Phone number replace code system and method

• US 20060183468A1
• Filed: 04/12/2006
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: George B. Bumiller
• Inventors: Bumiller, George B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,239,895 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• 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 processing subsystem;

a memory subsystem; and

program code comprising program instructions executable by the processing subsystem and stored in the memory subsystem, that, upon execution, causes the mobile communication device to;

determine if a phone call initiated to a phone number has connected;

upon determining that the phone call initiated to the phone number did not connect, determine if the phone number has an associated replace code for any subset of the phone number; and

upon determining that the phone number has an associated replace code for any subset of the phone number, replace the any subset of the phone number with the corresponding replace code to obtain a replace code number and initiate a phone call to the replace code number.

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

3. 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; and

,

means for automatically modifying a toll-free number input by a user, 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.

4. The mobile communication device of claim 3, wherein after the NPA is replaced, a phone call to the replace code number is automatically initiated without further user input.

5. The mobile communication device of claim 3, further comprising an input device, the input device being operable to accept an input by the user to initiate or turn off the replace code mode on the mobile communication device.

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

7. The mobile communication device of claim 3, the designated numbering plan service area being selected by a user.

8. The mobile communication device of claim 7, 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.

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

dialing a phone number;

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

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.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the smart card is a SIM card.

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

12. A processor-implemented method of placing a telephone call to a phone number, from a mobile communication device, the method comprising:

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

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

upon determining that the phone number has an associated replace code for any subset of the phone number, replacing the any subset of the phone number with the corresponding replace code to obtain a replace code number and initiating a phone call to the replace code number;

wherein the step of determining if the phone call initiated to the phone number has connected is performed only after determining that the phone number is a toll-free phone number.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the phone call to the replace code number is initiated automatically, without further user input.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the mobile communication device is a data messaging device with cellular telephone capabilities.

15. A mobile communication device, operable to initiate and receive communications over one or more communication networks, the mobile communication device comprising:

a processing subsystem;

a memory subsystem; and

program instructions, executable by the processing subsystem, that, when initiated, cause the mobile communication device to operate in a replace code mode;

when operating in the replace code mode, upon the initiation of a phone call to a dialed phone number, the program instructions also causing the mobile communication device to determine whether the phone call connects; and

if the phone call does not connect, then the program instructions cause the mobile communication device to determine if a replace code is available, substitute the replace code for a portion of the dialed phone number to generate a replace code number, and initiate a second phone call to the replace code number.

16. The mobile communication device of claim 15, wherein a user selects to initiate the replace code mode on the mobile communication device.

17. The mobile communication device of claim 15, 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.

18. The mobile communication device of claim 15, wherein the program instructions cause the mobile communication device to determine whether the dialed phone number corresponds to a national numbering plan of a current service area serving the mobile communication device;

and

if the dialed phone number does not correspond to the national numbering plan of the current service area, then automatically initiate the replace code mode.

19. The mobile communication device of claim 15, further comprising program instructions, executable by the processing subsystem, that, when initiated, cause the mobile communication device to operate in an “

Out of Home Country”

or “

Out of Home Numbering Plan”

mode.

20. The mobile communication device of claim 15, wherein the mobile communication device is operable to communicate with a GSM network.