Abstract: Methods, apparatus and computer system for efficiently utilizing a conference bridge capacity in order to support a multipoint conference call are described. Each conference bridge within multiple communication groups determines which local communication unit is a dominant local communication unit, quantizes that dominant local communication unit's signal, and transmits the quantized signal of the dominant local communication unit via signaling channels to the other conference bridges. Each conference bridge then compares the various quantized signals of the various dominant local communication units to determine an overall dominant communication unit of the multipoint conference. Then the signal of the overall dominant communication unit is then transmitted to all communication units participating in the conference call in various ways for different embodiments of the invention.

Abstract: Methods and systems for a distributed scalable hardware independent system that supports multiple functions regarding management and support of communications over a packet-based network. The communications supported by these methods and systems include, but are not limited to, Voice Over Internet Protocol (“VOIP”), voice over Asynchronous Transfer Mode (“ATM”), video conferencing, data transfer, telephony, and downloading video or other data. These methods and systems use a call agent, which is composed of various objects distributed along a CORBA software bus, for exercising call management over two endpoints communicating over a packet-based network.

Abstract: A method of providing a qualification function and associated action function to be performed for a connection request or a group of connection requests. The invention is applicable to situations wherein it is desirable for the network to perform a specific action before, during and/or after the establishment of a connection. The network is provided a mechanism whereby specific connection requests trigger the performance of one or more action functions. The network is operative to qualify connection requests wherein one or more action functions associated with those connection request(s) are triggered in response thereto. The qualifier, upon a connection meeting the criteria, passes a trigger to the specific action function that performs the desired specific action. More than one action may be specified, each action functioning to resolve an existing problem or perform a desired action.

Abstract: A method of implementing a distributed algorithm which is based on sending Bridge Protocol Data Units (BPDUs) only between neighboring bridging-devices in a network. The method includes sending BPDUs from a first bridging-device of the network to at least one non-neighboring second bridging-device, and determining a characteristic of the network responsive to the BPDUs.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for conveying information over a communication network such as a Digital Loop Carrier (DLC) network free of in-band signaling information for at least a portion of an established communication between at least two users so as to reduce the information error rate associated with the established communication. For communication links that support robbed-bit signaling (RBS), the RBS signaling is disabled to allow the communication link to be operated in a clear channel mode. When appropriate, operations can be switch from the clear channel mode back to the RBS mode. Embodiments are described for one-stage DLC systems having a local digital switch (LDS) connected to a remote terminal (RT) by a communication link conforming to either the TR-303 protocol or the TR-008 protocol. In addition, embodiments are described for two-stage DLC systems that also have a distance terminal (DT) connected to the RT by a second communication link.

Abstract: A method for receiving a telephone call being transmitted on a network using Internet protocol (IP network) is disclosed. A request to handle the telephone call is received from an originating node on the IP network by a leader node on the IP network. A receiving node, having a receiving address, is selected to receive the telephone call. The receiving node is selected from a set of nodes comprising the leader node and at least one follower node, where each node in the set of nodes can receive the telephone call. The receiving address is transmitted by the leader node to the originating node using the IP network. The leader node causes the originating node to transmit the telephone call to the receiving node using the IP network.

Abstract: A format converting apparatus for a mutual data exchange between an IEEE 1394 serial bus and a VSB remodulator is disclosed. The present invention allows a conversion from a format of the IEEE 1394 to the VSB remodulator and also a conversion from a format of the VSB remodulator to the IEEE 1394. Therefore, digital equipment having both the IEEE 1394 and the VSB remodulator can be utilized without problem.

Abstract: A virtual transport server apparatus in a telecommunication network having a packet network and a circuit network with a telephonic switching device, a circuit signaling interface for terminating a signaling link between the virtual transport server apparatus and the telephonic switching device coupled to the circuit network and a packet signaling interface for terminating a packet link between the virtual transport server apparatus and the packet network. A circuit receiver is coupled to a processor and the circuit signaling interface for receiving call origination information having a circuit identification code from the telephonic switching device at the circuit receiver and a packet transmitter coupled to the processor and the packet signaling interface for transmitting the call origination information from the virtual transport server apparatus to a packet circuit gateway in response to the processor processing the call origination information from the circuit receiver.

Abstract: An apparatus having an identification code in a communication network comprising a transceiver coupled to the communication network receiving a message having an alias identification code assigned to a switch call controller and a separate independent switch fabric controller portion. The apparatus also having a processor coupled to the transceiver, an input/output port for communicating with the independent switch fabric controller device, for sending a resource allocation message to the input/output port for transmission to the switch fabric device in response to receiving the message having the switch fabric data portion.

Abstract: There is provided a method and apparatus for establishing a connection across a connection oriented network to enable communication between an originating network element and a destination network node. The originating network element is connected to source network node in the connection oriented network by a source communications channel which is addressable in the connection oriented network. The connection oriented network has a signalling infrastructure employing a network signalling protocol for establishing connections within the connection oriented network. A connection establishment request message is generated for requesting the establishment of the connection between the originating network element and the destination network node and includes information identifying the source and destination communications channels. A proxy connection establishment request message is sent from a network controlling element to the connection oriented network over a proxy signalling link provided therebetween.

Abstract: A method of improving capacity in a duplexing scheme is provided. The duplexing scheme has a first band of frequencies and a second band of frequencies. The method comprises the steps of: determining an amount of available capacity on the first band of frequencies (steps 402, 404, 410), transmitting, on the first band of frequencies, a variable amount of feedback data corresponding to the amount of available capacity on the first band of frequencies, the feedback data comprising data for improving the quality of communications on the second band of frequencies, and optimizing (steps 406, 408, 412, 414) transmissions on the second band of frequencies using, when available, the feedback data.

Abstract: A controllable mechanism for by-passing Layer 4 (L4) classification is based on the insertion into a set of Layer 3 (L3) rules in an L3 lookup tree set of Layer 4 (L4) Classification Required Flags. The state of the L4 classification flag is set by comparing the L4 classification rule to an IP (Internet Protocol) lookup rule. Routing is accomplished by selecting which rule to apply to the data packet and reading the state of the corresponding L4 Classification Required Flag. In response to a first state of the corresponding L4 Classification Required Flag, an L4 classification is performed followed by a routing of the data packet. In response to a second state of the corresponding L4 Classification Required Flag performing a routing of said data packet. In a second embodiment, the method inserts into a set of L3 rules in L3 lookup means a set L4 Classification Required Flags and Global Flags.

Abstract: In an ATM network, data loss caused by pre-programmed network optimizations can be reduced or avoided if a record of such optimizations is made, and if, prior to another optimization, some event occurs. The detection of some external event should indicate that another optimization is warranted.

Abstract: A virtual circuit whose path across a network is specified by a human operator (hereinafter operator directed route or ODR VC) is established by manually provisioning a preferred path for the connection, including a source node, destination node, and intermediate nodes or subnetworks therebetween. The source node creates a call setup message which is signalled along the preferred path, whereby the intermediate nodes along the preferred path establish the bearer channel cross-connects. The operator also specifies a re-muting scheme for the ODR VC in the event the preferred path is blocked or a link subsequently fails. The re-routing scheme includes one of (a) the preferred path only; (b) at least one manually provisioned alternate path; and (c) any available path.

Abstract: An ATM apparatus includes an ATM device, and a plurality of devices arranged in a multistage formation in which the ATM device is located at a top of the multistage structure. The ATM device and the plurality of devices employ a given interface using an address signal and a control signal, and transfer routing information including address information on at least one of the devices by using the address signal and a data signal written into a given field of an ATM cell.

Abstract: A packet switch is configured for determining an equivalent bandwidth for use in GCAC. The equivalent bandwidth definition of the invention is derived by multiplying some known connection parameter such as, for example, a selected bandwidth value by a multiplier preferably computed and stored in look-up tables according to the invention. The appropriate multiplier for a given connection request associated with a call may then be found by accessing sets of the look-up tables based on one or more connection and/or network parameters. For each link in a path considered during GCAC, the product of the multiplication of the selected bandwidth value and the multiplier is then compared to the available bandwidth, AvCR, of the path links to determine if the path satisfies the connection request.

Abstract: A received data stream is formed into a stream of packets, each packet comprising a payload section of data and an overhead section. In forming the packets, a template overhead section is created for use by the stream of packets and this template is applied to the data to form the packets. This avoids the need to individually pass packets through a routing stack, thus reducing the processing demands on the processor which constructs the data packets and reducing the transmission delay experienced by data. The template overhead section can be formed by sending a packet through a routing stack. Another aspect describes apparatus for processing packets where a first processor processes signalling packets and a second processor processes real-time data packets. The first processor can be, used to create the template overhead section before passing the template information to the second processor where it can be used in forming the real-time data packets.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method and device for bit stuffing for digital communication purposes. A method according to the present invention contains a process related to bit stuffing, comprising the steps of selecting n bits from a first queue forming a first-bit sequence, comparing the first bit sequence with prestored bit stuffing data and performing actions with the selected bit sequence and first queue according to data comprised in the prestored bit stuffing data. In a bit stuffing process according to the present invention a number of bits are added to a second queue and a number of bits are removed from the first queue, said bit sequences or number of bits are determined from the prestored bit stuffing data. The process of comparing the selected bit sequence with prestored data is possible to perform in all steps involved with bit stuffing, both in the transmitting process and in the receiving process, and in the during flag hunting as well as bit stuffing.

Abstract: An apparatus, a method, and a computer program product for effective communication routing of unicast and broadcast data traffic in wireless ad-hoc networks are presented. The routing technique separates the signaling and data transmission portions of a data frame such that the length of the signaling portion is independent of the length of the data portion. In the signaling portion, reservations are able to be performed and confirmed, while the data portion also includes a reservation confirmation portion which allows reservations made in during the signaling portion of the frame to be confirmed immediately prior to transmission of the data. In addition, the present invention also provides a mechanism for dynamically adjusting reservations.

Abstract: A method in a code division multiple access communication system having network infrastructure and a plurality of mobile terminals, including transmitting (210) composite signal comprising a synchronization signal and another non-orthogonal signal from the network infrastructure, receiving (220) the composite signal at the plurality of mobile terminals of the code division multiple access communication system, and increasing forward link capacity of the code division multiple access communication system by canceling (230) the synchronization signal from at least some of the plurality of mobile terminals.