GB2289825A - Communications system, terminal and method - Google Patents

Abstract

A communications system provides a resource e.g. a special service to a terminal. A system controller 10 sends to the terminal 100 a definition of resource functions which define the resource. A microprocessor within the terminal constructs a set of resource functions from the definition by association with known terminal parameters and pre-programmed terminal-resident functions and the set of resource functions are stored in a memory of the terminal such that the terminal is able to execute the resource. <IMAGE>

Description

COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM, TERRIINAL AND METHOD FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a communications system and to a method for providing resources to a terminal of a communications system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Typically in a communications system a system controller is arranged to provide communication with a number of terminals. It is desirable to include on the system a number of resources which are supplemental to the main communication function, such as call forwarding, voicemail and call waiting.

In the future many more resources are envisaged.

In order that different manufacturers' terminals within the system can invoke the functionality provided by these resources, the means for providing them typically resides in the system controller.

A problem with this arrangement is that the system controller, in providing many resources, becomes extremely complex. Furthermore, a resource can only be used by a terminal if both the terminal and the system support it. In these circumstances it is extremely difficult to add new resources to a system because the resources resident in the terminals in the system cannot be modified. In many cases it is only possible to add new resources to the system controller and not to the terminals, as would be the case for most telephone systems.

As an alternative to the above, each terminal could contain the means (such as programmed software) to provide a resource, but this requires that the terminal be manually serviced (re-programmed) each time a new resource is required or an old one discarded.

Hence to add a new resource is difficult and very expensive; either a change must be made to the system controller or each terminal must be reprogrammed, or both.

This invention seeks to provide a communications system in which the above mentioned disadvantages are mitigated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention there is provided a communications system for providing a resource comprising, at least one terminal including a microprocessor and a memory; a system controller for sending to the at least one terminal a definition of resource functions which define the resource, wherein the microprocessor constructs a set of resource functions from the definition by association with known terminal features and the memory stores the set of resource functions such that the terminal is able to execute the resource.

Preferably the system controller includes a database of resources available to the system.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a terminal for coupling to a communications system comprising, an input for receiving from the system a definition of resource functions which define a resource; a microprocessor for constructing a set of resource functions from the definition by association with known terminal features; a memory for storing the set of resource functions, wherein the terminal is able to execute the resource.

According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a method for providing a resource from a system controller to a terminal of a communications system, the terminal including a microprocessor and a memory, the method comprising the steps of, sending to the terminal from the system controller a definition of resource functions which define the resource; constructing by the microprocessor a set of resource functions from the definition by association with known terminal features; storing in the memory the set of resource functions, wherein the terminal is able to execute the resource.

Preferably the known terminal features include pre-programmed terminalresident functions. The pre-programmed terminal-resident functions may include functions for controlling terminal devices such as a microphone and may also include the control of frequently used functions such as the generation of random numbers.

In addition, the known terminal features preferably include terminal parameters such as microprocessor performance, memory size and user interface criteria. The terminal preferably provides authentication information for use by the system controller for security and subscription purposes.

Preferably the terminal provides terminal parameter information for use by the system controller when formulating the definition of resource functions to be sent to the terminal.

In this way a set of resource functions for a new resource is conveniently constructed and installed in a terminal, independent of the terminal architecture and without factory servicing of the terminal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS An exemplary embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings in which: FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a preferred embodiment of a communications system in accordance with the invention.

FIG.2 shows a message sequence chart according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG.1, there is shown a communications system 5 comprising a communications channel 7, a system controller 10 and a terminal 100. The communications channel is a cellular radio channel and its associated hardware. Equally, the communications channel could have been an ISDN link and its associated hardware or a link of any other communications system, which need not be cellular or ISDN.

The system controller 10 includes a resource advertise block 20, a resource database block 30, a resource distribute block 40 and Input/Output (I/O) block 50. All of the above blocks are interconnected with the exception of the resource advertise block 20 which is not directly connected to the resource distribute block 40.

The resource database block 30 is arranged to contain data pertaining two a number of resources available to terminals communicating via the system 5.

Examples of these resources are call forwarding, where a busy terminal may have a call automatically re-routed, voicemail where a voice message may be sent and call waiting, where a busy terminal is alerted to a waiting call.

More advanced examples of these resources might include a word processing function. The resources typically require terminal functionality in order for the respective resource to be achieved. The data for each resource defines the functions associated with that resource. The resource advertise block 20 is arranged to extract relevant information from the resource database block 30 and to inform the system via the UO block 50 of all the resources available. Similarly the resource distribute block 40 is arranged to control the provision of resources to the terminal 100 via the I/O block 50.

The terminal 100 includes an Input/Output (I/O) block 110, a user interface 130, a terminal parameters and pre-programmed terminal-resident functions block 140 and a resource controller 150 each connected to a terminal controller 120, and a memory 170 coupled between the terminal parameters and pre-programmed terminal-resident functions block 140 and the resource controller 150. The memory 170 is arranged to contain a number of resources 160, by way of a method to be explained hereafter.

The terminal controller 120, typically a microcontroller, manages the activities of the terminal 100. The user interface 130 provides the user of the terminal 100 with a means to influence the activities of the terminal. The terminal parameters and pre-programmed terminal-resident functions block 140 provides details of the precise architecture of the terminal 100, such as the type and nature of the user interface 130, the type and speed of the terminal controller 120 and the size of the memory 170 in addition to a number of useful pre-programmed functions which provide functionality to support and control the user interface 130 as well as other useful functions which are not directly associated with the terminal equipment. The resource controller 150 controls the creation and execution of resources resident in the memory.

In operation, and with reference also to FIG.2, a resource advertisement message 200 is sent by the resource advertise block 20 of the system controller 10 via the I/O block 50, over the communications channel 7 to the I/O block 110 of the terminal 100. The terminal controller 120 receives the message 200, and presents it to the user via the user interface 130. This may include a keypad and an LCD display (wherein the message would be text) or a loudspeaker (in which case the message would be an audible voice message or similar). In either case, the message will alert the user to the availability of the resource or resources which can be installed in the terminal 100.

If the user does not desire to install the resource, then the message is disregarded and no further action is taken. However, if the user is interested in acquiring the functionality that the message 200 has advertised, then a response is made via the interface 130, by pressing an appropriate button on the keypad or by speaking into a microphone.

The terminal controller then sends an additional information request message 210 back to the system controller, which responds with an additional information message 220. This message contains more detailed information about the resource, such as the amount of memory required to store it, processor (terminal controller 120) performance requirements and any special features which must be present in the terminal 100 for the resource to function, such as an LCD display in the case of a text message based resource.

The resource controller 150 uses this information together with information from the terminal parameters and pre-programmed terminal-resident functions block 140 to evaluate the capability of the terminal 100 to execute the resource. If the terminal 100 does not meet the requirements of the resource, such as not having any one of the features required, such as an LCD display, or not having enough memory available, then the resource controller 150 will inform the user via the user interface 130 that the resource cannot be installed. However, if the resource controller 150 decides that the resource can be installed, a message is sent to the user asking whether to proceed with the transfer of the resource. It may be the case that the resource could be installed at the expense of another resource 160 already resident in the memory 170.In this case the user can decide whether to delete the resident resource 160 in favour of the one being advertised.

If the user then decides that the resource is not required after all, no further action is taken. If the user decides to proceed with the transfer, the terminal controller sends a resource transfer proceed message 230 to the system controller 5. The system controller then sends an authentication response message 240 to the terminal 100, to ensure that the terminal 100 is a legitimate system subscriber.

The terminal controller 120 performs an authentication and subscription process, resulting in an authentication response message 250, which is sent back to the system controller 5. If the correct response is received by the system controller, it replies with an authentication complete message 260, indicating to the terminal 100 that the authentication is satisfactory and that the resource definition is ready to be sent.

The terminal 100 makes arrangements to receive the resource definition from the system controller 5, for example removing any unwanted resources in order to make available more free terminal memory 170 so that the new resource can be installed, and upon completion sends a terminal ready message 270. The resource distribute block 40 of the system controller 5 then allocates a resource instance identifier for the terminal 100 and sends this along with the resource definition in a resource definition message 280 to the terminal 100. The resource instance identifier will be used by the terminal 100 every time the resource is executed, thereby allowing the system controller to monitor the use of the resource by the terminal 100, possibly for billing purposes.

The resource controller 150 receives the resource definition message 280 and uses it to derive and create a set of resource functions as a new resource 160 in the memory 170. This is done in association with the terminal parameters and pre-programmed terminal-resident functions block 140. The resource 160 is only applicable for the terminal 100. For example, a first part of the resource definition may be the requirement of an alert to be signalled the user. The resource controller 150 extracts from the terminal parameters block 140 the knowledge that a red light can be used to signal an alert to the user and that a pre-programmed terminal-resident function controls the state of the red light, so the resource controller 150 embodies the preprogrammed terminal-resident control function for the red light within the first function of the resource.

In this way the resource definition is generic to the system 5, but unexecutable, and the resource functions in the terminal 100 are specific to the terminal 100, and are executable only by the terminal 100.

Once the resource controller 150 has created all of the resource functions required to fulfil the resource definition, the resource 160 is complete and the terminal controller 120 sends a resource definition received message 290 to the system controller 5.

The terminal controller 120 also tests the installed resource 160 to ensure that each of the resource functions perform the resource as intended. The information in the resource definition message 280 is used to verify the correct behaviour of the resource functions being tested.

It will be appreciated that alternate embodiments to the one hereinbefore described are possible. For example, if necessary, terminal dependent information as contained in the terminal parameters block 140 may be sent to the system controller 5 during the authentication response message 250, such that the resource distribute block 40 will take account of the information when preparing to send the resource definition.

Furthermore, the amount of user interaction could be reduced, whereby some new resources, such as upgrades of existing resources already resident in the terminal 100, could be automatically installed with little or no user interaction.

Claims (10)

1. A communications system for providing a resource comprising, at least one terminal including a microprocessor and a memory; a system controller for sending to the at least one terminal a definition of resource functions which define the resource, wherein the microprocessor constructs a set of resource functions from the definition by association with known terminal features and the memory stores the set of resource functions such that the terminal is able to execute the resource.

2. The communications system of claim 1 wherein the system controller includes a database of resources available to the system.

3. A terminal for coupling to a communications system comprising, an input for receiving from the system a definition of resource functions which define a resource; a microprocessor for constructing a set of resource functions from the definition by association with known terminal features; a memory for storing the set of resource functions, wherein the terminal is able to execute the resource.

4. A method for providing a resource from a system controller to a terminal of a communications system, the terminal including a microprocessor and a memory, the method comprising the steps of, sending to the terminal from the system controller a definition of resource functions which define the resource; constructing by the microprocessor a set of resource functions from the definition by association with known terminal features; storing in the memory the set of resource functions, wherein the terminal is able to execute the resource.

5. A system, terminal or method of any preceding claim wherein the known terminal features include pre-programmed terminal-resident functions.

6. The system, terminal or method of any preceding claim wherein the known terminal features include terminal parameters.

7. The system, terminal or method of any preceding claim wherein the terminal provides authentication information for use by the system controller for security and subscription purposes.

8. The system, terminal or method of any preceding claim wherein the terminal provides terminal parameter information for use by the system controller when formulating the definition of resource functions to be sent to the terminal.

9. A communications system substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the drawings.

10. A terminal substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the drawings.