Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided fox defending against telephone-based robotic attacks. An interactive voice response method is provided for presenting a menu having one or more menu options to a caller associated with a call. The method comprises the steps of obtaining a script to present to the caller, the script including the one or more menu options; combining at least one of the one or more menu options with a background audio signal, wherein the background audio signal is selected based on a context of the call; and presenting the combination of the at least one of the one or more menu options and the background audio signal to the caller. The context of the call includes comprises one or more of an identity of a called party associated with the call and a time period of the call. The background audio signal can optionally be obtained from a library of background signals.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for defending against telephone-based robotic attacks An interactive voice response method is provided for presenting a menu having one or more menu options to a caller. The method comprises the steps of obtaining a script to present to the caller, the script including the one or more menu options; permuting one or more characteristics of at least one of the one or more menu options; and presenting the permuted menu to the caller. The permutation may comprise, for example, adding one or more additional menu options to the menu; varying a selection number associated with the at least one menu option; varying an order of at least a plurality of the menu options; or varying a wording or pronunciation of one or more menu options.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for dynamically adjusting membership of a communication flow expression in a notification and response system. A message is provided from a sender to at least one recipient in accordance with a communication flow having a plurality of potential paths. The communication flow is controlled by a communication flow expression that contains at least one primitive keyword for dynamically adjusting the at least one recipient. A plurality of the recipients included in the communication flow form an instant focus group. The recipients in the instant focus group can be notified of other recipients in the instant focus group and/or receive the responses of other recipients in the instant focus group. The communication flow expression contains primitive keywords for adding and removing recipients in the communication flow.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for conference expansion in a conferencing system. For example, a method of providing for conference expansion in a conferencing system includes the following steps. At least one port is reserved in an original conference allocated in the conferencing system. A hub conference is allocated, when a maximum number of participants for the original conference is reached. A calculated number of ports in the hub conference are reserved for linking to the original conference and to a corresponding number of expansion conferences when allocation of at least one of the number of expansion conferences is called for. The hub conference is linked to the original conference via the reserved port of the original conference and one of the reserved ports of the hub conference.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for defending against telephone-based robotic attacks. An interactive voice response method is disclosed, comprising the steps of obtaining a script to present to a caller, the script including at least one menu option having at least one personal code; generating a random number for the personal code; and presenting the at least one menu option with the generated random number to the caller. The step of generating a random number for the personal code is optionally responsive to receipt of the call. The method is optionally performed only if one or more predefined criteria defining an attack are satisfied. The disclosed IVR system can optionally monitor the caller response to determine whether the caller enters the generated random number.

Abstract: A method of selecting, by a global server load balancer (GSLB), a server to represent a virtual server hosted by a plurality of servers. The method includes receiving, by the GSLB, values of one or more communication parameters of paths between at least one test unit and at least two servers from the plurality of servers, receiving, by the GSLB, a request to establish a connection with the virtual server from a client, selecting a test unit from the at least one test unit to represent the client, and selecting one of the plurality of servers to represent the virtual server before the client, responsive to the values of the one or more parameters for paths between the selected test unit and the at least two servers of the selected test units.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for efficient presentation of content over a network to a visually impaired user. Requests for content from a visually impaired user are processed by observing behavior of the user in connection with the requests; determining if the observed behavior constitutes a behavior pattern; and generating one or more rules based on the observed behavior that dynamically restructure content presented on at least one web page such that previously selected portions of the content is presented to the visually impaired user prior to other portions of the content. If one or more rules associated with a visually impaired user are applicable to requested content, wherein the rules are based on previously observed behavior of the user; and the requested content is restructured based on the one or more applicable rules such that previously selected portions of the content is presented to the visually impaired user prior to other portions of the content.

Abstract: A media application server, comprising a network interface and a processor adapted to establish voice connections with opposite end devices and to perform on the connections at least one media application task for signals of a plurality of different signal formats, the processor being adapted to establish the connection in a negotiation procedure in which it advertises itself as supporting fewer than the plurality of signal formats.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for developing and processing workflows that include communication tasks. A workflow is generated according to the present invention by inserting at least one communication node in the workflow. The communication node associated is with a communication task having at least one property that is resolved at run time. For example, the media type, recipient list, or timing of a communication may be resolved at run-time. A workflow generation tool is provided that generates a workflow based on (i) a user selection of at least one communication node to insert in a workflow, and (ii) a user specification of one or more properties of the communication task, wherein at least one property of the communication task is resolved at run time. At run-time, a workflow engine parses at least communication node in a workflow associated with a communication task and having at least one property that is resolved at run time.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for controlling interaction between an enterprise application and a mobile client device in a communication system. Push content is generated in a wireless secure server or other type of server, responsive to information received in the wireless secure server from the enterprise application. The push content is deliverable from the wireless secure server to the mobile client device over a wireless network. The wireless secure server receives from the mobile client device, responsive to the push content, a request for additional information identifiable at least in part by the push content. The additional information is deliverable from the server to the mobile client device over the wireless network.

Abstract: A method of determining local multicast information of a local area network (LAN), comprising dividing the LAN to a number of segments larger than the number of virtual LANs (VLANs) in the network and creating a layer-3 multicast routing table, which relates to each of the segments separately.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating a control signal for processing a speech signal comprising the steps of: adjusting the signal relative to a threshold level; and responsive to detection of a falling edge of the signal, holding the signal level for a holding period. The technique further comprises ‘slowing’ each rising edge of the signal. The technique further comprises attenuating each falling edge of the signal. The steps are carried out on a signal representing the envelope of the speech signal.

Abstract: Performance problems or other conditions are analyzed in a system comprising a plurality of endpoint devices and an associated centralized or distributed controller. End-to-end measurements are obtained for respective paths through the network, for example, using communications between the endpoint devices. For a given end-to-end measurement obtained for a particular one of the paths, a value of a performance indicator for the path is determined and the performance indicator value is assigned to each of a plurality of links of the path. The determining and assigning operations are repeated for additional ones of the end-to-end measurements, the links are grouped into one or more exculpation or inculpation sets based on how many times a particular performance indicator value has been assigned to each of the links, and the one or more sets are utilized to determine, for example, the location of a performance problem in the network.

Abstract: A method of handling broadcast packets, which are for a single network unit. The method includes receiving, by a network device, a packet, having a broadcast address, but directed to a single network unit and forwarding the packet through a plurality of ports of the network device, but not through at least one port of the device through which the packet was not received.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for managing incoming transmissions. A response to an incoming transmission is generated as a function of recipient availability and information relating to the incoming transmission, such as a medium of the transmission. An indication, representative of the incoming transmission and the response, is provided to one or more recipient devices. A method and system are also provided for managing one or more transmission events, represented by notification signals, where the notification signals are processed as a function of schedule data relating to a user. Indication data is generated as a function of the notification signals and provided to one or more user-specified devices, wherein the indication data includes an identification of a type of transmission event and a representation of a response to at least one of the transmission events.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for configuring a device based on proximity to another device. A user device is configured by obtaining one or more configuration rules that establish one or more configuration parameters of the user device based on a proximity to one or more additional general purpose devices; determining whether one or more of the configuration rules are satisfied; and configuring the user device based on the satisfied one or more configuration rules. The configuration rules can be configured by an authorized user of the user device. The proximity comprises a predefined physical relationship between devices that is based on distance, such as a radius around a given device, or a physical relationship, such as in the same room or building, or within a communication range of a device.

Abstract: A method of reducing tunneling in a wireless packet network. The method includes defining a home access point for a client station, determining that the client station is being serviced by an access point different from the home access point, deciding if the client station should change its home access point to the access point from which the client station receives service and initiating a change of the home access point of the client station, if so decided.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for generating passwords that may be memorized by a user, yet not easily guessed by an attacker. A user is presented with one or more textual, audio or visual hints. A password is automatically generated based on the selected hint (and possibly further input from the user). The presented hints may include poems, songs, jokes, pictures or words. The generated password and selected hint can be presented to the user during enrollment for further reinforcement and stored in a user database for subsequent reinforcement and verification. The enrollment process may schedule the sending of one or more reminder messages to the user containing the hint to reinforce the password in the user's memory.

Abstract: A business process software program is executed in a processing element comprising a memory and a processor coupled to the memory. The processor is operative to identify within the software program one or more communications services inserted as generic design elements therein, and for each of the identified communications services, to initiate the execution of one or more corresponding communications tasks. At least one of the communications services may comprise a composite communications service which itself comprises a plurality of communications services.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for managing a plurality of home pages for a user. One or more web pages are presented to a user by identifying a plurality of home pages associated with the user; and selecting one or more of the home pages to present to the user based on one or more predefined rules. The home pages associated with the user can be selected by the user. A number of different predefined rules can be applied for selecting the home pages to be presented to the user.