1. Apparatus forming part of a virtual wireless network, the apparatus including a server running a home location register, the home location register being associated solely with a virtual wireless network operator that does not have any licensed frequency spectrum, but provides wireless services to a subscriber by using the wireless basestations of a wireless network operator that does have licensed frequency spectrum.
2. Apparatus of claim 1, in which the subscriber operates a wireless device with two or more IMSIs and the apparatus is operable to manage remotely the selection of an appropriate IMSI on the device.
3. Apparatus of claim 2, in which the apparatus decides on the appropriate IMSI based on lowest cost call routing.
4. Apparatus of claim 2, in which the apparatus decides on the appropriate IMSI based on features available when that IMSI is used.
5. Apparatus of claim 2, in which it is the home location register that manages the remote selection of an appropriate IMSI on the device.
6. Apparatus of claim 1, including multiple home location registers.
7. Apparatus of claim 1, including an equipment identity register sub-module.
8. Apparatus of claim 1, including an authentication centre sub-module.
9. Apparatus of claim 1, including a media gateway.
10. Apparatus of claim 1, including an interface to a public access network.
11. Apparatus of claim 1, including a billing and services management module for pre and post paid end-users.
12. Apparatus of claim 1, including a gateway mobile switching centre switch.
13. The apparatus of claim 1 including an interface to enable communication with the wireless network operator.
14. The apparatus of claim 1, including an interface to enable communication with any incoming calling party; and any outgoing calling party registered with the home location register.
15. The apparatus of claim 1, including an interface to enable communication using one or more of the following: wireless networks public access networks; and via one or more of the following: wireless interfaces and wired interfaces.
16. Apparatus of claim 1, adapted to receive communications from wireless devices that access the apparatus via the wireless basestations of the wireless network operator.
17. Apparatus of claim 1, adapted to communicate with a services mobile switching centre switch operated by the wireless network operator.
18. Apparatus of claim 17, including a gateway mobile switching centre switch adapted to communicate with the services mobile switching centre switch operated by the wireless network operator.
19. Apparatus of claim 18 in which the gateway mobile switching centre switch communicates with the services mobile switching centre switch operated by the wireless network operator when the subscriber is in its home country.
20-50. (canceled)
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method for use in a method for understanding a natural language text, comprising performing the following selectively in a statistical manner:
attempting to extract at least one value belonging to a semantic category from a natural language text or a form thereof; and
if a result of said attempting complies with a predetermined criterion, attempting to extract, based on said result, at least one value belonging to another semantic category of a different hierarchical level than said semantic category, else performing at least one action from a group of actions including: asking a submitter of said text a question whose content depends on said result and giving up on understanding said natural language text.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said attempting to extract at least one value belonging to said another semantic category includes:
selecting at least one classifier or pseudo classifier for said another semantic category from among more than said at least one classifier or pseudo classifier for said another semantic category, wherein said selecting is based on at least one extracted value belonging to said semantic category; and
employing said at least one classifier or pseudo classifier in an attempt to extract at least one value belonging to said another semantic category.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein said another semantic category is a hierarchically lower level semantic category than said semantic category.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein said at least one value belonging to said another semantic category is at least one operation and said at least one value belonging to said semantic category is at least one domain.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein said form are n grams constructed from said text or from a restatement of said text which includes at least one embedded token.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein said n-grams are sparse n-grams.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein said asking a question includes: formulating said content of said question on the fly based on said result.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein said asking a question includes: modifying a predefined question based on said result.
9. The method of claim 1, further comprising: if said question is asked, attempting to extract at least one value belonging to a previously extracted semantic category from said answer.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein said previously extracted semantic category is said semantic category.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one value belonging to a semantic category and said at least one value belonging to another semantic category are at least one from a group including: at least one domain, at least one operation, and at least one parameter value.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein said attempting to extract includes employing at least one pseudo classifier in order to attempt to extract at least one parameter value.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one of said pseudo classifiers is a time extractor and said employing includes employing said time extractor in order to attempt to extract at least one time expression.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one of said pseudo classifiers is a currency extractor and said employing includes employing said currency extractor in order to attempt to extract at least one currency expression.
15. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one of said pseudo classifiers is employed on a part of said natural language text or a form thereof.
16. The method of claim 1, wherein said content is based on a comparison between said result and predetermined logic related to said semantic category.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein said logic was devised to assist in understanding said natural language text.
18. The method of claim 1, wherein said question relates to less than all non-extracted values, based on relative importance.
19. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for use in a method for understanding a natural language text, comprising performing the following selectively in a statistical manner:
attempting to extract at least one value belonging to a semantic category from a natural language text or a form thereof; and
if a result of said attempting complies with a predetermined criterion, attempting to extract, based on said result, at least one value belonging to another semantic category of a different hierarchical level than said semantic category, else performing at least one action from a group of actions including: asking a submitter of said text a question whose content depends on said result and giving up on understanding said natural language text.
20. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for use in a computer program product comprising:
computer readable program code for causing the computer to perform the following selectively in a statistical manner:
computer readable program code for causing the computer to attempt to extract at least one value belonging to a semantic category from a natural language text or a form thereof; and
computer readable program code for causing the computer, if a result of said attempting complies with a predetermined criterion, to attempt to extract, based on said result, at least one value belonging to another semantic category of a different hierarchical level than said semantic category, else to perform at least one action from a group of actions including: asking a submitter of said text a question whose content depends on said result and giving up on understanding said natural language text.