Abstract: A system monitors performance in a network (130) having several routers (210). The system determines a roundtrip path in the network (130) between a source and a destination, identifies routers (210) located on the path, collects performance data from the identified routers (210), and compares the performance data to at least one performance criteria to determine compliance with a service-level guarantee.

Abstract: The systems and methods described herein include a platform that employs a client/server architecture to provide an extensible set of real time and messaging communication services to a plurality of users. The platform allows the clients to configure and activate the services as each user wishes, thereby providing individual control over the communication services a user receives. The platform includes a server that allows a user to select how the user will participate in a communications event. This can include control over the end points and media over which the communications event occurs. The systems described herein additionally provide a framework for developing integrated voice and data services that can be deployed on the platform for extending the services available to the plurality of clients.

Abstract: Methods and systems consistent with the present invention provide a unified messaging system. The unified messaging system comprises a unified messaging system server and clients, such as personal computers, telephones, facsimile machines, and two-way paging machines connected via both land based and wireless connections. This system enables a user to access and retrieve a variety of messages, including voice mail messages, facsimiles, and electronic mail messages via a unified user interface that clearly distinguishes each message type using message identifiers, and segregates messages by type.

Abstract: Aggregating physical connections from customers for presentation to an access router and de-aggregating traffic from a shared link(s) from the access router. Ports of an aggregation unit may be configured such that each has a unique identifier in the place of information (e.g., the layer 2 address) originally in the layer 2 header. The layer 2 (e.g., MAC) address of the customer device connected with the port can be associated with, and therefore determined from, the IP address of the attached device. When a packet is received from a customer, information in the layer 2 header is changed to a unique identifier assigned to a logical port or interface associated with the physical port. When a packet is received from the access router, it is placed on the port assigned to the logical port associated with the destination layer 2 address (or associated with other bits of the unique bit string and at least some of those bits are replaced with the destination layer 2 address of the device associated with the port.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for efficiently correlating events within a data processing system and then transmitting messages to various network entities in response to an occurrence of a particular network event. According to the present invention, a network mediation service receives raw message streams from one or more external data sources and passes the streams in real-time to the event notification service. The event notification service then passes the message to the message parsing service for processing. After the message has been parsed by the message parsing service, it is passed back to the event notification service which passes the message along an event channel to the network management service. The message is also passed to the event correlation service for event correlation. A knowledge-based database of message classes that define how to interpret the message text are used by the event correlation service to match correlation rule conditions to the observed events.

Abstract: A method and system for administering calls on a voice network allows a user to selectively determine which calls will be accepted and assists the user in placing calls to other users on the network. The user may establish a list of users whose calls will be accepted and may also establish a list of users whose calls will not be accepted. The method and system may provide unwanted callers with an option to speak with the user for a fee. The method and system may also display phone or other messages to the user on a video display.

Abstract: A system facilitates configuration of at least one of multiple network devices (130) of different types. The system includes a configuration database (310), a policies database (320), a configuration generator (330), and a protocol engine (340). The configuration database (310) stores data that defines a configuration for the network device (130). The policies database (320) stores rules for configuring the network device (130). The configuration generator (330) generates a deployable configuration from the data in the configuration database (310) and the rules in the policies database (320). The protocol engine (340) deploys the deployable configuration to the network device (130).

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for providing a monitoring service using a speakerphone and monitoring device coupled by a telephone line are described. A call is placed to the monitoring device and the speakerphone is then left off the hook. The monitoring device records received sounds and monitors for signals indicating an attempt to place a call. If DTMF tones corresponding to a phone number are received, the monitoring device initiates a call to the received phone number and bridges the initiated call with the call from the speakerphone. A call can be placed to the monitoring device to access recordings of audio from the speakerphone, monitor sounds from the speakerphone in real time and/or select stories, music or messages to be supplied by the monitoring device to the speakerphone at times specified by the caller.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for establishing a call to a wireless directory number that comprises either a non-geographic directory number or a non-diable directory number. A call is placed from a wireline telephone to a preselected geographic-based access directory number (DN). The originating switching node, which may be an AIN-capable SSP, recognizes the access DN as an AIN trigger, and thereafter identifies a signaling node, which may be an AIN-capable SCP, that is associated with the dialed access DN. The originating switching node is then controlled to provide dialtone and collect digits from the caller, the collected digits corresponding to the non-geographic or non-dialable wireless directory number. Thereafter, the originating switching node transmits the collected digits to the signaling node. The signaling node sends a location request that includes the wireless DN to an HLR, which returns a temporary local directory number (TLDN) in accordance with ANSI-41 processing protocols.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling congestion in an ATM network comprises the steps of pre-allocating, for a pre-determined interval of time, a set of burst access parameters to a set of pre-allocated virtual paths between a set of source node and destination node pairs in the ATM network, and controlling, at the burst level, the traffic at each source node based on the pre-allocated set of burst access parameters and without communicating with other nodes in the ATM network. Specifically, the network, for a pre-determined interval of time, pre-allocates a set of virtual paths between each source-destination node pair in the network, pre-allocates a set of maximum permitted rates to the pre-allocated set of virtual paths, respectively, and pre-assigns a set of burst access thresholds to a set of service classes, respectively, in the pre-allocated virtual paths, where the pre-assigned burst access thresholds are less than or equal to the corresponding pre-allocated maximum permitted rates.

Abstract: A video conferencing system (100) includes a switch (125), a server (140), a telephone device (152), and a node (102) in a packet-switched network (135). The switch (125) establishes a circuit-switched connection between a calling party number and a called party number. The server (140) associates first and second network addresses in a packet-switched network (135) with each of the called party and calling party numbers. The telephone device (152) transmits audio data via the circuit-switched connection. The node (102) in the packet-switched network (135) transmits packetized video between the first and second network addresses responsive to establishment of the circuit-switched connection.

Abstract: Operations relating to objects in a window [301] are automatically included in the window based on the capabilities of the window and based on the resources required to implement the operations. The operations are stored in an operations repository [303]. An operations manager component [302] interfaces the windows [301] and the operations repository [303]. The operations may be operations related to elements of a telecommunications network and may be made available to the end-user by automatically adding buttons to menus in the window that invoke the operations.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for implementing communication services such as voice dialing services are described. In one Centrex based voice dialing embodiment, voice dialing service subscribers are given access to personal voice dialing records including calling entries via the Internet as well as via telephone connections. Each calling entry normally includes the name and, optionally nickname, of a party to be called. It also includes one or more telephone numbers associated with each name. Different telephone number identifies, e.g. locations, can be associated with different names. A user can create or update entries in a voice dialing directory using text conveyed over the Internet or speech supplied via a telephone connection. In order to facilitate updating and maintenance of voice dialing directories over the Internet speaker independent (SI) speech recognition models are used.

Abstract: A monitoring system captures and processes messages from SS7 links, to compile call detail records (CDRs) for all interoffice call attempts. The CDRs are uploaded into a relational database. Automatic Message Accounting (AMA) records also are accumulated and uploaded to a another relational database. A data preparation operation utilizes external information to enhance the records for further processing, for example, to translate information codes in the records to textual names of originating and terminating offices. The enhanced records are loaded into a multi-dimensional database. The multi-dimensional database software facilitates analysis of the records to identify a variety of network traffic patterns. The user can automatically set up and customize studies for particular applications, for example to study traffic patterns for calls through a particular office.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for providing speech recognition capability to callers in a cost efficient manner as part of one or more telephone services are described. Multiple speech recognition units with differing capabilities and therefore implementation costs are provided. Calls are assigned to speech recognition circuits throughout a call based on a signal such as a service type identifier indicating the type of service to be provided to the caller. During different phases of a call different speech recognition units may be used. In addition, different amounts of speech recognition processing capability may be allocated to service a call at different points during a call. In this manner efficient use of available speech recognition resources can be achieved.

Abstract: A total aggregation plan (TAP) provides a plurality of data services to a Network Service Provider (NSP). The present invention encourages the NSP to use more than one type of telecommunications service to connect to its end-users (subscribers) by requiring that the NSP choose a specified number of data services that are available from the telephone company under the plan. The NSP is then required to sustain an annualized billing of greater than a specified amount and maintain at least a specified percentage of billing allocations to each one of the data services chosen. If the NSP does comply in this manner, then a billing credit is provided to the NSP based on the billing history.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems for routing T-37 E-mail over an H 323 (VOIP) network. The methods and systems facilitate the obtaining and utilization of data from Gatekeepers with respect to the utilization of Gateways to be utilized to transmit the E-mail from the network over a conventional telephone network to the recipient. They thereby facilitate the choice of a Gateway which is less heavily utilized.

Abstract: A cellular network configuration tool is described that performs frequency assignments for use in a cellular network. The channels are assigned in accordance with input configuration data such as a channel separation matrix, geographic data, and requested channel assignments for each sector included in the cellular network being configured. The configuration is performed in accordance with predetermined constraints and criteria and quality of service input. The tool uses frequency assignment techniques to perform the channel assignments in accordance with varying constraints and criteria.

Abstract: The invention is a system for digital watermarking that operates on a conventional digital video stream to etch, on hand, and read, on the other hand, digital watermarks in the stream that do not visibly interfere with the video content. A system according to the invention operates on digital data that has been transformed into the spatial-frequency domain, using inter-block differences between spatial-frequency coefficients to encode the bits of a digital watermark. Using the principles of the invention, it is possible to encode multiple watermark bits between two adjacent blocks, thus providing higher watermark data rates relative to underlying video content.

Abstract: Interconnect traffic between local exchange carrier (LECS) networks and other carrier networks, particularly competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC) networks, dictates a need for efficient monitoring and analysis of the interconnect traffic. In accord with the invention, monitor equipment on the LEC network captures call related messages produced by the LEC network and compiles data from those messages to form call detail records for the interconnect traffic. These records are loaded into a relational database. A data preparation routine enhances the data, for example, by translating certain codes from the records into more useful text and by spreading or binning usage over predefined time intervals. An on-line analytical processing program runs one or more applications to allow the LEC to analyze the interconnect traffic between the LEC network and the other carrier's network. The analysis provides useful traffic data for accounting purposes, e.g.