Method and apparatus for automatically converting phone number while roaming

• US 8,532,709 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2007
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Jeong, Young-Sic
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, MONG-THUY THI
• Application Number:
  US12/526,738
• Publication Number:
  US 20100029271A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,099 Days
• Field of Search: 455/432.1, 455/432.2, 455/564, 455/558, 455/415
• US Class Current: 455/564
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27485 Appending a prefix to or inserting a pause into a dialling sequence

Abstract

Provided are a method of automatically converting a phone number while roaming using a mobile communication terminal, and a mobile communication terminal using the method. The mobile communication terminal sets an automatic conversion mode, stores at least one phone number, reads a phone number selected by a user from among the at least one stored phone number, converts the read phone number to be suitable for an international phone system of a visited country for connection to a home country if the set automatic conversion mode is ON upon when a calling command is input, and controls every module of the mobile communication terminal such that a call can be made to the converted phone number.

Claims

1. A mobile communication terminal having a function of automatically converting a phone number while roaming, the mobile communication terminal comprising:

a mode setting unit setting an automatic conversion mode;

a storage unit storing at least one phone number;

a reading unit reading a phone number selected by a user from among the at least one stored phone number;

a conversion unit converting the read phone number to be suitable for an international phone system of a visited country for connection to a home country if the set automatic conversion mode is ON when a calling command is input; and

a control unit controlling every module of the mobile communication terminal such that a call can be made to the converted phone number,

wherein the control unit stores a calling phone number in the storage unit to be suitable for a phone system of a called country and a called phone number in the storage unit to be suitable for a phone system of a calling country when roaming from the home country to the visited country and back to the home country, and the reading unit reads a phone number selected by the user between the stored calling phone number or the stored called phone number from the storage unit,

wherein the calling number and the called number are stored in the storage unit before being converted.

2. The mobile communication terminal of claim 1, wherein the conversion unit comprises:

a prefix setting unit setting a prefix for connection from the visited country to the home country; and

a substitution unit substituting a remote area code in the read phone number with the set prefix.

3. The mobile communication terminal of claim 2, wherein the prefix setting unit sets a prefix corresponding to user input.

4. The mobile communication terminal of claim 1, wherein the storage unit stores a phone number directory comprising at least one phone number, and the reading unit reads a phone number selected by the user from the phone number directory from the storage unit.

5. The mobile communication terminal of claim 1, wherein the storage unit stores at least one phone number and hot keys corresponding to the at least one phone number, and the reading unit reads a phone number corresponding to a hot key pressed by the user from the storage unit.

6. The mobile communication terminal of claim 1, further comprising an input unit comprising a dedicated button for setting the automatic conversion mode, wherein the mode setting unit sets the automatic conversion mode based on whether or not the dedicated button is pressed.

7. The mobile communication terminal of claim 1, further comprising a display unit displaying a menu for setting the automatic conversion mode, wherein the mode setting unit sets the automatic conversion mode based on the displayed menu and user input.

8. The mobile communication terminal of claim 1, wherein the control unit controls every module of the mobile communication terminal such that the call can be made to the read phone number if the automatic conversion mode is OFF.

9. The mobile communication terminal of claim 1, further comprising a display unit displaying a version of a phone number to be called before the phone number is converted by the conversion unit.

10. A method of automatically converting a phone number while roaming using a mobile communication terminal when roaming from a home country to a visited country and back to the home country, the method comprising:

setting an automatic conversion mode;

reading a phone number selected by a user from among at least one phone number stored in a memory of the mobile communication terminal;

converting the read phone number to be suitable for an international phone system of the visited country for connection to the home country if the set automatic conversion mode is ON when a calling command is input;

controlling every module of the mobile communication terminal such that a call can be made to the converted phone number; and

storing a calling phone number in the memory to be suitable for a phone system of a called country and a called phone number in the memory to be suitable for a phone system of a calling country, and the reading of the phone number comprises reading a phone number selected by the user between the stored calling phone number or the stored called phone number from the memory,

wherein the calling number and the called number are stored in the storage unit before being converted.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the conversion of the read phone number comprises:

setting a prefix for connection from the visited country to the home country; and

substituting a remote area code in the read phone number with the set prefix.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the setting of the prefix comprises setting a prefix corresponding to user input.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the reading of the phone number comprises reading a phone number selected by the user from the phone number directory from the memory.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the reading of the phone number comprises reading a phone number corresponding to a hot key pressed by the user from the memory.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the setting of the automatic conversion mode comprises setting the automatic conversion mode based on whether or not the dedicated button is pressed.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising displaying a menu for setting the automatic conversion mode, wherein the setting of the automatic conversion mode comprises setting the automatic conversion mode based on the displayed menu and user input.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the controlling of every module comprises controlling every module of the mobile communication terminal such that the call can be made to the read phone number if the automatic conversion mode is OFF.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising displaying a version of a phone number to be called before the phone number is converted.