Abstract: A railroad brake shoe has a pad has a central axis with an arcuate front face which terminates at upper and lower edges. Normal forces at an edge define a line of action. The pad includes support material on the side of the line of action opposite the central axis. The support material resists edge chipping and the formation of edge cracks.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for integrating a WLAN radio access network into a GSM/GPRS core network wherein gateways are added that transparently transport services between the two networks. A further aspect of the invention is secure authentication. The system has two network elements: a Radio Link Manager (RLM) and a Radio Access Controller (RAC), and a software application, a Multi-Link Client (MLC) to control the functionality of the integration and the authentication. The MLC resides on a user device. The RAC provides protocol stacks and interworking functions to allow the MLC to talk to a Home Location Register (HLR). The RLM and MLC set up a “tunnel” employing, for example, PPP over Ethernet (PPPOE), and all of the data packets received on this tunnel are forwarded by the RLM to the Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN over a further tunnel using the GPRS Tunneling Protocol (GTP).

Abstract: A brake shoe key for attaching a railroad car brake shoe to a brake head has a stop which engages the brake head to limit the insertion of the key into the brake head's keyway. The stop is located on the key so that when it engages the brake head the knee of the key will engage the lug of the brake shoe and the tang of the key will be spaced from the brake head. This correctly positions the key for retaining the brake shoe while leaving space between the tang and brake head to permit access with a prying tool for subsequent safe removal of the key.

Abstract: The invention is related to methods and apparatus that decode convolutionally encoded data, including trellis-coded modulation (TCM) systems. One embodiment of the invention shares a memory device with a main processor, such as a microprocessor or a DSP, and advantageously relieves the main processor of the relatively time-consuming task of decoding the convolutionally encoded data. This frees up the main processor to execute other tasks. One embodiment of the invention includes a micro-coded state machine that can be programmed to control the decoding of the convolutional codes.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for integrating a WLAN radio access network into a GSM/GPRS core network wherein gateways are added that transparently transport services between the two networks. A further aspect of the invention is secure authentication. The system has two network elements: a Radio Link Manager (RLM) and a Radio Access Controller (RAC), and a software application, a Multi-Link Client (MLC) to control the functionality of the integration and the authentication. The MLC resides on a user device. The RAC provides protocol stacks and interworking functions to allow the MLC to talk to a Home Location Register (HLR). The RLM and MLC set up a “tunnel” employing, for example, PPP over Ethernet (PPPOE), and all of the data packets received on this tunnel are forwarded by the RLM to the Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN over a further tunnel using the GPRS Tunneling Protocol (GTP).

Abstract: The invention is related to methods and apparatus that decode convolutionally encoded data, including trellis-coded modulation (TCM) systems. One embodiment of the invention shares a memory device with a main processor, such as a microprocessor or a DSP, and advantageously relieves the main processor of the relatively time-consuming task of decoding the convolutionally encoded data. This frees up the main processor to execute other tasks. One embodiment of the invention includes a micro-coded state machine that can be programmed to control the decoding of the convolutional codes.

Abstract: A communication protocol proxy enables a CEBus network to be mapped across a non-CEBus network, thereby allowing a remotely located node (e.g., a controller) to communicate via a non-CEBus network with electronic devices connected to the CEBus network, while still conforming with the EIA/IS-60 protocol requirements. In a preferred embodiment, a proxy node is provided on a CEBus network, wherein the proxy node is also connected to a non-CEBus network, (e.g., a wide area network ("WAN")), such that a remotely located controller on the non-CEBus network may communicate with a device on the CEBus network by transmitting messages to the proxy node over the non-CEBus network. The proxy node then forwards the message to the respective CEBus device over the CEBus network. If the message requires a CEBus Ack message response, the CEBus device transmits a CEBus Ack message to the proxy node, so that it is received within the time interval specified by the CEBus standard.

Abstract: A system for providing remote access and control of electronic devices connected to a CEBus network includes a remotely located master node, e.g., a utility server controller, which is linked to the CEBus network via an ATM-based broadband access network ("BAN"). A proxy node is provided on the CEBus network, wherein the proxy node is also linked to the master node via the BAN. The proxy node includes a power monitoring module, which constantly monitors the power supply to the proxy node, e.g., of a residential home at which the proxy node is located. In the case of a power failure, the monitoring module detects the failure and notifies a power outage module. The power outage module generates a power failure alarm message, which is forwarded to the master node in the form of a CEBus link protocol data unit ("LPDU"). In particular, the proxy node packetizes the LPDU alarm message into ATM transmission format for transport to the master node over the BAN.

Abstract: An exemplary point-to-multipoint network including an upstream headend facility and a plurality of downstream network terminals ("NTs") employs a contention-based multi-slot MAC permit protocol for upstream request transmission, wherein each NT compiles a congestion rank for each upstream slot position based on feedback information supplied by the headend. At such time as an NT wishes to attempt an upstream response to an multi-slot permit, it excludes the slot position having the highest rank for purposes of selecting an upstream response slot, and chooses among the others at random. If there are two or more slots having an equally high rank, the NT still excludes only one of the slots, based on a predetermined order of priority calculated at random from the NT's unique physical ID. If an NT is not successful with its initial response in the selected slot position, it will randomly select a waiting period of zero, one or two multi-slot permit cycles before attempting another upstream transmission.

Abstract: In a point-to-multipoint network having a headend in communication with a plurality a network terminals over a shared network, a network terminal is equipped with a cell permit sequencer, which operates in conjunction with a AAL1 segmentation and reassembly processor, whereby the packing of ATM cells carrying continuous bit rate telephony traffic is initially delayed such that the first cell of a new communication sequence will be "just ready" for upstream transmission to the headend with the arrival of an ensuing scheduled transmission permit from the headend, including accounting for internal processing and transmission overhead. In this manner, the ensuing ATM cells for the respective communication sequence will thereby be synchronized with the ensuing permits, and delay time at the NT thus minimized.