Abstract:
A method is provided of providing a telecommunications service to a wireless telecommunications terminal. This is by first receiving an indication that capability of the terminal has changed. A record in a database is then updated as to the change. The database is inspected so as to provide a telecommunications service adapted according to the updated record of the terminal&#39;s capability.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to wireless telecommunications.  
       DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART  
       [0002]     In some known wireless telecommunications systems, such as those operating Wireless Application Protocol (“WAP”), there is the idea of considering terminal capabilities. Information of these capabilities can be registered within a Terminal Capabilities database for ease of access. The Terminal Capabilities database keeps records of characteristics of terminals, such as screen size and memory available. This information is stored at the time that the terminal is configured and handed out to a user ready for use in a wireless telecommunications network. This can be at the start of a user subscription to a network of a service provider, or when the terminal is replaced as part of an on-going contract between a user and service provider. This information is used in software controlled services, often referred to in this field as applications. For example the screen size information is used by applications such that high-resolution images are not transmitted to user terminals having screens that are small and of a low resolution.  
         [0003]     In the field of wireless telecommunications, terminals, such as mobile phones, are evolving. For example there are now terminals, such as J2ME (Java 2 Micro Edition) terminals and BREW (Binary Runtime for Wireless) terminals, that support execution of programs within the terminal. Other known terminals are being built which have operating systems (“OS”) that were previously only used in computers proper. Whilst still somewhat simplified compared to comparable systems on computers, what can be done with such operating systems on wireless terminals has increased.  
         [0004]     J2ME terminals, BREW terminals, and terminals with operating systems can be upgraded or altered from time to time with new software, for example transmitted by radio. Accordingly, such terminals can be considered “soft terminals” in that their capabilities can be changed by such software downloads. These downloads allow an evolving range of applications to be supported.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     The inventors realised that when the capabilities of a terminal are enhanced, be it through software download or by connecting hardware components, the information in the terminal capabilities database can be, and should be, updated.  
         [0006]     An example of the present invention is a method of providing a telecommunications service to a wireless telecommunications terminal. This is by receiving an indication that capability of the terminal has changed. A record in a database is then updated as to the change. The database is inspected so as to provide a telecommunications service that is adapted using the updated record to the terminal&#39;s changed capability.  
         [0007]     Another example is a method of receiving a telecommunications service. This includes the step of replacing or upgrading a component of a wireless telecommunications terminal so as to change the capability of the terminal. A notification of the change in capability of the terminal is sent. A telecommunications service adapted to the changed capability is received.  
         [0008]     The inventors realised that manufacturers of mobile terminals could develop plug-in hardware components, other than just headset attachments as available today, for example screens, memories and keypads. The terminal could run an operating system with appropriate software such that both software and hardware components can be upgraded “on the fly”—e.g., during the lifetime of use by the user. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]     Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the drawings, in which:  
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a diagram illustrating known use of a terminal capabilities database;  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is a diagram illustrating a first embodiment;  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is a diagram illustrating use of the system shown in  FIG. 2  to process and send an image to the terminal;  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is a diagram illustrating a second embodiment; and  
         [0014]      FIG. 5  is a diagram illustrating a third embodiment. 
     
    
       [0015]     The drawings are not to scale but are schematic representations.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0016]     Before describing the embodiments in detail, we first describe a known system for ease of comparison. As shown in  FIG. 1 , an example of the known approach is where an application  102  in a network wants to send a digital image to a particular wireless terminal. The application  102  sends a request  104  to be told of the terminal&#39;s capabilities to the database  106  of that information known as a terminal capabilities database (“TCDB”). The terminal capabilities database  106  sends a reply  108  including that information. Based on that information such as e.g. that the terminal has a small size screen and a browser with monochrome display capabilities, the image is processed so as to reduce the amount of data involved, for example the resolution of the image is reduced and the colours are reduced. The processed image  110  is then send to the terminal.  
         [0017]     The inventors realised that in the known system the terminal capabilities database was not updated if the terminal&#39;s capabilities changed, for example due to a software upgrade or replacement of a plug-in component of the terminal.  
         [0000]     Example System  
         [0018]     Turning now to an embodiment of the invention, as shown in  FIG. 2 , a mobile terminal  200  consists of a main processor  202  onto which an Operating System OS  204  has been loaded with appropriate software  230  for image display. The mobile terminal  200  includes a Liquid Crystal Display screen  206 , a radio antenna  208 , a keypad  210 , a microphone  212  and a digital camera  214 . The network  216  with which the terminal communicates by radio includes a download server  218 , a terminal capabilities database TCDB  220 , and an application  222 .  
         [0019]     The terminal capabilities database  220  records characteristics of terminals, such as screen size and memory available. This information is stored initially at the time that the terminal is configured and handed out to a user ready for use.  
         [0020]     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , consider where the application  222  wants to send a digital image to the wireless terminal  200 . The application  222  sends a request  224  to be told of the terminal&#39;s capabilities to the database  220 . The terminal capabilities database  220  sends a reply  226  including that information. Based on that information such as e.g. that the terminal has a small size screen and a browser with monochrome display capabilities, the image is processed so as to reduce the amount of data involved, for example the resolution of the image is reduced and the colours are reduced. The processed image  228  is then sent to the terminal  200 . Consider that the terminal  200  then receives a download of new software  230 ′ for image display such that its capabilities are improved or altered. This is noted by the core system  202 , which controls the terminal to automatically send a terminal capabilities database update signal  232  to the network  216 . This signal  232  is received in the network and directed to the terminal capabilities database TCDB  220  so as to update that database  220 . Thereafter when the application  222  wants to send a further digital image it sends a request  224 ′ to be told of the terminal&#39;s capabilities to the database  220 . The terminal capabilities database  220  sends a reply  226 ′ including that updated information. The image  228 ′ processed so as to take account of the terminal&#39;s new capabilities is then sent to the terminal  200 .  
         [0021]     In this example, the terminal  200  is BREW capable, and the image which user first sees on his terminal  200  is a postcard of such poor quality that the user chooses new software  230 ′ of browser software able to display 32-bit colour images. This is downloaded from the download server  218  of a BREW Distribution System (“BDS”). From inspection of the updated database  220  the application  222  sends an image of the postcard with the same resolution as previously, but this time in colour.  
         [0022]     In a second example, a notional user called Alice buys a new wireless terminal  300  which is shown in  FIG. 4 . It includes a main processor  302 , which hosts an operating system OS  304  and software  330 . The can be provided to the terminal from a personal computer (not shown) or by radio from a download server  318  of a network  316 . Since she wants to run video applications, she selected a high specification but compact screen  306  and plugs that into her terminal  300 . She does not plan to do a lot of texting or keyboard work, so she installed a low specification keypad  310  with speaker  311  and microphone  312 . She wants good peer-to peer video capability so included a top-of the range digital camera  314 .  
         [0023]     Before use, the network operator with which Alice has her contract for mobile telecommunications services stores, in a terminal capabilities database TCDB  320  parameter values describing the terminal&#39;s capabilities, in view of the screen, keypad, camera etc selected.  
         [0024]     When Alice turns on her phone, the software  330  configures itself, for example by software-drivers for the particular components being downloaded by radio and the terminal  300  becoming ready for use. The terminal registers with the network by the main processor  302  causing an appropriate registration message to be sent from the terminal  300  to a further database  321 , known as an Equipment Identity Register EIR, in the network  316 .  
         [0025]     Alice swaps various peripheral components of her terminal  300 , such as the screen  306 , camera  314 , keypad  310  and antenna  308  “on the fly”—e.g., herself and practically immediately, in contrast to needing to send the terminal for upgrade by another). If she wants to send email, for example, she may simply pull off the low specification keypad and plug in a more sophisticated keypad, for example a 128-key folding keypad. She does not need to power down or stop a call connection with the network  316  during this change of keypad.  
         [0026]     As the terminal&#39;s capabilities have changed, the network  316  is to be informed so that applications, such as application  322  shown in  FIG. 4 , can use any of the full range of the terminal&#39;s current capabilities in providing a user-friendly but efficient service to the user. Specifically, the main processor  302  of the terminal  300  sends a notification via the antenna  308  and by radio to the network  316 . The notification is received and sent to the terminal capabilities database TCDB  320 .  
         [0027]     The terminal capabilities database TCDB  320  is similarly updated where upgrades to the software  330  running in the terminal  300  causes improvements or changes in the terminal&#39;s capabilities. Alice can download new software, such as a media player for example, to her terminal and execute that software in the course of accessing services. For example, Alice could download a H.264 coder-decoder program and use this to send more efficiently encoded media data streams in peer-to-peer video applications, e.g. to send video clips of her best friend&#39;s wedding to an aunt overseas. The terminal  300 , in particular its main processor  302 , causes an update notification to be sent to the network  316 .  
         [0028]     Software is downloaded from a download server  318  which monitors and charges the user for software downloads made. The terminal can be granted a limited license for use of the software, for example a limited number of uses or time period of use, after which the network  316  will not interact with that software. Some further options and variants In another embodiment, the terminal can be a J2ME (Java 2 Micro Edition) terminal that can download software from download servers known as Java Vending Machines (JSR-124). In another embodiment, the terminal can be a BREW (Binary Runtime for Wireless) terminal that can download software from a download server known as a Brew Distribution System (“BDS”).  
         [0029]     The terminal capabilities database TCDB can, in some embodiments, send messages to interested parties, or applications subscribed to by the user, that the user&#39;s terminal capabilities, be they in terms of hardware, firmware or software, have changed.  
         [0030]     In some embodiments, for example as shown in  FIG. 5  where the mobile terminal is as shown in  FIG. 2 , rather than informing a terminal capabilities database TCDB, an Equipment Identity Register EIR performs the function of the terminal capabilities database. The EIR is a database of records of terminal equipment data.  
         [0000]     General  
         [0031]     The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.