Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Roke Manor Research Limited

British Telecommunications Public Limited Company

Nokia Siemens Networks Gmbh & Co Kg

Nokia Solutions and Networks Gmbh & Co. Kg

Robert Hancock

Stephen John McCann

Eleanor Hepworth

Mark Alan West

Andrew McDonald

Philip L Eardley

Jochen Eisl

Stephen Mccann

Andrej Mihailovic

Michael Hook

Richard Beton

John May

A wireless user device, in radio communication with a first access point of one or more networks with which it could communicate via at least one of a plurality of access points, sends a network selection request to the first access point. If the network wishes to initiate a response from another access point in the same or another network, the first access point forwards the network selection request to one or more neighboring access points, in the same or another network. If any of the neighboring access points is able to communicate with the user device, that neighboring access point sends a response directly to the wireless user device and the wireless user device chooses the most suitable network from the responses sent.

Network selection

There is described a method of processing data packets in a data stream in a communication system. In the method, a plurality of data packets from the data stream are analyzed in order to generate profile data which indicates how one or more parts of each of the plurality of data packets varies from data packet to data packet. The profile data is then made available so that a data packet compression scheme that accords with the profile data can be implemented on data packets in the communication system.

Method of processing data packets

A telecommunications system includes a mobile network having a plurality of portable communication devices, and a fixed network which includes a signaling agent, a plurality of directory agents, and a plurality of spaced apart attachment points to which the mobile network can attach. In use, each directory agent stores a routing table for routing data to a respective mobile communication device associated with that directory agent. When the point of attachment of the mobile network changes, the mobile network sends a change-of-address message to the signaling agent. In response, the signaling agent is configured to forward the change of address to each directory agent, so that each can update its routing table to take into account the changed point of attachment of the mobile network. Because a signaling agent is provided, each portable device need not itself notify its directory agent when the mobile network moves, and the amount of signaling between the mobile network and the fixed network when the mobile network moves is reduced.

Telecommunications system

A method of determining availability of a connection between a wireless local area network and a home network of a mobile user device prior to initiating connection or authentication comprises selecting a network device; and sending a probe signaling message comprising a user device to the selected network device. The network device uses this home identifier data to formulate a signaling message that it sends towards the appropriate home network to contract a home authentication server. An indication to the user device of the result of the attempt is returned.

Method of testing the availability of a connection to a home authentication server prior to associating with a WLAN access point

A Web-based management engine is provided. The engine includes a Web page generator that generates Web pages based upon data relating to procedural steps for management of the at least one aspect of the behavior of the network entity. The engine also includes an interfacing component arranged to communicate data between a Web server and an SNMP agent in accordance with a predetermined data structure so as to manage the at least one aspect of the behavior of the network entity. Such a Web-based management engine obviates the complex to generate and inflexible template Web pages of known Web-based management systems.

Web-based management engine and system

A method of authentication via a secure wireless communication system; the method comprising sensing that a mobile device has come within range of a secure network; initiating a program within the mobile device offering the user a plurality of authentication options; processing the chosen authentication option and providing requested user data to a service provider for the secure network, only if the chosen authentication option within the mobile device permits provision of the requested user data.

Method of authentication via a secure wireless communication system

To gain visiting access to a wireless local area network (W-LAN), the operator of which administers a visitor authentication, authorization and accounting (VAAA) server, a user requesting such access must have a valid cellular mobile account, a portable computing device with a browser and a valid W-LAN card from another operation that administers a home authentication, authorization and accounting (HAAA) server. The user, inputs, via the VAAA server, identity information that enables the HAAA to issue a personal identification number (PIN) which is encoded and forwarded to the user's mobile telephone. This encoded PIN is transferred to the browser to authenticate the requested visiting access, and the costs of such access are billed to the user's cellular mobile account. The requested access is achieved via the user's browser. The user may employ the browser to convey the identity information, to the VAAA via the W-LAN, or via the mobile telephone.

Access authentication system

A method of improving the flow of data in a communication system having at least two links, comprising inserting into one of said links at least one enhancer, the operation of which is to a) communicate with a the unit upstream of the data flow such that the upstream unit perceives that it is communicating with the unit (s) downstream of the enhancer; b) obtaining a measure of the efficacy of operation of the down stream unit(s), and c) dependent upon the measure, varying the control of data flow sent to downstream units.

Method of enhancing the efficiency of data flow in communication systems

Described herein is a method of controlling data flow between a local network () and a remote network () via a geostationary satellite link (). The local network () comprises a sending host () and a connection splitting node () which includes a throttling unit (). The remote network () comprises a receiving host () which is connected to a second connection splitting node () having a buffer () via the internet (). The data flow rate from the local network () is throttled to provide a data flow rate which substantially matches that which can be handled by the remote network () so that the buffer () at the second connection splitting node () is not overfilled.

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Southampton, United Kingdom

Robert Hancock