GB2441806A - Providing VoIP capacity in a mobile telephone - Google Patents

Abstract

A mobile telephone (16,17) is enabled to send and receive VoIP telephone calls using its data communication receiver by providing it with a non-volatile re-writable portable memory device which stores machine-readable instructions constituting a VoIP software application (60, 61, 62) which is not device-specific and which can be operated by a processor (19,25) forming part of the mobile telephone.

Description

2441806

VoIP

This invention relates to VoIP.

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is in increasingly common use with Internet 5 users.

VoIP users almost exclusively utilise personal computers (PCs) with wired Internet connections, although there may be a Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11) link between a user's PC and the user's Internet access point. To utilise VoIP, a VoIP software application 10 needs to be installed on the PCs at each end of the call. A microphone and a speaker, typically in the form of a unified headset, is connected to each PC. The software applications communicate with one another to pass the necessary call management data as well as encoded voice data in both directions between the PCs. Some VoIP applications, e.g. Skype, allow conference calling between three or more 15 users.

The use of VoIP is being investigated by mobile telephone companies for use in future generation networks. However, the use of VoIP on present generation mobile telephones is generally prevented by mobile network operators (MNOs) to 20 the extent that some mobile phone models include software which prevents them being used for VoIP. VoIP has obvious advantages for the user. For instance, a user need only pay for a local data connection, with communication of the voice and management data over the Internet portion of the link being free of charge. Particular cost savings can be made when making calls to users located in other 25 countries, since the cost of calling abroad from mobile telephones can be relatively expensive.

A product recently launched by BT Pic is BT Fusion. This provides a mobile or cellular telephone which has limited VoIP capability. BT Fusion comprises a 'home 30 hub' having broadband Internet access and one of two special phones, namely the Motorola V3 and the V560. When within range, the phone can communicate with the hub using Bluetooth which is a well-known short-range RF communication protocol. If a user initiates a call whilst within range of the hub, the call is set-up as

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a VoIP call, with a Bluetooth connection between the phone and the hub and an IP connection between the hub and a gateway local to the user at the other end of the call. BT Fusion suffers many of the above-mentioned shortcomings. Also, BT Fusion is available only with certain Motorola phones, and is not available on other 5 mobile devices.

It has been proposed to use mobile IP telephony (MIPT) in place of existing mobile or cellular services in future generation mobile or cellular telephony. It is proposed that, instead of having a cellular or mobile telephone number, a user will have an IP 10 address which is static regardless of the point of the Internet that the user is connected to. MIPT is currently only a future vision and the details of its implementation have not been fixed. However, it seems clear that users will be charged for calls in the same way that cellular or mobile telephony subscribers are charged today, i.e. on a per minute basis, with higher charges being levied for 15 international calls, since that would be necessary to obtain profitabihty for MNOs. This is especially so in light of the fact that charges for mobile data usage, e.g.

GPRS or 3G data, are low and continue to fall rapidly. Mobile data is not the high revenue-generating mobile service that it was expected to be.

20 According to the invention, there is provided a non-volatile, re-writable portable memory device having stored thereon machine-readable instructions constituting a . VoIP software application which when operated on by a processor forming part of a mobile telephone having a data communication transceiver cause the mobile telephone to be provided with the capability to send and receive VoIP telephone 25 calls using the data communication transceiver.

Storing the VoIP software application on a portable memory device allows the VoIP telephone call service not to be device-specific. Instead, the capability of making and receiving VoIP telephone calls using the VoIP software application is easily 30 transferable between different mobile telephones. Thus, a VoIP telephone account can be shared between plural users each having their own mobile telephone, or can be used by a single user on different mobile telephones. This latter case is particularly significant since it allows a user to utilise another persons mobile

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telephone (if for instance their battery has insufficient charge to operate properly) with costs for the lending user being incurred only for use of the data communication transceiver. This is comparable to SIM-swapping, but it is typically much more straightforward to move an MMC or similar between devices than it is 5 to swap a SIM, especially since SIM swapping necessarily requires powering-down and subsequent powering-up after the SIM has been installed. Another significant advantage is found by the fact that the VoIP software application does not utilise the internal memory of the mobile telephone, except for RAM used for executing the VoIP software application. Thus, the invention allows the capability to send 10 and receive VoIP telephone calls to be provided to mobile telephones with little spare memory, and does not reduce the amount of available memory available in mobile telephones even where sufficient memory is present.

The memory device may have stored thereon plural sets of machine-readable 15 instructions constituting VoIP applications, each set being for use with a different mobile telephone operating system.

The memory device may also have stored therein information constituting unique VoIP account details, and the VoIP application when operated on by the processor 20 causes the mobile telephone to transmit at least some of the VoIP account details to a remote server.

The invention also provides a system comprising a non-volatile, re-writable memory device as described above, and a mobile telephone, the memory device being 25 installed m the mobile telephone and the VoIP software application being executable on a processor forming part of the mobile telephone.

Another aspect of the invention provides a method of providing a mobile telephone with the capability to send and receive VoIP telephone calls, the method comprising 30 writing onto a non-volatile, re-writable portable memory device machine-readable instructions constituting a VoIP software application which when operated on by a processor forming part of a mobile telephone having a data communication

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transceiver cause the mobile telephone to send and receive VoIP telephone calls using the data communication transceiver.

A further aspect of the invention provides a device comprising an Internet 5 connection and a drive capable of writing data to a non-volatile, re-writable portable memory device, the device being arranged to co-operate with a remote server to generate machine-readable instructions constituting a VoIP software application which when operated on by a processor forming part of a mobile telephone having a data communication transceiver cause the mobile telephone to be provided with 10 the capability to send and receive VoIP telephone calls using the data communication transceiver, and to write the generated machine-readable instructions to a non-volatile, re-writable portable memory device.

This device allows a user to provide their mobile telephone with VoIP telephone 15 capability simply and easily. By providing the device with a connection to a display, such as a television set, a user can set-up a VoIP telephone account using an onscreen display (OSD) and without the involvement of the user's mobile telephone. By combining the device with a set-top box, for instance, the ability to provide a mobile telephone with VoIP telephone capability can be provided with little, if any, 20 additional hardware.

, The device may be arranged to receive VoIP telephone account information from the remote server and to include this information as part of the VoIP software application.

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This device allows a user to provide their mobile telephone with VoIP telephone capability simply and easily. By providing the device with a connection to a display, such as a television set, a user can set-up a VoIP telephone account using an onscreen display (OSD) and without the involvement of the user's mobile telephone. 30 By combining the device with a set-top box, for instance, the ability to provide a mobile telephone with VoIP telephone capability can be provided with little, if any, additional hardware.

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Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a system including components according to and operating according to the invention; and 5 Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an MMC as an example of a portable media device according to the invention.

Referring to Figure 1, a VoIP telephone call system is based around the Internet 10. Important components of the system are a server 11 and a set-top box (STB) 12. 10 The server 11 is connected directly to the Internet 10. The STB 12 is connected to the Internet 10 via a broadband router 13. The STB 12 and the router 13 are private devices, that is, they are located in the home of a user or the premises of a business. The router 13 may be an integrated router and modem, many examples of which are currently available for sale. The STB 12 may be connected to by an 15 Ethernet link to the router 13. Alternatively, or in addition, the STB 12 may be connected to the router 13 by a Wi-Fi connection, as is well known.

The server 11 has one or more unique Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. Similarly, by way of a subscription with an Internet Service Provider (ISP) (not shown) the 20 user is provided with an IP address, which is attached to the router 13 since this is the point of connection with the Internet 10. Preferably the IP address attached to the router 13 is a fixed IP address, although it may be possible in some circumstances for the invention to operate when a dynamic IP address is used instead.

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Also attached to the Internet 10 is a mobile telephone network 14 and a 3rd party VoIP service 15.

Also shown in Figure 1 are first and second mobile telephones 16 and 17. These 30 mobile telephones 16, 17 may comprise the same hardware, i.e. they may be the same model, or they may be different. For the sake of this explanation, it is assumed that the first and second mobile telephones 16 and 17 are the same model and thus include the same hardware components.

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The first mobile telephone includes a memory 18, a processor 19, a cellular transceiver 20, a Bluetooth transceiver 21, a Wi-Fi transceiver 22 and an MMC drive 23. Other components of the first mobile telephone 16 are omitted from the 5 drawing and this explanation for the sake of convenience. However, it will be appreciated that the mobile telephone 16 includes all of the components necessary to perform the function of a mobile telephone as well as additional functionality, as is explained below.

10 Similarly, the second mobile telephone 17 includes a memory 24, a processor 25, a cellular transceiver 26, a Wi-Fi transceiver 27, an MMC drive 28 and a Bluetooth transceiver 29.

In each of the first and second mobile telephones 16, 17, the memory 18, 24 and the 15 processor 19, 25 thereof cooperate to support an operating system (not shown) which comprises a computer program stored in the appropriate memory 18, 24. The operating systems allows software applications to be executed on the first and second mobile telephones 16, 17. Suitable operating systems include Symbian and Microsoft Windows Mobile , although there are others aswell.

20

Located in the MMC drive 23 is an MMC 30. By virtue of being located in the MMC drive 23, the MMC 30 is connected to the first mobile telephone 16, and data is able to be passed in both directions between the MMC 30 and the memory 18 and processor 19 of the first mobile telephone 16. Similarly, a second MMC 31 is 25 located in the MMC drive 28 of the second mobile telephone 17. Data is able to be passed in both directions between the MMC 31 and the memory 23 and processor 24 of the second mobile telephone 17.

The STB 12 includes some RAM 35, a processor 36 and a hard disk drive (HDD) 30 37. The STB 12 also includes some connectivity hardware, in the form of a Bluetooth transceiver 38, a Wi-Fi transceiver 39, a Ethernet port 30 and a TV output port 41. The STB 12 also includes an MMC drive 42, in which is shown

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placed an MMC 43. Connected to the TV output port 41 of the STB 12 is a television set 44.

It will be appreciated that the STB 12 includes a number of other components 5 necessary for its operation although these are omitted for the sake of conciseness. The RAM 33 and the processor 36 of the STB 12 together support an operating system. The HDD 37 stores the operating system in a semi-permanent manner.

This allows the operating system to be implemented by the RAM 35 and the processor 36 after the STB 12 has been powered-up. The HDD 37 also stores a 10 number of software application programs.

One of the software applications running on the STB 12 is a DHCP 5 sever application. DHCP is an acronym for Dynamic Post Configuration Protocol. The DHCP 5 server dynamically assigns IP or other addresses to devices to which the 15 STB 12 is connected locally. Since the assigning of IP addresses is dynamic, the provision in the STB 12 of the DHCP 5 server application allows the user of ad hoc networks to be established between the STB 12 and other devices, for instance the mobile telephones 16 and 17. The DHCP 5 server application software allocates what in effect amounts to a mini IP address to devices which establish a Bluetooth 20 communication link with the STB 12. With devices that establish a Wi-Fi link with the STB 12, a different type of address is allocated by the DHCP 5 server application.

The STB 12 has stored in the HDD 37 a software application which is operable to 25 configure the router 13 to allow incoming requests directed to a specific port of the router 13 to be directed to the STB 12. This can be achieved in any suitable way. By configuring the router 13 to do this, the STB 12 enables the router 13 for port forwarding. This is well known. The effect of configuring the router in this way is that any message addressed to the IP address of the router 13 and a particular port 30 which has been specified by the STB 12 will not be blocked by any firewall in the router 13 but will be forwarded directly to the STB 12. This allows the server 11 to communicate directly with the STB 12, even if there is a firewall present in the router 13. However, since the STB 12 can be accessed only by devices connected to

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the Internet 10 and sending a message addressed specifically to the combination of the IP address of the router 13 and the port which has been specified by the STB 12, there is a fairly minimal reduction in security provided by configuring the router 13 to allow port forwarding in respect of a single port.

5

The server 11 includes a processor 32 and a memory 33, which co-operate to run software which allows the server 11 to perform the functions required of it.

A software application stored on the MMC 30 in the first mobile telephone and also 10 stored in the MMC 31 of the second mobile telephone is a VoIP software application. The VoIP software application allows users of the first and second mobile telephones 16, 17 to send and receive VoIP telephone calls. In particular, the VoIP software application is stored on the MMC 30 and is able to executed therefrom by the processor 19 of the first mobile telephone 16. The memory 18 of 15 the first mobile telephone 16 is not used for storage of the VoIP software application, but is used as temporary memory in the execution of the VoIP software application.

The VoIP software application utilises the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) to 20 transfer packets of data away from and to the mobile telephone 16, the packets of data carrying streams which allow duplex voice communication with a remote VoIP telephone (not shown). For instance, a user of the first mobile telephone 16 can execute the VoIP software application from the MMC 30, and the VoIP software application provides a user interface on the mobile telephone 16. Through the user 25 interface, the user can select a VoIP telephony address of another user that is required to be connected in a VoIP telephone call. Once a VoIP telephone number, hereinafter referred to as a VoIP address (since it does not necessarily need to be a number), has been entered by a user or selected and the user has requested that a call be commenced, the processor 19 operates under control of the VoIP software 30 application to set-up a VoIP call using SIP. If the first mobile telephone 16 has its Bluetooth transceiver 38 enabled and is connected to the STB 12 by virtue of its Bluetooth transceiver 38, the VoIP telephone call is routed through the STB 12 and the router 13 to the server 11 through the Internet 10. It is the VoIP software

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application which ensures that the VoIP call is routed to the server 11. this is achieved by addressing IP packets to the server 11. By ensuring that the VoIP telephone call is routed to the server 11, it can be ensured that the VoIP telephone call is logged and that any necessary account deduction or billing can be made.

5

Similarly, if the Wi-Fi transceiver 22 of the first mobile telephone is enabled and a Wi-Fi connection is established between the first mobile telephone 16 and the STB 12 by way of its Wi-Fi transceiver 39, the VoIP telephone call is routed through the Wi-Fi connection between the STB 12 and the first mobile telephone 16 to the 10 server 11. If both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections are in place between the first mobile telephone 16 and the STB 12, the VoIP software application stored on the MMC 30 operates to ensure that the mobile telephone 16 utilises the Bluetooth connection in preference to the Wi-Fi connection. This is because use of the Bluetooth transceiver 21 consumes significantly less power than use of the Wi-Fi 15 transceiver 22. If, during the VoIP telephone call, the Bluetooth connection between the first mobile telephone 16 and the STB 12 becomes severed, but the Wi-Fi connection remains in place, the VoIP software application operates the mobile telephone 16 to use the Wi-Fi connection instead.

20 The server 11 attends to management of the VoIP telephone call, and to this end is in communication with the third party VoIP server 15 via the Internet 10. IP data packets transmitted by the third party VoIP server 15 are forwarded by the server

11 to the first mobile telephone 16 via the STB 12. IP data packets originating at the first mobile telephone 16 are forwarded by the server 11 to the third party VoIP

25 server 15.

If the first mobile telephone 16 does not have a Bluetooth connection with the STB

12 nor a Wi-Fi connection with the STB 12, a different procedure is used. In particular, the VoIP software application causes the first mobile telephone 16 to

30 utilise the cellular transceiver 20 to carry the IP data packets to the server 11 via the mobile telephone network 14. In Figure 1 it is shown that first and second base stations 51, 52 are connected to the Internet 10 via a mobile switching centre (MSC) 53. Since the amount of data required to be transmitted to the first mobile

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telephone during a duplex VoIP telephone is only of the order of 8 kbps, a GPRS connection between the first mobile telephone 16 and one of the base stations 51, 52 is sufficient. Alternatively, a 3G or UMTS data connection may be used instead. However, it is important to appreciate that a VoIP telephony call cannot be carried 5 over a conventional voice channel of a mobile telephone system, even when the voice channel is digital and carries coded voice signals, but that it is necessary to use a data channel thereof.

The above describes how a VoIP telephone call can be made from the first mobile 10 telephone 16 to a remote VoIP telephone, which may be conventional, using the STB 12 or the mobile telephone network 14. The first and second mobile telephones 16, 17 may also receive VoIP telephone calls, although the particular way in which this achieved is not of concern to the present invention.

15 The MMC 30, 31 is shown in more detail in Figure 2. This is a schematic drawing which indicates the MMC 30, 31 and the data that is stored in it. The hardware of the MMC 30, 31 is conventional, so is not explained in significant detail here.

Stored on the MMC 30, 31 are first to third VoIP software applications 60, 61, 62. 20 The first VoIP software application 60 is designed to be implemented on a first operating system, for instance the Symbian operating system. The second VoIP software application 61 is arranged to be operated on the second type of operating system, for instance Microsoft Windows Mobile. The third VoIP software application 62 is arranged to be run a third type of operating system. Also stored 25 on the MMC 30, 31 is a loader program 63.

When the MMC 30, 31 is installed on a mobile telephone 16, 17, the loader program 63 is run. This loader program 63 detects what type of operating system the mobile telephone 16, 17 is using and selects an appropriate one of the first to third VoIP 30 software applications 60 to 62 for use with the mobile telephone 16, 17. The provision of the first to third VoIP software applications 60 to 62 and the loader program 63 ensures that the MMC 30, 31 can provide an appropriate VoIP software application for a wide range of mobile telephone device types. Preferably the MMC

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30, 31 includes a VoIP software application specifically directed to each of the most common mobile telephone operating systems, so that the MMC 30, 31 can be used with almost all of the mobile telephone types.

5 Also stored on the MMC 30, 31 are some VoIP account details 64. The VoIP account details include the VoIP address which has been allocated to the VoIP software applications 60 to 62. The VoIP address is unique in the sense that no other VoIP account has the same VoIP address. Since the VoIP account details 64 are unique, the data stored on the MMC 30, 31 is unique.

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When one of the VoIP software applications 60 to 62 is executed on a mobile telephone 16, 17 the VoIP software applications 60 to 62 causes some of the VoIP account details 64, including at least the VoIP address, to be sent to the server 11. This then allows the server to identify the VoIP account associated with the VoIP 15 software application 60 to 62 to determine that a connection is present and to obtain routing information allowing messages to be routed to the mobile telephone 16, 17 on which the MMC 30, 31 is installed.

The MMC 30, 31 may be available for purchase with the VoIP software applications 20 60 to 62, the loader program 63 and the VoIP account details 64 pre-loaded thereon. By providing a certain amount of account credit and associating this with the VoIP account details 64, the MMC 30, 31 can in effect be sold with a pre-paid VoIP account. By maintaining a record of the amount of credit remaining at the server 11 and by deducting credit as the VoIP service is used to make calls, revenue 25 can be generated from sale of the MMC 30, 31 and from use of the VoIP telephone service provided by the VoIP software applications 60 to 62.

The VoIP software applications 60 to 62 may be provided with instructions which allow the server 11 to indicate when the amount of remaining credit falls below a 30 threshold and to prompt a user, for instance through a graphical user interface, to top-up the amount of credit associated with the VoIP account whose details are stored in the VoIP account details 64 on the MMC 30, 31. Topping-up credit on an

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existing VoIP account is preferable to a user since they then retain the original VoIP address and since it is not necessary to purchase a replacement MMC 30, 31.

Alternatively or in addition, a user may utilise a standard MMC 30, 31 and 5 themselves provide it with VoIP software applications 60 to 62, the loader program 63 and the VoIP account details 64. In particular, the STB 12 includes a software application stored on the HDD 37 and executable by the processor 36 using the RAM 35. This software application uses a graphical user interface on the TV 44 to allow a user to select that a VoIP telephony account is allowed to be created, and to 10 request VoIP account details from the server 11. This may be dependent on a payment having been made, which can be effected in any suitable way. Once the server 11 determines that it is required to provide a VoIP software application with VoIP account details as requested by a user of the STB 12, a suitable message is sent to the STB 12. The software application running in the STB 12 then causes the 15 writing of the first to third VoIP software applications 60 to 62, a loader program 63 and the relevant VoIP account details 64 to an MMC 43 placed m the MMC drive 42 of the STB 12. Once the relevant data has been written to the MMC 43, the user may simply transfer the MMC 43 to their mobile telephone, following which VoIP telephone calls can sent and received in the manner described above.

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This allows a user to create a VoIP account and to send and receive VoIP calls without needing to purchase an MMC already provided with the VoIP software application and VoIP account details. By allowing a user to provide a pre-existing MMC 43 with all of the relevant software applications and account details, costs can 25 be saved for the user and for the VoIP telephone service provider. Also, since the MMC is provided with plural software applications 60 to 62, the MMC is usable with many different types of mobile telephone, and the MMC can be moved between different mobile devices as required.

30 It will be appreciated that a mobile telephone is known as a cellular telephone in some countries. A cordless telephone, i.e. a telephone which is intended for use solely with a private base station in a home, is not a mobile telephone. In this specification, the term mobile telephone is used to denote also a Personal Digital

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Assistant (PDA) or pocket PC etc. with mobile or cellular non-data voice communication capabilities. The term mobile telephone is not used to denote a laptop or notebook computer provided with data but not voice communication capabilities, such as can occur by the provision of a 3G data card in a PCMCIA slot

5 for instance. In this specification, the term "mobile telephone" is used to denote a mobile telephone, smartphone or PDA with capability to perform non-VoIP voice communication with a mobile/cellular telephone network, for instance a GSM, PCN (also known as GSM-1800), 3G (also known as UMTS) or equivalent network.

10 Although in the above an MMC has been described as the portable memory on which the VoIP software application and other data is stored, it will be appreciated that other suitable memory types that currently exist are suitable for use with the invention, and that future portable memory devices also are expected to be able to be used in implementing the invention.

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Claims (1)

1. Claims

   1. A non-volatile, re-writable portable memory device having stored thereon machine-readable instructions constituting a VoIP software application which when

   5 operated on by a processor forming part of a mobile telephone having a data communication transceiver cause the mobile telephone to be provided with the capability to send and receive VoIP telephone calls using the data communication transceiver.

   10 2. A memory device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the memory device has stored thereon plural sets of machine-readable instructions constituting VoIP applications, each set being for use with a different mobile telephone operating system.

   15 3. A memory device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the memory device also has stored therein information constituting unique VoIP account details, and the VoIP application when operated on by the processor causes the mobile telephone to transmit at least some of the VoIP account details to a remote server.

   20 4. A system comprising a non-volatile, re-writable memory device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, and a mobile telephone, the memory device being installed in the mobile telephone and the VoIP software application being executable on a processor forming part of the mobile telephone.

   25 5. A method of providing a mobile telephone with the capability to send and receive VoIP telephone calls, the method comprising writing onto a non-volatile, rewritable portable memory device machine-readable instructions constituting a VoIP software application which when operated on by a processor forming part of a mobile telephone having a data communication transceiver cause the mobile

   30 telephone to send and receive VoIP telephone calls using the data communication transceiver.

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   6. A device comprising an Internet connection and a drive capable of writing data to a non-volatile, re-writable portable memory device, the device being arranged to co-operate with a remote server to generate machine-readable instructions constituting a VoIP software application which when operated on by a processor forming part of a mobile telephone having a data communication transceiver cause the mobile telephone to be provided with the capability to send and receive VoIP telephone calls using the data communication transceiver, and to write the generated machine-readable instructions to a non-volatile, re-writable portable memory device.

   7. A device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the device is arranged to receive VoIP telephone account information from the remote server and to include this information as part of the VoIP software application.