Initiation of communication between network service system and customer-premises equipment

Abstract

Customer premises equipment ( B) connected to a telephone line ( B), is arranged to be woken up remotely and then to initiate communication with a network-based service system. ( ). In order to avoid the cost involved in having a dedicated phone line for the equipment, the equipment ( B) needs to be able to be woken up in a selective manner that does not have significant impact on the operation of other apparatus that may be connected to the same phone line ( B). Several different techniques are provided for waking up the equipment ( B) and initiating communication with the service system ( ). In one embodiment, equipment wakeup is effected by a call with particular characteristics, the equipment ( B) once woken up calling a network access point ( ) to establish communication with the service system ( ). In another embodiment, a wakeup call is placed via a network access point ( ) and the equipment picks up the call and uses it to establish network access. In other embodiments, the equipment is woken up by means of a wakeup indicator transmitted independently of a normal call on the line connected to the equipment, such as by signalling passed over the phone line or by radio paging.