Methods And Apparatus For Producing And Submitting An HTTP Request With A Selected Country Code Parameter From A Mobile Device

• US 20090286535A1
• Filed: 02/27/2009
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Buczek, Tomasz, Kalyanasundaram, Sanjay, Kalu, Kalu Onuka
• Granted Patent: US 8,983,458 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/433
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A mobile communication device maintains a stored list of a plurality of carrier identifications, where each carrier identification is stored in association with one of a plurality of country codes. The mobile device is also associated with a home wireless carrier that is identifiable by a home carrier identification stored in its memory. The mobile device reads the home carrier identification from the memory, and selects one of the plurality of country codes that is stored in association with the home carrier identification. During operation, the mobile device reads a specified domain name in response to a user-initiated request made via a Web browser or search application. Then, the mobile device produces a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request with a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) corresponding to a specified domain name and a country code parameter which includes the selected country code. The HTTP request with the URL is submitted via the wireless communication network. Advantageously, consistency in accessing web sites, information, and/or search results may be achieved regardless of location of the mobile station.

Claims

1. A method in a mobile communication device associated with a home wireless carrier identified by a home carrier identification stored in memory of the mobile communication device, the method comprising the acts of:

maintaining a stored list of a plurality of carrier identifications, each said carrier identification being stored in association with one of a plurality of country codes;

reading, from the memory, the home carrier identification;

selecting one of the plurality of country codes that is stored in association with the home carrier identification;

operating for communications in a wireless communication network having a carrier identification associated with a visiting country that is different from a home country of the home wireless carrier;

while operating for communications in the wireless communication network in the visiting country;

producing a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request with a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) corresponding to a specified domain name and a country code parameter which includes the selected country code; and

causing the HTTP request with the URL and the country code parameter to be submitted via the wireless communication network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the HTTP request is produced in response to a user request made via a Web browser or search application of the mobile communication device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the specified domain name corresponds to a search engine server and the HTTP request comprises a search query, the method comprising the further act of:

receiving an HTTP response which includes search results that are relevant to the home country instead of the visiting country.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the specified domain name comprises a user-specified domain name.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of carrier identifications are vendor identifications and the home carrier identification is a home vendor identification programmed during manufacture of the mobile communication device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of selecting comprises the further act of:

comparing the home carrier identification with one or more of the plurality of country codes until a match is found, if at all.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of selecting comprises the further act of:

comparing the home carrier identification with one or more of the plurality of country codes until a match is found, if at all; and

if no match is found, selecting “

US”

as the country code.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

repeating the acts of producing and causing for each one of a plurality of requests made while the mobile communication device operates in the wireless communication network.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting one of a plurality of language codes based on a local setting of the mobile station; and

producing the HTTP request with the URL corresponding to the domain name, the country code parameter which includes the selected country code, and a language code parameter which includes the selected language code.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the home wireless carrier comprises a Home Public Land Mobile Network HPLMN and the home carrier identification is associated with a Mobile Network Code (MNC) and Mobile Country Code (MCC).

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the home carrier identification is stored in a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) accessible by the mobile communication device.

12. The method of claim 1, which is performed by computer instructions stored on a computer readable medium, the computer instructions being executable by one or more processors of the mobile communication device.

13. A mobile communication device, comprising:

one or more processors;

a wireless transceiver coupled to the one or more processors;

a user interface coupled to the one or more processors;

a first memory portion for storing a home carrier identification which identifies a home wireless carrier of the mobile communication device;

a second memory portion for storing a plurality of carrier identifications, each said carrier identification being stored in association with one of a plurality of country codes;

the one or more processors being operative to;

read, from the first memory portion, the home carrier identification;

select one of the plurality of country codes that is stored in association with the home carrier identification;

operate for communications in a wireless communication network via the wireless transceiver, the wireless communication network having a carrier identification associated with a visiting country that is different from a home country of the home wireless carrier;

while operating for communications in the wireless communication network in the visiting country;

produce a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request with a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) corresponding to a specified domain name and a country code parameter which includes the selected country code; and

cause the HTTP request with the URL and the country code parameter to be submitted via the wireless communication network.

14. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the HTTP request is produced in response to a user request made via a Web browser or search application of the mobile communication device.

15. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the specified domain name corresponds to a search engine server and the HTTP request comprises a search query, the one or more processors being further operative to:

receive an HTTP response which includes search results that are relevant to the home country instead of the visiting country.

16. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the specified domain name comprises a user-specified domain name.

17. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the plurality of carrier identifications are vendor identifications and the home carrier identification is a home vendor identification programmed during manufacture of the mobile communication device.

18. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are operative to select the country code by being further operative to:

compare the home carrier identification with one or more of the plurality of country codes until a match is found, if at all.

19. The mobile communication device of claim 13, where the one or more processors are operative to select the country code by being further operative to:

compare the home carrier identification with one or more of the plurality of country codes until a match is found, if at all; and

if no match is found, select “

US”

as the country code.

20. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to:

repeat the producing and causing for each one of a plurality of requests made while the mobile communication device operates in the wireless communication network.

21. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to:

select one of a plurality of language codes based on a local setting of the mobile communication device; and

produce the HTTP request with the URL corresponding to the domain name, the country code parameter which includes the selected country code, and a language code parameter which includes the selected language code.

22. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the home wireless carrier comprises a Home Public Land Mobile Network HPLMN and the home carrier identification is associated with a Mobile Network Code (MNC) and Mobile Country Code (MCC).

23. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the home carrier identification is stored in a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) accessible by the mobile communication device.

24. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are operative in a first mode of operation for operating to produce and submit the HTTP request, the one or more processors being further operative in a second mode of operation to:

while operating for communications in the wireless communication network in the visiting country;

produce a HTTP request with a URL corresponding to a specified domain name and a country code parameter which includes the selected country code; and

cause the HTTP request with the URL and the country code parameter to be submitted via the wireless communication network.