Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are concerned with smart-card devices and in one aspect provide a mobile communications device for providing a user with access to information relating to authorized take-up of a service for which authorization is provided using a contactless smart-card device. The device includes a plurality of personal information managers, each having a data store comprising a plurality of data fields. The device is configured to access an interface for receiving data from the smart-card device and a a parser arranged to parse the received data so as to identify content therein and to identify, from the parsed content, content portions corresponding to at least some of said plurality of data fields.

Abstract: A method and system for providing group services in a telecommunications network. Groups of subscribers can be created and each group associated with its own telephone number. A member of a group can communicate with others in that group using a group service and the telephone number associated with the group. In one aspect, a number of different, and separately processed, group services are provided which can be accessed using a common group telephone dialing number.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system for controlling communication between user terminals using a telecommunications network. One embodiment includes an interface between a real-time charging control system for controlling usage of network resources during such usage and a group communications control node which is capable of controlling group communications sessions. Improved real-time charging control mechanisms can be implemented to account for usage of group communications services, for example where charging for an entire group communications session may be applied to a selected single party. Charging for a group communications session may be conducted with the flexibility of being able to charge according to the number of participants without having to transmit separate charging control signals from each participant's leg of the session to the real-time charging control system, thus reducing the signaling load in the network.

Abstract: A method of, apparatus for and a computer program for controlling handover of a mobile station conducting a communications session in a mobile communications network, the network including a plurality of radio access domains, the method comprising receiving a trigger indicating a requirement for handover; testing at least one possible handover meeting said requirement against network policy; and controlling handover in accordance with said requirement and said network policy.

Abstract: A mobile telephone handset comprising a radio telecommunications interface for wirelessly transmitting and receiving radio signals to and from a mobile telecommunications network is disclosed. The handset comprises first and second audio loudspeakers positioned to output audio from two different locations on the handset, wherein the first audio loudspeaker is mounted on a first portion and the second audio loudspeaker is mounted on a second, different portion, and wherein the first and second portions are movable from a first relative position in which the handset is compact and in which the audio loudspeakers are relatively closely spaced to a second relative position in which the audio loudspeakers are relatively widely spaced.

Abstract: A service module is provided for use in a mobile communications system. The service module provides services to a calling user such as an answering service comprising several individual mailboxes. In various situations, the service module can automatically forward an incoming call to the desired mailbox by using an identification code to allow the user to retrieve or deposit messages. In other situations, the service module is responsive to an indicator during the call by which the user can indicate that the service module did not receive a correct identification code and is therefore required to prompt the user to enter the correct identification code. In other situations, the service module is responsive to an indicator during the call by which the user can indicate whether he/she desires to retrieve a message from his/her mailbox or to deposit a message in another user's mailbox.

Abstract: A method and system for providing group services in a telecommunications network. Groups of subscribers can be created and each group associated with its own telephone number. A member of a group can communicate with others in that group using a group service and the telephone number associated with the group. In one aspect, a number of different, and separately processed, group services are provided which can be accessed using a common group telephone dialing number.

Abstract: Voice and/or image data packets are transferred by a packet handler between user stations in a GSM-type mobile communications system using a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) data link. Control data for controlling a call is stored in a data store accessible by the packet handler. The control data identifies call participants and the identity of a participant who has currently seized the call. A mobile station capable of video conferencing is operable in a half-duplex video conferencing mode, in which intermittent transmission of video data is controlled by depression of a transmit button.

Abstract: A mobile videophone capable of transmitting and receiving information in mobile telecommunications systems, particularly cellular radio networks. The videophone includes a first portion and a second portion, the second portion being rotatable with respect to the first portion, the second portion including a camera for image capture, the camera including a lens, the second portion being rotatable with respect to the first portion from a first position, in which the camera lens is protected by said first portion, to a second position in which the first portion does not protect the camera lens.

Abstract: A service node is provided in a mobile communications network which collects radio link measurement reports which are transmitted to the service node by mobile stations. The mobile stations transmit the measurement reports in encapsulated form, in the form of SMS messages, in order to prevent the interception of the measurement report by the serving base station. The service node is able to perform handover decision algorithms using the measurement reports collected from the mobile stations in order to determine appropriate radio access nodes to be allocated to the mobile stations.

Abstract: A mobile videophone capable of transmitting and receiving information in mobile telecommunications systems, particularly cellular radio networks. The individual components of the videophone are arranged such that the videophone has several different operational configurations to enable a user to select the appropriate configuration for the circumstances in which the videophone is being used. In one embodiment, a videophone can be used as a portable video conferencing device for multiple parties to a call, but should the user wish to hold a private discussion in a public place, the doors can be moved towards the closed position to retain privacy by shielding of the video display. In a further embodiment, a videophone includes two displays mounted on different portions, one of which includes a video camera, which are pivotable from a closed position by approximately 270°.

Abstract: Subscribers in a mobile communications system are provided with a bundle of call time each billing period, against which standard call types are rated. If, at the end of one billing period, a portion of the bundle for that billing period remains, the rating system associates the remaining portion with a bundle provided for the forthcoming billing period. In one embodiment, rating is interrupted whilst any remaining portions of the previous bundles are added to the newly-created bundles for the next period. In other embodiments, the rating system refers both to the current bundle and to a previous bundle when rating standard call types.

Abstract: A SIM for a mobile station used in a GSM mobile communications system the SIM operating system being adapted to perform data coding format conversion for data items stored in the SIM and transmitted to the mobile station. This ensures that the SIM is able to receive, and present, data items in the required standard format at the interface between the mobile station and the SIM, while allowing the data items to be stored in a compressed format in the SIM memory, thereby increasing the perceived storage capacity of the SIM.

Abstract: An antenna arrangement for use in a cellular mobile radio system, consisting of four receiving antenna arrays grouped into two branches (2, 4). The first branch consists of an antenna array (6) receiving vertically polarized signals, located adjacent an antenna array (8) receiving horizontally polarized signals. The second branch (4) consists of a similar arrangement (10, 12) spaced from the first branch to provide space diversity of the received signals. When a signal is received, the outputs from all four antenna arrays (6, 9, 10, 12) are fed to a combiner arrangement (14, 16, 18) to produce a space-diversity and polarization-diversity gain.

Abstract: A telecommunications system including a plurality of mobile telephones has a switch network including: data storage units (HLR) for storing connection data relating to respective mobile telephones; a register (15) for storing associations between data storage units and respective identification codes; inputs for inputting an identification code; and a switch unit (30, 31) for interrogating the register (15) to permit determination of the data storage unit (HLR) associated with that identification code. The switch network then uses the connection data stored by the data storage unit (HLR) to form a telecommunication link with the corresponding mobile telephone. The register unit (15) has two states. In a first state the register unit (15) and switch unit (30, 31) determine the data storage unit (HLR) associated with the input identification code. In a second state, the register unit (15) is linked to a routing unit (40).

Abstract: This invention relates to a telecommunications system including a plurality of mobile telephones. The telecommunications system has a switch network including: data storage units (HLR) for storing connection data relating to respective mobile telephones; a register (15) for storing associations between the data storage units and respective identification codes; inputs for inputting an identification code; and a switch unit (30, 31) for interrogating the register (15) to determine the data storage unit (HLR) associated with that identification code. The switch network then uses the connection data stored by the data storage unit (HLR) to form a telecommunication link with the corresponding mobile telephone. The associations stored by the register (15) can be changed.