Abstract: A method of handling incoming calls directed to a virtual communication subscriber is disclosed. An incoming call intended for the virtual communication subscriber is received at a communication device. A call is placed to the communication device using contact information provided by the virtual communication subscriber. Extension information is provided to a SLS when the call is answered which corresponds to a communication line associated with the communication device. Upon connection to the communication device, the incoming call is bridged with the call placed to the communication device.

Abstract: A system and method for providing PBX-like functionality at a remote office location includes the capability of maintaining a network session with a mobile number associated with the remote worker once the worker terminates the remote office session. The system utilizes a remote office platform interposed between a data communications network and a conventional PBX switch (located either at a subscriber-based office location or within the communication network and shared by a number of different subscribers). A remotely located individual (such as a telecommuter) “logs in” to the remote office platform and, once the individual is authenticated, a graphical user interface (GUI) emulating a PBX station set is enabled at the remote employee's personal computer, the GUI including a field for entry of the user's mobile number.

Abstract: Unicast endpoint clients (110, 111, 115) on an IP Unicast network (107, 108) are provided access to Multicast sessions on an IP Multicast network (101) through a Multicast-Unicast gateway server (120, 121). The server obtains information about sessions on the Multicast network and makes such information available to a Unicast client on the Unicast network upon request by the client. Upon being presented with a list describing the subject matter of each session, the user at the Unicast client selects the session to which he or she wants to join, which causes the Multicast-Unicast server to join the appropriate session on behalf of the requesting client for each media type in which the joining client wants to be a participant. The server then sets a bi-directional Unicast User Datagram Protocol (UDP) stream between itself and the client. All packets then received by the server from the Unicast client are address-translated to the appropriate Multicast session address.

Abstract: Unicast endpoint clients (110, 111, 115) on an IP Unicast network (107, 108) are provided access to Multicast sessions on an IP Multicast network (101) through a Multicast-Unicast gateway server (120, 121). The server obtains information about sessions on the Multicast network and makes such information available to a Unicast client on the Unicast network upon request by the client. Upon being presented with a list describing the subject matter of each session, the user at the Unicast client selects the session to which he or she wants to join, which causes the Multicast-Unicast server to join the appropriate session on behalf of the requesting client for each media type in which the joining client wants to be a participant. The server then sets a bi-directional Unicast User Datagram Protocol (UDP) stream between itself and the client. All packets then received by the server from the Unicast client are address-translated to the appropriate Multicast session address.

Abstract: A system and method for providing PBX-like functionality at a mobile location includes the capability of maintaining a network session with a mobile number associated with a remote worker. The system utilizes a remote office platform interposed between a data communications network and a conventional PBX switch. A remotely located individual (such as a telecommuter) “logs in” to the remote office platform and, once the individual is authenticated, PBX-like communication with the mobile device is established. If the device is a computer-enabled device and includes a display, the platform can enable a graphical user interface emulating a PBX station set to the device. Alternatively, the remote worker can enter either spoken commands or series of DTMF sequences to utilize the PBX-like features. For these applications, the remote office platform includes a speech recognition module and a translation table for converting a sequence of DTMF tones into a PBX-like call feature (e.g., transfer, hold, mute, etc.).

Abstract: In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a method for selecting a server to provide content to a client is presented. A media controller receives a request from a client for content. The media controller instructs a plurality of servers each storing the content required by the client to perform a bandwidth measurement referred to in the disclosure as a bandwidth probe. The result of the bandwidth probe is communicated to the media controller. The media controller selects a server (i.e., an identified server) for communication with the client based on the result and communicates the selection in the form of a redirect command to the client. The client then communicates directly with the identified server.

Abstract: A method of handling incoming calls directed to a virtual communication subscriber is disclosed. An incoming call intended for the virtual communication subscriber is received at a communication device. A call is placed to the communication device using contact information provided by the virtual communication subscriber. Extension information is provided to a SLS when the call is answered which corresponds to a communication line associated with the communication device. Upon connection to the communication device, the incoming call is bridged with the call placed to the communication device.

Abstract: A system and method for providing PBX-like functionality at a remote office location includes the capability of maintaining a network session with a mobile number associated with the remote worker once the worker terminates the remote office session. The system utilizes a remote office platform interposed between a data communications network and a conventional PBX switch (located either at a subscriber-based office location or within the communication network and shared by a number of different subscribers). A remotely located individual (such as a telecommuter) “logs in” to the remote office platform and, once the individual is authenticated, a graphical user interface (GUI) emulating a PBX station set is enabled at the remote employee's personal computer, the GUI including a field for entry of the user's mobile number.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for the repair of IP multicast sessions. A repair server polls multiple transmit servers to accumulate as many of the packets missing from the multicast session as possible. A network includes a source of multicast packets in a multicast session and a plurality of multicast recipients in that session. A repair server in the network provides the packets it receives to the recipients. The repair server includes a missing packet detector. There is a plurality of retransmit servers in the network buffering portions of the packets they respectively receive during the session. The repair server maintains an ordered list of the retransmit servers that are most likely to have buffered copies of packets missing from the session. When the repair server detects that there are packets missing from the session it has received, it uses the ordered list to sequentially request the missing packets from respective ones of the plurality of retransmit servers.

Abstract: A method of handling incoming calls directed to a virtual communication subscriber is disclosed. An incoming call intended for the virtual communication subscriber is received at a first communication device. A call is placed to a second communication device using contact information provided by the virtual communication subscriber. Extension information is provided to a guest PBX when the call is answered which corresponds to a communication line associated with the second communication device. Upon connection to the second communication device, the incoming call is bridged with the call placed to the second communication device.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for the repair of IP multicast sessions. A repair server polls multiple transmit servers to accumulate as many of the packets missing from the multicast session as possible. A network includes a source of multicast packets in a multicast session and a plurality of multicast recipients in that session. A repair server in the network provides the packets it receives to the recipients. The repair server includes a missing packet detector. There is a plurality of retransmit servers in the network buffering portions of the packets they respectively receive during the session. The repair server maintains an ordered list of the retransmit servers that are most likely to have buffered copies of packets missing from the session. When the repair server detects that there are packets missing from the session it has received, it uses the ordered list to sequentially request the missing packets from respective ones of the plurality of retransmit servers.

Abstract: A system and method provide for recipient-initiated automatic repair of IP multicast sessions. A multicast application on a receiver issues a request to join an IP multicast session “X”. A translator/decryption module (TDM) on the receiver intercepts this request and sends it to a controller on a repair server. The controller sends a request to a subscription server to determine if this user has subscribed to the repair service. The controller receives a positive response from the subscription server and determines whether a repair/encryption module exists for this multicast session. If it does not, then the controller selects an IP multicast address, port number and decryption key for a new IP multicast session “Y”. This information is returned to the TDM. The controller creates a repair/encryption module (REM) and provides the IP multicast address and port number for the new IP multicast session “Y” and an encryption key to the REM.

Abstract: A data network-based teleconferencing platform is implemented to allow individuals to set up and control conference calls over the conventional voice network, even individuals without direct access to a teleconference-enabling element (such as a PBX switch). A network-controlling server (such as a CTI server), in conjunction with a web server, are located in the data network and used to interface between the individual and a conventional conference element (such as a PBX switch). The web server responds to data commands from the indvidual to set up a conference call, and may use directory listings stored in a data base at the platform to retrieve the necessary call set-up information. The call set-up information is then sent from the web server to the CTI server, which translates this information into telecommunication commands and forwards the commands to the PBX switch, where the PBX switch then sets up the call in its usual fashion.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for the automatic and transparent repair of IP multicast sessions. The invention is a system and method for the repair of IP multicast sessions. In one aspect of the invention the method repairs a multicast session in a network, beginning with the step of sending a request message from a source to a subscription server in the network, requesting a repair service for an original multicast session originated by the source. The method continues by sending an enabling signal from the subscription server to a plurality of retransmit servers in the network, to buffer data traffic from the original multicast session, in response to the request. The method continues by buffering a copy of the data traffic at each of the plurality of retransmit servers and monitoring errors in each copy. The method continues by automatically selecting with the plurality of retransmit servers at least one retransmit server from among the plurality, having a minimum of the errors in its respective copy.

Abstract: Proposed is a system and method for providing Intelligent Network services. In one embodiment, the system of the present invention includes a database interacting with a socket redirector installed on a client computer. In one method implemented using the system of the present invention, a socket redirector intercepts a standard Internet Protocol (IP) socket call from a client software application and identifies parameters within the socket call. If the redirector is able to determine that the identified parameters are addressed to the most appropriate socket for accommodating the software application's request, the IP socket call is sent to network software where the socket call is used to form packets which are sent over the network to the requested socket. If the redirector is unable to determine that the identified parameters are addressed to the most appropriate socket for accommodating the request, the redirector requests instructions from a database.

Abstract: Unicast endpoint clients (110, 111, 115) on an IP Unicast network (107, 108) are provided access to Multicast sessions on an IP Multicast network (101) through a Multicast-Unicast gateway server (120, 121). The server obtains information about sessions on the Multicast network and makes such information available to a Unicast client on the Unicast network upon request by the client. Upon being presented with a list describing the subject matter of each session, the user at the Unicast client selects the session to which he or she wants to join, which causes the Multicast-Unicast server to join the appropriate session on behalf of the requesting client for each media type in which the joining client wants to be a participant. The server then sets a bidirectional Unicast User Datagram Protocol (UDP) stream between itself and the client. All packets then received by the server from the Unicast client are address-translated to the appropriate Multicast session address.

Abstract: A endpoint client (111-1) on an IP Unicast network (107) that is provided access to a Multicast session on an IP Multicast network (101) through a Multicast-Unicast gateway server (MUS) (120) is enabled to re-Multicast that session to other endpoint clients (111-2) on the network to which it is connected or to endpoint clients (134, 135) on any Multicast-capable sub-network (132) to which it is directly connected. To act as a re-Multicaster, the endpoint client receiving Unicast-addressed packets from the session from the MUS, re-translates these Unicast-addressed packets to Multicast-addressed packets by translating the Unicast address in the distribution field of each packet's header into a Multicast address and overwriting the Unicast address in each header with the Multicast address. When an endpoint client on the same or connected sub-network as the re-Multicaster desires to join a session that is being re-Multicast, it needs only connect to that Multicast address.

Abstract: Cross-service connectivity between use of the telephone network and use of an e-mail data network is provided by enabling a recipient of an e-mail message to receive e-mail messages through an alias e-mail address which is directly associated with the recipient's telephone number. Thus, the alias e-mail address consists of the recipient's telephone number as the recipient name at a well-known and publicized common domain name server. A sender therefore addresses an e-mail message to the recipient to that alias e-mail address using the recipient's alias telephone number name. A message addressed to the alias e-mail address is sent to a translation server at that known domain name, where the alias telephone number-recipient name is translated to the actual e-mail address comprising the recipient's actual name and associated domain name server, and the message is then forwarded to that recipient at that actual e-mail address.