Abstract: A network computer system operates to determine one or more transport service parameters for an upcoming scheduled event at a mass egress location. One or more activities associated with the scheduled event are monitored to determine whether to update the one or more transport service parameters. Based at least in part on the one or more transport parameters, a set of relocation parameters is determined, including (i) an intermediate location where the service provider is to be located to provide the user with the transport service, and (ii) an intermediate arrival time when the first service provider is to arrive at the intermediate location before the pickup time. Based at least in part on a current location of a selected service provider and the intermediate arrival time, a relocation time when the service provider is to initiate travel to the intermediate location is determined.

Abstract: Embodiments including methods, systems, and apparatuses for distributing, processing, and reacting to path information distributed via a service-agnostic packet fabric for the purpose of enabling path selection are disclosed. By configuring two ingress line cards to send path quality words to each other via the switch fabric, compare the path quality words, and determine whether to transmit traffic to an egress line card via the switch fabric based on the comparison of the path quality words, the embodiments enable a central switch fabric to be unaware of the paths that it carries, and enable both ingress and egress bandwidth of the switch fabric to be sized according to the facilities for which it is terminating. The switch fabric does not need to support working and protection paths simultaneously in some embodiments, allowing it to be scaled appropriately to termination facilities.

Abstract: Embodiments including methods, systems, and apparatuses for distributing, processing, and reacting to path information distributed via a service-agnostic packet fabric for the purpose of enabling path selection are disclosed. By configuring two ingress line cards to send path quality words to each other via the switch fabric, compare the path quality words, and determine whether to transmit traffic to an egress line card via the switch fabric based on the comparison of the path quality words, the embodiments enable a central switch fabric to be unaware of the paths that it carries, and enable both ingress and egress bandwidth of the switch fabric to be sized according to the facilities for which it is terminating. The switch fabric does not need to support working and protection paths simultaneously in some embodiments, allowing it to be scaled appropriately to termination facilities.

Abstract: Embodiments including methods, systems, and apparatuses for distributing, processing, and reacting to path information distributed via a service-agnostic packet fabric for the purpose of enabling path selection are disclosed. By configuring two ingress line cards to send path quality words to each other via the switch fabric, compare the path quality words, and determine whether to transmit traffic to an egress line card via the switch fabric based on the comparison of the path quality words, the embodiments enable a central switch fabric to be unaware of the paths that it carries, and enable both ingress and egress bandwidth of the switch fabric to be sized according to the facilities for which it is terminating. The switch fabric does not need to support working and protection paths simultaneously in some embodiments, allowing it to be scaled appropriately to termination facilities.

Abstract: Embodiments including methods, systems, and apparatuses for distributing, processing, and reacting to path information distributed via a service-agnostic packet fabric for the purpose of enabling path selection are disclosed. By configuring two ingress line cards to send path quality words to each other via the switch fabric, compare the path quality words, and determine whether to transmit traffic to an egress line card via the switch fabric based on the comparison of the path quality words, the embodiments enable a central switch fabric to be unaware of the paths that it carries, and enable both ingress and egress bandwidth of the switch fabric to be sized according to the facilities for which it is terminating. The switch fabric does not need to support working and protection paths simultaneously in some embodiments, allowing it to be scaled appropriately to termination facilities.

Abstract: A graphic display device illuminates interchangeable graphic panels and is mountable to a translucent mounting surface. The graphic display device includes a housing assembly, a light guide assembly, and select device support structure. The housing assembly includes a housing back, a housing front, and peripheral housing edging. Together, the housing back and housing edging define an assembly-receiving volume. The light guide of the light guide assembly is positionable within the assembly-receiving volume for guiding light from the light source in an anterior direction. The device support structure alternatively fasten the graphic display device to a translucent mounting surface or support the device upon a support surface adjacent a window such that the light from the light source is guided in an anterior direction through the window.

Abstract: Embodiments including methods, systems, and apparatuses for distributing, processing, and reacting to path information distributed via a service-agnostic packet fabric for the purpose of enabling path selection are disclosed. By configuring two ingress line cards to send path quality words to each other via the switch fabric, compare the path quality words, and determine whether to transmit traffic to an egress line card via the switch fabric based on the comparison of the path quality words, the embodiments enable a central switch fabric to be unaware of the paths that it carries, and enable both ingress and egress bandwidth of the switch fabric to be sized according to the facilities for which it is terminating. The switch fabric does not need to support working and protection paths simultaneously in some embodiments, allowing it to be scaled appropriately to termination facilities.

Abstract: A graphic display device illuminates interchangeable graphic panels and is mountable to a translucent mounting surface. The graphic display device includes a housing assembly, a light guide assembly, and select device support structure. The housing assembly includes a housing back, a housing front, and peripheral housing edging. Together, the housing back and housing edging define an assembly-receiving volume. The light guide of the light guide assembly is positionable within the assembly-receiving volume for guiding light from the light source in an anterior direction. The device support structure alternatively fasten the graphic display device to a translucent mounting surface or support the device upon a support surface adjacent a window such that the light from the light source is guided in an anterior direction through the window.

Abstract: The specification discloses methods and apparatus for selecting the better of two or more copies of a cell in a cell-oriented redundant switching system connected to an external communications network. In the preferred embodiment, the best cell copy selection aligns redundantly transmitted cell streams before selecting cells for insertion in the data stream. Because the streams are aligned before the selection is made, the best cell copy selector compares each cell at the same instant in time, rather than basing its selection on past events.

Abstract: Embodiments including methods, systems, and apparatuses for distributing, processing, and reacting to path information distributed via a service-agnostic packet fabric for the purpose of enabling path selection are disclosed. By configuring two ingress line cards to send path quality words to each other via the switch fabric, compare the path quality words, and determine whether to transmit traffic to an egress line card via the switch fabric based on the comparison of the path quality words, the embodiments enable a central switch fabric to be unaware of the paths that it carries, and enable both ingress and egress bandwidth of the switch fabric to be sized according to the facilities for which it is terminating. The switch fabric does not need to support working and protection paths simultaneously in some embodiments, allowing it to be scaled appropriately to termination facilities.

Abstract: A rich-media content and branding method and system enable interactive creation of an exciting environment in which branded advertising subtly influences consumers who are enjoying a high-quality, entertaining, rich-media experience. Embedded rich-media players are bordered by branding information such as identification of source and e-mail click-on buttons to facilitate communications between sponsors and consumers, contributions by consumers to the sponsors' digital storehouse, and to facilitate viral exposure of content and brands to prospective consumers through on-line social interaction and networking at widely distributed and varietal user nodes, e.g. cell phones, PDAs, notebook computers, desktop computers, television (TV) set-top adapters, etc.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer program for defining a maintenance frequency of a product, comprising the steps of building a frequency expression for a product element based on a frequency expression language; and associating an action with said frequency expression and appropriate means and computer-readable instructions.

Abstract: A rich-media content production and distribution system includes a rich-media content production mechanism including a one or more studio production tools for producing content including at least one of dynamic or static images, dynamic video or audio, text, HTML, mixed media presentation, Microsoft PowerPoint slides, Adobe PDF pages, etc., wherein the produced content resides on one or more proprietary servers remote from a user of the production studio, and a syndicated rich-media content distribution mechanism including one or more distribution tools for publishing such content to consumers, wherein the content production and content distribution mechanisms collectively enable two-way, end-to-end, produce-and-distribute capability. An Internet-based rich-media content production system and syndicated rich-media content production and distribution methods also are described. Finally, a website-embeddable rich-media content player apparatus is described.

Abstract: A protocol for intra-shelf exchange of SONET/SDH line and path alarm, and section and line digital cross-connect information is disclosed. The protocol encompasses a method including continual monitoring each SONET/SDH datapath channel for alarms by one or more line cards (e.g., optical line interface, electrical line interface), processing the results of the channel monitoring to consolidate and encapsulate SONET/SDH alarm data by the line cards, forwarding this data to a switch card, which makes switching decisions based on the data. The SONET/SDH line, path, and equipment fault information may be collected, filtered, and prioritized by the line cards with some knowledge of the protection scheme(s) being implemented by the switch card, and may be formatted into an efficient encoding of the quality of each path.

Abstract: An electrical connector system (200) is disclosed that includes a plurality of modular components. The modular components can include a receptacle housing (210, 503, 1410, 1610, 1810, 1910, 2162, 2610, 3010, 3410), a socket insert (212, 214, 400, 500), a socket electrical contact (410), a grounding spring (216, 218, 1916, 1918).The system includes matching orientation indicia on the polarization keys (220, 270) and housing windows (254) for viewing the indicia. The coupler (290) is slidably mounted on the plug assembly and include cam slots for causing mating and retraction of the plug (204) and receptacle (202) and also includes open position and engaged position indicator strips (2320, 2330, 2340). The system may include grounding springs (216, 218, 1916, 1918) for engaging the mounting panel and may be used with various types of backshells (2800, 2900 3100, 3200, 3300) including shield wire termination types.

Abstract: The specification discloses methods and apparatus for selecting the better of two or more copies of a cell in a cell-oriented redundant switching system connected to an external communications network. In the preferred embodiment, the best cell copy selection aligns redundantly transmitted cell streams before selecting cells for insertion in the data stream. Because the streams are aligned before the selection is made, the best cell copy selector compares each cell at the same instant in time, rather than basing its selection on past events.

Abstract: The specification discloses methods and apparatus for selecting the better of two or more copies of a cell in a cell-oriented redundant switching system connected to an external communications network. In the preferred embodiment, the best cell copy selection aligns redundantly transmitted cell streams before selecting cells for insertion in the data stream. Because the streams are aligned before the selection is made, the best cell copy selector compares each cell at the same instant in time, rather than basing its selection on past events.

Abstract: An electrical connector system (200) is disclosed that includes a plurality of modular components. The modular components can include a receptacle housing (210, 503, 1410, 1610, 1810, 1910, 2162, 2610, 3010, 3410), a socket insert (212, 214, 400, 500), a socket electrical contact (410), a grounding spring (216, 218, 1916, 1918), a male polarizing key (220, 222, 224, 1420, 1422, 1424, 2400, 2402, 2404), a plug housing (260, 1560, 1561, 1760, 2360, 2361, 2760), a pin insert (262, 264, 300, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000, 1100, 1200, 1300), a pin electrical contact (310), a female polarizing key (270, 272, 274, 2370, 2372, 2374, 2500, 2502, 2504), and a coupler (290, 2367). The modular components can be assembled into desired connector assemblies (202, 501, 1402, 1802, 1902, 2020, 2030, 2040, 2150, 2210, 2220, 2602, 3002, 3402, 4702, 4802, 4902, 204, 2304, 2704).