Abstract:
A telecommunications system is provided which has the ability to provide special services to subscribers. Such services may include, for example, call screening, call forwarding and call interception. Calls to a subscriber are routed via a service administrator which administers the services.
Abstract:
A test system (1) IS for testing a communication network. It comprises remote test devices (4) to transmit and receive communication signals via the network (5) under test. A central client system (10) receives and processes user test instructions and routes corresponding test commands to the remote test devices 94). The test devices (4) communicate with the central client system (10) including routing network under test responses to the central client system. The test device (4) comprises a speaker coupled with a microphone, and a modem (4) coupled with the microphone and arranged for communication via the network under test. The client system comprises an application server (10) adapted to generate emulation screens and download them to a client terminal (11), to receive inputs made on the screens, and to interpret them as test commands for a test session. The screens include display controls emulating mobile or fixed telephone device user interfaces, including numbers to be dialled, and messaging inputs, and also displays of responses from the network under test. A device controller (25) manages a plurality of threads to a plurality of test devices.
Abstract:
A prepayment utility metering arrangement using encoded mag-stripe cards (104) to transfer purchase information from the utility billing office to the consumer. The cards are read at the consumer premises by a computerized metering and control device (105) which meters the utilities according to the amount purchased. The value information encoded on the cards includes the purchase amount coded in terms of revolutions of the metering disk (102), a rate schedule determining the value of the utilities, and a password containing an encrypted combination of the consumer account number, consumer site identification, and a purchase sequence number. Also included is an arrangement for providing emergency credit to consumers when the prepurchased amount is exhausted. An emergency card credits the consumer with an amount of utilities adequate to last until the billing office opens. The credit amount in the meter (111) must be replenished by a new purchase before the emergency card can be reused.