British Telecommunications Public Limited Company

British Telecommunications Corporation

Keith Eric Nolde

Philip Alfred Barker

Graham A Laidler

Michael Victor Meyerstein

Michael Davey Hoy

Christopher Nigel Munnings

Richard Paul Swale

Mark Stirland

Ian Hunter

David Anthony Roberts

Richard Middleton Hicks

Michael John Britnell

Dennis John Tricker

Jeffrey Edward Deslandes

Alastair Montgomerie

Jonathan James Kingan

Paul M Andrews

Robert Malcolm Ball

Peter Maxwell Harding

Kevin Paul Bosworth

Jonathan Crispin Ranger

Robert Andrew Bissell

John Rabson

Paul Michael Andrews

Graham Anthony Laidler

A device for detecting a flow of air from an exit end of a tube fed into an entrance end of the tube, including a bore having a first section with a first size bore size and a second section with a second bore size, an obstruction located within the bore between the first section and the second section, the obstruction configured to obstruct air flowing from the first section to the second section, and fixing means to fix the device to the tube so that the bore communicates with the exit end of the tube, wherein in use, an air pressure sensor is used to compare air pressure within the first bore section and air pressure within the second bore section, so that a pressure differential is indicative of an air flow within the bore.

Cable installation apparatus

A blowing head for installing blown cable, comprising a low-inertia motor using electrical current, operable to obtain the advance of the cable within the blowing head, adjusting means operable to vary the level of current of the motor, and low-inertia sensing means to sense movement and changes in the level of movement of the cable within the blowing head, wherein in use the adjusting means varies the level of current used by the motor in response to changes in the level of movement sensed by the sensing means, and wherein the varying level of current does not exceed a maximum current level.

Optical fibre installation apparatus

Apparatus for installing a cable into a tube with the assistance of a fluid drag acting on the cable within the tube with an installation device, the apparatus including a driving mechanism comprising a driving surface arranged to contact the cable substantially along the full driving surface length, for driving the cable into the tube, a first measurement device for obtaining a first value indicative of a rate at which the installation device is driving the cable into the tube, a second measurement device for obtaining a second value indicative of a rate at which the cable is travelling through the apparatus, a processor for detecting when the first value exceeds the second value, and for reducing the rate at which the installation device is driving the cable into the tube for the duration when the first value exceeds the second value.

Blown cable apparatus and method

An authentication system of a terminal on a public switched telephone network provides a security node associated with a local exchange and a network terminal. For one-way authentication, the terminal responds to a call initiation by sending a unique authentication code comprising a number and a secret key encrypted according to a first algorithm, the secret key being specific to the terminal. The security node constructs the expected authentication code from the number, using the first algorithm and a second key which is a function of a terminal identification number, and compares the expected code with the received code. In two-way authentication, the security node responds to the call initiation by sending a transaction number to the terminal encrypted according to a second algorithm. The terminal generates the authentication code as a function of the first algorithm, the secret key and the transaction number. The authentication code is sent back to the security node. An expected code is compared with the received one in the same way. In both cases, a match between expected and received authentication codes constitutes authentication of the terminal allowing the user access to the network.

User authentication in a communications network

A remote control system for controlling electrical apparatus in customer premises includes a home control interface for connection by way of network termination equipment, e.g., a telephone socket, to a communications line to a telephone exchange. The home control interface is responsive to signals received from a home control platform connected to the telephone network to control electrical apparatus by way of module interfaces. The home control interface is arranged on demand to transmit signals to the communications line indicative of the current status of each piece of electrical apparatus connected to the system. The consumer may use a telephone to pre-record a definition of the electrical apparatus attached to each connection on the module interface which, when remote control requests are forwarded to the home control platform are used to define the respective switch and to announce its status to the caller. The home control platform has capability of storing substantial quantities of data defining changes required in switching at different times.

Remote control system

A management system provides a remote access service to units of equipment at distributed locations of a communications network. For instance, it can provide automatic meter reading over a PSTN for utility companies. The management system initiates calls over the network to selected units, usually pre-determined, in response to call requests, and can provide considerable functionality such as authentication and batch processing of the request. Conflict with ordinary traffic on the network can be avoided by monitoring for ordinary traffic calls and clearing down any existing conflicting remote access calls or blocking any requested potentially conflicting remote access calls. Uncompleted or blocked remote access calls are automatically re-scheduled by the management system.

Remote access systems

A switching system for inclusion in domestic premises includes a master socket for connection to network termination equipment (e.g., wall socket) and for connection to a plurality of slave sockets each of which may be connected to normal communications apparatus such as telephone, fax or answering machines not shown. On receipt of an incoming telephone call from the network the master socket uses signals which identify the source of the call (calling line identity (CLI)) signals to determine which of the slaves is to be called. Using only four wires (i.e., the normal extension wiring pattern) the master socket can signal individual slave sockets to switch in or out of circuit so that a normal domestic telephony arrangement may be simply and economically converted to include switching. Various protective options and alternative calling patterns in event of non-answer can also be provided by the master socket including options for allowing communication between two individual extensions without utilizing the main exchange line system.

Telecommunications switch

A telecommunications network including a number of digital main switching units connected to local switching units which provide telephony service to consumer premises via local connections provide telemetry services for utilities by way of a telemetry platform. A network management system is responsive to customer service information to cause local switching units to provide customer facilities such as call barring. The local exchange is responsive to signals indicative of a call from the telemetry platform to override any class of service which would normally prevent the telemetry call from being connected. The local exchange and telemetry platform co-operate with customer premises interface equipment to ensure that any conflict between telephony requirement and telemetry requirement is resolved in favor of the telephony customer.

Telephony network having no-ring telemetry call aborted in favor of

Growing community of inventors

Ipswich, United Kingdom

Keith Eric Nolde