Apparatus and a method for supplying information

Abstract

An apparatus is provided with a first receiver for receiving changing information relating to a plurality of different sets of data such as financial data and a second receiver for receiving said changing information in synchronism with said first receiver means. A data base is provided to store information received by the first receiver and a subscriber profile store stores information associating a subscriber with a group of said different sets of data. The apparatus is arranged to supply, via the mobile telecommunications network, information from the data base for the group of data sets associated in the subscriber profile store with a subscriber when communication with that subscriber is first established and thereafter to supply changing information relating to the group of data sets associated with that subscriber directly to the subscriber from the second receiver.

1 . Apparatus for supplying changing information to communication devices of subscribers during subscriber sessions via a mobile telecommunications network, the apparatus comprising:
 a receiver to receive changing information for each of a plurality of different sets of data;   a data base to store received information for each of the plurality of different sets of data;   a communicator to communicate with a said subscriber communication device via a mobile telecommunications network;   a determiner to, when a said subscriber communication device establishes communication via the communicator to start a subscriber session for a subscriber, determining the group of said different sets of data associated with that said subscriber; and   a supplier to supply, when a said subscriber communication device establishes communication via the communicator to start a subscriber session for a subscriber, to that subscriber communication device via the mobile telecommunications network as initial information the information currently stored in the data base for the sets of data in which that subscriber is interested to cause that subscriber communication device to present that initial information to the subscriber and to subsequently, as changing information is received by the receiver during the subscriber session, supply to the subscriber communication device via the mobile telecommunications network only changes since that initial information, to cause that subscriber communication device to present those changes to the subscriber, the supplier being operable to continue supplying changes since that initial information to that subscriber communication device until the subscriber terminates the subscriber session.   
     
     
         2 - 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . Apparatus for supplying to a subscriber via a mobile telecommunications network continually changing price information for a plurality of different sets of financial market data, the apparatus comprising a determiner to determine which of the different sets of financial market data a subscriber is interested in and a supplier to initially supply the subscriber via the mobile telecommunications network all current information for the set or sets of financial market data in which the subscriber is interested and then to supply to the subscriber via the mobile telecommunications network only updates or changes in the information for that set or sets of financial market data that have occurred since the information initially supplied to the subscriber. 
     
     
         25 . A subscriber apparatus for communicating via a mobile telecommunications network with information supplying apparatus for supplying to the subscriber changing information for each of a plurality of different sets of data, the subscriber apparatus comprising:
 a user input interface for enabling a user to input data identifying a group of said sets of data in which the subscriber is interested;   a communicator to communicate to the information supplying apparatus via the mobile telecommunications network data identifying the group of said sets of data in which the subscriber is interested;   a requester to request from the information supplying apparatus via the mobile telecommunications network information for the group of sets of data;   a receiver to receive from the information supplying apparatus via the mobile telecommunications network, in response to a request by the requester, initial information comprising the current available data for the group of sets of data at the time of the request and then to receive, as changes occur in the changing information for the group of sets of data, change information comprising only the changes to the data since the initial information; and   an advisor to advise a user of the received information.   
     
     
         26 . Apparatus according to  claim 25 , wherein the advisor comprises a display to display the initial information to a user and to change the displayed information as change information is received. 
     
     
         27 . Apparatus according to  claim 25 , further comprising a store to store subscriber profile data identifying a group of said sets of data in which the subscriber is interested. 
     
     
         28 . Apparatus according to  claim 25 , further comprising an informer to inform the information supplying apparatus via the mobile telecommunications network when the receiver is ready to receive information. 
     
     
         29 . Apparatus according to  claim 25 , further comprising a store to store received information. 
     
     
         30 . Apparatus according to  claim 25 , wherein the store is arranged to store received information while the advisor is advising a user of previously received information. 
     
     
         31 . A method of supplying to subscribers via a mobile telecommunications network changing information for each of a plurality of different sets of data, the method comprising the steps of:
 receiving changing information from an information provider;   storing data representing the received changing information in a database;   storing data indicating which of the different sets of data a subscriber is interested in;   establishing communication with a subscriber via the mobile telecommunications network;   when communication is established with the subscriber, supplying the subscriber with information regarding the data sets in which the subscriber is interested by initially supplying to the subscriber over the mobile telecommunications network initial information representing the data then stored in the database for the data sets in which the subscriber is interested and, after the initial information has been supplied, as further changing information is received from the information provider, supplying directly to the subscriber over the mobile telecommunications network only changes in the information since the initial information.   
     
     
         32 . A method according to  claim 31 , wherein the plurality of different sets of data is a plurality of different sets of financial market data. 
     
     
         33 . A method according to  claim 31 , which comprises storing in the database as said changing information changing price data. 
     
     
         34 . A method according to  claim 32 , which comprises identifying the financial exchange and contract to which received changing price data relates and storing that changing price data in a file related to that contract. 
     
     
         35 . A method according to  claim 31 , wherein existing changing information in the database is replaced as new changing information is received. 
     
     
         36 . A method according to  claim 31 , wherein the subscriber profile storing step comprises associating a subscriber with codes relating to the or each set of data in which the subscriber is interested. 
     
     
         37 . A method according to  claim 31 , wherein the subscriber profile storing step comprises associating different character strings with sets of data and associating a subscriber with a character string relating to a set of data in which the subscriber is interested. 
     
     
         38 . A method according to  claim 37 , which comprises arranging the character strings in at least one ternary tree structure. 
     
     
         39 . A method according to  claim 31 , which also comprises communicating changing news data to subscribers. 
     
     
         40 . A method according to  claim 32 , wherein changing information is received by satellite communication from at least one information provider. 
     
     
         41 . A method of operating a computer having mobile telecommunications facilities to enable communication via a mobile telecommunications network with information supplying apparatus for supplying to the subscriber changing information for each of a plurality of different sets of data, the method comprising:
 receiving via a user input device data identifying a group of said sets of data in which the subscriber is interested;   communicating the subscriber profile data to the information supplying apparatus;   establishing communication with the information supplying apparatus;   when communication is established with the information supplying apparatus, initially receiving from the information supplying apparatus over the mobile telecommunications network all information stored in the database for the group of said sets of data in which the subscriber is interested and thereafter, as further changing information is received, receiving from the information supplying apparatus over the mobile telecommunications network only changes to the information for that group since the information stored in the database was supplied to the subscriber.   
     
     
         42 - 43 . (canceled)