Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.p.

Hewlett-packard Company

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP

Colin S I'Anson

Gregory J May

John Deryk Waters

James Thomas Edward McDonnell

Rycharde Jeffery Hawkes

Abigail Jane Sellen

Peter Phaal

Lawrence Wilcock

David Neil Slatter

Weng Wah Loh

Simon Edwin Crouch

Andrew D Thomas

Kenton Paul Anthony O'Hara

Neil H McKee

Marc Flauw

Barry Allen Thomas Brown

Andrew Dudley Morgan

Rachel Lucy Murphy

Christopher Gwyn Romans

James R Galloway

Stuart Johnston

Adrian Mark Woodfine-Jones

There is described a method for operating a proxy in a network function virtualization (NFV) system. The NFV system comprises a virtualized network function (VNF) manager for managing a VNF, a virtualized infrastructure manager (VIM) for managing a resource, and a NFV orchestrator. The method comprises: receiving a resource allocation request for the VIM from the VNF manager; sending the resource allocation request to a component of the VIM; receiving a response to the resource allocation request from the component of the VIM; and sending the response to the NFV orchestrator.

Network infrastructure management

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. A first processing unit provides a first execution environment for a first set of software applications and a second processing unit provides a second execution environment for a second set of software applications. A data structure is provided for storing data associated with subscribers of the system, the data structure providing a common identity for association with a subscriber which is recognized by all processing units of the system. This provides a common user repository which simplifies the provision of services and the authentication processes within the system.

Provision of services over a common delivery platform such as a mobile telephony network

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.

Data processing method and system

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.

Configuration of mobile communication devices

A communication system and method is disclosed. The communication system comprises: a plurality of terminals, including a mobile communication device; and a routing server. The routing server is adapted to use the location of the mobile communication device and to preconfigure the routing of a service to a terminal via an appropriate communication protocol based upon the determined location of the mobile communication device.

Service routing for communication systems

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.

A conferencing system, method and communication device for facilitating a conference call between a plurality of terminal devices is presented. The conference system comprises: a conference server for establishing the conference call; and re-connection means adapted to detect if a terminal device is disconnected from the conference call and to re-connect a terminal device to the conference call if it is detected that the terminal device is disconnected from the conference call.

Method and system for facilitating multi-point communications

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. A processor arrangement is provided for hosting the different services. A data structure is provided for storing data associated with subscribers of the system, wherein data associated with subscribers of the system comprises a plurality of sets of data, each set of data relating to a respective level of authentication. A trust model comprises a set of relationships between the sets of data, and the trust model determines the access rights of subscribers to different services in dependence on the data set which has been used to authenticate the subscriber in a given subscriber session. The use of this trust model enables services and other access rights to be provided to a subscribed which match the level of authentication which has been applied to the subscriber during any particular session.

Subscribers to a communications infrastructure, such as a GPRS network, can pre-pay for use of metered resources of the infrastructure. When a pre-payment subscriber joins the network, the current credit amount for the subscriber is distributed as credit values between user-specific virtual purses each associated with a respective metered resource. Upon use of a metered resource by the subscriber, the credit value held in the associated purse is correspondingly reduced, with use of the resource being dependent on the purse being in credit. The virtual purses are preferably electronically distributed to be close by the metered resources to which they relate whereby to reduce network billing traffic. When the subscriber leaves the network, the remaining credit values are consolidated from the purses.

Operating a communications infrastructure on a pre-payment basis

A shopping assistance method and service system is provided in which a shopper captures information about an item of interest () and sends it over a mobile radio infrastructure () to a service system (). 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 () where the shopper captured the information, but could also be the shopper's home location. The service system next carries out a specific task () relating to the identified item (), 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.

Shopping assistance service

Location information about a communicating entity (), in particular a mobile entity, is derived by identifying intermediate nodes () along the communication path being used by the entity, and then looking up, in a database (), 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.

Deriving location information about a communicating entity

A computer system comprises an image capture device () 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 () 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 () 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 &#x201c;electronically&#x201d; order the product).

Information capture and processing

An image capture apparatus has a combined electronic camera and swipe scanner. The electronic camera has an optical system and detector array for remote capturing of a first image. The swipe scanner has an optical system and detector array for swipe capturing of a second image. The image capture apparatus further has a data storage arranged to store the first image and the second image in association with each other. The electronic camera may be a moderate resolution color camera, and the swipe scanner may have a grey-scale detector array capable of scanning an object at a higher resolution than the camera. A display is provided so that both images can be viewed separately in association with each other, or combined into a combination image, which has color information from the camera to colorize higher resolution pixels from the scanner.

Hand-held image capture apparatus with scanning arrangement

To enable low cost distribution of pictures from a mobile entity that incorporates digital camera functionality, the mobile entity ( ) generates both a high resolution picture image ( ) and a low resolution thumbnail ( ). This thumbnail ( ) is distributed via a mobile radio infrastructure to a service system ( ) that then transfers the thumbnail to specified recipients ( ). After viewing the thumbnail ( ), each recipient ( ) indicates to the service system ( ) whether they wish to receive the high resolution image ( ) and, if so, whether it is to be transferred immediately or at the next. The service system ( ) effects transfer of the high resolution image ( ) accordingly. In other embodiments, distribution of the high resolution image is effected independently of the service system.

Growing community of inventors

Bristol, United Kingdom

Colin S I'Anson