 out of any connected-mode first-subscription activities such as an active call over VoLTE, but otherwise may allow idle-mode first- subscription activities such as page monitoring. In some examples, the second network (e.g., the second network 104) may page the wireless communication device 200 to indicate an incoming PS call. The PS call at 550 may correspond to block B420.

[0094] In response to initiating the PS call and/or acquiring the TRM lock, the first subscription 515 (e.g., the scheduling module 230 or the general-purpose processor 206) may start the SPV timer at 555. At 560, the first subscription 515 (e.g., the scheduling module 230 or the general-purpose processor 206) may determine that the first subscription is OOS upon expiration of the SPV timer. In some examples, the determination of OOS at 560 (including 555) may correspond to blocks B310 and/or B425. At 565, the first subscription 515 (e.g., the scheduling module 230 or the general-purpose processor 206) may perform the system acquisition. The system acquisition at 565 may be performed in a manner similar to described with respect to blocks B320 and/or B430.

[0095] The first subscription 515 (e.g., the scheduling module 230 or the general- purpose processor 206) may refrain from performing the RRC establishment procedure (at 570) with the first network 525. The first subscription 515 (e.g., the scheduling module 230 or the general-purpose processor 206) may refrain from updating the tracking area (at 575) with the first network 525. At 580, the PS call on the second subscription 520 ends. Idle-mode processes such as page monitoring may be performed after the system acquisition at 565 (e.g., after the system acquisition at 565 and before the PS call ends at 580) in some examples. In other examples, idle-mode processes may be performed after the PS call ends at 580.

[0096] FIG. 6 is a process flowchart diagram illustrating a scheduling method 600 according to various examples. Referring to FIGS. 1-6, the scheduling module 230 or the general-purpose processor 206 may be adapted or may be otherwise capable of performing the scheduling method 600 in some examples. One or more of blocks B610-B640 may correspond to one or more of blocks B310-B330, B405-B460, or 530- 580.

[0097] At block B610, the scheduling module 230 or the general -purpose processor 206 may tune the RF resource 218 to the second subscription (e.g., the second subscription 520) for activities (e.g., the PS call at 550) over the second subscription while the first subscription (e.g., the first subscription 515) is in the connected mode.

[0098] At block B620, the scheduling module 230 or the general -purpose processor 206 may determine that the first subscription is OOS (e.g., at 560). At block B630, the scheduling module 230 or the general-purpose processor 206 configure the RF resource 218 to camp on a cell (e.g., the first serving cell 150) of the first network (e.g., 102 or 525) associated with the first subscription.

[0099] At block B640, during at least the activities over the second subscription (e.g., between the PS call initiation at 550 and PS call termination at 580), refraining from at least one of performing the RRC establishment procedure (e.g., 570) with respect to the cell or updating the tracking area (e.g., 575) with respect to the cell.

[0100] The various examples may be implemented in any of a variety of wireless communication devices 110 and 200, an example of which is illustrated in FIG. 7, as wireless communication device 700. As such, the wireless communication device 700 may implement the process and/or the apparatus of FIGS. 1-6, as described herein.

[0101] With reference to FIGS. 1-7, the wireless communication device 700 may include a processor 702 coupled to a touchscreen controller 704 and an internal memory 706. The processor 702 may be one or more multi-core integrated circuits designated for general or specific processing tasks. The memory 706 may be volatile or nonvolatile memory, and may also be secure and/or encrypted memory, or unsecure and/or unencrypted memory, or any combination thereof. The touchscreen controller 704 and the processor 702 may also be coupled to a touchscreen panel 712, such as a resistive- sensing touchscreen, capacitive-sensing touchscreen, infrared sensing touchscreen, etc. Additionally, the display of the wireless communication device 700 need not have touch screen capability.

[0102] The wireless communication device 700 may have one or more cellular network transceivers 708a, 708b coupled to the processor 702 and to at least one antenna 710 and adapted for sending and receiving cellular communications. The transceivers 708a, 708b and antenna 710 may be used with the above-mentioned circuitry to implement the various example methods. The cellular network transceivers 708a, 708b may be the RF resource 218. The antenna 710 may be the antenna 220. The wireless communication device 700 may include two or more SIM cards 716a, 716b, corresponding to The first SIM 204a (first SIM 401) and The second SIM 204b(second SFM 402), coupled to the transceivers 708a, 708b and/or the processor 702. The wireless communication device 700 may include a cellular network wireless modem chip 711 (e.g., the baseband modem processor 216) that enables communication via at least one cellular network and is coupled to the processor 702.

[0103] The wireless communication device 700 may include a peripheral device connection interface 718 coupled to the processor 702. The peripheral device connection interface 718 may be singularly adapted to accept one type of connection, or multiply adapted to accept various types of physical and communication connections, common or proprietary, such as USB, Fire Wire, Thunderbolt, or PCIe. The peripheral device connection interface 718 may also be coupled to a similarly adapted peripheral device connection port (not shown).

[0104] The wireless communication device 700 may also include speakers 714 for providing audio outputs. The wireless communication device 700 may also include a housing 720, constructed of a plastic, metal, or a combination of materials, for containing all or some of the components discussed herein. The wireless

communication device 700 may include a power source 722 coupled to the processor 702, such as a disposable or rechargeable battery. The rechargeable battery may also be coupled to a peripheral device connection port (not shown) to receive a charging current from a source external to the wireless communication device 700. The wireless communication device 700 may also include a physical button 724 for receiving user inputs. The wireless communication device 700 may also include a power button 726 for turning the wireless communication device 700 on and off. [0105] The various examples illustrated and described are provided merely as examples to illustrate various features of the claims. However, features shown and described with respect to any given example are not necessarily limited to the associated example and may be used or combined with other examples that are shown and described. Further, the claims are not intended to be limited by any one example.

[0106] The foregoing method descriptions and the process flow diagrams are provided merely as illustrative examples and are not intended to require or imply that the steps of various examples must be performed in the order presented. As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art the order of steps in the foregoing examples may be performed in any order. Words such as "thereafter," "then," "next," etc. are not intended to limit the order of the steps; these words are simply used to guide the reader through the description of the methods. Further, any reference to claim elements in the singular, for example, using the articles "a," "an" or "the" is not to be construed as limiting the element to the singular.

[0107] The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described in connection with the examples disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or combinations of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0108] The hardware used to implement the various illustrative logics, logical blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with the examples disclosed herein may be implemented or performed with a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but, in the alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. Alternatively, some steps or methods may be performed by circuitry that is specific to a given function.

[0109] In some exemplary examples, the functions described may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functions may be stored as one or more instructions or code on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium or non-transitory processor-readable storage medium. The steps of a method or algorithm disclosed herein may be embodied in a processor-executable software module which may reside on a non-transitory computer- readable or processor-readable storage medium. Non-transitory computer-readable or processor-readable storage media may be any storage media that may be accessed by a computer or a processor. By way of example but not limitation, such non-transitory computer-readable or processor-readable storage media may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, FLASH memory, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that may be used to store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that may be accessed by a computer. Disk and disc, as used herein, includes compact disc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk, and blu-ray disc where disks usually reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically with lasers. Combinations of the above are also included within the scope of non-transitory computer-readable and processor-readable media. Additionally, the operations of a method or algorithm may reside as one or any combination or set of codes and/or instructions on a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium and/or computer- readable storage medium, which may be incorporated into a computer program product.

[0110] The preceding description of the disclosed examples is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present disclosure. Various modifications to these examples will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to some examples without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the examples shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the following claims and the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A method for a wireless communication device having a first Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) enabling a first subscription and a second SIM enabling a second subscription to manage communications over the first subscription and the second subscription, the method comprising:

determining that the first subscription is in a Radio Link Failure (RLF) mode; acquiring service from a first network associated with the first subscription in response to determining that the first subscription is in the RLF mode; and

setting the first subscription to be in an idle mode in response to acquiring the service from the first network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first subscription is a Long-Term-Evolution (LTE) subscription capable of Voice-over-LTE (VoLTE); and

the second subscription is a LTE subscription capable of Packet Switching (PS) and VoLTE.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device is in a Multi- SFM-Multi-Standby (MSMS) mode.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the first subscription is in the RLF mode comprises determining that RF resource shared by the first subscription and the second subscription is tuned to the second subscription while the first subscription is in a connected mode.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining that the first subscription is in the RLF mode further comprises:

determining that the first subscription is in a connect mode after a Voice-over- Long-Term-Evolution (VoLTE) call is completed; and

tuning the RF resource to the second subscription in response to detecting a Packet Switching (PS) call on the second subscription.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the first subscription is in the RLF mode comprises determining that the first subscription is Out-of-Service (OOS) by detecting at least one of a failure to decode at least one configuration message or expiration of a timer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein acquiring the service from the first network comprises camping on a cell of the first network without setting the first subscription to be in a connected mode.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein setting the first subscription to be in the idle mode comprises refraining from sending a Tracking Area Update (TAU) message.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the TAU message is refrained from being sent in response to determining that a T311 timer has expired.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein setting the first subscription to be in the idle mode comprises refraining from performing a Radio Resource Control (RRC) establishment procedure.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein refraining from performing the RRC establishment procedure comprises refraining from sending a RRC connection request message to the first network.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein acquiring the service from the first network comprises:

selecting a cell of the first network to camp on; and

determining a new tracking area associated with the cell.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein setting the first subscription to be in the idle mode comprises:

determining that the new tracking area is a same tracking area as an initial tracking area associated with an initial cell of the first network, wherein the initial cell is camped on by the first subscription prior to the first subscription is determined to be in the RLF mode; and refraining from sending a Tracking Area Update (TAU) message in response to determining that the new tracking area is the same tracking area as the initial tracking area.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining that the new tracking area is different from an initial tracking area associated with an initial cell of the first network, wherein the initial cell is camped on by the first subscription prior to the first subscription is determined to be in the RLF mode; and

sending a Tracking Area Update (TAU) message in response to determining that the new tracking area is different from the initial tracking area.

15. A wireless communication device, comprising:

at least one radio frequency (RF) resource;

a processor coupled to the at least one RF resource, adapted to connect to a first Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) enabling a first subscription and to a second SFM enabling a second subscription, and adapted to:

determine that the first subscription is in a Radio Link Failure (RLF) mode;

acquire service from a first network associated with the first subscription in response to determining that the first subscription is in the RLF mode; and

set the first subscription to be in an idle mode in response to acquiring the service from the first network; and

a memory.

16. The wireless communication device of claim 15, wherein:

17. The wireless communication device of claim 15, wherein the wireless

communication device is in a Multi-SIM-Multi- Standby (MSMS) mode.

18. The wireless communication device of claim 15, wherein the processor is adapted to determine that the first subscription is in the RLF mode by determining that RF resource shared by the first subscription and the second subscription is tuned to the second subscription while the first subscription is in a connected mode.

19. The wireless communication device of claim 18, wherein the processor is adapted to determine that the first subscription is in the RLF mode by further:

20. The wireless communication device of claim 15, wherein the processor is adapted to determine that the first subscription is in the RLF mode by determining that the first subscription is Out-of-Service (OOS), wherein the first subscription is OOS in response to detecting at least one of a failure to decode at least one configuration message or expiration of a timer.

21. The wireless communication device of claim 15, wherein the processor is adapted to acquire the service from the first network by camping on a cell of the first network without setting the first subscription to be in a connected mode.

22. The wireless communication device of claim 15, wherein the processor is adapted to set the first subscription to be in the idle mode by refraining from sending a Tracking Area Update (TAU) message.

23. The wireless communication device of claim 22, wherein the processor is adapted to refrain from sending the TAU message in response to determining that a T311 timer has expired.

24. The wireless communication device of claim 15, wherein the processor is adapted to set the first subscription to be in the idle mode by refraining from performing a Radio Resource Control (RRC) establishment procedure.

25. The wireless communication device of claim 24, wherein the processor is adapted to refrain from performing the RRC establishment procedure by refraining from sending a RRC connection request message to the first network.

26. The wireless communication device of claim 15, wherein the processor is adapted to acquire the service from the first network by:

selecting a cell of the first network to camp on; and

determining a new tracking area associated with the cell.

27. The wireless communication device of claim 26, wherein the processor is adapted to set the first subscription to be in the idle mode by:

determining that the new tracking area is a same tracking area as an initial tracking area associated with an initial cell of the first network, wherein the initial cell is camped on by the first subscription prior to the first subscription is determined to be in the RLF mode; and

refraining from sending a Tracking Area Update (TAU) message in response to determining that the new tracking area is the same tracking area as the initial tracking area.

28. The wireless communication device of claim 26, wherein the processor is further adapted to:

determine that the new tracking area is different from an initial tracking area associated with an initial cell of the first network, wherein the initial cell is camped on by the first subscription prior to the first subscription is determined to be in the RLF mode; and

send a Tracking Area Update (TAU) message in response to determining that the new tracking area is different from the initial tracking area.

29. A wireless communication device, comprising:

means for determining that the first subscription is in a Radio Link Failure (RLF) mode;

means for acquiring service from a first network associated with the first subscription in response to determining that the first subscription is in the RLF mode; and

means for setting the first subscription to be in an idle mode in response to acquiring the service from the first network.

30. A method for a wireless communication device having a first Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) providing a first subscription and a second SIM providing a second subscription to manage communications via Radio Frequency (RF) resource shared by the first subscription and the second subscription, the method comprising:

tuning the RF resource to the second subscription for activities over the second subscription while the first subscription is in a connected mode;

determining that the first subscription is Out-Of-Service (OOS);

camping on a cell of a first network associated with the first subscription; and during at least the activities over the second subscription, refraining from at least one of performing a Radio Resource Control (RRC) establishment procedure with respect to the cell or updating a tracking area with respect to the cell.