Method and apparatus of invoking services in a telecommunications terminal

• US 6,574,467 B1
• Filed: 04/21/2000
• Issued: 06/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Optis Wireless Technology, LLC (Brevet Capital)
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Jonsson, Björn
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thanh Cong
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRINH, TAN H
• Application Number:
  US09/556,872
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: 455/406, 455/414, 455/415, 455/432, 455/435, 455/558
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

The invention is concerned with a method in a telecommunications terminal, e.g. amobile phone, comprising an identification module with several subscriber numbers, of invoking desired services provided by different service providers. In the method a category of an incoming or outgoing call can be determined. A desired service is selected, in accordance with the category determined, among the services provided by a service provider associated with the mobile phone through service access numbers stored in the module. There is called to a service access number of the service provider providing a desired service in accordance with a certain call handling function by means of which the desired service can be invoked and charged in different ways, whereafter the service provided by the service provider is invoked. The invention is also concerned with a telecommunications terminal and the use of the terminal in different roles, such as a private person, an employee and as a member in different organizations.

Claims

1. Method in a telecommunications terminal, comprising an identification module with several subscriber numbers, of invoking desired services provided by different service providers,

characterized by the following steps determining a category for an incoming or outgoing call, selecting a desired service, in accordance with the category determined, among the services provided by service providers associated with the terminal through service access numbers stored in the identification module,

calling to a service access number of the service provider providing a desired service in accordance with a certain call handling function by means of which the desired service can be invoked and charged in different ways,

invoking the service thereby provided by the service provider.

2. Method of claim 1, characterized in that the category of the call is determined by means of associations defined between at least one of the subscriber numbers in the identification module with at least one service provider providing one or more of different services.

3. Method of claim 2, characterized in that at least one subscriber number is associated with a prepaid card permitting calls from the number to be charged on the identification module.

4. Method of claim 1, characterized in that in accordance with one of the call categories, the desired service is selected by the user on the basis of the called subscriber number of an incoming call.

5. Method of claim 1, characterized in that in accordance with one of the call categories, the desired service is selected by the user on the basis of the calling number of an incoming call.

6. Method of claim 1, characterized in that in accordance with one of the call categories, the desired service is selected by the user during the ongoing call.

7. Method of claim 1, characterized in that in accordance with one of the call categories, the desired service is selected by the user in advance among the services provided by a service provider associated with the terminal.

8. Method of any of claim 7, characterized in that the each of the subscriber numbers of the telecommunications terminal is associated with different service access numbers of different service providers.

9. Method of claim 1, characterized in that the telecommunications terminal is a mobile phone.

10. Method of claim 9, characterized in that the identification module is a SIM card.

11. Method of claim 1, characterized in that the desired service is selected by the user by means of the terminal in advance by storing the called or calling number of the incoming call and by invoking the right service access number during an ongoing communication.

12. Method of claim 1, characterized in that the desired service is selected by the user by means of the terminal by selecting and invoking the right service access number during an ongoing communication.

13. Method of claim 1, characterized in that the selection of the service access number is carried out by the user by means of the terminal by using a list stored in the mobile terminal.

14. Method of claim 1, characterized in that that the desired service is selected by the user by means of terminal in advance among the services available through service access numbers stored in the mobile phone.

15. Method of claim 1, characterized in that the call handling function can be determined by a call category defined for each subscriber number of the terminal by means of which the call also can be charged in the desired way.

16. Method of claim 1, characterized in that, in accordance with a certain call handling function, the desired service is invoked during an ongoing communication between the terminal and another subscriber via an intermediate service node offering the service.

17. Method of claim 16, characterized by the following steps a)-h), steps a)-d) and f)-g) being carried out by the same subscriber of the ongoing communication,

a) parking the ongoing connection by one of the subscribers of the ongoing communication,

b) selecting a service access number to a service node offering the desired service,

c) making a first call to the service node selected,

d) returning to the original, parked connection, so that a call back from the service node could be answered,

e) said service node rejecting the call and making a second call back to the subscriber having called to the service node,

f) answering said second call,

g) requesting a connection between the participants of the ongoing communication and the service node,

h) said service node providing services to the terminal and the other subscriber.

18. Method of claim 17, characterized in that the connection requested in step

g) is a conference connection between the participants of said ongoing communication and said service node, the method further comprising the following steps

h) said service node making a third call to one of the subscribers,

i) the subscriber parking said conference call and answering said third call, said service node providing separate connections to the subscribers, i.e. the terminal respective the ether subscriber, thereby providing services separately.

19. Method of claim 17, characterized in that the service node is disconnected upon request by the terminal or the other subscriber.

20. Method of claim 17, characterized in that a payer of a service is registered by means of the fact that the service node has separate connections to the subscribers, whereby the original connection is registered to be paid by the caller and the calls from the service node to the requesting subscriber are paid by the service provider.

21. Method of claim 1, characterized in that the payer of the call can be registered by means of a certain call handling function.

22. Method of claim 21, characterized in that in accordance with the call handling functions, the incoming call is a direct or an indirect call to any subscription number associated with the terminal.

23. Method of claim 22, characterized in that indirect calls are delivered to the terminal by an intermediate system calling one of the numbers belonging to the terminal.

24. Method of claim 23, characterized in that the intermediate system is the service node.

25. Method of claim 22, characterized in that in accordance with one of the call handling functions, incoming calls to some of the subscriber numbers associated with the terminal are registered to be paid by the caller if a direct method of calling has been used.

26. Method of claim 22, characterized in that in accordance with one of the call handling functions, incoming calls to some of the subscriber numbers associated with the terminal are registered to be paid by the provider of the service associated with the subscriber number using an indirect method of calling through the intermediate system.

27. Method of claim 22, characterized in that in accordance with one of the call handling functions, outgoing calls are registered to be paid by the user of the terminal by using a direct method of calling out.

28. Method of claim 22, characterized in that in accordance with one of the call handling, functions, outgoing calls are registered to be paid by the service provider by use of a call back procedure from the service node.

29. Method in a telecommunications terminal, comprising an identification module with several subscriber numbers, of invoking desired services provided by different service providers,

characterized by the following steps defining associations between at least one of the subscriber numbers in the identification module with at least one service provider providing one or more of different services,

selecting a desired service among the services provided by a service provider associated with the terminal through service access numbers stored in the terminal, calling to a service access number of the service provider providing a desired service in accordance with a certain call handling function by means of which the desired service can be invoked and charged in different ways,

invoking the service thereby provided by the service provider.

30. Method of claim 29, characterized in that associations between at least one of the subscriber numbers in the identification module with at least one service provider providing one or more of different services are defined by storing the associations in the terminal permanently so that s service provider is associated with the terminal through service access numbers.

31. Telecommunications terminal comprising an identification module with several subscriber numbers, characterized in that, it has functions allowing a user to define an association between at least one one of a plurality of subscriber numbers, defined by the module, with a specific service provider providing different services through service access numbers so that by calling to a service access number to a desired service in accordance with a certain call handling function, the desired service can be invoked and charged in different ways.

32. Telecommunications terminal of claim 31, characterized in that the telecommunications terminal is a mobile phone.

33. Telecommunications terminal of claim 32, characterized in that the identification module is a SIM card.

34. Telecommunication terminal of claim 31, characterized in that the call handling function is determined by a call category defined for each subscriber number of the terminal by means of which the call is charged in the desired way.

35. Telecommunication terminal of claim 31, characterized in that different call categories are associated with the different subscriber numbers used to call the terminal and to different service access numbers used to invoke different services.

36. Telecommunication terminal of claim 31, characterized in that at least one of a plurality of subscriber numbers belonging to said terminal is associated in form of data records with a service access number identifying a service node.

37. Telecommunication terminal of claim 31, characterized in that at least one subscriber number is associated with a prepaid card permitting calls to the number to be charged on the module.

38. Telecommunication terminal of claim 31, characterized in that the payer of the call can be registered by means of a certain call handling function.

39. Telecommunication terminal of claim 38, characterized in that in accordance with one of the call handling functions, incoming calls to some of the subscriber numbers associated with the terminal are registered to be paid by the caller if a direct method of calling has been used.

40. Telecommunication terminal of claim 38, characterized in that in accordance with one of the call handling functions, incoming calls to some of the subscriber numbers associated with the terminal are registered to be paid by the provider of the service associated with the subscriber number using an indirect method of calling through an intermediate system.

41. Telecommunication terminal of claim 38, characterized in that in accordance with one of the call handling functions, outgoing calls are registered to be paid by the user of the terminal by using a direct method of calling out.

42. Telecommunication terminal of claim 38, characterized in that in accordance with one of the call handling functions, outgoing calls to a certain service number are registered to be paid by the service provider if an indirect calling method through an intermediate system has been used.

43. Telecommunication terminal of claim 38, characterized in that in accordance with one of the call handling functions, incoming calls to a certain service number are rejected and the calling user is thereafter informed about a service phone number to make direct calls.

44. Use of the telecommunications terminal of claim 31, in different roles in which the user can select the different services and have them paid in different ways.

45. Use of claim 44, characterized in that, the terminal is used in roles as a private person, an employee and as a member in different organizations.

46. Use of claim 44, characterized in that the different roles are determined in connection with an incoming or outgoing call, whereby an associated service can be selected in advance to be connected later during the ongoing call.

47. Use of the mobile phone of claim 31, for selecting services from different service providers during an ongoing call.

48. Use of the mobile phone of claim 31, for charging the call on any of the user of the terminal, the calling subscriber or the service provider, in accordance with different call handling functions.

49. Use of the mobile phone of claim 31, for sending messages in a packet data system.