Abstract: A system for processing medical reports includes a network. The system includes a plurality of EMR systems. Each EMR system has an EMR database and an EMR processing unit. The processing unit of at least one EMR system generating a text report for a patient. Each EMR system remote from each other EMR system and in communication with each other through the network. The system includes a controller having a controller database and a controller processing unit which automatically collects the text reports for the patient from the plurality of EMR systems, or produces text reports for the patient from data in the EMR database of at least one EMR system. The controller maintains a linkage for each report between the controller database and the EMR database from which each report arose. A method for processing medical reports includes the steps of generating a text report for a patient with a processing unit of at least one EMR system of a plurality of EMR systems.

Abstract: An ATM communication system. The system includes a source which produces traffic for connections having known traffic characteristics and unknown traffic characteristics. The traffic has unknown characteristics including traffic with weighted priorities and traffic without weighted priorities. The system includes a network on which traffic travels. The source is connected to the network. The source sends the traffic having known traffic characteristics and unknown traffic characteristics onto the network. The system includes a destination which is connected to the network and receives the traffic having known traffic characteristics and unknown traffic characteristics. A source for producing ATM traffic for a network with switches. A switch for switching traffic on an ATM network from a source to a destination. A method for transferring in an ATM communication system.

Abstract: A switch for a network. The switch includes an input port mechanism which receives traffic of connections from the network. Each connection has a priority. The switch includes an output port mechanism which sends traffic of connections to the network. The switch includes a controller which serves connections and which monitors the connections received by the input port mechanism and sent by the output port mechanism and releases connections according to a connection's priority when a predetermined condition exists in the switch. The controller is connected to the input port mechanism and the output port mechanism. Each connection requests a specific bandwidth from the controller. A method for switching connections. The method includes the steps of monitoring traffic of connections received by a switch. Then there is the step of releasing connections from the switch according to the connection's priority when a predetermined condition in the switch exists.

Abstract: An apparatus for switching cells from entities in a network. The apparatus includes an input mechanism for receiving all cells by the apparatus from the network. The apparatus includes a memory mechanism for storing all cells received by the input mechanism that are to be stored in the apparatus. The memory mechanism is connected to the input port mechanism. The memory mechanism has an occupancy for cells. The apparatus includes an output mechanism for sending cells from the apparatus to the network. The apparatus includes a server for providing service to the cells at a service rate. The server is connected to the memory mechanism and the output mechanism. The apparatus includes a scheduler for providing service to the cells in the memory mechanism. The scheduler is connected to the server and the memory mechanism. A method for switching cells. An ATM switch which stamps Explicit Rate to ABR VCs for controlling ABR traffic flow on a given link of the ATM switch.

Abstract: An ATM communications system. The system includes an ATM network on which ABR traffic having ABR connections travel and UBR traffic having UBR connections travel. The system includes a first source node which produces UBR traffic connected to the ATM network. The system includes a first UBR-ABR gateway which is connected to the ATM network and which receives the UBR traffic and converts the UBR traffic to ABR traffic. The system includes a second UBR-ABR gateway which is connected to the ATM network and which receives ABR traffic and converts the ABR traffic to UBR traffic. The system includes a destination node connected to the ATM network which receives the UBR traffic. A UBR-ABR gateway regarding ABR traffic having ABR connections and UBR traffic having UBR connections. The gateway includes at least one input port for receiving UBR traffic. The gateway includes a controller which converts the UBR traffic to ABR traffic.

Abstract: There is shown an apparatus for switching. The apparatus for switching comprises L switching modules which switch packets, where L.gtoreq.2 and is an integer. In an embodiment, each of the L switching modules switch packets independent of any other switching module such that there is distributed switching of packets across the L switching modules. The apparatus also comprises an interconnection module which is connected to each of the L switching modules. The interconnection module that provides a passive backplane provides connectivity between the L switching modules. In an embodiment, the interconnection module provides space and time multiplexed connectivity between the L switching modules. In an other embodiment, the interconnection module is expandable without a priori knowledge of a final number of switching modules. In yet another embodiment, the interconnection module is reprogrammable in regard to connectivity between the L switching modules.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a packet switch. The packet switch is comprised of a global shared-memory queue having M storage addresses in which respective packets are stored, where M.gtoreq.3 and is an integer. The packet switch is also comprised of a presentation network having N input ports for receiving packets and providing the respective packets to desired addresses in the queue, where N.ltoreq.3 and is an integer. The queue is in communication with the presentation network for receiving the packets. The packet switch is also comprised of a distribution network having J input ports, where J.ltoreq.1, for receiving packets from the queue and providing them to the desired output ports. The distribution network is in communication with the queue. There is also means for ordering packets received by the presentation network such that packets received sequentially by the presentation network are caused to be provided by the presentation network to consecutive addresses in the queue.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a packet switch. The packet switch is comprised of a global shared-memory queue having M storage addresses in which respective packets are stored, where M.gtoreq.3 and is an integer. The packet switch is also comprised of a presentation network having N input ports for receiving packets and providing the respective packets to desired addresses in the queue, where N.gtoreq.3 and is an integer. The queue is in communication with the presentation network for receiving the packets. The packet switch is also comprised of a distribution network having J input ports, where J.gtoreq.1, for receiving packets from the queue and providing them to the desired output ports. The distribution network is in communication with the queue. There is also means for ordering packets received by the presentation network such that packets received sequentially by the presentation network are caused to be provided by the presentation network to consecutive addresses in the queue.