Abstract: The present invention relates to authenticating a mobile device using logical location information associated with the device which provides an indication of the proximity of the device to other devices. The present invention provides a mechanism for authenticating a mobile device based on location related information or a “logical location”, but without requiring an actual location. The mobile user device identifies or discovers other devices, using direct wireless communication, within its vicinity and forwards this information to the authenticating authority. If this information matches previous or otherwise predetermined information, then the device is authenticated.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting crossover faults in a telecommunications access network having a plurality of access lines. Each access line includes a pair of wires for connection to a user terminal, e.g. a telephone handset. The system includes a monitor for monitoring each of the access lines to detect the presence of an off-hook state; a current sensor for each of the access lines for determining a fault condition on an access line for which an off-hook state has been detected when a imbalance is detected between currents in the wires of the access line; a controller for generating a report of each fault condition determined on an access line, in which each report comprises a time record relating to the time of generation of the report; and a crossover fault detector for recording a possible crossover fault involving two access lines upon the reporting within a set time period of one or more fault condition on each of the two access lines.

Abstract: A test system for testing a pair of telecommunications access networks, e.g. as part of transfer engineering. The system comprises a test head for connection, via an access arrangement, to first and second access networks. In a first phase, the access arrangement is arranged to connect the test head to the first access network for sending a first request from the tester to, for example, a CLI server via the first access network. The first request comprises a parameter associated with a user line. The tester is arranged to receive in response to the first request a first identifier from the server. In a second phase, the access arrangement is arranged to connect the test head to the second access network for sending a second request from the test head through the second access network to, for example, a CLI server. The second request also comprises the parameter.

Abstract: Video data defining a series of images is processed to define a first series of nodes in a first multidimensional space, each of the first series of nodes corresponding to an image of the series of images and its location in the first space defined in dependence on features of the respective image. A transformation function maps each of the nodes in the first multidimensional space onto a respective node in a second lower dimensionality multidimensional space while maintaining neighborhood relationships between nodes. A second series of nodes in the second multidimensional space is defined in accordance with the transformation function and a clustering analysis is performed in dependence on the nodes of the second multidimensional space.

Abstract: Apparatus and system for verifying a route taken during movement of an RFID tag, comprising a trusted platform module; sealed storage (80) comprising one or more stores (50, 52) for storing a public key (64), a private key (68) and a policy (62); and processors arranged to: receive data (60) read-out from the RFID tag (4) and comprising an RFID tag identity and an encrypted signature (9); use the public key (64) to decrypt the encrypted signature (9); verify that the decrypted signature (9) corresponds to a first entity from which, according to the policy (62), a second entity is authorised to receive the given RFID tag (4); use the private key (68) to provide an encrypted signature (9); and forward data comprising the encrypted signature (9) to an RFID tag writer (22).

Abstract: A video stream is digitally encoded such that the rate at which individual segments of data are encoded varies according to the amount of data required to generate each segment. Frames are selectively omitted from transmission (32) such that the cumulative frame rate does not fall below a predetermined value. This process can be used to ensure that the next frame to be displayed is always available in the buffer store 6 associated with the decoder (2). The decoder (2) is arranged to identify where frames have been omitted from the decoded transmission, and to perform a resynchronisation (7) on the decoded stream by comparison between time stamps in the video stream and a corresponding audio stream. Resynchronisation may be performed by extending the durations of individual frames, or by repeating frames.

Abstract: A method relates to side-loading content onto a mobile device, preferably using a WiFi connection, from a network content store and storing it on the device for viewing later. The method automatically determines when to delete stored content, and more importantly, what content should be transferred over the network in the first instance. The system comprises a content manager which takes into account various parameters to determine what should be transferred and, if required, what should be deleted from the device. The parameters used include user profiles, size of a potential download, as well as available storage space on the device and the predicted duration the device will be in range of a wireless hotspot or broadcast network.

Abstract: There is proposed a method of side-loading content onto a mobile device, preferably using a WiFi connection, from a network content store and storing it on the device for viewing later. The method automatically determines when to delete stored content, and more importantly, what content should be transferred over the network in the first instance. The system comprises a content manager which takes into account various parameters to determine what should be transferred and, if required, what should be deleted from the device. The parameters used include user profiles, size of a potential download, as well as available storage space on the device and the predicted duration the device will be in range of a wireless hotspot or broadcast network.

Abstract: Providing an interface device interfacing between an access network and a back-bone network comprises: providing a management device, receiving data readings from a transceiver device indicative of the current or recent line rate of a DSL connection of the access network, and providing the interface device to restrict data flowing to the DSL connection to a new maximum rate selected in accordance with the received data readings from the transceiver device indicative of the current or recent line rate of the DSL connection. When the new maximum rate is greater than the existing maximum rate for the DSL connection at which the interface device is currently provided, the interface device is provisioned (or re-provisioned) only after a delay period. The delay period depends upon the increase amount of in the new maximum rate compared to the existing maximum rate so that the greater the increase, the shorter the delay period.

Abstract: The invention relates to estimating the global motion between frames of a motion-compensated inter-frame encoded video sequence, directly from the motion vectors encoded within the frames. For any particular frame, a motion estimation is determined from motion vectors direct from the frame's anchor frame to the frame in question. This motion estimation is then checked against pre-determined criteria, and where the criteria are not met, re-estimation along a different route is performed, using the bi-directional motion vectors contained within B-frames. A panoramic image generating method and system which makes uses of the global motion estimations thus obtained is also described.

Abstract: A method, for use in connection with installing a cable into a conduit (4) having a first end and a second end (12), of detecting whether air is flowing from the first end to the second end, the method including the steps of: —providing a movement sensor (10) within or proximate to the conduit; —providing an air flow (14) into the conduit from the first end; and —detecting that the air is flowing to the second end when the air flow disrupt the movement sensor.

Abstract: The application relates to the registration of the identity of a telephone terminal in association with the identity of a computer terminal in a Computer Technology Integration environment CTI-enabled switching apparatus and a registration server interconnected by a CTI-link and a telephony link. A registration method whereby the registration is essentially achieved by using the telephony link to present PIN data inputted using the telephone terminal to the registration server and to identify the from the CTI-link the identity of the telephone terminal which presents the PIN data over the telephony link faces the problem of how to tie in the correct CLI to the correct call. This problem is solved by the application in that the port of telephony link used by the switching apparatus for the call by which the PIN data is transmitted is transmitted in combination with the CLI over the CTI-link.

Abstract: A method for use in connection with installing a fiber unit into a conduit having a first end and a second end, the method being suitable to detect when the fiber unit introduced into the first end arrives at the second end. The fiber unit is introduced into the conduit from the first end and installed towards the second end; introducing a light with a light source into the fiber unit at the first end; detecting reflected light in the fiber unit with a light detector at the first end, and detecting changes in the reflected light, whereby an operator may determine that the fiber unit has arrived at the second end.

Abstract: A method of recovering data in a line signal which is predicted to be subjected to repetitive noise impulses, the line signal comprising a series of data frames, the method comprising the steps of: predicting a group comprising one or more frames in said line signal which are expected to be corrupted by a noise signal; blanking said group of one or more frames which are predicted to be corrupted; determining the preceding and succeeding frames adjacent to said group; and including in each said group of one or more frames one or more parity blocks wherein if said noise signal deviates from its predicted timing interval or duration and corrupts the data carried in one or more of said frames adjacent to said group, the corrupted data is recovered using one or more of said parity blocks of said group of blanked frames and the other one of said adjacent frames.

Abstract: Content items or data defining access to content items for provision to one or more users is respectively maintained. Respective content access data for those users from which content items or data defining access to content items are received is changed and a sub-set of the content items or data defining access to content items is provided to a user, the members of the sub-set being determined in dependence on the content access data of the user. Each content item or set of data defining access to a content item has a property having a value, and the content access data includes a content access value relating to the property, wherein the sub-set of the content items or data defining access to content items is determined in dependence on the respective values.

Abstract: A video encoder using inter-frame differential coding has a store (3) for containing a plurality of reference pictures. For each incoming picture it chooses one (or more) of the stored reference pictures to use. Control means (10) select which locally decoded pictures are to be entered into, and removed from, so that the store always contains at least one relatively older picture that lies within a defined time window and at least one relatively younger picture that is more recent than the time window. When it receives an error message from a receiver, it switches the coder from its normal a state (in which it is allowed to choose any picture as predictor) into a state in which it is permitted to choose only a said relatively older picture for prediction. The beginning of the time window is preferably set according to the estimated (or observed) round trip time between the encoder and decoder such that at least one of the relatively older pictures always predated the error message.

Abstract: Methods and systems for determining a correction factor for use in monitoring network traffic, said network traffic comprising a plurality of flows of data units, each flow having associated therewith a flow identifier, said data units having associated therewith a path characterization metric; the method comprising the steps of: selecting a subset of flow identifiers from the overall set of flow identifiers; determining, in respect of flows having associated therewith flow identifiers from said selected subset of flow identifiers, which flows if any are persistently irregular flows; determining a first measure of the total of the accumulated path characterization metrics associated with data units of said selected subset of flows; determining a second measure indicative of the proportion of said total measure contributed by said persistently irregular flows; and determining a correction factor in dependence on the first and second measures.