Mobile terminal for automatically managing country code and method for storing/finding phone number using the same

• US 20040147260A1
• Filed: 01/20/2004
• Published: 07/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Yong-Hyon
• Granted Patent: US 7,245,911 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/432.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27485 Appending a prefix to or inserting a pause into a dialling sequence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8038 Roaming or handoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0164 Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/34 Roaming
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7442 Roaming
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

A mobile terminal for providing a mobile service and a method for storing and finding a phone number using the mobile terminal. The mobile terminal stores and manages country code information, a mobile service subscriber'"'"'s registration information, and mobile service usage history information; automatically generates a country code of a country where the mobile terminal is located using the mobile service subscriber'"'"'s registration information and mobile service usage history information; and executes a phone number storage command or a phone number search command using the country code. Where an international roaming service is executed by a user'"'"'s moving from one country to another country, the mobile terminal can automatically generate a country code or store an arbitrary phone number. Thus, there is no need for mobile service users to manually enter a country code in their mobile terminal when roaming service is executed.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal for providing mobile service subscribers with a mobile service, comprising:

a country code storage unit for coupling each mobile communication network ID received from each of a plurality of mobile communication network MSCs (Mobile Switching Centers) providing a mobile communication network service for every service area with a country code of a prescribed country in which the mobile communication network is located, and for storing and managing the coupling result of the mobile communication network ID and the country code;

a subscriber information storage unit for storing and managing mobile service registration information and mobile service usage history information of the mobile service subscriber;

a phone number storage unit for storing and managing phone number information; and

a controller for detecting a mobile communication network ID of a current PLMN (Public Land Mobile Network) service, retrieving mobile service usage history information from the subscriber information storage unit upon receiving either a phone number storage command or a phone number search command, determining whether a roaming operation of the mobile terminal is executed on the basis of the mobile communication network ID of the current PLMN service and the mobile service usage history information, and executing a phone number storage command or a phone number search command using both a received entry phone number and a detected country code.

2. The mobile terminal as set forth in claim 1, wherein the phone number storage unit includes a phone number storage field, a phone number storage field excluding country code, and a reception information storage field of the phone number excluding country code.

3. The mobile terminal as set forth in claim 1, wherein the controller analyzes an entry phone number received for a phone number storage service, determines whether the entry phone number has a country code, retrieves a country code of a country where the mobile terminal is located from the country code storage unit in the case where the entry phone number has no country code, and stores the country code and the entry phone number in the phone number storage unit.

4. The mobile terminal as set forth in claim 1, wherein the controller reads a requested phone number from the phone number storage unit, detects a country code of a country where the mobile terminal is located according to the phone number search command, compares the detected country code with an other country code associated with a phone number read from the phone number storage unit, and then displays a phone number having the other country code inserted into the phone number on a display in a predetermined display format when the detected country code is different from the other country code.

5. The mobile terminal as set forth in claim 4, wherein the controller, if the detected country code is identical to the other country code read from the phone number storage unit, displays on the display a phone number created by removing the country code from the phone number read from the phone number storage unit in a predetermined display format.

6. A method for storing a phone number in a mobile terminal adapted to store and manage country code information of various countries to allow a mutual roaming process among countries, mobile service registration information and mobile service usage history information of the mobile service subscriber comprising the steps of:

a) reading an external entry phone number according to a phone number storage command;

b) analyzing the phone number read at step (a) to determine whether the phone number has a country code;

c) if the phone number has no country code at step (b), retrieving a country code of a current country wherein the mobile terminal is located on the basis of a mobile communication network ID of a current PLMN (Public Land Mobile Network) service; and

d) storing the phone number read at step (a) and the country code retrieved at step (c) in the mobile terminal.

7. The method as set forth in claim 6, wherein step (b) determines whether a specific code or a specific number arrangement is contained in the read phone number.

8. The method as set forth in claim 6, wherein step (d) separately stores a country code contained in the read phone number of step (a), a country code retrieved at step (c), and a phone number excluding country code.

9. A method for finding a phone number in a mobile terminal adapted to store and manage country code information of various countries to allow a mutual roaming process among countries, mobile service registration information and mobile service usage history information of the mobile service subscriber comprising the steps of:

a) reading a search-requested phone number from a memory contained in the mobile terminal upon receiving a phone number search command;

b) detecting a country code of a current country wherein the mobile terminal is located;

c) comparing a country code contained in the phone number read at step (a) with the country code detected at step (b); and

d) displaying the phone number read at step (a) in the form of a prescribed display format on the basis of the result of step (c).

10. The method as set forth in claim 10, wherein step (d) includes the steps of:

d1) if it is determined at step (c) that the country code detected at step (b) is different from the country code contained in the phone number read at step (a), displaying a phone number having the country code contained in the phone number read at step (a); and

d2) if it is determined at step (c) that the country code detected at step (b) is the same as the country code contained in the phone number read at step (a), displaying a phone number created by removing the country code from the read phone number of step (a).