Abstract: A method for controlling a computer entity to participate in a peer to peer network of a plurality of computer entities comprises, for each computer entity, operating a peer to peer protocol for enabling the computer entity to utilise resources of at least one other computer entity of the network, and for enabling at least one other computer entity of the network to utilise resources of the computer entity. Each computer entity is arranged to automatically operate a process for managing at least one other computer entity in the network, whenever the computer entity takes part in the peer to peer network using the peer to peer protocol.

Abstract: Location data about a mobile entity (70) is periodically provided to a location-sensitive application, for example, a route-tracking application. The location data is updated at a frequency that is adaptively varied in dependence on the provision of location data about the mobile entity from other sources (45). The update frequency can also be made dependent on further factors such as: the motion of the mobile entity(“V”), the current environment of the mobile entity (“E”), and the progress of the location-sensitive application (“Z”).

Abstract: According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of modelling a network comprising operating the network as a neural network and executing a neural network modelling algorithm on the network, whereby the network models its own response to a requested action.

Abstract: Location information about a communicating entity (41), in particular a mobile entity, is derived by identifying intermediate nodes (42) along the communication path being used by the entity, and then looking up, in a database (44), the geographic significance of at least one of these nodes when considered in a direction along the communication path towards the entity of interest. Preferably, account is taken of any identified downstream/upstream nodes to refine the geographic significance of a node. The geographic significance information can be compiled by taking location fixes at a plurality of endpoint locations and associating the location data thus obtained with the intermediate nodes traversed when communication is effected from the corresponding endpoint locations.

Abstract: A browser with a sound input receives a sound passage associated with a content site. The browser sends a representation of the sound passage to a service system where it is compared with stored representations of sound passages that each have an associated URI. On finding a match, the service system sends back the URI associated with the matched stored sound-passage representation. The browser uses this URI to access the content site.

Abstract: In order to restrict access to content data held on a removable data carrier (83) or included in an electronic file, equipment (70) for accessing this content is arranged only to be enabled upon a location condition being satisfied. This condition is tested for by obtaining current-location data (67) representing the current location of the equipment, and comparing the current-location data with authorized-location data representing a predetermined authorized location or locality for operation of the equipment. The authorized location data may be stored in the equipment itself, in a remote system (42), or in the removable data media or received data file.

Abstract: A browser with a sound input receives a sound passage associated with a content site. The browser sends a representation of the sound passage to a service system where it is compared with stored representations of sound passages that each have an associated URI. On finding a match, the service system sends back the URI associated with the matched stored sound-passage representation. The browser uses this URI to access the content site.

Abstract: To encode a URL in sound, the characters of the URL are mapped to sound codewords each of which is used to produce, in a sound output, a sound feature particular to that codeword, the nature of the sound features and of the overall mapping between characters and sound features being such that at least certain character combinations that occur frequently in URLs produce sound sequences of a musical character. Decoding of the sound URL effects the reverse mapping.

Abstract: Content received from a content server is presented to a user with at least one attribute of the presentation, other than the content itself and language in which it is presented, set in dependence on the user's current locality or a locality indicated in locality data received with the content. Thus, where the content is presented by voice, the accent of the voice is set to reflect a regional accent appropriate to the controlling locality. The content is, for example, provided in the form of content pages intended for use with a style sheet, the style sheet being selected according to the controlling locality.

Abstract: Particular functionality of an item of equipment (70) is enabled upon both a location condition and a personnel condition being satisfied. The location condition is tested for by obtaining current-location data (67) representing the current location of the equipment, and comparing the current-location data with authorized-location data representing a predetermined authorized location or locality for operation of the equipment functionality. The personnel condition is tested for by checking for the presence at or near the equipment of at least one person (77) fitting stored authorized-personnel data (42) that identifies specified person or persons, or a specified grade of person. The location and personnel conditions can be tested for at the equipment (70) or at a remote service system (40).

Abstract: Location data about a mobile entity (70) is periodically provided to a location-sensitive application, for example, a route-tracking application. The location data is updated at a frequency that is adaptively varied in dependence on the provision of location data about the mobile entity from other sources (45). The update frequency can also be made dependent on further factors such as: the motion of the mobile entity(“V”), the current environment of the mobile entity (“E”), and the progress of the location-sensitive application (“Z”).

Abstract: A cell phone (20Z) is provided with a short-range wireless transceiver (28). This transceiver is used to pick up local information from local transmitters (51B). In many instances this local information is insufficient to locate the user, being, for example, information about the local branch of a business (50B) having many branches. However, by combining this local information with a locality indicator, such as current cell ID for the cell in which the cell phone (20Z) is camped, it is much more likely that the location of the user can be established without ambiguity. A service system (40) is provided that has a database (42) searchable by locality indicator and local information to provide the user's current location. As well as, or alternatively to, providing user location, the database (42) can be used to provide information about the locality of the user or about the party controlling the local transmitter (51B) from which the local information was obtained.

Abstract: Location information about a communicating entity (41), in particular a mobile entity, is derived by identifying intermediate nodes (42) along the communication path being used by the entity, and then looking up, in a database (44), the geographic significance of at least one of these nodes when considered in a direction along the communication path towards the entity of interest. Preferably, account is taken of any identified downstream/upstream nodes to refine the geographic significance of a node. The geographic significance information can be compiled by taking location fixes at a plurality of endpoint locations and associating the location data thus obtained with the intermediate nodes traversed when communication is effected from the corresponding endpoint locations.

Abstract: A data packet is transmitted by dividing it into sub-packets, for example by distributing successive bytes of the data packet to different sub-packets each containing at most p.sup.n -1 symbols, where p is a prime number, and transmitting the sub-packets along two or more respective paths. CRC checksums are added to the sub-packets, the checksum for each path being generated using a different and respective generator polynomial of degree b. These generator polynomials are selected so that, for arithmetic carried out modulo p, each polynomial has a respective factor of degree at least b-n+1, and the collection of polynomials which are each exactly divisible by all such factors constitutes a BCH code. As a result the system has advantageous properties in respect of error detection and implementation.

Abstract: Data are transmitted in blocks over a channel together with control signals for coordinating access to the channel. The control signals have the same values as some of the data blocks, these values being selected so that the control signals are spaced throughout the population of data block values and so that there is a greater Hamming distance between the control signal values than between the data signals. The control signals are transmitted between delimiter signals which differ from any of the data block signals, and are passed through a scrambling and encoding system in the same way as data signals, so that the spectrum of radiated electromagnetic emissions from the channel is not affected by the control signals.