Method and apparatus for providing automatic international and local call dialing in a mobile communication terminal

• US 8,351,930 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2010
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Bo-Ram, Kim, Ji-Young, Kang, Seong-Hoon, Lee, Hye-Soo, Jo, Sun-Haeng
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh, Sonny
• Application Number:
  US12/689,886
• Publication Number:
  US 20100184413A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,085 Days
• Field of Search: 455/432.1, 455/435.1, 455/435.2, 455/435.3, 455/433, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/564, 379/219, 379/229, 379/221.1, 379/221.2, 379/221.02
• US Class Current: 455/432.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2748 by matching character strings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27485 Appending a prefix to or inserting a pause into a dialling sequence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0152 General billing plans, rate plans, e.g. charge rates, numbering plans, rate centers, customer accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/60 logging of communication history, e.g. outgoing or incoming calls, missed calls, messages or URLs
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing automatic international and local call dialing in a mobile communication terminal. Country identification information is received from a network in which the mobile communication terminal is currently located. When a request for an outgoing is received from a user, a country code corresponding to the received country identification information is extracted, and the extracted country code is compared with a country code included in a phone number for the outgoing call. Based on the comparison it is determined whether the outgoing call is an international or local call. The phone number is then changed in accordance with the outgoing call being the international or local call.

Claims

1. A method for providing automatic international and local call dialing in a mobile communication terminal, comprising:

receiving a request for an outgoing call to a previously stored phone number from a user;

receiving, by the mobile communication terminal, country identification information from a network in which the mobile communication terminal is currently located;

determining, by the mobile communication terminal, a country code corresponding to the received country identification information;

comparing, by the mobile communication terminal, the determined country code with a country code included in the previously stored phone number;

determining, by the mobile communication terminal, whether the outgoing call to the previously stored phone number is for an outgoing international call or an outgoing local call, based on a result of the comparing;

changing, by the mobile communication terminal, the previously stored phone number in accordance with an international phone number system of a pertinent country, when the outgoing call to the previously stored phone number is the outgoing international call;

changing, by the mobile communication terminal, the previously stored phone number in accordance with a local phone number system, when the outgoing call to the previously stored phone number is the outgoing local call;

dialing, by the mobile communication terminal, the changed phone number;

receiving an incoming call;

receiving country identification information from a network in which the mobile communication terminal is currently located;

determining a country code corresponding to the received country identification information;

storing the determined country code and a phone number corresponding to the incoming call; and

displaying the determined country code and the phone number, in response to a call log request from the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the country identification information comprises receiving Mobile Country Code (MCC) and Mobile Network Code (MNC) information from Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) information.

3. A method for providing automatic international and local call dialing in a mobile communication terminal, comprising:

receiving a request for an outgoing call to a previously stored phone number from a user;

receiving, by the mobile communication terminal, country identification information from a network in which the mobile communication terminal is currently located;

determining, by the mobile communication terminal, a country code corresponding to the received country identification information;

comparing, by the mobile communication terminal, the determined country code with a country code included in the previously stored phone number;

determining, by the mobile communication terminal, whether the outgoing call to the previously stored phone number is for an outgoing international call or an outgoing local call, based on a result of the comparing;

changing, by the mobile communication terminal, the previously stored phone number in accordance with an international phone number system of a pertinent country, when the outgoing call to the previously stored phone number is the outgoing international call;

changing, by the mobile communication terminal, the previously stored phone number in accordance with a local phone number system, when the outgoing call to the previously stored phone number is the outgoing local call;

dialing, by the mobile communication terminal, the changed phone number;

receiving an input phone number from the user for an outgoing call;

receiving country identification information from a network in which the mobile communication terminal is currently located;

determining a country code corresponding to the received country identification information;

storing the determined country code and the input phone number corresponding to the outgoing call; and

displaying the determined country code and the input phone number, in response to a call log request from the user.

4. A method for providing automatic international and local call dialing in a mobile communication terminal, comprising:

receiving a request for an outgoing call to a previously stored phone number from a user;

receiving, by the mobile communication terminal, country identification information from a network in which the mobile communication terminal is currently located;

determining, by the mobile communication terminal, a country code corresponding to the received country identification information;

comparing, by the mobile communication terminal, the determined country code with a country code included in the previously stored phone number;

determining, by the mobile communication terminal, whether the outgoing call to the previously stored phone number is for an outgoing international call or an outgoing local call, based on a result of the comparing;

changing, by the mobile communication terminal, the previously stored phone number in accordance with an international phone number system of a pertinent country, when the outgoing call to the previously stored phone number is the outgoing international call;

changing, by the mobile communication terminal, the previously stored phone number in accordance with a local phone number system, when the outgoing call to the previously stored phone number is the outgoing local call;

dialing, by the mobile communication terminal, the changed phone number,

wherein changing the previously stored phone number in accordance with the international phone number system of the pertinent country comprises;

determining that the determined country code is not identical to the country code included in the previously stored phone number; and

changing the previously stored phone number by adding or deleting a trunk code depending on use/nonuse of the trunk code in a country corresponding to the country code included in the phone number.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the trunk code represents a number added at a front of an area code or a mobile service identification code.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

deleting a country code and a trunk code when the previously stored phone number is redialed as a local call in another country.

7. A method for providing automatic international and local call dialing in a mobile communication terminal, comprising:

receiving a request for an outgoing call to a previously stored phone number from a user;

receiving, by the mobile communication terminal, country identification information from a network in which the mobile communication terminal is currently located;

determining, by the mobile communication terminal, a country code corresponding to the received country identification information;

comparing, by the mobile communication terminal, the determined country code with a country code included in the previously stored phone number;

determining, by the mobile communication terminal, whether the outgoing call to the previously stored phone number is for an outgoing international call or an outgoing local call, based on a result of the comparing;

changing, by the mobile communication terminal, the previously stored phone number in accordance with an international phone number system of a pertinent country, when the outgoing call to the previously stored phone number is the outgoing international call;

changing, by the mobile communication terminal, the previously stored phone number in accordance with a local phone number system, when the outgoing call to the previously stored phone number is the outgoing local call;

dialing, by the mobile communication terminal, the changed phone number,

wherein changing the previously stored phone number in accordance with the local phone number system comprises;

determining that the determined country code is identical to the country code included in the previously stored phone number; and

changing the previously stored phone number such that the phone number has no country code and no international access code.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

adding a country code and a trunk code to the previously stored phone number, when the previously stored phone number is redialed as an international call in another specific country, after being dialed as a local call.

9. An apparatus for providing automatic international call dialing in a mobile communication terminal, comprising:

a user interface including a touch screen configured to provide a dial pad for receiving a phone number from a user to make an outgoing call;

a communication unit configured to receive country identification information from a network in which the mobile communication terminal is currently located;

a memory; and

a controller configured to dial the phone number for the outgoing call including a country code corresponding to the received country identification information using a mapping table, and to store the dialed phone number including the country code in a call log.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to display the dialed phone number including the country code on the touch screen when the call log is accessed.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the country identification information comprises at least one of Mobile Country Code (MCC) and Mobile Network Code (MNC) information.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the mapping table includes area codes of each of the countries.