Abstract: The invention makes use of the Short Message Service (SMS) or Unstructured Supplementary Services Data (USSD) capabilities present in today's cellular networks as a means of providing call control and presence signalling and, in particular, for providing the means of effecting hand-off at least from/to the cellular domain to/from the WiFi domain. SMS and USSD were originally designed as engineering channels, but SMS has become highly popular as a service in its own right. SMS and USSD are built into all existing cellular (GSM, CDMA etc.) network and predate the current GPRS overlay. In particular, SMS and USSD can be used while a call may be active in the cellular domain, and a handset may send and receive such messages, with an additional facility which may be used by the invention of receiving acknowledgements of successful receipt of an outgoing SMS by the messaged party—effectively a confirmation from the network.

Abstract: By providing voice recognition in a gaming environment, an IVR server may operate to revoice a player with a voice tone pitch and accent more appropriate to the player's character. This improves the quality of the illusion of the game play. Furthermore, accurate volume may be applied to particular voices dependent on their location relative to the player and the game may be controlled using voice commands.

Abstract: The invention makes use of the Short Message Service (SMS) or Unstructured Supplementary Services Data (USSD) capabilities present in today's cellular networks as a means of providing call control and presence signalling and, in particular, for providing the means of effecting hand-off at least from/to the cellular domain to/from the WiFi domain. SMS and USSD were originally designed as engineering channels, but SMS has become highly popular as a service in its own right. SMS and USSD are built into all existing cellular (GSM, CDMA etc.) network and predate the current GPRS overlay. In particular, SMS and USSD can be used while a call may be active in the cellular domain, and a handset may send and receive such messages, with an additional facility which may be used by the invention of receiving acknowledgements of successful receipt of an outgoing SMS by the messaged party—effectively a confirmation from the network.

Abstract: By providing voice recognition in a gaming environment, an IVR server may operate to revoice a player with a voice tone pitch and accent more appropriate to the player's character. This improves the quality of the illusion of the game play. Furthermore, accurate volume may be applied to particular voices dependent on their location relative to the player and the game may be controlled using voice commands.

Abstract: The invention makes use of the Short Message Service (SMS) or Unstructured Supplementary Services Data (USSD) capabilities present in today's cellular networks as a means of providing call control and presence signalling and, in particular, for providing the means of effecting hand-off at least from/to the cellular domain to/from the WiFi domain. SMS and USSD were originally designed as engineering channels, but SMS has become highly popular as a service in its own right. SMS and USSD are built into all existing cellular (GSM, CDMA etc.) network and predate the current GPRS overlay. In particular, SMS and USSD can be used while a call may be active in the cellular domain, and a handset may send and receive such messages, with an additional facility which may be used by the invention of receiving acknowledgements of successful receipt of an outgoing SMS by the messaged party—effectively a confirmation from the network.

Abstract: By providing voice recognition in a gaming environment, an IVR server may operate to revoice a player with a voice tone pitch and accent more appropriate to the player's character. This improves the quality of the illusion of the game play. Furthermore, accurate volume may be applied to particular voices dependent on their location relative to the player and the game may be controlled using voice commands.

Abstract: The invention makes use of the Short Message Service (SMS) or Unstructured Supplementary Services Data (USSD) capabilities present in today's cellular networks as a means of providing call control and presence signalling and, in particular, for providing the means of effecting hand-off at least from/to the cellular domain to/from the WiFi domain. SMS and USSD were originally designed as engineering channels, but SMS has become highly popular as a service in its own right. SMS and USSD are built into all existing cellular (GSM, CDMA etc.) network and predate the current GPRS overlay. In particular, SMS and USSD can be used while a call may be active in the cellular domain, and a handset may send and receive such messages, with an additional facility which may be used by the invention of receiving acknowledgements of successful receipt of an outgoing SMS by the messaged party—effectively a confirmation from the network.

Abstract: In 3GPP architected networks, IMS application servers offer the possibility of deploying feature-rich services to users. To enable legacy messaging services, such as SMS, to take advantage of the possibilities offered, the conventional message handling scheme is modified such that the SMS, or other message, is delivered to an application server (such as a 3GPP IMS application server) in the recipient's home network rather than to the recipient's currently registered MSC or SGSN. The application server is then able to handle the message to provide an enhanced service.