Phone number replace code system and method

• US 7,489,950 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2007
• Issued: 02/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Bumiller, George B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar; Kamran
• Application Number:
  US11/754,552
• Publication Number:
  US 20080051151A1
• Time in Patent Office: 623 Days
• Field of Search: 4554041-4042, 455/425, 455/550.1, 455551-5521, 455418-420, 455/558, 455/414.1, 455/564, 455405-409, 379/200, 379/88.2, 379/216.01, 379111-134, 235/380
• US Class Current: 455/564
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27485 Appending a prefix to or inserting a pause into a dialling sequence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/56 Arrangements for indicating or recording the called number at the calling subscriber's set

Abstract

A processor-implemented method of placing telephone calls includes determining if a phone call initiated to a phone number has connected. If the phone call did not connect, then the processor determines if the phone number has an associated replace code for any subset of the phone number. If a replace code is determined to exist, then the processor replaces the subset of the phone number with the corresponding replace code to obtain a replace code number and initiates a phone call to the replace code number.

Claims

1. A mobile communication device, comprising:

a means for executing program code;

a memory means for storing a replace code, wherein the replace code corresponds to a designated numbering plan service area; and

means for determining whether the mobile communication device is within the designated numbering plan service area;

means for causing the mobile communication device to operate in a replace code mode upon determining the mobile communication device is within the designated numbering plan service area;

means for automatically modifying a toll-free number input by a user to obtain a replace code number, by replacing the Numbering Plan Area Code (NPA) of the number with a corresponding replace code for the designated numbering plan service area when the mobile communication device is operating in a replace code mode;

means for placing a phone call to the replace code number;

means for determining if the phone call initiated to a phone number has connected, means for determining if the phone number has an associated replace code for any subset of the phone number, the means being activated upon a determination that the phone call initiated to the phone number did not connect; and

means for accepting an input to initiate or turn off the replace code mode on the mobile communication device.

2. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein after the NPA is replaced, a phone call to the replace code number is automatically initiated without further user input.

3. The mobile communication device of claim 1, further comprising a SIM card, wherein the numbering plan service area is determined by information contained in the SIM card.

4. The mobile communication device of claim 1, the designated numbering plan service area being selected by a user.

5. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the designated numbering plan service area is a plurality of numbering plan service areas, exclusive of the user'"'"'s home numbering plan service area.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication device includes a full QWERTY keyboard.

7. A processor-implemented method for implementation on a mobile communication device, the method comprising:

dialing a phone number;

determining if a phone call initiated to the phone number has connected;

upon determining that the phone call initiated to the phone number did not connect;

determining whether the dialed phone number is a toll-free internumbering plan call or a toll-free intranuinbering plan call that entails extra charges; and

upon determining that the dialed phone number is a toll-free internumbering plan call or a toll-free intranumbering plan call that entails extra charges, then modifying the phone number with a replace code to obtain a replace code number and placing a call from the mobile telephone communication device to the replace code number;

wherein the determination of whether the call is an internumbering plan call or an intranumbering plan call that entails additional charges is made based on a country code received from a wireless network in communication with the mobile communication device or based on information stored on a smart card;

wherein a user selects an option to activate or deactivate the replace code mode.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the smart card is a SIM card.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the mobile communication device is a data messaging device with cellular telephone capabilities.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the phone call to the replace code number is initiated automatically, without further user input.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the method is only performed if the mobile device is in a replace code mode.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the replace code mode is initiated upon the mobile communication device receiving a signal over a wireless network in communication with the mobile communication device.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the mobile communication device is operable to communicate with a GSM network.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein the mobile communication device includes a full QWERTY keyboard.