METHODS FOR PROCESSING APPARATUS ORIGINATED COMMUNICATION REQUEST AND COMMUNICATION APPARATUSES UTILIZING THE SAME

• US 20090239576A1
• Filed: 12/24/2008
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Original Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Inventors: Fu, Shih-Wen, Liao, Ying-Chieh, Lee, Chen-Hsuan
• Granted Patent: US 8,204,542 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/552.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/755 Account identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/7556 by SIM, e.g. smart card account in SCP, SDP or SN
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/77 involving multiple accounts per user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/771 per terminal or location, e.g. mobile device with multiple directory numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7222 Account identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7231 by SIM, e.g. smart card account in SCP, SDP or SN
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7254 Multiple accounts per user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7259 per terminal or location; Mobile with multiple directory numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/745 Least cost routing, e.g. Automatic or manual, call by call or by preselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A communication apparatus is provided. A first subscriber identity card camps on a first cell belonging to a first wireless network via at least one radio transceiver module. A second subscriber identity card camps on a second cell belonging to a second wireless network via the radio transceiver module. A memory device stores information indicating at least one discount period of the first wireless network and at least one discount period of the second wireless network. A processor receives an apparatus originated communication request with a destination address, determines whether a current time falls within the discount period of the first wireless network or the discount period of the second wireless network, and establishes a wireless communication with a peer device of the received destination address through one of the first cell or the second cell in response to the fallen discount period.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus, comprising:

at least one radio transceiver module;

a first subscriber identity card camping on a first cell belonging to a first wireless network via the radio transceiver module;

a second subscriber identity card camping on a second cell belonging to a second wireless network via the radio transceiver module;

a memory device storing information indicating at least one discount period of the first wireless network and at least one discount period of the second wireless network; and

a processor coupled to the first subscriber identity card, the second subscriber identity card, the memory device and the radio transceiver module, receiving an apparatus originated communication request with a destination address, determining whether a current time falls within the discount period of the first wireless network or the discount period of the second wireless network, and establishing a wireless communication with a peer device of the received destination address through one of the first cell and the second cell in response to the fallen discount period.

2. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor further obtains information regarding the discount period of the first wireless network and the discount period of the second wireless network via a man-machine interface (MMI), and stores the information in the memory device.

3. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a real time clock maintaining the current time, and wherein the processor obtains the current time by checking the real time clock.

4. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the memory device further stores a tariff table of the first wireless network and a tariff table of the second wireless network, and wherein the tariff table comprises information regarding rates charged by the corresponding wireless network at different time periods.

5. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the processor further compares the rates of the first wireless network and the second wireless network at the current time to obtain a lower rate wireless network when the current time falls in both the discount periods of the first wireless network and the second wireless network or when the current time does not fall in the discount period of the first wireless network and does not fall in the discount period of the second wireless network, and establishes the wireless communication with the peer device through one of the first cell and the second cell in response to the obtained lower rate wireless network.

6. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the processor further obtains information regarding the rates of first wireless network and/or the rates of the second wireless network via a man-machine interface (MMI), and stores the information in the memory device.

7. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the processor further obtains information regarding the rates of first wireless network and/or the rates of the second wireless network according to at least one Advice of Charge (AoC) message received from the first wireless network and/or the second wireless network, and stores the information in the memory device.

8. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the processor further receives at least one service fee message from the first wireless network and/or the second wireless network for indicating a total service fee for at least one wireless communication session after termination of the wireless communication session, obtains a time spent by the wireless communication session, obtains information regarding the rates of first wireless network and/or the rates of the second wireless network according to the total service fee and the corresponding time spent, and stores the information in the memory device.

9. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first subscriber identity card and the second subscriber identity card is the subscriber identity module (SIM) card corresponding to the global system for mobile communications (GSM), the universal subscriber identity module (USIM) card corresponding to the universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) or time division-synchronous code division multiple access (TD-SCDMA) network, or the removable user identity module (RUIM) card or the CDMA subscriber identity module (CSIM) card corresponding to the code division multiple access (CDMA) 2000 communication system.

10. A communication apparatus, comprising:

at least one radio transceiver module;

a first subscriber identity card camping on a first cell belonging to a first wireless network via the radio transceiver module;

a second subscriber identity card camping on a second cell belonging to a second wireless network via the radio transceiver module;

a memory device storing information indicating a credit amount for a deductible communication fee of the first subscriber identity card and a credit amount for a deductible communication fee of the second subscriber identity card; and

a processor coupled to the first subscriber identity card, the second subscriber identity card, the memory device and the radio transceiver module, receiving an apparatus originated communication request with a destination address, comparing the credit amount of the first subscriber identity card and the credit amount of the second subscriber identity card to determine one subscriber identity card with the greatest credit amount, and establishing a wireless communication with a peer device of the received destination address through one of the first cell and the second cell in response to the determined subscriber identity card.

11. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the processor further obtains information regarding the credit amount of the first subscriber identity card and/or the credit amount of the second subscriber identity card via a man-machine interface (MMI), and stores the information in the memory device.

12. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the processor further obtains information regarding the credit amount of the first subscriber identity card and/or the credit amount of the second subscriber identity card from the corresponding first wireless network and/or the corresponding second wireless network, and stores the information in the memory device.

13. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the processor further updates the credit amount of the determined subscriber identity card according to a total service fee of a wireless communication session.

14. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the service fee of the wireless communication session is obtained according to a service fee message received from the corresponding wireless network establishing the wireless communication after termination of the wireless communication.

15. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the memory device further stores a tariff table of the first wireless network for the first subscriber identity card and a tariff table of the second wireless network for the second subscriber identity card, each tariff table comprises information regarding rates charged by the corresponding wireless network at different time periods, wherein the service fee of the wireless communication session is estimated according to the corresponding tariff table for the determined subscriber identity card.

16. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the processor further receives an Advice of Charge (AoC) message from the corresponding wireless network that is going to establish the wireless communication for indicating a rate to be charged, and estimates the service fee of the wireless communication session according to the rate.

17. A communication apparatus, comprising:

at least one radio transceiver module;

a first subscriber identity card camping on a first cell belonging to a first wireless network via the radio transceiver module;

a second subscriber identity card camping on a second cell belonging to a second wireless network via the radio transceiver module;

a memory device storing a plurality of recent apparatus terminated communication request records for recording recently received apparatus terminated communication requests over a predetermined period, wherein each record comprises an origination address of a peer device and information indicating either the first subscriber identity card or the second subscriber identity card that the peer device intended to communicate with for each apparatus terminated communication request; and

a processor coupled to the first subscriber identity card, the second subscriber identity card, the memory device and the radio transceiver module, receiving an apparatus originated communication request with a destination address, determining whether the destination address is stored in one of the recent apparatus terminated communication request records, and when the destination address is stored in one of the recent apparatus terminated communication request records, determining whether the first subscriber identity card or the second subscriber identity card is the one that the destination address previously intended to communicate with, and establishing a wireless communication with the destination address through one of the first cell and the second cell in response to the determined subscriber identity card.

18. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the memory device further stores information indicating at least one discount period of the first wireless network and at least one discount period of the second wireless network, and when the destination address is not stored in any one of the recent apparatus terminated communication request records, the processor further determines whether a current time falls within the discount period of the first wireless network or the discount period of the second wireless network, and establishes the wireless communication through one of the first cell or the second cell in response to the fallen discount period.

19. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein the memory device further stores a tariff table of the first wireless network and a tariff table of the second wireless network, each tariff table comprises information regarding rates charged by the corresponding wireless network at different time periods, and wherein the processor further compares the rates of the first wireless network and the second wireless network at the current time to obtain a lower rate wireless network when the current time falls in both the discount periods of the first wireless network and the second wireless network or when the current time does not fall in the discount period of the first wireless network and does not fall in the discount period of the second wireless network, and establishes the wireless communication through one of the first cell or the second cell in response to the obtained lower rate wireless network.

20. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the memory device further stores information indicating a credit amount for a deductible communication fee of the first subscriber identity card and a credit amount for a deductible communication fee of the second subscriber identity card, and when the destination address is not stored in any one of the recent apparatus terminated communication request records, the processor further compares the credit amount of the first subscriber identity card and the credit amount of the second subscriber identity card to determine one subscriber identity card with the greatest credit amount, and establishes the wireless communication through one of the first cell and the second cell in response to the determined subscriber identity card.

21. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein the processor further updates the credit amount of the determined subscriber identity card according to a total service fee of a wireless communication session.