Abstract: A tunable (reconfigurable) OADM provides multiple drop ports and multiple add ports by which desired channels can be removed from, or added to, a composite optical signal. In one embodiment, a programmable demultiplexer is arranged to receive an input signal containing components at x different wavelengths from an optical input port, and distribute the input signal components among K output ports. K?1 of the output ports are the “drop” ports of the OADM, and cumulatively contain w different wavelengths. The remaining port, which is the “through port” that carries the z wavelengths not dropped from the original input signal, is connected to the first port of an M port programmable multiplexer having M?1 other input ports. The remaining M?1 ports are the “add” ports of the OADM, which cumulatively receive v different wavelengths to be added by the OADM.

Abstract: A bidirectional WDM optical system in which crosstalk between interleaved channels of different wavelengths is suppressed by the inclusion in the amplifier gain block of four-port filters that discriminate on the basis of the wavelength of the interleaved signals passing through the four port filters.

Abstract: An individual's speech sample, obtained for the purpose of speaker verification, is used to create a "protected" model of the speech. The protected model, which is stored in a database in association with a personal identifier for that individual, is arranged so that the characteristics of the individual's speech cannot be ascertained from the protected model, without access to an encryption key or other secured information stored in the system.

Abstract: Timing restoration for a series of input pulses is performed optically in a transmission or switching system, using a nonlinear material with negligible walk-off that also receives an essentially orthogonally polarized series of reference pulses. In the nonlinear material, the input pulses are frequency shifted by the presence of the reference pulses. For a material with negligible walk-off, the frequency shift only occurs when the pulses partially overlap, but not when the pulses are coincident. The frequency shifted output from the nonlinear material is supplied to a dispersive delay line that translates the frequency shift into a time shift, such that the input pulses are retimed by the reference pulses. If the nonlinear material has a nonlinear index of refraction n.sub.2 >0, then the dispersive delay line must have an anomalous Group Velocity Dispersion (GVD); on the other hand, if the nonlinear material has an index of refraction n.sub.2 <0, then the dispersive delay line must have a normal GVD.

Abstract: A telecommunications switching system is disclosed which integrates intelligent network (IN) services with regular telephone services. A service control processor, which implements the IN services is also periodically made aware of regular network functions. The SCP then allocates resources for IN calls based upon not only the amount of IN calls, but rather, based upon the total network conditions; i.e. IN calls, regular telephone calls, faulty transmission lines, telephones taken off hook, etc.

Abstract: A subscriber can dynamically provision, i.e., assign desired characteristics to any "target station", which is an active phone accessible to a telecommunications network. A call thereafter originated from the target station (including a pay phone or a mobile phone) then can use customized features (for example, speed calling, conferencing, account code dialing) and take advantage of special corporate billing arrangements (for example, SDN, WATS and MEGACOM). The identity of the target station with respect to the communications network (e.g., the Automatic Number Identification (ANI) of the station) is not changed. Initially, a service profile is created and stored for each subscriber, containing information describing desired features and billing options.

Abstract: A compact all-fiber, electrically tunable ring laser includes a diode-pumped erbium-doped fiber amplifier. The frequency of the laser is tuned by a fiber Fabry-Perot (FFP) etalon that is electrically tuned. An in-line optical isolator is used in conjunction with the FFP to eliminate undesired reflections. A second FPP with a narrow free spectral range (FSR) can be used in conjunction with a first FFP with a wide FSR.

Abstract: A method and system for allocating a constrained common resource (such as capacity in an ordered bus network) among a plurality of demands for the resource. The allocation arrangement receives from a source, demands for allocating the resource (network) for a particular use, e.g., a conference among a plurality of customer sites, stratifies the received demands in response to a grouping of endpoints to be conferenced at the customer sites, and allocates the network resources to connect the endpoints to be conferenced in response to the stratified demand. This is done by generating setup and terminate times for each endpoint to be connected in a conference; reserving the endpoints to be connected in the conference; and generating a plurality of bindings for signalling the network and the source as to the success of connecting the endpoints to be conferenced over the ordered bus network.

Abstract: Individual frames in a video signal are encoded using different coding techniques such as intraframe, motion compensated prediction and motion compensated interpolation coding. The encoder output, which is produced at a first highly variable rate, is applied to a channel via a buffer that outputs the encoded signal at a second, less variable rate. The rate allocated to different frame types is determined as a function of the type of frame being encoded and the coding technique being used. A second buffer may be used to eliminate almost all variations in the rate at which data is applied to the channel. Buffer fullness may control characteristics of the encoder such as quantizer step size and/or prefiltering.

Abstract: A compact all-fiber, electrically tunable ring laser includes a diodepumped erbium-doped fiber amplifier. The frequency of the laser is tuned by a fiber Fabry-Perot(FFP) etalon that is electrically tuned. An in-line optical isolator is used in conjunction with the FFP to eliminate undesired reflections. A second FFP with a narrow free spectral range (FSR) can be used in conjunction with a first FFP with a wide FSR.

Abstract: Ghosts are canceled in received analog TV (for IDTV, EDTV, and HDTV) signals by utilizing the fact that there are short periods of time without the analog signals (the horizontal flyback interval between the lines) to process the received signal on a line-to-line basis using a finite impulse response (FIR) or an infinite impulse response (IIR) equalizer. This line-by-line processing (which can be implemented by periodic cleansing of the equalizer) overcomes the limitations of standard equalizers to allow for 40-50 dB of suppression of ghosts, even with nulls in the spectrum, as long as the ghost delay is less than the period of time without the analog signal. Furthermore, by using time inversion in combination with line-by-line processing, the stability problem of the conventional IIR equalizer is eliminated. The IIR equalizer may be implemented on a single digital integrated circuit. Alternatively, an FIR equalizer can be used which, although it may require multiple chips (i.e.

Abstract: The single-wavelength bit-rate capacity of an ultra long distance soliton transmission system is increased by using a combination of polarization and time-division multiplexing. More specifically, two streams of differently (preferably orthogonally) polarized solitons are interleaved (time division multiplexed) at a transmitter, and later separated at the receiver to recover both data streams. The system operates at speeds of up to 7.5 GHZ and provides very thorough separation of channels required for 10.sup.-12 error rates at distances of 9000 km.

Abstract: A technique for converting a sequence of binary digits into a sequence of signalling alphabets of a modulated carrier signal for data transmission. By introducing additional redundant signalling alphabets and differentially coding incoming data in a state-dependent sequential manner, enlarged minimum Euclidean distance between possible sequences of signaling alphabets is achieved while phase ambiguity of the expanded set of signalling alphabets is removed. This results in a reduced error probability when maximum likelihood decoding is applied in the receiver.