Cellular phone for radio communication system having automatic data conversion function

• US 6,600,919 B1
• Filed: 07/14/2000
• Issued: 07/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Kawase, Yoshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Nguyen T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Orgad, Edan
• Application Number:
  US09/615,667
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 455/403, 455/405, 455/406, 455/407, 455/411, 455/412, 455/414, 455/415, 455/418, 455/422, 455/432, 455/435, 455/440, 455/550, 455/556-558, 455/566
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2061 Language aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/58 including a multilanguage function

Abstract

A cellular phone is programmed to convert language and currency of a home country into corresponding language and currency of another country. When the cellular phone is used in the country in which the same communication protocol as that in the home country and the international roaming are available, the cellular phone determines from a received county ID code where it is used. It automatically performs various conversions such as language conversion and currency conversion with reference to a stored language dictionary and a retrieved currency exchange rate, respectively. Thus, travelers are enabled to use the cellular phone to communicate in different languages and shop in different currencies without any language or currency barrier.

Claims

1. A cellular phone for a radio communication system which enables communication through base stations of a plurality of countries, the cellular phone comprising:

ID code retrieval means for retrieving a country identification code from a base station of a country in which a phone user is located;

data conversion means for converting input data to output data with reference to conversion data which define relations of the data among a plurality of countries;

change means for automatically changing, in response to the retrieved country identification code, a conversion operation of the data conversion means in response to the retrieved country identification code;

first memory means for storing therein time differences among the plurality of countries as the conversion data,

wherein the change means selects one of the time differences for use in the conversion operation of the data conversion means in response to the retrieved country identification code, so that the conversion operation is effected between time of a home country of the phone user and time of the country indicated by the retrieved country identification code.

2. The cellular phone s in claim 1, further comprising:

second memory means for storing therein a plurality of language dictionaries as the conversion data,

wherein the change means selects one of the language dictionaries for use in the conversion operation of the data conversion means in response to the retrieved country identification code, so that the conversion operation is effected between a language of the home country of the phone user and a language of the country indicated by the retrieved country identification code.

3. The cellular phone as in claim 2, wherein:

the ID code retrieval means retrieves the country identification code from an electronic mail which is transmitted or received through the base station of the country in which the phone user is located.

4. The cellular phone as in claim 1, further comprising:

exchange rate retrieval means for retrieving a plurality of currency exchange rate data from the base station of the country in which the phone user is located,

wherein the change means selects one of the exchange rate data for use in the conversion operation of the data conversion means in response to the retrieved country identification code so that the conversion operation is effected between a currency of the home country of the phone user and the country indicated by the retrieved country identification code.