Multi-Sim-Based Mobile Device

• US 20090061932A1
• Filed: 08/30/2007
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wrp IP Management, LLC
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Nagarajan, Sudhakar
• Granted Patent: US 7,929,993 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/558
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A mobile device includes first identification circuitry and second identification circuitry. The first identification circuitry is associated with a first network and the second identification circuitry is associated with a second network. The mobile device simultaneously registers itself with the first and second networks using the first and second identification circuitry, respectively. The first and second identification circuitry may each comprise subscriber identity modules. The mobile devices handle outgoing and incoming calls based on user preferences. The user may override the preferences for selected calls.

Claims

1. A method of establishing communication with a mobile device, which comprises:

establishing a first identity for said mobile device;

establishing a second identify for said mobile device;

registering said mobile device with a first network using said first identity; and

,

simultaneously registering said mobile device with a second network using said second identity, said second identity being different from said first identity.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first network is the same as said second network.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

designating one of said identities as a preferred identity.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

receiving a command to place a call from said mobile device; and

,

placing said call from said mobile device using a said preferred identity.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising:

prior to placing said call from said mobile device using said preferred identity, prompting a user to override said preferred identity; and

,

in response to overriding said preferred identity, placing said call from said mobile device using the identity not designated as said preferred identity.

6. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein said preferred identity is designated according to user preferences.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said user preferences include at least one exception.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said at least one exception includes a time exception.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said at least one exception includes a date exception.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a call from a calling party, said call being for an intended one of said identities; and

,

completing said call to said intended one of said identities.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

designating one of said identities as a preferred identity;

if said intended one of said identities is not said preferred identity, instructing said calling party to call said preferred identity.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said first identity is established using a first subscriber identity module; and

,

said second identity is established using a second subscriber identity module.

13. A mobile device, which comprises:

means for receiving first identification circuitry, said first identification circuitry being associated with a first network;

means for receiving second identification circuitry, said second identification circuitry being associated with a second network; and

,

means for registering said mobile device with said first network using said first identification circuitry and simultaneously registering said mobile device with said second network using said second identification circuitry.

14. The mobile device as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

said first identification circuitry comprises a first subscriber identity module; and

,

said second identification circuitry comprises a second subscriber identity module.

15. The mobile device as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

means for designating one of said identification circuitry as a preferred identification circuitry.

16. The mobile device as claimed in claim 15, further comprising:

means for receiving a command to place a call; and

,

means for placing said call using said preferred identification circuitry.

17. The mobile device as claimed in claim 13, wherein said first network is different from said second network.

18. The mobile device as claimed in claim 13, further comprising;

means for maintaining user preferences.

19. The mobile device as claimed in claim 18, wherein said user preferences include preferred identification circuitry.

20. The mobile device as claimed in claim 19, wherein said user preferences include exceptions to said preferred identification circuitry.