Apparatus, and associated method, for facilitating formation of a call connection in a radio communication system with a service center identified by a short dialing code

• US 7,917,136 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2005
• Issued: 03/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Sundresh, Bokinakere Subbarao, Buckley, Adrian
• Primary Examiner(s): DESIR, PIERRE LOUIS
• Application Number:
  US11/302,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20070135144A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,931 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466, 455/432.1, 455/428, 455/456.1, 455/560, 455/564
• US Class Current: 455/432.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27485 Appending a prefix to or inserting a pause into a dialling sequence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42178 by downloading data to substation equipment

Abstract

Apparatus, and an associated method, for facilitating call connection with a selected service center from a mobile node. A mobile node is provided with short dialing codes used in a network with which the mobile node is registered by SMS messages sent thereto, such as pursuant to registration procedures. Values of the short dialing codes downloaded to the mobile node are stored at a storage location, such as at a SIM card, indexed together with corresponding codes normally used by a user of the mobile nodes, such as the codes used in the home network of the mobile node. When a user places a call to a service center, the stored values are retrieved, and transposed, if needed, to ensure better that the call to the selected service center is successfully completed.

Claims

1. Apparatus for a radio communication system having a mobile node operable to communicate with a network part of a communication network, and at least a first service center coupled to the network part, the mobile node associated with a home network of the communication network a call originated at the mobile node selectably routable to a selected one of the at least the first service center to form a call connection therebetween, said apparatus for facilitating routing of the call to the selected one of the at least the first service center, said apparatus comprising:

a first storage element configured to store first codes that identify at least the first service center when the mobile node is positioned at the home network, a selected one of the first codes entered at the mobile node when initiating origination of the call to the selected one of the at least the first service center;

a second storage element configured to store second codes used at a non-home network part of the communication network at which the mobile node is presently registered;

an indexer coupled to said first storage element and to said second storage element, said indexer configured to receive second codes, store said second codes in said second storage element and to index together the selected one of the first codes, when used to initiate the origination of the phone call, to a corresponding one of the second codes; and

a message detector coupled to the indexer, the message detector configured to receive a short message service (SMS) message received by the mobile node pursuant to mobile-node registration, the SMS message comprising second codes encapsulated in an envelope command message, the message detector additionally configured to recover from the SMS message, second codes and to provide the recovered second codes to the indexer for storage into the second storage element,

wherein the network part of the communication network includes a first network portion and a second network portion, the first network portion configured to use a first set of the second codes and the second network portion configured to use a second set of the second codes and wherein the first network portion comprises a first coverage area and the second network portion comprises a second coverage area, and wherein the mobile node registers with the network part when passing from the first to the second coverage area, and, upon registering, storing the second set of the second codes in place of the first set of the second codes at said second storage element.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the mobile node comprises a transmit part and wherein said indexer is further configured to provide indications of the corresponding one of the second codes to the transmit part pursuant to the origination of the call to the selected one of the first service center.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said second storage element comprises an updateable subscriber identity module (SIM) storage element configured to permit updating of the second codes.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the mobile node comprises a memory card at least releasably engageable therewith and wherein said first storage element and said second storage element are embodied thereat.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the radio communication system comprises a Global System for Mobile communications—

compliant system and wherein the memory card at which said first and second storage elements, respectively, are embodied comprises a Subscriber Identity Module card.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said indexer is further adapted to receive indications of initiation of the origination of the phone call and wherein said indexer operates responsive thereto to index together the selected one of the first codes to the corresponding one of the second codes.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the mobile node comprises a user interface, wherein the user initiates the origination of the call by way of the user interface and wherein said indexer is coupled to the user interface.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second codes comprise short dialing codes.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second storage element is removable.

4. Apparatus for a radio communication system having a mobile node operable to communicate with a network part of a communication network, and at least a first service center coupled to the network part, the mobile node associated with a home network of the communication network a call originated at the mobile node selectably routable to a selected one of the at least the first service center to form a call connection therebetween, said apparatus for facilitating routing of the call to the selected one of the at least the first service center, said apparatus comprising:

a first storage element configured to store first codes that identify at least the first service center when the mobile node is positioned at the home network, a selected one of the first codes entered at the mobile node when initiating origination of the call to the selected one of the at least the first service center;

a second storage element comprising an updateable subscriber identity module (SIM) storage element configured to store second codes used at a non-home network part of the communication network at which the mobile node is presently registered and configured to permit updating of the second codes;

an indexer coupled to said first storage element and to said second storage element, said indexer configured to receive second codes, store said second codes in said second storage element and to index together the selected one of the first codes, when used to initiate the origination of the phone call, to a corresponding one of the second codes, wherein the network part of the communication network includes a first network portion and at least a second network portion, the first network portion configured to use a first set of the second codes and the second network portion configured to use a second set of the second codes, the second codes stored at said second storage element formed of the first set when the mobile node is associated with the first network portion and the second value stored at said second storage element formed of the second set when the mobile node is associated with the second network portion; and

a message detector coupled to the indexer, the message detector configured to receive a short message service (SMS) message received by the mobile node pursuant to mobile-node registration, the SMS message comprising second codes encapsulated in an envelope command message, the message detector additionally configured to recover from the SMS message, second codes and to provide the recovered second codes to the indexer for storage into the second storage element.

18. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the first network portion defines a first coverage area and the at least the second network portion defines at least a second coverage area, wherein the mobile node registers with a selected one of the first network portion and the at least the second network portion corresponding to in which of the first and at least second coverage areas, respectively, that the mobile node is positioned, and wherein the second codes stored at said second storage element are provided thereto pursuant to registration of the mobile node.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the mobile node comprises a transmit part and wherein said indexer is further configured to provide indications of the corresponding one of the second codes to the transmit part pursuant to the origination of the call to the selected one of the first service center.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the mobile node comprises a memory card at least releasably engageable therewith and wherein said first storage element and said second storage element are embodied thereat.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the radio communication system comprises a Global System for Mobile communications-compliant system and wherein the memory card at which said first and second storage elements, respectively, are embodied comprises a Subscriber Identity Module card.

22. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said indexer is further adapted to receive indications of initiation of the origination of the phone call and wherein said indexer operates responsive thereto to index together the selected one of the first codes to the corresponding one of the second codes.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the mobile node comprises a user interface, wherein the user initiates the origination of the call by way of the user interface and wherein said indexer is coupled to the user interface.

9. A method of communicating in a communication system having a mobile node operable to communicate with a network part of a communication network, and at least a first service center coupled to the network part, the mobile node associated with a home network of the communication network a call originated by the user at the mobile node selectably routable to a selected one of the at least the first service center to form a call connection therebetween, said method for facilitating routing of the call to the selected one of the at least the first service center, said method comprising:

storing first codes that identify at least the first service center when the mobile node is positioned at the home network, a selected one of the first codes, when initiating origination of the call to the selected one of the at least the first service center;

detecting at a message detector for said mobile node, second codes within a short message service (SMS) message received pursuant to mobile node registration, the SMS message comprising second codes encapsulated in an envelope command message, the second codes within the SMS message identifying the at least the first service center, the second codes used at a non-home network part of the communication system at which the mobile node is presently registered;

indexing together the selected one of the first codes, when used initiate the origination of the phone call, to a corresponding one of the second codes; and

storing the second codes detected by said message detector, and which identify the at least the first service center, the second codes used at the non-home network part of the communication network at which the mobile node is presently registered; and

registering by the mobile node with the network part, which includes a first network portion comprising a first coverage area and a second network portion comprising a second coverage area, when passing from the first to the second coverage area, and, upon registering, storing a second set of the second codes in place of a first set of the second codes at said second storage element, the first network portion configured to use the first set of the second codes and the second network portion configured to use the second set of the second codes.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the mobile node further comprises a transmit part and wherein said method further comprises the operation of providing the corresponding one of the second codes, indexed together with the selected one of the first codes during said operation of indexing, to the transmit part to be transmitted therefrom.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the second codes stored during said operation of storing the second codes are provided to the mobile node during registration of the mobile node with the network part of the radio communication system.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the communication system is a radio communication system, which provides for short message service messaging, said method further comprising the operation, prior to said operation of storing the second codes, of sending an Envelope command message to the mobile node, the second codes contained in the Envelope command message.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the mobile node comprises a receive part and a storage element at which the second codes are stored during said operation of storing, and wherein said method further comprises the operations of:

detecting the Envelope command message at the receive part; and

forwarding on the Envelope command message to the storage element.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the operation of acknowledging storage of the second codes contained in the Envelope command message at the storage element.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the first and second codes comprise short dialing codes.