Method for operating a communication terminal

• US 6,671,523 B1
• Filed: 10/02/2000
• Issued: 12/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Rüssmann, Michael, Niepel, Alexander, Reimer, Uve
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUC M
• Application Number:
  US09/677,413
• Time in Patent Office: 1,184 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/433, 455/435, 455/550, 455/558, 455/405, 455/406, 455/410, 455/411, 455/414, 455/565, 455/566, 455/567
• US Class Current: 455/558
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• 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 method is described in which a number of subscriber profiles are flexibly allocated to a subscriber identity module. The subscriber has a subscriber identity module in his terminal. The terminal is also associated with a subscriber identity number. However, the subscriber identity number can be associated with two or more directory numbers that are distinguished by different associated subscriber profiles. The subscriber profiles are available and can be administered in a suitable manner in the network. Depending on the current status of the profile (activated/deactivated), a mobile-terminated call is switched through or diverted, e.g. to a so-called “voice mailbox”, that is to say an answering machine.

Claims

1. A method for operating a communication terminal in a communications network, which comprises the steps of:

assigning exactly one subscriber identification module with exactly one subscriber identity number to the communication terminal;

assigning at least two directory numbers to the subscriber identity number;

assigning at least a first subscriber profile for mobile-terminated calls and a second subscriber profile for mobile-originated calls to each directory number; and

determining the subscriber profile to be used in a call to or from the communication terminal using a services logic in the communications network.

2. The method according to claim 1, which comprises using a directory number dialed to indicate to the services logic the subscriber profile to be used for a mobile-terminated call.

3. The method according to claim 1, which comprises indicating, one of visually and audibly, a directory number to which the call was directed for a mobile-terminated call.

4. The method according to claim 1, which comprises indicating the subscriber profile to be used by additional signaling to the services logic from one of a user and the communications terminal for a mobile-originated call.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein a user using the communication terminal can activate and deactivate the subscriber profile.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user using the communications network can administer the subscriber profiles.

7. The method according to claim 1, which comprises providing the subscriber profile with billing information.

8. The method according to claim 1, which comprises providing the subscriber profile with time information for deciding on activations and deactivations of the directory numbers.

9. The method according to claim 1, which comprises providing the subscriber profile with information about which communication partners a call setup with is permissible.

10. The method according to claim 1, which comprises activating only one of the directory numbers having the subscriber profile at a time for the subscriber identity number.

11. The method according to claim 1, which comprises collecting calls for non-activated directory numbers in a mailbox.

12. The method according to claim 1, which comprises providing the communication network as a mobile radio network.

13. The method according to claim 1, which comprises providing the subscriber profile with information about which communication partners a call setup with is impermissible.