Abstract: The invention is a non-contact coupling system for use in interconnecting a large number of electronic modules to a main signal trace via non-contact couplers. A driver sends an electronic signal comprising pulses along the main signal trace. The couplers each have a track of conductive material substantially parallel to the main signal trace. The track of each succeeding coupler is longer than that of the preceding coupler. As a pulse travels from the driver alongside the track of the closest coupler, a pulse is induced therein, although part of the original pulse energy is lost. The remaining lower-energy pulse then couples onto the second-closest coupler but because of the longer parallel track, an induced pulse virtually as strong as the pulse imparted to the first coupler is produced. This phenomenon occurs at every coupler along the main signal trace, resulting in induced pulses that have a relatively low amplitude variation.

Abstract: A method of accomplishing switchover from an inservice local to a remote NP (Network Processor) is described. The remote NP is periodically updated with configuration data obtained from the inservice local NP. Switchover from the local inservice NP to the remote NP is initiated. Communications between the remote NP and a plurality of NEs (Network Elements) is established nonsynchronously. The local NP is notified that the remote NP is established as an inservice NP.

Abstract: In WDM systems, each wavelength travels over a different optical paths, thus having different reflections within the path. This method for detecting reflections in bidirectional multichannel communication systems uses a unique signature attached to each signal. This allows to isolate reflections within each optical path, by measuring the optical power of a signal and of the reflection, by measuring the power of the signal and the power of the reflection. The location of the reflection is determined by calculating the relative delay between the signal and the respective reflection.

Abstract: A communication arrangement for use in a communication network and comprises a number of pieces of communication equipment or nodes arranged in a ring configuration of first and second ring paths operated in respective first and second opposite directions so as to provide path protection within the ring. A selected piece of equipment provides a head end for the ring. The ring is configured via said switching circuits provided in the pieces of equipment so as to provide a virtual break in a ring section adjacent the head end piece of equipment. In response to detection of a fault in a ring section the switching circuits to reconfigure the ring so as to move the virtual break from the ring section adjacent the head end piece of equipment to the ring section in which the fault has been detected so as to maintain path protection by forming two loops extending from the virtual break in the ring configuration in opposite directions to the head end.

Abstract: A maximal correlation symbol estimation (MCSE) method for estimating the symbols that are modulating an information signal component of a received signal, which can be applied to received signals that additionally contain an interference signal component, is disclosed. The method is achieved by correlating the received signal with all possible reference signals, each reference signal being one of a closed set of all possible information signals recognized by the given digital modulation scheme, and selecting as an estimate of the information signal the reference signal whose correlation with the received signal most closely resembles a weighted average of correlations between previously estimated information signals and their corresponding received signals. Demodulators that implement this method are adapted to perform many functions, including the estimation of symbols modulating frequency modulated (FM) received signals prior to the signals being FM demodulated.

Abstract: A software sparing process and apparatus to reduce the likelihood of software failures is provided. Software sparing provides software entities, called spares, which take over and provide similar functionality as the failed system to the clients of the failed entity. They also permit the introduction of new software versions with no loss in service during the switch over period. These spare entities, which may be located on different nodes in a system, communicate using a standard interface protocol. Sparing is done at the software "chunk" level instead of at the hardware box level, which is the common practice, resulting in lower costs and improved reliability. A computer readable storage medium containing a program element to direct a processor of a computer to implement the software sparing process described earlier is also provided.

Abstract: A method in a connection based communication network for rerouting a call connection path coupling a calling and a called party. Rerouting is done within a peer group and may be performed in any peer group level along the connection path. The method allows individual segments within peer groups to be rerouted for a number of different reasons such as fault recovery, route optimization, bandwidth adjustment, and load balancing. The reroutable call paths are implemented by inserting rerouting information elements in the standard setup and connect messages used to create call paths in PNNI environments. These information elements permit both nonpreemptive rerouting, establishing a new call path before the old one is terminated and preemptive rerouting, establishing a new path after the old one is terminated. Additional features such as, preserving QoS metrics during rerouting and separately identifying different incarnations of segments along the same call path are also provided.

Abstract: The present invention is an ADSI download system. The system 10 has one or more ADSI telephones 12, a telephone network 14, a network application server 16, a download request database file 9, and one or more remote sites 18 located on the WWW or on a proprietary network, such as America On Line or Prodigy. The computer network site location 18 contains an ADSI mergable file 19 that includes information such as local weather, stock quotes, news, announcements or advertisements. In response to a caller initiated or a server initiated download, the server 14 accesses the site 18 and transfers the file 19 to the server 16, where it is merged with an ADSI download template, then the resulting file is transferred to a storage location 22 in the telephone 12.

Abstract: The phase of a pulsed test signal is measured with reference to a reference signal of constant frequency by sampling the test signal at times determined by transitions in the reference signal and comparing the sampled test signal with the output of a phase accumulator clocked by the reference signal. A resulting measurement signal represents a difference in the number of transitions occurring in the sampled test signal and a reference state signal output by the phase accumulator. The measurement signal may be averaged and integrated to obtain an error signal which may then be filtered to provide a control signal for an oscillator. A digital frequency synthesizer is provided by frequency dividing the output of the oscillator by a constant multiple to obtain the test signal and integrating an offset signal in addition to the averaged measurement signal so that the operating frequency of the oscillator is offset from a nominal frequency by an amount determined by the offset signal.

Abstract: This invention deals with an adaptive echo cancelling system for communication networks. The system includes an adaptive filter for acoustic echo cancellation that uses a combination of echo cancelling and gain control techniques. The main advantages of the combination of these approaches are good communication quality during double talk and easier control of the output echo level.

Abstract: The invention is an improvement to an amplifier configuration employing an amplification stage (e.g., an operational amplifier) biased via biasing terminals and a follower stage (e.g., an emitter-follower BJT pair), the follower stage being capable of producing the same voltage as the amplification stage but at a higher current. The improvement consists of feeding a fraction of the output voltage of the follower stage to the biasing terminals of the amplification stage. Specifically, the output of the follower stage is connected to the biasing terminals via a common bootstrap resistor and respective capacitors. The capacitors behave as a DC block and as an AC short-circuit. The biasing terminals are then connected to respective biasing resistors which could then be connected to respective supply voltage sources. In this way, the maximum permitted amplitude of the output voltage is increased, leading to less distortion and less frequent saturation of transistors in the amplification stage.

Abstract: This invention relates to radio communications and in particular relates to a method for allocating channels in a radio communications system having a plurality of bearers in a system which is subject to slow temporal fading. In radio communications, signals are transmitted at a particular frequency, in a frequency band or in a number of frequency bands. Obstacles in a signal path, such as buildings in built-up areas and hills in rural areas, act as signal scatterers and these, together with fading, amongst other factors can cause signalling problems whereby signals may not be communicated on certain channel The present invention provides a system and method for channel allocation method for a multi-bearer communications network, with each bearer supporting a number of channels, wherein after allocation of a channel responsive to an access request from the available bearers which can provide access, the maximum number of available slots are left on each bearer, for a particular level of subscription.

Abstract: An automatic transcription tool executing on a computer system includes a text pre-processor, a phrasal parser, a word transcriber, and a phrasal transcription post-processor. Word orthographies are input to the text pre-processor and are then sequentially processed by the phrasal parser, word transcriber, and phrasal transcription post-processor.In general, the text pre-processor performs initial substitution processing on the input orthography sequences, the phrasal parser groups related adjacent input orthographies into clauses, the word transcriber performs phonetic transcription, and the phrasal transcription post-processor performs functions, such as, liasion handling and sanity checking on the output phonetic transcriptions. The phonemic transcription of the input orthography is eventually output.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing multi-channel telephony multimedia services. A multi-tasking DSP processes a plurality of multimedia services for a plurality of telephone channels. The DSP operates in conjunction with a host processor. The host processor indicates to the DSP, in real-time, the services required for a channel. The DSP in response allocates a portion of its fast memory in which a program is stored comprising the multimedia services routines required for the channel. The multimedia services program stored in the portion of fast memory allocated to a channel is then utilized to process the incoming channel signal data. The processed signal data is then output to memory shared between the DSP and the host processor. The portion of memory and the program for each channel can be dynamically reconfigured in real-time on a per channel basis.

Abstract: The present invention relates to wireless communication systems and in particular to wireless communication systems which employ coder-decoder means in the transmission of information between two parts of the system. One aspect of the present invention provides method of setting up a wireless communications link between two radio stations which each communicate with a respective base station by the use of a selected one of several codecs; the method comprising: the signalling by each party to the other party of the codecs supported between each radio station and base station by said each party; and selecting an appropriate codec based upon the signalling information, whereby the quality of the link is maximised.

Abstract: A method for allowing subscribers of a telecommunications network to change easily between sets of desired features is disclosed. The home location register stores multiple profiles of all subscribers within its serving region along with an active profile number field indicating the list of features currently available to each subscriber. Upon initial registration of the mobile station at a mobile switching center communicating with the home location register, a default profile is extracted from the home location register. Upon dialling a special code or number, a subscriber can prompt a change of profile containing a different set of features for different users of the mobile station or for different times of day or geographic areas. In this way, subscribers bypass the routine of having to contact an agent in order to add or remove features and are allowed to switch among multiple profiles at will. A personal identification number can be used to enhance the security of the profile change procedure.

Abstract: A system and method for delivering short messages to idle mobile stations which conserves paging channel capacity. A normal page is first sent to all cells to locate the mobile station to which the short message is addressed. When the mobile station is located, the full short message is sent over the paging channel for the single cell in which the mobile station is located if the length of the short message is determined to be suitable for sending over the paging channel. If the short message is too long, then a traffic channel is established to the mobile station, and the message is sent over the traffic channel.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing an audio tag in response to calling line identification information. The method includes the steps of, receiving calling line identification information from a telephone line, searching a directory, using at least some of the calling line identification information as a search parameter to locate a directory record corresponding to at least some of the calling line identification information, communicating information held in the directory record or in the calling line identification information to a text to speech converter to produce the audio tag.

Abstract: A passive method and packaging system for thermally controlling the temperature of electronic equipment within a housing are disclosed. The packaging system provides for two cooling steps, each of which uses a different passive cooling technology. Cooling by changing the phase of Phase Change Material, assists in controlling internal ambient temperatures by limiting the effects of short term localized thermal phenomena which would otherwise further increase internal temperatures. Cooling is also provided for by switching on a second passive cooling means, preferably a heat pipe, as the internal temperature of the housing increases above a predetermined temperature and to switch it off as the internal temperature drops below the predetermined temperature. Turning the second passive cooling means on and off provides respectively, a low or high thermal resistance path between the interior and exterior of the housing.

Abstract: A system and method for supporting concurrent message streams. The state machine is used for modeling a digital system having several states. The states represent messages in the digital system. Added to the state machine is a regressive state. The regressive state is connected to each of the states and all transitions between the states go through the regressive state. Also, queues are provided with the state machine to facilitate the concurrent message streams. A queue may be provided with each state so that if multiple message streams are at a single state, they may be stored in the queue provided with the state. Alternatively, a queue may be provided with each message stream so that each queue can keep track of the state at which the corresponding message stream is located.