Telephone with card-reader

摘要

A telephone with a card reader is disclosed. The telephone includes means for providing a first communication service. The card includes a memory, which stores information, where the telephone reads the information stored in the memory and provides a means for providing a second communication service based on the information. In providing the second communication service, the telephone obtains second communication service information from a datastore, which includes pairs of information and corresponding second communication service information. The telephone may include the datastore. The telephone may alternatively obtain the second communication service information from or a service server in response to a request. Alternatively, the information stored in the memory can be the second communication service information itself.

主权项

1. A method for enabling a telephone service on a telephone, the telephone comprising an input module and an output module, comprising:
(a) activating, by the telephone, a first telephone service with a first service network, comprising enabling a first set of components in the input module and the output module of the telephone to allow a user to receive a first call on the telephone over the first service network using the first set of components; (b) after activating the first telephone service with the first service network, reading by the telephone a card to obtain a user identity stored on the card for the user of the telephone for a purpose of activating a different telephone service; (c) connecting to a datastore by the telephone, the datastore comprising a plurality of user identity/telephone service information pairs; (d) matching by the telephone one or more of the plurality of user identity/telephone service information pairs to the user identity read from the card; and (e) activating, by the telephone, a second telephone service with a second service network using the telephone service information of the matching user identity/telephone service information pair, comprising enabling a second set of components of the input module and the output module of the telephone to allow the user to receive a second call different from the first call on the telephone over the second service network using the second set of components, the second set of components comprising at least one component not in the first set of component, wherein the second set of components comprises a display screen, wherein the second telephone service comprises a voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) telephone service, an Instant Message based telephone service, or a private company telephone service.