Apparatus and method for portable terminal having dual subscriber identity module card

• US 8,983,441 B2
• Filed: 12/26/2012
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Baek, In-Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): Khan, Suhail
• Application Number:
  US13/727,179
• Publication Number:
  US 20130217373A1
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/417
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/543 Call deflection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• 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 method of operating a portable terminal having a dual Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card is provided. The method includes displaying a message regarding whether to set a dual SIM active function, selecting an area included in the message, and confirming a setting of the dual SIM active function upon the selection of the area included in the message.

Claims

1. A method of operating a portable terminal having a dual subscriber identity module (SIM) card, the method comprising:

displaying a message regarding whether to set a dual SIM active function;

selecting an area included in the message; and

confirming a setting of the dual SIM active function upon the selection of the area included in the message,

wherein the dual SIM active function includes a call waiting function and a call forwarding function to forward an incoming call to any assigned phone number as provided by the portable terminal capable of having two SIM cards, and

wherein the confirming of the setting of the dual SIM active function comprises displaying another message regarding whether to set the call waiting function and the call forwarding function for each of the two SIM cards inserted in the portable terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least two SIM cards inserted in the portable terminal are cards registered to a dual SIM active service in which the dual SIM active function can be set.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

confirming that the two SIM cards are inserted in the portable terminal; and

reading subscriber information included in each of the two SIM cards inserted in the portable terminal.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the subscriber information included in each of the two SIM cards inserted in the portable terminal includes a phone number respectively assigned to each of the two SIM cards inserted in the portable terminal.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising saving the set dual SIM active function.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if at least one of two SIM cards inserted in the portable terminal is replaced with at least one different SIM card, determining whether the dual SIM active function is set between a remaining at least one of the two SIM cards and the at least one different SIM card.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising, if it is determined that the dual SIM active function is set between the remaining at least one of the two SIM cards and the at least one different SIM card, reading a previously saved dual SIM active function.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising, if it is determined that the dual SIM active function is not set between the remaining at least one of the two SIM cards and the at least one different SIM card:

displaying another message regarding whether to set the dual SIM active function;

selecting the area included in the other message;

confirming that the remaining at least one of the two SIM cards and the at least one different SIM card are inserted in the portable terminal;

reading subscriber information included in the remaining at least one of the two SIM cards and the at least one different SIM card;

confirming the setting of the dual SIM active function; and

saving the set dual SIM active function.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the dual SIM active function includes the call waiting function for holding a call while a phone number assigned to any one of SIM cards placed in the portable terminal is busy.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the dual SIM active function includes an incoming call forwarding function for forwarding a call incoming to a phone number assigned to any one of SIM cards placed in the portable terminal so that the call is made to a phone number assigned to another of the SIM cards when a user of the portable terminal is out of a service area.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the incoming call forwarding function includes a function of displaying an error message upon manually selecting an always setting for the incoming call forwarding function or upon manually selecting a during call setting for the incoming call forwarding function among detailed manual selections of the incoming call forwarding function.

12. A portable terminal apparatus having a dual subscriber identity module (SIM) card, the portable terminal apparatus comprising:

an output unit configured to display a message regarding whether to set a dual SIM active function;

an input unit configured to select an area included in the message; and

a controller configured to confirm a setting of the dual SIM active function upon the selection of the area included in the message,

wherein the dual SIM active function includes of a call waiting function and a call forwarding function to forward an incoming call to any assigned phone number as provided by the portable terminal apparatus capable of having two SIM cards, and

wherein the output unit is further configured to display another message regarding whether to set the call waiting function and the call forwarding function for each of the two SIM cards inserted in the portable terminal apparatus.

13. The portable terminal apparatus of claim 12, wherein at least two SIM cards inserted in the portable terminal apparatus are cards registered to a dual SIM active service in which the dual SIM active function can be set.

14. The portable terminal apparatus of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to confirm that the two SIM cards are inserted in the portable terminal apparatus, and to read subscriber information included in each of the two SIM cards inserted in the portable terminal apparatus.

15. The portable terminal apparatus of claim 14, wherein the subscriber information included in each of the two SIM cards inserted in the portable terminal apparatus includes a phone number respectively assigned to each of the two SIM cards inserted in the portable terminal apparatus.

16. The portable terminal apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a storage unit configured to save the set dual SIM active function.

17. The portable terminal apparatus of claim 12, wherein, if at least one of two SIM cards inserted in the portable terminal apparatus is replaced with at least one different SIM card, the controller is further configured to determine whether the dual SIM active function is set between a remaining at least one of the two SIM cards and the at least one different SIM card.

18. The portable terminal apparatus of claim 17, wherein, if it is determined that the dual SIM active function is set between the remaining at least one of the two SIM cards and the at least one different card, the controller is further configured to read a previously saved dual SIM active function.

19. The portable terminal apparatus of claim 17, wherein, if the controller determines that the dual SIM active function is not set between the remaining at least one of the two SIM cards and the at least one different SIM card, the output unit is further configured to display another message regarding whether to set the dual SIM active function, a user selects the area included in the other message through the input unit, the controller is further configured to confirm that the remaining at least one of the two SIM cards and the at least one different SIM card are inserted in the portable terminal apparatus, subscriber information included in the remaining at least one of the two SIM cards and the at least one different SIM card is read, the setting of the dual SIM active function is confirmed, and the portable terminal apparatus further comprises a storage unit configured to save the set dual SIM active function.

20. The portable terminal apparatus of claim 12, wherein the dual SIM active function includes the call waiting function for holding a call while a phone number assigned to any one of SIM cards inserted in the portable terminal apparatus is busy.

21. The portable terminal apparatus of claim 12, wherein the dual SIM active function includes an incoming call forwarding function for forwarding a call incoming to a phone number assigned to any one of SIM cards placed in the portable terminal apparatus so that the call is made to a phone number assigned to another of the SIM cards when a user of the portable terminal apparatus is out of a service area.

22. The portable terminal apparatus of claim 21, wherein the incoming call forwarding function includes a function of displaying an error message upon manually selecting an always setting for the incoming call forwarding function or upon manually selecting a during call setting for the incoming call forwarding function among detailed manual selections of the incoming call forwarding function.

23. A method of operating a dual subscriber identity module (SIM) phone, the method comprising:

displaying a message on the phone regarding whether to set a dual SIM active function;

selecting an area included in the displayed message;

confirming a setting of the dual SIM active function upon the selection of the area included in the message;

automatically reading subscriber information included in at least one SIM card inserted in the phone and setting a call waiting function and a call forwarding function for the phone; and

saving the setting of the dual SIM active function,

wherein the dual SIM active function includes the call waiting function and the call forwarding function to forward an incoming call to any assigned phone number as provided by the phone capable of having two SIM cards, and

wherein the confirming of the setting of the dual SIM active function comprises displaying another message regarding whether to set the call waiting function and the call forwarding function for each of the two SIM cards inserted in the phone.