Method and apparatus for setting up communication connection

• US 10,021,561 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2015
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Zhao, Yuqing, Zeng, Guangzhu, Lin, Meixin
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOUIS-FILS, NICOLE M
• Application Number:
  US14/925,724
• Publication Number:
  US 20160050556A1
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 455558, 455418, 455419, 4554321, 4554323
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/265 for initial activation of new user

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method and a relevant apparatus for achieving localized roaming of a mobile terminal. In the present invention, the mobile terminal sends real SIM card information to apply for a virtual SIM card to obtain a corresponding mobile terminal number of a roaming region, and registers user information to activate the virtual SIM card to serve as a calling party or a called party, so as to set up a called communication connection of a real SIM card. The mobile terminal applies for a virtual SIM card from a communication network of a roaming country to obtain a corresponding mobile terminal number of the roaming region through allocation, so that the user does not need to purchase a new SIM card in the roaming region, thereby saving the charges for purchasing the SIM card, ensuring a convenient operation and satisfying the demand of the user.

Claims

1. A method for setting up a communication connection, comprising:

downloading and installing, by a mobile terminal, virtual Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card management software for executing operation and management of a virtual SIM card;

sending, by the mobile terminal, real SIM card information to apply for the virtual SIM card to obtain a corresponding mobile terminal number for use in a roaming region through the virtual SIM card management software, wherein the corresponding mobile terminal number is allocated to the mobile terminal by a network operator in the roaming region and provided to the mobile terminal from the network operator in the roaming region;

registering user information to activate the virtual SIM card to serve as one of a calling party and a called party; and

setting up a called communication connection of a real SIM card,

wherein the sending real SIM card information to apply for a virtual SIM card to obtain a corresponding mobile terminal number for use in a roaming region comprises;

setting up a communication connection with a virtual SIM card server of a communication network of a roaming country;

sending application information carrying the real SIM card information to obtain the virtual SIM card from the virtual SIM card server;

passing applicant identity verification performed by the virtual SIM card server;

obtaining a corresponding virtual SIM card; and

storing information of the virtual SIM card;

wherein the registering user information to activate the virtual SIM card to serve as one of a calling party and a called party comprises;

activating the virtual SIM card and closing roaming information of the real SIM card of the mobile terminal, to enable a visit location register of the roaming region to obtain virtual SIM card information and the real SIM card information of the mobile terminal from the virtual SIM card server, wherein location information and state information of the real SIM card is sent by the visit location register according to the real SIM card information of the mobile terminal to a home location register which stores the location information and the state information of the real SIM card; and

setting calling and data services of the mobile terminal to use the virtual SIM card;

wherein the setting up a called communication connection of a real SIM card comprises;

receiving, by the mobile terminal, an assignment request message sent by a mobile switching center from a base station; and

sending, by the mobile terminal, an assignment completion message and a ringing message to the mobile switching center through the base station, for enabling the mobile switching center to send an address complete message to a mobile switching center where a calling party is located, wherein the ringing message is sent by the mobile switching center where the calling party is located to a mobile terminal of the calling party.

2. The method for setting up a communication connection of claim 1, wherein after the registering user information to activate the virtual SIM card to serve as one of a calling party and a called party, the method comprises:

setting up one of a calling communication connection and a called communication connection of the virtual SIM card.

3. The method for setting up a communication connection of claim 1, wherein the setting up a called communication connection of a real SIM card further comprises:

receiving, by the mobile terminal, a call request of a visit location register from the base station;

sending, by the mobile terminal, a corresponding call confirmation message to the mobile switching center through the base station;

sending, by the mobile terminal, a connection message to the mobile switching center through the base station, for enabling the mobile switching center to send an answer message to the mobile switching center where the calling party is located, wherein a connection setup request message is sent by the mobile switching center where the calling party is located to the mobile terminal of the calling party, and a connection confirmation message is sent by the mobile terminal of the calling party to the mobile switching center where the called party is located through the mobile switching center where the calling party is located; and

receiving, by the mobile terminal, the connection confirmation message from the base station, and setting up the called communication connection of the real SIM card with the mobile terminal of the calling party.

4. The method for setting up a communication connection of claim 3, wherein when the real SIM card is in a called state, a roaming call identifier is displayed on the mobile terminal.

5. The method for setting up a communication connection of claim 1, wherein the virtual SIM card is used as one of a part of the real SIM card in the mobile terminal and a data file to be directly stored in an external memory of the mobile terminal.

6. The method for setting up a communication connection of claim 1, wherein when the real SIM card is in a called state, a roaming call identifier is displayed on the mobile terminal.

7. The method for setting up a communication connection of claim 1, wherein when the mobile terminal leaves the roaming region, the mobile terminal number for use in a roaming region of a roaming country occupied by the mobile terminal is released, and a corresponding relationship between the mobile terminal number of the roaming region and a user is terminated.

8. A mobile terminal, comprising:

an inputting apparatus, an outputting apparatus, a memory and a processor, wherein the inputting apparatus, the outputting apparatus, the memory and the processor are interconnected,

wherein the processor executes the following steps;

downloading and installing virtual Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card management software for executing operation and management of a virtual SIM card;

sending real SIM card information to apply for the virtual SIM card to obtain a corresponding mobile terminal number for use in a roaming region through the virtual SIM card management software, wherein the corresponding mobile terminal number is allocated to the mobile terminal by a network operator in the roaming region;

receiving the corresponding mobile terminal number from the network operator in the roaming region;

registering user information to activate the virtual SIM card to serve as one of a calling party and a called party; and

setting up a called communication connection of a real SIM card,

wherein when executing the step of sending real SIM card information to apply for a virtual SIM card to obtain a corresponding mobile terminal number for use in a roaming region, the processor executes the following steps;

setting up a communication connection with a virtual SIM card server of a communication network of a roaming country;

sending application information carrying the real SIM card information to obtain the virtual SIM card from the virtual SIM card server;

passing applicant identity verification performed by the virtual SIM card server;

obtaining a corresponding virtual SIM card; and

storing information of the virtual SIM card;

wherein when executing the step of registering user information to activate the virtual SIM card to serve as one of a calling party and a called party, the processor executes the following steps;

activating the virtual SIM card and closing roaming information of the real SIM card of the mobile terminal, to enable a visit location register of the roaming region to obtain virtual SIM card information and the real SIM card information of the mobile terminal from the virtual SIM card server, wherein location information and state information of the real SIM card is sent by the visit location register according to the real SIM card information of the mobile terminal to a home location register which stores the location information and the state information of the real SIM card; and

setting calling and data services of the mobile terminal to use the virtual SIM card;

wherein the processor further executes the following steps;

receiving, by the mobile terminal, an assignment request message sent by the mobile switching center from the base station; and

sending, by the mobile terminal, an assignment completion message and a ringing message to the mobile switching center through the base station, for enabling the mobile switching center to send an address complete message to a mobile switching center where a calling party is located, wherein the ringing message is sent by the mobile switching center where the calling party is located to a mobile terminal of the calling party.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the processor further executes the following step:

setting up one of a calling communication connection and called communication connection of the virtual SIM card.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the processor further executes the following steps:

receiving, by the mobile terminal, a call request of a visit location register from the base station;

sending, by the mobile terminal, a corresponding call confirmation message to the mobile switching center through the base station;

sending, by the mobile terminal, a connection message to the mobile switching center through the base station, for enabling the mobile switching center to send an answer message to the mobile switching center where the calling party is located, wherein a connection setup request message is sent by the mobile switching center where the calling party is located to the mobile terminal of the calling party, and a connection confirmation message is sent by the mobile terminal of the calling party to the mobile switching center where the called party is located through the mobile switching center where the calling party is located; and

receiving, by the mobile terminal, the connection confirmation message from the base station, and setting up the called communication connection of the real SIM card with the mobile terminal of the calling party.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein when the real SIM card is in a called state, a roaming call identifier is displayed on the mobile terminal.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein an existing form of the virtual SIM card is used as one of a part of the real SIM card in the mobile terminal and a data file to be directly stored in an external memory of the mobile terminal.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein when the real SIM card is in a called state, a roaming call identifier is displayed on the mobile terminal.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein when the mobile terminal leaves the roaming region, the mobile terminal number for use in a roaming region of a roaming country occupied by the mobile terminal is released, and a corresponding relationship between the mobile terminal number of the roaming region and a user is terminated.