Dual mode mobile communication terminal and method for automatically recognizing card information and selecting a drive mode

• US 7,814,237 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2005
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Sang-Ho, Lee, Jae-Min
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsai; Henry W
• Assistant Examiner(s): TSENG, CHENG YUAN
• Application Number:
  US11/253,328
• Publication Number:
  US 20060095600A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,819 Days
• Field of Search: 455/553.1, 455/411, 455/425, 455/558, 455/404, 455/432, 455/435, 455/445, 455/466, 455/552, 710/14, 710/8, 710/74, 370/335, 370/338, 370/401, 370/464, 370/465, 709/200, 709/227, 709/230
• US Class Current: 710/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/08 between user and terminal device

Abstract

A dual-mode mobile communication terminal and a method, which automatically recognize a card and select a drive mode. The dual-mode mobile communication terminal includes a first slot and a second slot into which a first card or a second card having subscriber information for a first communication or a second communication are inserted, and a control unit for automatically selecting a drive mode according to a type of a card inserted into the first slot or the second slot.

Claims

1. A dual-mode mobile communication terminal operating in a first communication mode and a second communication mode, the dual-mode mobile communication terminal comprising:

a first slot receiving either one of a first card and a second card, the first and second cards being detachable from the dual-mode mobile communication terminal and having user subscriber information for the first communication mode and the second communication mode, respectively, the first card being of a first card type and the second card being of a second card type, the first card type being different from the second card type, such that each of the first slot and the second slot recognizes both the first card type and the second card type;

a second slot receiving either one of the first card and the second card;

a control unit automatically selecting a drive mode according to which of the first and second cards are inserted into at least one of the first slot and the second slot, and determining if the selected drive mode corresponds with a communication mode of a current system, wherein the control unit selects an initial mode of a provider as the drive mode when both the first and second slots include one of the first and second cards, selects a mode corresponding to one of the first and second cards inserted into the first slot as the drive mode when no card exists in the second, selects a mode corresponding to one of the first and second cards inserted into the second slot as the drive mode when no card exists in the first slot, and performs mode change into another mode when a signal of the initial mode is not received until a predetermined period of time elapses in the initial mode; and

a message advising a user to insert another card is output on a text display unit when a signal of the drive mode is not received for a predetermined period of time.

2. The dual-mode mobile communication terminal as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a means for reporting at least one of a type of the inserted card and a selected drive mode to a user.

3. The dual-mode mobile communication terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the first communication mode corresponds to a GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) scheme and the second communication mode corresponds to a CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) scheme, the first card is an SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card and the second card is a UIM (User Identity Module) card.

4. A method for automatically recognizing a card and selecting a drive mode in a dual-mode mobile communication terminal, which has a first slot and a second slot, and operates in a first communication mode and a second communication mode, the method comprising the steps of:

determining by searching the first and second slots if at least one card exists in the first slot and the second slot, the at least one card being one of a first card and a second card, the first and second cards being detachable from the dual-mode mobile communication terminal and having user subscriber information for the first communication mode and the second communication mode, respectively, the first slot for receiving either one of the first card and the second card, the second slot for receiving either one of the first card and the second card, the first card being of a first card type and the second card being of a second card type, the first card type being different from the second card type, such that each of the first slot and the second slot recognizes both the first card type and the second card type;

when cards exist in both the first slot and the second slot, the cards being detachable from the dual-mode mobile communication terminal, reading the cards, notifying a user of relevant modes of the read cards, driving the dual-mode mobile communication terminal in an initial mode according to a main system of a provider, and entering another mode when a signal of the initial mode is not received during a predetermined period of time;

when a card exists in only the first slot, reading the card, notifying the user of a relevant mode of the read card, and driving the dual-mode mobile communication terminal in the relevant mode;

when a card exists in only the second slot, reading the card, notifying the user of a relevant mode of the read card, and driving the dual-mode mobile communication terminal in the relevant mode; and

outputting a message on a text display unit advising a user to insert another card when a signal of the drive mode is not received until a predetermined period of time elapses.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the step of determining if a card exists comprises the steps of:

determining if a first card exists by searching the first slot;

determining if a second card exists by searching the second slot when the first card exists in the first slot; and

determining if the second card exists by searching the second slot when the first card does not exist in the first slot.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a step of notifying a user in advance that the terminal is going to drive in the initial mode.

7. The method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a step of notifying a user of mode change into another mode before entering another mode.

8. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first and second cards include at least one of an SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card and a UIM (User Identity Module) card.

9. The method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a step of notifying a user in advance that the terminal is going to drive in a relevant mode, when a card exists in any one of the first and second slots.

10. A method for automatically selecting a drive mode in a dual-mode mobile communication terminal having a first slot and a second slot and operating in a first communication mode and a second communication mode, the method comprising the steps of:

automatically selecting a drive mode according to a type of a card that exists in at least one of the first slot and the second slot, the card being one of a first card and a second card, the first and second cards being detachable from the dual-mode mobile communication terminal and having user subscriber information for the first communication mode and the second communication mode, respectively, the first slot for receiving either one of the first card and the second card, the second slot for receiving either one of the first card and the second card, the first card being of a first card type and the second card being of a second card type, the first card type being different from the second card type, such that each of the first slot and the second slot recognizes both the first card type and the second card type;

determining a communication mode being provided in a current system;

determining if the selected drive mode corresponds with the communication mode of the system, and notifying a user when the selected drive mode does not correspond with the communication mode of the system;

determining if a signal of the selected drive mode is received during a predetermined period of time; and

outputting a message on a text display unit advising a user to insert another card when a signal of the drive mode is not received until a predetermined period of time elapses,

wherein an initial mode according to a main system of a provider is selected as the drive mode when cards exist in both the first and second slots.