Mobile communication terminal and method for managing use-history information

• US 7,421,287 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2005
• Issued: 09/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Yong-Hyon, Cho, Cheong-Hun
• Primary Examiner(s): FERGUSON, KEITH
• Application Number:
  US11/044,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20050181829A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,313 Days
• Field of Search: 455/558, 455/550.1, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/575.1, 455/551, 455/557, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/90.3, 455/422.1, 455/403, 455/426.1, 455/426.2, 455/418, 455/419, 455/420, 455/500, 455/517, 235/380, 235/382
• US Class Current: 455/558
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2746 Sorting, e.g. according to history or frequency of use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/675 the user being required to insert a coded card, e.g. a smart card carrying an integrated circuit chip
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/60 logging of communication history, e.g. outgoing or incoming calls, missed calls, messages or URLs logging of telephone numbers H04M1/56, H04M1/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/72 Subscriber identity

Abstract

Disclosed is a mobile communication terminal having a subscriber identity module (SIM) card. The mobile communication terminal includes a memory unit for storing use-history information of the SIM card inserted into the mobile communication terminal according to a subscriber identity number of the inserted SIM card, and a controller for determining the subscriber identity number of the inserted SIM card, determining whether a predetermined storage area corresponding to the subscriber identity number exists in the memory unit, and generating the predetermined storage area in the memory unit when the predetermined storage area does not exist in the memory unit. Further, it is possible to search the use-history information stored in a storage area corresponding to the subscriber identity number of each SIM card carried by a user. Therefore, the security for the use-history information of the SIM card can be ensured.

Claims

1. A mobile communication terminal having a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, the mobile communication terminal comprising:

a memory unit for storing use-history information of the SIM card inserted into the mobile communication terminal according to a subscriber identity number of the inserted SIM card; and

a controller for determining the subscriber identity number of the inserted SIM card, examining whether a predetermined storage area corresponding to the subscriber identity number exists in the memory unit, and generating the predetermined storage area in the memory unit when the predetermined storage area does not exist in the memory unit.

2. The mobile communication terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when the predetermined storage area corresponding to the subscriber identity number exists in the memory unit, the controller loads the use-history information of the SIM card stored in the predetermined storage area and maps the loaded information according to each menu of a user interface.

3. The mobile communication terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the memory unit stores the use-history information in the predetermined storage area corresponding to the subscriber identity number, the use-history information including a memo record of a user of the SIM card inserted into the mobile communication terminal, a communication record list, a telephone directory, an initial set-up screen of the mobile communication terminal, and a transmission/reception message.

4. The mobile communication terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when a master registration request is received from a user of the mobile communication terminal after a predetermined SIM card is inserted into the mobile communication terminal, the controller registers the inserted SIM card as a master and controls a predetermined storage area corresponding to a subscriber identity number of the SIM card registered as the master to be generated in the memory unit.

5. The mobile communication terminal as claimed in claim 4, wherein, in response to a mode setting request of a user of the SIM card registered as the master, the controller sets an operation mode of the mobile communication terminal as one of a single mode in which only the SIM card registered as the master uses the predetermined storage area generated in the memory unit and a multi-mode in which a plurality of SIM cards use the predetermined storage area.

6. The mobile communication terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when a predetermined SIM card is inserted into the mobile communication terminal and then a slave registration request is received from a user of an SIM card registered as a master, the slave registration request allows the inserted SIM card to use the mobile communication terminal when the mobile communication terminal operates in a multi-mode, and the controller registers the inserted SIM card as a slave and controls a predetermined storage area corresponding to a subscriber identity number of the registered SIM card to be generated in the memory unit.

7. The mobile communication terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when the inserted SIM card is an SIM card registered as a master when the mobile communication terminal operates in a multi-mode, the controller generates and loads use-history information of the master SIM card and a slave SIM card list for managing registration information of a slave SIM card registered in the mobile communication terminal.

8. The mobile communication terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller records a communication record list representing transmission/reception communication information that is included in the use-history information stored in the memory unit, in the inserted SIM card.

9. A method for managing use-history information of a mobile communication terminal, when one SIM card of multiple SIM cards is inserted into the mobile communication terminal, and then the mobile communication terminal is powered on, the method comprising:

a) determining a subscriber identity number of the inserted SIM card;

b) determining whether a predetermined storage area corresponding to the subscriber identity number of the inserted SIM card exists in an entire storage area of the mobile communication terminal;

c) generating the predetermined storage area when the predetermined storage area corresponding to the subscriber identity number does not exist in the entire storage area of the mobile communication terminal; and

d) storing use-history information of the inserted SIM card in the predetermined storage area.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the step of generating the predetermined storage area comprises:

loading the use-history information of the SIM card stored in the predetermined storage area and mapping the loaded information according to each menu of a user interface when the predetermined storage area corresponding to the subscriber identity number exists in the entire storage area of the mobile communication terminal.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the step of storing use-history information comprises:

storing the use-history information in the predetermined storage area, wherein the use-history information comprises a memo record of a user of the SIM card inserted into the mobile communication terminal, a communication record list, a telephone directory, an initial set-up screen of the mobile communication terminal, and a transmission/reception message.

12. A method for managing use-history information of a mobile communication terminal, when one SIM card of multiple SIM cards is inserted into the mobile communication terminal and then the mobile communication terminal is powered on the method comprising:

a) determining a subscriber identity number of the inserted SIM card;

b) registering the inserted SIM card as a master when a master registration request is received from a user of the mobile communication terminal; and

c) generating a predetermined storage area corresponding to a subscriber identity number of the SIM card registered as the master and storing use-history information of the registered master SIM card in the generated predetermined storage area.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the step of registering the inserted SIM card comprises:

outputting a message for requesting a password input in response to the master registration request from the user of the mobile communication terminal; and

registering the inserted SIM card as the master when an input password inputted by the user in response to the password input request coincides with an already stored password.

14. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the step of storing use history comprises:

storing the use-history information in the predetermined storage area, wherein the use-history information comprises a memo record of a user of the SIM card inserted into the mobile communication terminal, a communication record list, a telephone directory, an initial set-up screen of the mobile communication terminal, and a transmission/reception message.

15. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the step of storing use history comprises:

storing a communication record list representing transmission/reception communication information which is included in the use-history information, in a memory of the inserted SIM card.

16. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

displaying a screen for selecting an operation mode of the mobile communication terminal when a mode setting request is received from a user of the SIM card registered as the master,; and

performing a selected operation mode based on selection information of the user.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the operation mode of the mobile communication terminal is either a single mode in which only the SIM card registered as the master uses the predetermined storage area of the mobile communication terminal or a multi-mode in which a plurality of SIM cards use the predetermined storage area.

18. A method for managing use-history information of a mobile communication terminal, when one SIM card of multiple SIM cards is inserted into the mobile communication terminal and then the mobile communication terminal is powered on, the method comprising:

a) determining a subscriber identity number of the inserted SIM card;

b) determining whether a predetermined storage area corresponding to the subscriber identity number of the inserted SIM card exists in an entire storage area of the mobile communication terminal;

c) determining whether there exists a slave registration request for registering the inserted SIM card as a slave when the predetermined storage area corresponding to the subscriber identity number does not exist in the entire storage area of the mobile communication terminal;

d) registering the inserted SIM card as the slave when there exists the slave registration request; and

e) generating the predetermined storage area corresponding to the subscriber identity number of the SIM card registered as the slave and storing use-history information of the registered slave SIM card in the generated predetermined storage area.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the step of registering the inserted SIM card comprises:

outputting a message for requesting a password input in order to determine whether the user is a user registered as a master, in response to the slave registration request from the user of the mobile communication terminal; and

registering the inserted SIM card as the slave when an input password entered by the user in response to the password input request matches an already stored password.

20. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the step of determining whether there exists a slave registration request comprises:

loading the use-history information of the SIM card stored in the predetermined storage area and mapping the loaded information according to each menu of a user interface when the predetermined storage area corresponding to the subscriber identity number exists in the entire storage area of the mobile communication terminal.

21. A method for managing use-history information of a mobile communication terminal, when one SIM card of multiple SIM cards is inserted into the mobile communication terminal and then the mobile communication terminal is powered on, the method comprising:

a) determining a subscriber identity number of the inserted SIM card;

b) determining whether an operation mode of the mobile communication terminal is a single mode in which only an SIM card registered as a master uses a predetermined storage area of the mobile communication terminal or a multi-mode in which a plurality of SIM cards use the predetermined storage area;

c) determining whether a predetermined storage area corresponding to the subscriber identity number of the inserted SIM card exists in an entire storage area of the mobile communication terminal, when the mobile communication terminal operates in the multi-mode;

d) determining whether the inserted SIM card is the SIM card registered as the master when the predetermined storage area corresponding to the subscriber identity number exists in the entire storage area of the mobile communication terminal; and

e) loading use-history information of the master SIM card stored in the predetermined storage area when the inserted SIM card is the master SIM card.

22. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the step of loading use-history information of the master SIM card comprises:

loading the use-history information of the master SIM card and mapping the loaded information according to each menu of a user interface.

23. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the step of loading use-history information of the master SIM card comprises:

generating and outputting a list of a slave SIM card registered in the mobile communication terminal.

24. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the step of loading use-history information of the master SIM card comprises:

loading use-history information of a corresponding SIM card stored in the predetermined storage area when the inserted SN card is not the master SIM card.

25. The method as claimed in claim 21, further comprising:

determining whether the inserted SIM card is the SIM card registered as the master when the mobile communication terminal operates in the single-mode; and

loading use-history information of the master SIM card predetermined storage area corresponding to the subscriber identity number of the master SIM card when the inserted SIM card is the master SIM card.

26. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the step of determining whether the inserted SIM card is the SIM card registered as the master comprises:

determining whether the subscriber identity number of the inserted SIM card matches a subscriber identity number of the already registered master SIM card; and

determining the inserted SIM card as the master SIM card when the two subscriber identity numbers match each other.

27. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein step of determining whether the subscriber identity number of the inserted SIM card matches a subscriber identity number of the already registered master SIM card comprises:

outputting a message requesting a password input in order to determine whether a user of the inserted SIM card is a user registered as the master when the two subscriber identity numbers do not coincide with each other;

determining the user as the user registered as the master when an input password entered by the user in response to the password input request matches an already stored password.