Apparatus and a method for supplying information

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.

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.

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.