Method and apparatus for signalling between terminals

• US 6,917,981 B1
• Filed: 03/30/1999
• Issued: 07/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications (BT Group Plc) (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Buck, Roger George, King, John Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey, Jack
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, HIEU C
• Application Number:
  US09/623,316
• Time in Patent Office: 2,296 Days
• Field of Search: 709/230, 709227-228, 709/224, 709/202, 709/204, 709/318, 370/410, 370/467, 370/416, 370/229, 379/229, 340/825.52
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling

Abstract

A method of communications employs a communications protocols defining respective responses to predetermined events. The protocol is separated into a first group of behaviours defining responses to corresponding first, relatively frequently occurring, events, and a second group of behaviours defining responses to corresponding first, relatively frequently occurring, events, and a second group of behaviours defining responses to corresponding second, relatively infrequently occurring events. The first group is stored at a user communications terminal. At least the second group is stored at a store remote from the user terminal, and interconnected therewith via a communications channel. Communication is established from the user terminal using first events. On detecting an event other than one of said the first events at the user terminal, event holding data is signaled from the store to the user terminal; and communication is established from the user terminal using the event-handling data.

Claims

1. A method of communications employing a predetermined communications protocol defining respective responses to predetermined events, said method comprising:

separating said protocol into a first group of responses to corresponding first events, and a second group of responses to corresponding second events, wherein said first events occur frequently relative to said second events;

storing, at a communications user terminal which is external to but connected to a communications network via a communications channel, said first group of responses;

storing, at a store in or connected to the communications network, at least said second group of responses;

communicating from said user terminal using said first group of responses;

on detecting an event other than one of said first events at said user terminal, sending event-handling data from said store to said user terminal; and

communicating from said user terminal using said event-handling data.

2. A method as in claim 1, in which, when the detected event is one of the second events, said event-handling data comprises at least the responses of said second group which correspond thereto.

3. A method as in claim 2, in which the user terminal is arranged to store those responses of said second group received from the store on receipt thereof, for future use in response to further occurrence of the corresponding event.

4. A method as in claim 3, in which the user terminal is arranged to delete said stored responses under predetermined conditions.

5. A method as in claim 4, in which the predetermined conditions comprise non-use of the stored responses for a predetermined period of use.

6. A method as in claim 1, in which said event-handling data comprises data defining instructions for handling the detected event.

7. A method as in claim 1, wherein the protocol is for use of an ISDN communications channel.

8. A communications system comprising:

a telecommunications network;

a first terminal external to but connected to said network;

a second terminal interconnectable with the first terminal via said telecommunications network, and

a store in or connected to said network;

in which;

the second terminal is arranged to communicate using a communications protocol defining a set of responses to respective conditions;

the first terminal stores, and is arranged to communicate using, a subset of said protocol; and

the store is arranged to cooperate with the first terminal for handling conditions requiring a response within the set but not within the subset earlier stored at the first terminal.

9. A communications terminal for use with a communications protocol defining a set of responses to respective predetermined events, said terminal comprising:

a communications port for connection to a telecommunications network via a communications channel, the communications terminal being external to the telecommunications network;

a signaling port for connection to said telecommunications network via a signaling channel; and

a store for storing data defining a core subset of said responses corresponding to a core subset of said events; and

a controller for controlling communications via the communications and signaling ports in accordance with said core subset of said responses;

the terminal being arranged to detect events not within said core subset, and to receive event-handling data via said signaling port, and

the controller being arranged to handle said detected events in accordance with said received event-handling data.

10. A terminal as in claim 9, in which said store is rewritable, and the terminal is arranged to store therein data derived from said event-handling data, and corresponding to one or more responses of said set which are not of said core subset, and the controller is for controlling communications via the communications and signaling ports in accordance with said core subset and said stored additional responses.

11. A terminal as in claim 10, the terminal being arranged to erase said additional responses under predetermined conditions.

12. A terminal as in claim 9, in which said controller is arranged to accept said event-handling data as one or more communications signaling instructions for immediate execution.

13. A terminal as in claim 9, the terminal being arranged to signal said detected events via said signaling port and to receive said event-handling data in response thereto.

14. A terminal as in claim 13, the terminal being arranged to signal, for each said detected event, the internal state of the terminal prior to receipt thereof via said signaling port.

15. A terminal as in claim 9, wherein said store does not comprise a movable magnetic storage medium.

16. A terminal as in claim 15, which lacks a movable magnetic storage medium.

17. A terminal as in claim 9, which comprises a network client terminal.

18. A terminal as in claim 17, which comprises a video output port for co-operation with a television set.