Abstract: A presence management system is described whereby connections between watching parties and watched parties in a multiple access communications network are managed. When the presence management system receives a contact request from a watching party it determines whether the required watched party is available for contact. The system then provides information about this to the watching party who made the request. The presence management system chooses the best mode of communication (e.g. email or fax) taking into account the watched parties preferences and details about the facilities available to the watching party. If, the presence management system informs the watching party that the watched party is unavailable, the watching party is able to set up a monitor. In determining whether the required watched party is available for contact, the presence management system uses stored information about the watched party, information about the required connection (e.g. size and type) and also rules.

Abstract: A personal communications portal maintains presence information about a user who may be available at one or more terminal devices on one or more access networks comprising a multiple access network. The access networks may operate in different transmission modes and may utilize different signaling formats (text, graphics, voice, video, etc.). A watched party specifies preferences as to who may contact him, at what times, on what kind of network and device. A watching party requesting to contact the watched party may be given direct contact information for contacting the user, may be given indirect contact information for contacting the user without being informed of the watched party's whereabouts, may be placed directly in communication with the watched party, or may forward a message to the user.

Abstract: A presence management system is described whereby connections between watching parties and watched parties in a multiple access communications network are managed. When the presence management system receives a contact request from a watching party it determines whether the required watched party is available for contact. The system then provides information about this to the watching party who made the request. The presence management system chooses the best mode of communication (e.g. email or fax) taking into account the watched parties preferences and details about the facilities available to the watching party. If, the presence management system informs the watching party that the watched party is unavailable, the watching party is able to set up a monitor. In determining whether the required watched party is available for contact, the presence management system uses stored information about the watched party, information about the required connection (e.g. size and type) and also rules.

Abstract: A personal communications portal maintains presence information about a user who may be available at one or more terminal devices on one or more access networks comprising a multiple access network. The access networks may operate in different transmission modes and may utilize different signaling formats (text, graphics, voice, video, etc.). A watched party specifies preferences as to who may contact him, at what times, on what kind of network and device. A watching party requesting to contact the watched party may be given direct contact information for contacting the user, may be given indirect contact information for contacting the user without being informed of the watched party's whereabouts, may be placed directly in communication with the watched party, or may forward a message to the user.

Abstract: In the Internet, a domain can be multi-homed to a first and a second domain by a first path and a second path, respectively. If one of the first or second paths becomes unavailable, a path still remains to communicate with a host attached to the multi-homed domain. However, due to the requirements of IPv6 in relation to allocating addresses to domains, packets received via the remaining path during a communication will not be recognised by the host at a transport layer. Therefore, the present invention overcomes this problem by making use of a dynamic address variation facility of IPv6 used for mobile nodes. The dynamic address variation facility also, advantageously, can act as a replacement for a content switch and can maintain communication of packets to and from the host as a result of a change of IP address of the host caused by, for example, an administrative need to change the IP address of the host.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a technique for delivering content over a network having endpoints and nodes that store content is provided. In one embodiment, the technique is realized by first launching a request for content from a requesting end point. Then propagating the request over the network to the nodes. While the request propagates, it leaves a trail at the nodes and, when content matching the request is located, a copy of the content is returned to the requesting endpoint over the trail left by the request.

Abstract: A priority routing service is provided for a predetermined network user in a connectionless network such as an IP network. The network comprises a plurality of network elements and links therebetween and the express route comprises one or more links between two elements. Elements at each end of the express route are arranged to identify packets originating from the user and destined for a customer, or to identify data packets originating from a customer and destined for the user, and to divert data packets along the express route. This allows traffic to/from the users to avoid bottlenecks in the network.

Abstract: A presence management system allows connections between watching parties and watched parties in a multiple access communications network to be managed. When the presence management system receives a contact request from a watching party it determines whether the required watched party is available for contact. The system then provides information about this to the watching party who made the request. The presence management system chooses the best mode of communication (e.g. email or fax) taking into account the watched parties preferences and details about the facilities available to the watching party.

Abstract: A personal communications portal maintains presence information about a user who may be available at one or more terminal devices on one or more access networks comprising a multiple access network. The access networks may operate in different transmission modes and may utilize different signaling formats (text, graphics, voice, video, etc.). A watched party specifies preferences as to who may contact him, at what times, on what kind of network and device. A watching party requesting to contact the watched party may be given direct contact information for contacting the user, may be given indirect contact information for contacting the user without being informed of the watched party's whereabouts, may be placed directly in communication with the watched party, or may forward a message to the user.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for providing controlled Quality of Service over Ethernet-like links. Prioritised frames are allocated to transmission queues responsive to their priorities. Each queue has an associated subsidiary Ethernet MAC which transmits frames from its queue subject to a scheduler which selects from the set of MAC's according to a pre-determined algorithm. The multiple logical paths between corresponding pairs of transmitter and receiver subsidiary MAC's are preferably multiplexed over a single physical channel. If congestion occurs at the receiver, then Ethernet PAUSE frames may be sent back to the transmitter, directed to specific subsidiary MAC's—typically those with lower priority—to suspend transmission from the corresponding queue for a time period indicated in the PAUSE frame. In this way back pressure flow control may be applied selectively to so that large amounts of low priority traffic do not cause unnecessary delays to higher priority traffic.

Abstract: Consider a path between two nodes in a communications network. This path (which may be physical or logical) has a finite bandwidth or size. For particular types of communications network, such paths are manufactured and provided with standard bandwidths or sizes. When the amount of traffic between the two nodes along a single path exceeds the standard bandwidth, it is necessary to provide one or more additional paths between the two nodes. It is then necessary to distribute or allocate incoming traffic between the multiple possible paths and to do this in a manner which preserves the order of packets within particular flows of traffic. This is achieved by using flow labels of packets and inputting those flow labels into a hash function. The flow labels are preferably chosen pseudo randomly, or randomly, as well as uniformly from a specified range of values. The hash function results are bucketed and one bucket associated with each possible path.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a technique for delivering content over a network having endpoints and nodes that store content is provided. In one embodiment, the technique is realized by first launching a request for content from a requesting end point. Then propagating the request over the network to the nodes. While the request propagates, it leaves a trail at the nodes and, when content matching the request is located, a copy of the content is returned to the requesting endpoint over the trail left by the request.