Multi-card device for telecommunications, and process for automatically managing telephone communications

• US 6,889,059 B1
• Filed: 10/26/2000
• Issued: 05/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Guala Dispensing SPA (Dispensing International SpA)
• Inventors: Fragola, Felice
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US10/129,271
• Time in Patent Office: 1,650 Days
• Field of Search: 455/558, 455/559, 455/432, 455/433, 455/411, 455/406, 455/407, 455/566, 455/564, 379/114.28
• US Class Current: 455/558
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0034 the connector being capable of simultaneously receiving a plurality of cards in the same insertion slot
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3816 Mechanical arrangements for accommodating identification devices, e.g. cards or chips; with connectors for programming identification devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier
• 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 multi-card cellular telephone apparatus includes a central processing unit and a plurality of SIM cards connected to the central processing unit through slots. The plurality of SIM cards are selectively managed by the central processing unit employing an active time agenda that allows reading of an internal clock time and activating the SIM cards as a function of the assigned time range. A process is also disclosed for automatically managing multiple SIM cards.

Claims

1. Multi-card device for telecommunications, comprising:

a central processing unit;

a plurality of SIM cards connected to said central processing unit and selectively managed by said central processing unit;

a plurality of slots configured to house said plurality of SIM cards;

displaying means and key input means, respectively to display and choose operating functions to be activated;

wherein said central processing unit is configured to perform an automatic activation process for said SIM cards upon turning-on, said automatic activation process of said SIM cards upon turning-on including;

turning on said device;

sequentially first scanning said slots and requesting a PIN code for every detected SIM card;

sequentially second scanning said slots with the obtained PIN code and activating a first slot found with a chip card; and

activating usual functions of said device with said first activated slot; and

further including, after said first scanning;

checking for a presence of an active time agenda; and

in a case an active time agenda is present, reading an internal clock time and activating the slots as function of an assigned time range.

2. Multi-card device according to claim 1, wherein said process further comprises, after said first scanning:

checking for a presence of customized priorities for said slots; and

in a case of detecting the presence of customized priorities for said slots, activating the slot whose priority is highest.

3. Multi-card device according to claim 1, wherein said central processing unit is further configured to perform a parallel activities management process for said slots and said SIM cards.

4. Multi-card device according to claim 3, wherein said parallel activities management process for said slots and said SIM cards includes:

accessing the slots and a SIM cards activities management menu;

if an automatic choice is present, automatically scanning busy slots, and choosing and activating said slots as a function of signal power, in a case of conflict applying the priorities assigned to said slots, deactivating the priority of said slots, and deactivating the active time agenda;

if an automatic choice is absent, checking whether a current provider variation is requested;

in a case of a request to change the current provider, keying-in the slot position to be activated independently from assigned priorities, activating the keyed-in slot, deactivating the priority of said slots, and deactivating the active time agenda;

in a case of a lack of a variation request for the current provider, checking for an existence of a customized priority for said slots;

if a customized priority is present for said slots, performing possible setting modifications and activating the customized priority for said slots;

in a case of a lack of a customized priority for said slots, deactivating the customized priority for said slots;

checking the activation of the active time agenda;

in a case of a lack of activation of the active time agenda, deactivating the active time agenda;

in a case of an activation of the active time agenda, performing possible modifications and activating the active time agenda.

5. Multi-card device according to claim 4, further comprising:

before the activating of the active time agenda, activation confirmation requesting for a new slot and emitting a sound signal if this is an automatic activation.

6. Multi-card device according to claim 1, wherein said central processing unit is further configured to perform an automatic activation process for said slots according to time information.

7. Multi-card device according to claim 6, wherein said automatic activation process of said slots according to time information includes:

receiving a signal from the active time agenda;

checking for a presence of a current connection and, in a case of a lack of the current connection, waiting until the current connection is performed;

checking whether a sound signal emission parameter is active and emitting a sound signal if the sound signal emission parameter is active;

checking whether a confirmation request parameter is active, and if the confirmation request parameter is not active activating a new slot;

in a case the confirmation request parameter is active, checking whether activating a new slot and activating the new slot if a result is positive;

performing usual functions of said device.

8. Process for automatically managing multiple telephone communication items in a telephone device, comprising:

sequentially scanning for a presence of SIMs in said device and requesting a PIN code for every detected SIM;

optionally scanning at an international roaming level for a presence of local SIMs in said device and requesting a PIN code for every detected local SIM;

in a case a local SIM at the international roaming level is present, activating said local SIM and activating usual functions of said device with said activated local SIM;

in a case a local SIM at the international roaming level is not present, activating the first detected SIM and activating usual functions of said device with said activated SIM;

checking for a presence of an active time agenda in said device; and

in a case an active time agenda is present, reading an internal clock time and activating every detected SIM as a function of a time range assigned to said SIM.

9. Process according to claim 8, further comprising, when a telephone call is made from said device:

recognizing a provider from an identification code of a number of the telephone call being made; and

if a SIM belonging to the recognized provider is present in said device, activating said SIM for the call.

10. Process according to claim 8, wherein said optionally scanning and recognizing are performed if an enabling control flag therefor is set.

11. Process according to claim 8, further comprising a parallel activities management process for said SIMs, said parallel activities management process comprising:

accessing a SIM activities management menu;

if an automatic choice is present, automatically scanning the detected SIMs, and choosing and activating said SIMs as a function of signal power, in a case of a conflict applying priorities assigned to said SIMs, deactivating the priorities of said SIMs, and deactivating the active time agenda;

should an automatic choice be absent, checking whether a current provider variation is requested;

in a case of a request to change the current provider, keying-in the SIM to be activated independently from assigned priorities, activating the keyed-in SIM, deactivating the priority of said SIMs, and deactivating the active time agenda;

in a case of a lack of a variation request for the current provider, checking for an existence of a customized priority for said SIMs;

if a customized priority is present for said SIMs, performing possible setting modifications and activating the customized priority for said SIMs;

in a case of a lack of a customized priority for said SIMs, deactivating the customized priority for said SIMs;

checking for an activation of the active time agenda;

in a case of a lack of activation of the active time agenda, deactivating the active time agenda;

in a case of activation of the active time agenda, performing possible modifications and activating the active time agenda.

12. Process according to claim 11, further comprising, before the activating of the active time agenda, activation confirmation requesting for a new slot and emitting a sound signal if this is an automatic activation.

13. Process according to claim 8, further comprising an automatic activation process for said SIMs according to time information.

14. Process according to claim 13, wherein said automatic activation process of said SIMs according to time information comprises:

receiving a signal from the active time agenda;

checking for a presence of a current connection and, in a case of a lack of the current connection, waiting until the current connection is performed;

checking whether a sound signal emission parameter is active and emitting the sound signal if the sound signal emission parameter is active;

checking whether a confirmation request parameter is active, and if the confirmation request parameter is not active activating a new SIM;

in a case the confirmation request parameter is active, checking whether activating a new SIM and activating the new SIM if a result is positive;

performing usual functions of said device.