Nortel Networks Corporation

Other

Northern Telecom Limited

Robert John Dean

Brian Michael Unitt

Yashvant Kanabar

Daniel Vincent McCaughan

Raymond Bennett

Simon Daniel Brueckheimer

Roy Harold Mauger

Paul Anthony Kirkby

Allen William Oliver

A network is disclosed for carrying calls between entities. Network resources which generate charges include means arranged to determine the charging rate for their use dynamically, and to transmit charging rate or tariff data representing a proposed or actual charging rate or tariff, or a change or proposed change thereto, through the network before and/or during the call to the entity or entities liable to the resource for the charges.

Method for charging in a data communication network

Restricted data is stored on a smart card having a memory and a processor. Preferably the restricted data is stored in groups. The smart card may store a record of users authorized to access certain groups of restricted data. An owner of the smart card must authorize registration of new users by entering their password, the new users are then given their own passwords in order to retrieve certain groups of restricted data. When a registered user uses their password to retrieve restricted data the smart card irretrievably modifies a codeword in a codeword section of the restricted data group, each codeword corresponding to an authorized user. The owner of the smart card is then able to determine if the restricted data has been accessed by checking for modified codewords.

Electronic sealed envelope

A data card or display device has a display region of non-volatile, display medium, which is re-writable with humanly legible characters and an indexing track composed of a machine readable, coded pattern of indicia is marked along a datum edge thereof. A read-write terminal has a read head aligned with the indexing track and a write head which includes individual write elements extending laterally of a path of travel of the card or display device therethrough, thereby to erase and write pixels forming humanly legible characters at preselected longitudinal positions on the display region determined by indicia of the indexing track as detected by the read head. The pattern of indicia comprises two rows of identical, repeating indicia displaced by one quarter pitch.

Re-writable display device and system

A service terminal facility is provided at a public access location, for example in a hotel, hospital or airport, the service terminal facility available for providing electronic information services to users, in response to input of a portable data storage medium, for example a smart card or the like. A smart card contains stored data describing user specified information such as contacts names, personal details and medical information and personal interest information. The service terminal comprises a search engine for searching the user data and comparing data types within the user data with general data stored locally at the service terminal. The service terminal selects data corresponding to data types specified in the user data and displays these on the graphical user interface at the service terminal, or at a user interface connected with the service terminal. The user data may specify one or more data sources or service providers from which electronic data services of interest to the user can be obtained. The service terminal may obtain listings of data from remote data sources and/or service providers and display these on the graphical user interface and/or user interface. The user may instruct downloading of electronic data or electronic information services from remote data sources or service providers from the service terminal for delivery to the graphical user interface or the user interface.

Networked personal customized information and facility services

Communications system

A data access and retrieval system comprises a plurality of user data sources each storing electronic data signals describing data specific to a user, or enabling services selected by a user; an agent device which is configurable to select individual ones of the user data sources and present selections of user data and service data to a set of callers who may interrogate the agent device remotely over a communications network; a plurality of service terminals capable of communicating with the agent device over a communications network the service terminals operable by said callers; and a plurality of key devices, storing caller information and security code information for enabling remote access of selections of user data and/or services to be transmitted over a communications network to a caller located at a said service terminal.

Growing community of inventors

Bishops Stortford, United Kingdom

Robert John Dean