Abstract:
A method of managing an IP call between a calling party and a called party, the method comprising receiving, at a gateway, a request to set up the call from the calling party; determining, from the request, a requirement to route the call through an interceptor; forwarding the request from the gateway to the interceptor; setting up an IP call between the interceptor and the called party; setting up an IP call between the interceptor and the calling party; and operating the interceptor as a back-to-back user agent (B2BUA) between the calling party and the called party.
Abstract:
One embodiment of a system for providing services to subscribers of a network supports the provision of a plurality of different services to multiple subscribers. The system has multiple processing units each providing a different execution environment for different sets of software applications, each associated with a service binding or set of service bindings. A data structure is provided containing data identifying the different sets of software applications or software application components, and further identifying the service binding associated with each application or application component. This provides a common services repository to facilitate the development of services to be provided over the network.
Abstract:
A method is provided of adapting a user interface to the user's current situation. The method involves a user specifying a home-area interface (83), for example, a web browser home page, and an “away” interface (84). When the user connects to a network (10) using a device (20) and calls up his/her browser home page, a determination is made of the location of the device in order to decide which version of the home page is to be served back to the user device by the home-page server of the user. In a preferred embodiment, the “away” home page (84) includes specific types of local data of interest to the user (such as best local restaurants). When asked to provide the “away” home page, the homepage server uses this information to find the URLs of local special interest web sites (122) carrying the relevant type of data, the server inserting these URLs in the “away” home page (84) before providing it to the user device (20) concerned.
Abstract:
In a mobile communications system each radio unit (14, 16) is associated with a respective base station (12) as its `home` base station; any radio unit can communicate with any base station in whose service area it is located. Each base station has a radio interface (20) for communication with radio units, a telephone interface (24) for connection to a telephone line, for example via a PABX (44), and a LAN interface (28) for connection to a local area network (40) to which all the base stations are coupled. Voice communications for a handset are always routed through the home base station for that handset, e.g. to another handset or to the PABX, irrespective of the identity of the base station in whose service area the handset is currently located.
Abstract:
A system for providing services to subscribers of a network supports the provision of a plurality of different services to multiple subscribers. Multiple processing units are provided, each providing a respective execution environment for a respective set of software applications. A data structure is provided containing data identifying the sets of software applications or software application components of the sets of software applications, and different developers are provided with different access rights to the data in the data structure. Different software applications or software application components are associated with different access right levels. This provides a software development environment in which a common services repository is provided with different access rights implemented for accessing the repository.
Abstract:
A communication system and method is disclosed. The communication system comprises: a mobile communication device configurable to communicate using one of a plurality of communication protocols; and a configuration server. The configuration server is adapted to determine the location of the mobile communication device and to configure a service of the mobile communication device based upon the determined location of the mobile communication device.
Abstract:
A shopping assistance method and service system is provided in which a shopper captures information about an item of interest (90) and sends it over a mobile radio infrastructure (10) to a service system (40). At the service system, the information is processed to identify at least the type of item of interest. A determination is also made of a location associated with the information, this location will generally be that of the store (92) where the shopper captured the information, but could also be the shopper's home location. The service system next carries out a specific task (72) relating to the identified item (90), such as obtaining comparative prices, and then provides a report back to the shopper, the contents and/or organisation of the report taking account of the location previously determined as being associated with the information.
Abstract:
Location information about a communicating entity (41), in particular a mobile entity, is derived by identifying intermediate nodes (42) along the communication path being used by the entity, and then looking up, in a database (44), the geographic significance of at least one of these nodes when considered in a direction along the communication path towards the entity of interest. Preferably, account is taken of any identified downstream/upstream nodes to refine the geographic significance of a node. The geographic significance information can be compiled by taking location fixes at a plurality of endpoint locations and associating the location data thus obtained with the intermediate nodes traversed when communication is effected from the corresponding endpoint locations.
Abstract:
A computer system comprises an image capture device (10) for capturing an image of a paper document (such as a newspaper article or advertisement) to produce captured image information, and keys or the like for enabling a user to select one of a plurality of options (such as “view” or “order”) in relation to that capture information. The system also includes a document database (36) storing image information relating to the contents of a plurality of documents and, for each document, information relating to action which can be taken in relation to that document, and a processor system (30,36) for matching the captured image information with the stored image information for at least one of the documents and determining the respective action information, and for processing the determined action information and the user-selected option to produce a computer instruction as to action to be taken (such as load the newspaper article into the PC's web browser, or “electronically” order the product).
Abstract:
Remote installation of an update of software is forwarded by a management information system into a remote computer. When a primary communication path between the management information system and the remote computer is unavailable and an alternate communication path is available, a connection is established between the management information system and the remote computer using the alternate communication path. The management information system requests from the remote computer the current version information about the software within the remote computer. When the management information system determines the current version of the software within the remote computer needs to be updated, the management information system determines whether the alternate communication path is adequate for downloading the update of the software. When the management information system determines that the alternate communication path is adequate for downloading the update of the software, the update of the software is downloaded from the management information system to the remote computer.