Abstract: A monitoring system for monitoring a process includes a housing with a viewing panel. The viewing panel includes a view port. An emitter generates light and illuminates an observation zone of the process. A detector is disposed within the housing and is configured to detect light entering the housing through the view port and create a plurality of images of the process in the observation zone. A thermal regulation system is configured to generate heat in the vicinity of the viewing panel of the housing so as to increase the temperature of at least the view port above ambient temperature.

Abstract: A monitoring system for monitoring a process includes a housing with a viewing panel. The viewing panel includes a view port. An emitter generates light and illuminates an observation zone of the process. A detector is disposed within the housing and is configured to detect light entering the housing through the view port and create a plurality of images of the process in the observation zone. A thermal regulation system is configured to generate heat in the vicinity of the viewing panel of the housing so as to increase the temperature of at least the view port above ambient temperature.

Abstract: A service platform for a content delivery network indicates a transmission rate cap to be imposed when streaming data to a data requesting device over an access network. Means are provided for receiving a service request for delivery of data from a requesting device as the result of which the requested data is delivered as a prioritised traffic stream over an access link to the requesting device. The service platform processes the service request to determine one or more performance characteristics of said access link and uses this to determine the maximum transmission rate for the requested data to be streamed at over the access link during its delivery to the requesting device. This information is included in a source address for the requested data which the service platform generates, typically as a URL.

Abstract: A service session resource manager (72) for use in a router (18) capable of routing a plurality of at least partially contemporaneous service sessions over a communications line is described which mediates between services competing for bandwidth. The service session manager (72) updates its internal state based on both mediation enabled (22b) and mediation non-enabled (22a) devices.

Abstract: Data messages having secure data location addresses other than a predefined set are handled by a user terminal (14) in the normal way by setting up a secure tunnel (181) to a server specified in the data message (16). As this would prevent any proxy server from performing any processing on the content of the data message, messages that require the proxy to perform process on the data messages are processed separately. Data messages (251) incorporating secure media access locators identifying a predefined set of known media servers are identified by a message processing function (41, 410, 44) and passed to a proxy server over a connection between the user terminal and the proxy which does not tunnel past the proxy server, such that the proxy server may generate a redirected media access locator for return to the user terminal (14).

Abstract: Data messages having secure data location addresses other than a predefined set are handled by a user terminal (14) in the normal way by setting up a secure tunnel (181) to a server specified in the data message (16). As this would prevent any proxy server from performing any processing on the content of the data message, messages that require the proxy to perform process on the data messages are processed separately. Data messages (251) incorporating secure media access locators identifying a predefined set of known media servers are identified by a message processing function (41, 410, 44) and passed to a proxy server over a connection between the user terminal and the proxy which does not tunnel past the proxy server, such that the proxy server may generate a redirected media access locator for return to the user terminal (14).

Abstract: A media asset location request redirection system causes a user terminal (11) to redirect first media asset location data (22) relating to a first content delivery network (16) such that the media asset location request is directed to a second content delivery platform (17), by means of a proxy redirection server (18) which translates the first media asset location data (21, 251) into second media asset location data (26) relating to the second content delivery network. Use of the proxy redirection server (18) is controlled by an authentication process, in which the user terminal (11) and proxy redirection server (18) perform a mutual authentication process to determine whether the redirection server (18) should accept the request for a media asset location.

Abstract: An asset location request redirection system (18) receives first asset location data (251) from a user terminal. The first asset location data relates to a first content delivery network, and the redirection system (18) generates a signed second asset location data (26) for return to the user terminal, allowing it to retrieve content from a second content delivery network. The second content delivery network uses authentication data (36, 37) in the signed second asset location to determine whether the asset location request is authentic and to be met. Such data may include confirmation that the requesting terminal has passed a validity check (35), and that the signed location data has not exceeded an expiry date.

Abstract: A service platform for a content delivery network indicates a transmission rate cap to be imposed when streaming data to a data requesting device over an access network. Means are provided for receiving a service request for delivery of data from a requesting device as the result of which the requested data is delivered as a prioritised traffic stream over an access link to the requesting device. The service platform processes the service request to determine one or more performance characteristics of said access link and uses this to determine the maximum transmission rate for the requested data to be streamed at over the access link during its delivery to the requesting device. This information is included in a source address for the requested data which the service platform generates, typically as a URL.

Abstract: A service session resource manager (72) for use in a router (18) capable of routing a plurality of at least partially contemporaneous service sessions over a communications line is described which mediates between services competing for bandwidth. The service session manager (72) updates its internal state based on both mediation enabled (22b) and mediation non-enabled (22a) devices.

Abstract: In a communications network, use of network resources is measured locally at customer terminals, for example by counting the number of packets sent and received. The resulting data may be aggregated and sent to a network accounting object. Accounting data may subsequently be passed between network subdomains.

Abstract: Personalized content is provided over a communications network such as the Internet. Providing personalized content includes both generating content which depends on the recipient of that content and delivering that content in a manner that depends on the recipient. Although methods of providing personalized content are known, none of those methods provide a mechanism for deciding when and how to personalize content. By enabling a content provided to send policy data to local caches and having a local agent computer arrange for content files to be delivered in accordance with those policy files, such a mechanism is provided.

Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods for financial advisor messages in a networked computer system. A financial advisor associated with a financial services organization determines clients to receive a message, the financial advisor determines the message, and the message is transmitted over the network to be accessible by the clients. Methods are provided in which the message is required to be determined to be compliant prior to transmission to the clients. Methods are also provided in which individuals associated with the financial services organization, such as the financial advisor, are notified of a non-compliant message.

Abstract: In a communications network, which may be a federated network such as the Internet, a tariff is distributed via the network to customer terminals. At each terminal a charge for use of the network is calculated by using the tariff. Different tariffs may be communicated for different services and a respective tariff may be varied depending upon the operational condition of the service. Different tariffs may be calculated for different customers and the tariffs may be varied in dependence upon the loading of network resources and different tariffs may have different volatilities. Part of the traffic from a user to the network may be sampled and the status of the user may be amended when a discrepancy is detected between the sampled parameters and the contracted parameters in the users contract.

Abstract: In a communications network, loading of network resources is detected locally at a customer terminal, and a tariff for network usage is varied automatically depending on the usage.

Abstract: A data processing system method and software application program is provided for the efficient dissemination of information to multiple recipients over one or more communication channels in a communications network, for instance the multicast Internetwork. The method defines at least one primary data set for transmission over at least one primary communications channel in the network, where each primary data set includes data relating to at least one secondary data set associated therewith and provided for transmission over a secondary communications channel. The primary data set or sets are transmitted over primary communications channel(s) and at least one primary data set is modified in response to modifications to at least one secondary data set. The transmission step is repeated to provide potential recipient(s) of the primary data set or sets with an indication that at least one secondary data set has been modified independently of the recipient(s) receiving the modified secondary data set or sets.

Abstract: In a communications network, which may be a federated network such as the Internet, a tariff is distributed via the network to customer terminals. At each terminal a charge for use of the network is calculated by using the tariff. Different tariffs may be communicated for different services and a respective tariff may be varied depending upon the operational condition of the service. Different tariffs may be calculated for different customers and the tariffs may be varied in dependence upon the loading of network resources and different tariffs may have different volatilities. Part of the traffic from a user to the network may be sampled and the status of the user may be amended when a discrepancy is detected between the sampled parameters and the contracted parameters in the users contract.

Abstract: In a communications network, which may be a federated network such as the Internet, a tariff is distributed via the network to customer terminals. At each terminal a charge for use of the network is calculated by using the tariff. Different tariffs may be communicated for different services and a respective tariff may be varied depending upon the operational condition of the service. Different tariffs may be calculated for different customers and the tariffs may be varied in dependence upon the loading of network resources and different tariffs may have different volatilities. Part of the traffic from a user to the network may be sampled and the status of the user may be amended when a discrepancy is detected between the sampled parameters and the contracted parameters in the users contract.

Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods for financial advisor messages in a networked computer system. A financial advisor associated with a financial services organization determines clients to receive a message, the financial advisor determines the message, and the message is transmitted over the network to be accessible by the clients. Methods are provided in which the message is required to be determined to be compliant prior to transmission to the clients. Methods are also provided in which individuals associated with the financial services organization, such as the financial advisor, are notified of a non-compliant message.

Abstract: A method of providing personalised content over a communications network such as the Internet is disclosed. Providing personalised content includes both generating content which depends on the recipient of that content and delivering that content in a manner that depends on the recipient. Although methods of providing personalised content are known, none of those methods provide a mechanism for deciding when and how to personalise content. By enabling a content provider to send policy data to local caches and having a local agent computer arrange for content files to be delivered in accordance with those policy files, such a mechanism is provided.