Abstract: A method of allowing members of a group to access a plurality of data blocks stored at one or more storage locations, where each data block is associated with at least one of the members. The method comprises providing each of the group members with a shared secret, storing at a storage location, in association with each data block, a tag, the tag having been generated using said shared secret and an identity of the member associated with the data block, sending a request from a group member to a storage location, the request containing the tag of another group member, and upon receipt of said request at the storage location, identifying said tag and sending to the requesting member the data block associated with the tag.

Abstract: A method of scheduling packets for transmission over the air interface of a UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) in the case where a pair of Radio Network Controllers (RNCs) are acting as separate serving and controlling (drift) RNCs for a mobile terminal. The method comprises sending from the controlling RNC to the serving RNC, allocated scheduling priorities together with packet sizes accepted for transmission with those priorities by the controlling RNC. Subsequently the serving RNC send to the controlling RNC, packets of sizes accepted by the serving RNC together with respective allocated priorities.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and arrangements enable packet scheduling in accordance with quality of service (QoS) constraints for data flows. In a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) network environment, for example, a Medium Access Control (MAC) layer schedules packet transmission of various data flows to meet stipulated criteria, including permitted transport format combinations (TFCs) from a TFC set (TFCS). In first embodiment(s), the TFC is selected based on guaranteed rate transmission rates, weighted fair queuing (WFQ) transmission rates, QoS class, transport block set size (TBSS), and optionally queue fill levels. These first embodiment(s) also further refine the selection process using backlog memories corresponding to previously unmet guaranteed and/or fair transmission rates. In second embodiment(s), memory requirements are reduced by selecting a TFC based on guaranteed rate transmission rates, QoS class, TBSS, and queue fill levels, without accommodating backlogs.