Methods and apparatus for providing consistency in SMS message timestamp formatting for mobile communication devices

1. A method of providing consistency in Short Message Service (SMS) message timestamp formatting for mobile communication devices, comprising:

providing a removable user identity module for a mobile communication device; and

providing a timestamp mode indicator field in the removable user identify module for storing a programmed indication which is programmed as fixed value to indicate a timestamp mode of operation of a home message center of the mobile communication device as one of a coordinated universal time (UTC) mode and a non-UTC mode, the programmed indication being programmed as the fixed value for use with SMS message timestamps of each one of a plurality of SMS messages communicated between the home message center and the mobile communication device;

using the programmed indication in the timestamp mode indicator field for determining whether to convert each SMS message timestamp into non-UTC format;

convert the timestamp data from a UTC format to a non-UTC format corresponding to a local time zone of the mobile station when the programmed indicator which is programmed as the fixed value in the removable user identity module indicates that the timestamp mode of operation of the home message center is the UTC mode, the conversion being, performed based on a programmed memory setting in the mobile station which indicates the local time zone of the mobile station; and

refrain from performing UTC-to-non-UTC format conversion of the timestamp data when the programmed indicator in the removable user identity module indicates that the timestamp mode of operation of the home message center is the non-UTC mode.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing the mobile communication device for receiving the removable user entity module.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the removable user identity module comprises a R-UIM.

4. A mobile station (MS), comprising:

a removable user identity module (R-UIM) which includes:

memory;

a programmed indicator in the memory which is programmed as a fixed value indicative of a timestamp mode of operation of a home message center as one of a coordinated universal time (UTC) mode and a non-UTC mode for use with Short Message Service (SMS) timestamps of each one of a plurality of SMS messages received via the home message center;

a mobile equipment (ME) which includes:

an R-UIM interface which interfaces with the R-UIM;

a processor;

a visual display coupled to the processor;

for each one of the SMAS messages received via the home message center, the processor being operative to:

receive, via the home message center, an SMS message having timestamp data;

convert the timestamp data from a UTC format to a non-UTC format corresponding to a local time zone of the mobile station when the programmed indicator which is programmed as the fixed value in the R-UIM indicates that the timestamp mode of operation of the home message center is the UTC mode, the conversion being performed based on a programmed memory setting in the mobile station which indicates the local time zone of the mobile station;

refrain from performing UTC-to-non-UTC format conversion of the timestamp data when the programmed indicator in the R-UIM indicates that the timestamp mode of operation of the home message center is the non-UTC mode; and

cause the visual display to display the timestamp.

5. The MS of claim 4 , wherein the programmed indicator is programmed in a timestamp mode indicator field in the R-UIM.

6. The MS of claim 4 , wherein the programmed memory setting which indicates the local time zone is utilized to identify a time offset value stored in the MS for performing the conversion.

7. The MS of claim 4 , wherein the programmed memory setting which indicates the local time zone is utilized as an input to a conversion table stored in memory to thereby identify a time offset value for performing the conversion.

8. A mobile equipment, comprising:

a processor;

a wireless receiver coupled to the processor;

an interface to receive a removable user identity module;

a visual display;

for each one of a plurality of Short Message Service (SMS) messages received via a home message center, the processor being operative to:

receive, through the wireless receiver via the home message center, the SMS message having timestamp data;

convert the timestamp data from a Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) format to a non-UTC format corresponding to a local time zone of the mobile equipment when a programmed indicator, which is programmed as a fixed value in memory of the removable user identity module, indicates that a timestamp mode of operation of the home message center is a UTC mode, the conversion being performed based on a programmed memory setting which indicates the local time zone of the mobile equipment;

refrain from performing UTC-to-non-UTC format conversion of the timestamp data when the programmed indicator in the removable user identity module indicates that the timestamp mode of operation of the home message center is the non-UTC mode; and

cause the visual display to display the timestamp.

9. The mobile equipment of claim 8 , wherein the programmed indicator is programmed in a timestamp mode indicator field in the removable user identity module.

10. The mobile equipment of claim 8 , wherein the programmed memory setting which indicates the local time zone is utilized to identify a time offset value stored in the mobile equipment for performing the conversion.

11. The mobile equipment of claim 8 , wherein the programmed memory setting which indicates the local time zone is utilized as an input to a conversion table stored in memory to thereby identify a time offset value for performing the conversion.

12. The mobile equipment of claim 8 , further comprising:

for SMS messages sent from the ME, the processor being further operative to:

setting a timestamp in the SMS message as non-UTC time when the programmed indicator in memory of the removable user identity module indicates that the timestamp mode of operation of the home message center is the non-UTC mode, and otherwise setting the timestamp in the SMS message as UTC time when the programmed indicator in memory of the removable user identity module indicates that the timestamp mode of operation of the home message center is the UTC made.

13. The mobile equipment (ME) of claim 8 , which is part of a mobile station (MS) which includes the removable user identity module (R-UIM) comprising the memory and the programmed indicator in the memory.

14. A method in a mobile communication device equipped with a removable user identity module (R-UIM) for providing consistency in a Short Message Service (SMS) message timestamp formatting, the method comprising:

providing a timestamp mode indicator field in the R-UIM for storing a programmed indication which is programmed as a fixed value to indicate a timestamp mode of operation of a home message center of the mobile communication device as one of a coordinated universal time (UTC) mode and a non-UTC mode, the programmed indication being programmed as the fixed value for use with SMS message timestamps of each one of a plurality of SMS messages communicated between the home message center and the mobile communication device;

for each one of the plurality of SMS messages having the SMS message timestamps:

determining whether to convert the SMS message timestamp of the SMS message to non-UTC format based upon the programmed indication in the timestamp mode indicator field;

converting the SMS message timestamp to the non-UTC format corresponding to a local time zone of the mobile communication device when the programmed indication in the timestamp mode indicator field of the R-UIM indicates that the timestamp mode of operation of the home message center is the UTC mode, the conversion being performed based on a programmed memory setting of the mobile communication device which indicates the local time zone of the mobile communication device; and

refraining from performing UTC-to-non-UTC format conversion for the SMS message timestamp when the programmed indication in the timestamp mode indicator field of the R-UIM indicates that the timestamp mode of operation of the home message center is the non-UTC mode.

15. The method of claim 14 ,

wherein the programmed memory setting which indicates the local time zone is utilized to identify a time offset value stored in the mobile communication device for performing the conversion.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the programmed memory setting which indicates the local time zone is utilized as an input to a conversion table stored in memory to thereby identify a time offset value for performing the conversion.

17. A method in a mobile communication device equipped with a removable user identity module (R-UIM) for providing consistency in a Short Message Service (SPAS) message timestamp formatting for an SMS message having an SMS message timestamp, the method comprising:

storing, in a timestamp mode indicator field of the R-UIM, a programmed indication which is programmed as a fixed value to indicate a timestamp mode of operation of a home message center of the mobile communication device as one of a coordinated universal time (UTC) mode and a non-UTC mode, the programmed indication being programmed as the fixed value for use with SMS message timestamps of each one of a plurality of SMS messages communicated between the home message center and the mobile communication device;

for each one of the plurality of SMS messages having the SMS message timestamps:

determining whether to convert the SMS message timestamp of the SMS message to non-UTC format based upon the programmed indication in the timestamp mode indicator field;

converting the SMS message timestamp to the non-UTC format corresponding to a local time zone of the mobile communication device when the programmed indication in the timestamp mode indicator field of the R-UIM indicates that the timestamp mode of operation of the home message center is the UTC mode, the conversion being performed based on a programmed memory setting of the mobile communication device which indicates the local time zone of the mobile communication device; and

refraining from performing UTC-to-non-UTC conversion of the SMS message timestamp when the programmed indication in the timestamp mode indicator field of the R-UIM indicates that the timestamp mode of operation of the home message center is the non-UTC mode.

18. The method of claim 17 ,

wherein the programmed memory setting which indicates the local time zone is utilized to identify a time offset value stored in the mobile communication device for performing the conversion.

19. The method of claim 17 ,

wherein the programmed memory setting which indicates the local time zone is utilized as an input to a conversion table stored in memory to thereby identify a time of set value for performing the conversion.