WO1999040744A2

WO1999040744A2 - System and procedure for indicating an active telephone subscription

Info

Publication number: WO1999040744A2
Application number: PCT/FI1999/000093
Authority: WO
Inventors: Markus Torkki
Original assignee: Sonera Oyj
Priority date: 1998-02-06
Filing date: 1999-02-08
Publication date: 1999-08-12
Also published as: WO1999040744A3; AU2282499A

Abstract

A procedure for indicating an active telephone subscription in a telecommunication system comprising a telecommunication network (1) with a home location register (2) for maintaining subscriber-specific information, a terminal (MS) and a subscriber identity module (SIM) connected to the terminal and provided with storage areas (3, 4) for the storage of subscriber/telephone network information. According to the invention, for each subscription defined in the subscriber identity module, a distinctive identifier is stored in the module and the identifier of the active subscription is indicated on the terminal.

Description

SYSTEM AND PROCEDURE FOR INDICATING AN ACTIVE TELEPHONE SUBSCRIPTION

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a procedure as defined in the preamble of claim 1 and to a system as defined in the preamble of claim 7 for the indication of an active telephone subscription in a mobile station.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

When a mobile station is used with a Dual Numbering subscriber identity module (Dual Numbering SIM) connected to it, it is possible to choose between two different subscriptions, making one of them active by giving a personal identifying number (PIN code) distinctive for the subscription. All calls to/from the terminal are transmitted via the currently active subscription. Each subscription has its own telephone num- ber as well as personal identifying numbers. Moreover, the use of a standardised advice-of-charge (AoC) service in mobile stations to show call price information stored in subscriber identity module storage locations on the display of the mobile telephone is known in prior art.

A problem with the above-mentioned use of mobile subscriptions is that the user of the terminal cannot see which subscription is currently active. The user of the terminal must turn the device off and on again and give the personal identifying number for the desired subscription every time he/she forgets which subscription is active and wants to use a given subscription.

The object of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks referred to above. A specific object of the present invention is to disclose a procedure and system for indicating an active subscription via the subscriber terminal. A further object of the invention is to simplify the use of a Dual Numbering subscriber identity module.

As for the features characteristic of the present invention, reference is made to the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The telecommunication system of the invention for indicating an active subscription comprises a telecommunication network with a home location register (HLR) . The home location register is needed for the maintenance of subscriber-specific information. Moreo- ver, the system comprises a terminal and a subscriber identity module, preferably a SIM card (SIM, Subscriber Identity Module) connected to it. Depending on the application, the subscriber identity module is provided with storage areas for the storage of subscriber- specific information, such as subscriber numbers (MSISDN) and telephone network data.

According to the invention, for each subscription defined in the subscriber identity module, a distinctive identifier is stored in the module and the identifier for the active subscription is indicated on the terminal via the mobile communication network. In the subscriber identity module, the identifier is stored in the advice-of-charge (AoC) storage area in place of call balance and currency designation. Fur- ther, according to the invention, the advice-of-charge feature must be deactivated in the mobile services switching centre, so that making a call will not affect the advice-of-charge parameters or change the current identifier. The invention makes it easier to ascertain the currently active subscription and allows it to be seen directly from the terminal, e.g. from the display of a mobile telephone. Furthermore, the invention allows a completely separate, distinctive identifier to be set for each subscription.

In an embodiment of the invention, after en- tering the PIN2 code required for modification of storage locations in the subscriber identity module, the user of the terminal manually sets and stores from his/her terminal a desired identifier for the subscription which recognises the PIN code in question, in the advice-of -charge storage locations.

The system of the invention comprises means for storing and changing identifiers distinguishing the subscriptions defined in the subscriber identity module and for indicating the identifier of an active sub- scription on a terminal via a telecommunication network.

Furthermore, the system comprises means for deactivating the advice-of-charge feature in the mobile services switching centre and for changing the identi- fiers of telephone subscriptions from the terminal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

In the following, the invention will be described in detail, by way of example, with reference to a few embodiments illustrated in the attached drawing, which presents a diagram representing a system according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The system illustrated by Fig. 1 comprises a telecommunication network 1 comprising a mobile services switching centre MSC and a home location register 2 connected to it. Moreover, the system comprises a terminal MS with a subscriber identity module SIM con- nected to it, the subscriber identity module being provided with storage locations 3 and 4 for the storage of subscriber and telephone network information. In an embodiment according to Fig. 1, the subscriber identity module SIM used is a Dual Numbering SIM card, with two separate GSM subscriptions connected to the same subscriber identity module. When the tele- phone is turned on, the subscription to be activated is selected by entering a subscription-specific PIN code to the terminal MS. According to the invention, the information for the active subscription, such as name and number, is identified and read using the advice-of- charge service (AoC) defined in the storage areas of the subscriber identity module, designed for displaying the currency name (three digits) and remaining call balance (six digits) for the subscriber identity module on the terminal . By inputting to the terminal a PIN2 code, the user is able to change the advice-of-charge data. For instance, in place of the currency name for one of the subscriptions, the user stores the name "JOB" and in place of the call balance the number "1". Next, in place of the currency name for the other sub- scription, the user stores e.g. the name "OWN" and in place of the call balance the number "2". Further, the advice-of-charge service (AoC) for these subscriptions is deactivated in the home location register 2 of the mobile services switching centre MSC, so the call bal- ance will not be changed when calls are made. After the above arrangements, the terminal will display the identifier of the currently active telephone subscription. In the case of the example above, the identifier is "JOB 1" or "OWN 2" . The invention is not restricted to the embodiment example described above, but instead many variations are possible within the scope of the inventive idea defined in the claims.

Claims

1. Procedure for indicating an active telephone subscription in a telecommunication system comprising a telecommunication network (1) with a home location register (2) for maintaining subscriber- specific information, a terminal (MS) and a subscriber identity module (SIM) connected to the terminal and provided with storage areas (3, 4) for the storage of subscriber/telephone network information, i.e. subscription information, said procedure comprising the steps of marking the subscription information defined and stored in the storage areas with a distinctive identifier, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the procedure further comprises the steps of storing the distinctive identifiers in the subscriber identity module and indicating the identifier for the active subscription on the terminal.

2. Procedure as defined in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the identifier for the active subscription is stored in a storage area (2) in place of call price data used in an advice-of-charge service.

3. Procedure as defined in claim 1 or 2 , c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that in place of a currency name in the advice-of -charge service, a string is set as a name identifying the active subscription.

4. Procedure as defined in any one of claims

1 - 3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that in place of a call balance in the advice-of -charge service, a string is set as a number identifying the active subscription.

5. Procedure as defined in any one of claims 1 - 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the advice-of- charge service is deactivated in the home location reg- ister (HLR) , so that making a call will not affect the advice-of-charge function.

6. Procedure as defined in any one of claims 1 - 5, c ha ra c t e r i z e d in that the identifiers of the telephone subscriptions are changed from the terminal (MS) .

7. System for the indication of an active telephone subscription in a telecommunication system comprising a telecommunication network (1) with a home location register (2) for maintaining subscriber- specific information, a terminal (MS) and a subscriber identity module (SIM) connected to the terminal and provided with storage areas (3, 4) for the storage of subscriber/telephone network information, i.e. subscription information, in which system the subscription information and an associated distinctive identifier are defined and stored in the storage areas, c harac t e r i z e d in that the system comprises means for storing each distinctive identifier in the subscriber identity module (SIM) and means for indicating the identifier for the active subscription on the terminal (MS) .

8. System as defined in claim 7, charac t e r i z e d in that the system comprises means for deactivating the advice-of-charge service in the home location register (HLR) , so that making a call will not affect the advice-of-charge function.

9. System as defined in claim 7 or 8, c ha ra c t e r i z e d in that the system comprises means for changing the identifiers of telephone subscriptions from the terminal (MS) .