Abstract: System and method for controlling an ancillary telecommunications device such as an echo canceller within a telecommunications system. The system and method include and involve a switching system that is configured to receive a call from a calling station and to route said call within said telecommunications system, and an ancillary telecommunications device that is configured to control a call processing parameter to affect the call. The switching system and the ancillary telecommunications device are coupled to each other via a channelized call data network. The channelized call data network is configured to communicate data corresponding to the call over at least one data channel. The ancillary telecommunications device may control the call processing parameter to affect the call based on a continuity test issued by the switching system to the ancillary telecommunications device prior to the call.

Abstract: A double firewalled system is disclosed for protecting remote enterprise servers that provide communication services to telecommunication network customers from unauthorized third parties. A first router directs all connection requests to one or more secure web servers, which may utilize a load balancer to efficiently distribute the session connection load among a high number of authorized client users. On the network side of the web servers, a second router directs all connection requests to a dispatcher server, which routes application server calls to a proxy server for the application requested. A plurality of data security protocols are also employed. The protocols provide for an identification of the user, and an authentication of the user to ensure the user is who he/she claims to be and a determination of entitlements that the user may avail themselves of within the enterprise system.

Abstract: An integrated series of security protocols is disclosed that protect remote user communications with remote enterprise services, and simultaneously protect the enterprises services from third parties. In the first layer, an implementation of the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) version of HTTPS provides communications security, including authentication of the enterprise web server and the security of the transmitted data. The protocols provide for an identification of the user, and an authentication of the user to ensure the user is who he/she claims to be and a determination of entitlements that the user may avail themselves of within the enterprise system.

Abstract: System and methodology for providing real-time call processing services received at a switch in an intelligent network having one or more service nodes having originating switches for receiving a call event. The system includes a platform-independent communication system for enabling communication between object instances executing at service nodes in the intelligent network. An operating system agent object instance executing in an execution environment associated with an originating switch communicates call origination information corresponding to a call event received at the switch to one or more object instances executing in an execution environment provided at a service node in the network; the object instances including a line object instance for maintaining the state of a communications line associated with a call origination, and, a service object implementing methods for performing a service according to a customer request.

Abstract: A system for preventing telecommunications fraud, the system comprising a database, at least one processor and related software, the at least one processor receives and stores numbers representing terminating ANIs in the database that have generated a fraud alert. The stored numbers include at least a portion of the terminating ANI and at least one variable length character, and are accessible to block subsequent calls directed at the respective terminating ANIs. The at least one processor receives a dialed terminating ANI representing a subsequently dialed call and checks the database to determine if the dialed terminating ANI matches a stored number. The at least one variable length character matches any corresponding character in the dialed terminating ANI. One variable length character may also match one or more subsequent characters in the dialed terminating ANI. A match between the dialed terminating ANI and a stored number initiate a block of the dialed call.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for capturing call events and other information in a platform independent way. The method includes generating call event records in response to a SIP call events. A call event file is created that includes all the call event records collected by a server over a predetermined period of time. The call event file is an XML document that includes generic, uniformly formatted records that can be read by any network device equipped with an XML parser. XML documents include embedded instructions that enable a receiving computer to decode the records without needing a special proprietary interface.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing inmate security threat group information includes correlating inmate identification records from a plurality of correctional facilities in a central database with call detail records from inmate telephone activities together with security threat group data comprising inmate affiliations and telephone numbers associated with security threats and security threat groups.

Abstract: A system for analyzing fraud in a telecommunications system, where the system comprises at least one processor, software and calling records stored in a database. The at least one processor has input that receives a user selection of a revenue source and one or more streams of revenue that contribute to the revenue source. The system retrieves and processes the calling records pertaining to the selected revenue source or stream of revenue. The system then generates at least one graphical display pertaining to the revenue generated and losses due to fraud for the selected revenue source or stream of revenue. A method for analyzing fraud in a telecommunications system presents a user with graphic data pertaining to fraud and revenue for a revenue source. The user is then presented with a selection of one or more streams of revenue of an nth level that contribute to the revenue source, where n is greater than or equal to one. The user provides a selection for one of the one or more nth level streams of revenue.

Abstract: An Internet Web-based order entry and system administration system is provided for ordering and fulfilling a suite of Web enabled applications. The system includes a capability for enabling customers to order and administer via the Internet, service products running on back-end systems. The system further communicates with the/back-end systems for synchronizing data associated with the customers. The system also accepts and processes security requests from the front-end and back-end servers associated with the suite of Web enabled applications. The system is easily accessed and invoked from a generic, off-the-shelf Web browser and at the same time a system infrastructure is provided that enables the secure initiation of order entry and system administration to customers from any computer terminal having a browser located anywhere in the world.

Abstract: An intelligent telephone set is disclosed that includes a caller-ID circuit that extracts a call identifier from an incoming call. A call processing circuit in communication with the caller-ID circuit assigns the incoming call to a caller category associated with the call identifier. Subsequently, it selects a call processing action corresponding to the caller category and processes the incoming call using the selected call processing action. The intelligent telephone set allows users to set criteria for receiving and processing calls based on CID data. One such call processing action is to use CID data to forward an incoming call to a predetermined location.

Abstract: In an optical data communications link, a modulated optical signal is emitted from an optical transmitter, coupled into one end of an optical fiber, and received by an optical receiver at the opposite end of the fiber. The present invention relates to reducing the polarization-mode dispersion (PMD) of the modulated optical signal caused by the birefringence of the fiber, which tends to limit the usable bandwidth of the fiber. A polarization controller is applied to the modulated optical signal substantially near the transmitter. The receiver measures the quality of the received signal and issues commands to the polarization controller to improve the received signal quality. In various embodiments, the signal quality measurement may be based on observed bit-error-rate (BER), estimated best attainable BER, or estimates of PMD affecting the received signal.

Abstract: Calls are routed in a hybrid telecommunications system including a switched communications network and a packet transmission network. A gateway server provides file transfer services in response to a user initiating a call. Calls and data are routed over a hybrid network including a satellite facility. The satellite facility receives data streams at a stream gateway, receives data files and stores and forwards the data files to file gateways as directed by a scheduling service according to the subscriber and the data. All data is multiplexed with authentication and session information and transmitted through orbiting satellite links or the Internet to a receiving facility. Transmission status is returned to the transmitting facility and the data is retransmitted accordingly. The receiving facility decodes the satellite transmission data and transmits the data to client device(s) as directed by a scheduling service according to the subscriber and the data.

Abstract: A network architecture in accordance with the present invention includes a communication network that supports one or more network-based Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). The communication network includes a plurality of boundary routers that are connected by access links to CPE edge routers belonging to the one or more VPNs. To prevent traffic from outside a customer's VPN (e.g., traffic from other VPNs or the Internet at large) from degrading the QoS provided to traffic from within the customer's VPN, the present invention gives precedence to intra-VPN traffic over extra-VPN traffic on each customer's access link through access link prioritization or access link capacity allocation, such that extra-VPN traffic cannot interfere with inter-VPN traffic.

Abstract: A network architecture includes a communication network that supports one or more network-based Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). The communication network includes a plurality of boundary routers that are connected by access links to CPE edge routers belonging to the one or more VPNs. To prevent traffic from outside a customer's VPN (e.g., traffic from other VPNs or the Internet at large) from degrading the QoS provided to traffic from within the customer's VPN, the present invention gives precedence to intra-VPN traffic over extra-VPN traffic on each customer's access link through access link prioritization or access link capacity allocation, such that extra-VPN traffic cannot interfere with inter-VPN traffic.

Abstract: A method and apparatus in a switching element for maintaining data used in operation of a communications system. Examples of such operations include serving sessions and routing calls. A local data structure is maintained within the switching element wherein the local data structure contains data used by the switching element in its operation in the communications system. Responsive to a requirement for needed data that is unavailable or out-of-date from the local data structure, a request is generated for the needed data from a server through a communications link from the switching element to the server.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for remote configuration of alert mode parameters of personal communication devices and, in particular, remote override of a silent or inaudible alert mode of the PCD.

Abstract: There is provided a method for emergency service access using a mobil telephone. When an emergency situation arises and a caller enters an emergency number such as 911 [send] from a locked mobile telephone, the mobile telephone compares the entered value (911) with a list of emergency numbers stored in the memory of the mobile telephone. If the entered number is on the known emergency number list, the mobile telephone immediately places the emergency call even though the telephone is locked. All other key combinations will be compared to a user defined access code previously stored in memory. If the entered value matches the value stored in memory, the mobile phone will be unlocked and ready for normal use. If the values do not match, the mobile phone will remain disabled. In addition, during an emergency call, a mobile provider provides a set of emergency contact records (ECR) to an emergency public service answering point (PSAP).

Abstract: A system and method for blocking uncollectible random call traffic of a telecommunication network. The system includes a database that stores a plurality of customer and call data, a fraud detection server that extracts from the database a plurality of customer and call data pertaining to uncollectible random call traffic and generates a call block list; at least one switch lookup table; and at least one telecommunication switch located within the telecommunication network that routes or prohibits telecommunication network traffic over the telecommunication network based upon information contained in the at least one switch lookup table.

Abstract: A method and apparatus performing fault management in an optical communications system including a polarization mode dispersion (PMD) compensator. The method and apparatus utilizes a controller receiving notifications indicative of PMD in the system, as well as at least one indicator from a system device providing an indication of an attribute of the communication system. Such system devices include a receiver providing a Q factor and a bit error rate (BER) of an optical signal, and a signal-to-noise ratio meter providing an SNR of the optical signal. The method intelligently provides fault management by correlating the PMD notifications and system indicators to distinguish between fiber failure, PMD-related degradations, and failure of monitoring equipment itself.

Abstract: A method and device for suppressing threshold alerts in a telecommunication fraud control system is disclosed. Threshold alerts are generated when the count of a certain category of call exceeds a certain threshold. These counts are maintained in relation to particular accounts. A fraud analyst determines whether or not a particular account will have alert suppression enabled, based on the type of account and its history. Once alert suppression is enabled, the count is multiplied by a coefficient before determining whether to issue a threshold alert. If the multiplied count still exceeds the threshold, an alert is generated. If not, no alert is generated.