Abstract: An active-standby dual processor (100) performs only selective memory duplication and does so via hardware (114, 117, 118) and the operating system (109). A page table (217) stores a shadowing flag (203) for each memory page of the active memory (116) of the processor (101) that indicates whether or not the corresponding page is shadowed. When the operating system allocates (302, 402) memory to a process—either statically at creation of the process or dynamically during execution of the process—it checks (304, 404) whether the process program's data statement indicates shadowing or whether the MALLOC request includes a segment selector that indicates shadowing; if so, it sets (306, 406) the allocated page's shadowing flag. When the active processor performs (600, 602) a write of its memory, a page table controller (117) checks (500-508) if the written page's shadowing flag is set.

Abstract: A facility for ranking service classes in terms of their relative levels of need for additional server resources is described. The facility utilizes a set of goals, each identifying a service class to which it applies and a goal criterion for the service class, and each specifying a desired service level specifying a minimum percentage of transactions of the service class identified by the goal for which the goal criterion should be satisfied. Each goal further specifies an indication of the level of importance of the goal. For each goal, the facility determines an achieved service level indicating the percentage of completed transactions of the service class identified by the goal for which the goal criterion specified by the goal was satisfied. The facility further identifies any goals whose desired service level exceeds their achieved service level.

Abstract: A system and method for identifying a data record associated with a transferred telephone call which is not dependent on the hardware of the particular telephone network and systems involved. In the preferred embodiment, to transfer a telephone call from a first call center to a second call center, the application server of the first call center sends a transfer request which includes the data record associated with the telephone call and the destination directory number (DDN) to which the call is to be transferred by the application server of the second call center. The application server of the second call center responds by sending a transfer response which includes a Direct Inward Dialing (DID) telephone number selected from a pool of available members to be used to establish the call transfer. The application server of the second call center also stores a transfer coordination record which contains the data record, the DID number and the DDN.

Abstract: One or more portions (221) of a database (220) which a primary server (106) uses to process client requests are duplicated (211) on one or more supplemental servers (105). As the clients demand for service increases and the processing load on the primary server becomes excessive (400), the primary server automatically off-loads the processing of those portions of the client requests that require one or more of the duplicated portions onto the supplemental servers by substituting (402) a secondary page (253) or a secondary object in its database that points to the one or more duplicated portions in the supplemental servers for a corresponding primary page (252) or a primary object in its database that points to the one or more duplicated portions in its database. The supplemental servers then serve the portions of the client requests that require the one or more of the duplicated portions.

Abstract: A database integrator is provided to an application program that utilizes the ODBC interface so as to enable the application program to access the data in a legacy DBMS. The application program (“the client program”) is located on a workstation, and the legacy DBMS is located on a host computer. The legacy DBMS is used primarily by an application program (“the server program”). The database integrator receives ODBC commands from the client program, and unlike database drivers interacting with non-legacy DBMSs that send SQL statements to the DBMS, the database integrator instead converts these commands into server program-specific commands to manipulate the user interface of the server program, establishes a connection with the server program over a terminal emulation session, and issues the server program-specific commands to the server program by using the terminal emulator.

Abstract: A client application (121) is automatically adapted to communicate between its corresponding terminal (107-109) and a server (101) via any communications network (102-104) that supports any of the protocols that the client application supports. The client application is administered (135) during installation to support a plurality of protocols one of which is designated (225) as being preferred. The application first attempts (300-310) to establish a communications channel by using the preferred protocol. If that fails, the application attempts (315-325) to establish the communications channel by using another supported protocol. Success of either attempt leads the application to determine (340) if another channel is needed, and if so, to attempt to establish it by using the successful protocol. Failure of this last attempt leads the application to repeat the first attempt.

Abstract: An ATM cell constructor (100) limits transmission-delay variations between successive cells of traffic of individual narrowband and wideband channels in a multi-channel environment. Whenever an ATM AAL1 layer (112) of processing completes assembling (606) an ATM cell payload for a narrowband channel (611), it increments (612) a count that anticipates the number of ATM cells that will mature for transmission during the next cell construction period. For wideband channels, a function checks (1010) whether traffic from the number of narrowband channels that form the wideband channel will result in completion of assembly of that channel's cell payload during the next cell construction period; if so, the function increments (1012) the abovementioned count. The count is reset (302) at the beginning of each cell construction period.

Abstract: Selection of a suitable call-center agent (106-108) to handle a call is based on which available suitable agent's handling of the call will tend to optimize call wait times. When a call needing a particular skill becomes available (200), all skills of agents in the agent queue (131-139) corresponding to the particular skill are determined (202, 204). The agent queues corresponding to the determined skills are checked (206) to determine which ones identify only one agent. For each available agent having the particular skill, the number of agent queues which identify this agent as their only agent is computed (208). The available agent having the lowest computed number is selected (210) to handle the call. This minimizes the number of skills that will be left without an available agent to handle subsequent calls, and thus tends to maximize the probability that a next call will also have a suitable agent already available and not have to wait for one to become available, thereby optimizing call wait times.

Abstract: In a call center (106) associated with a World-Wide Web site whose pages (121, 122) provide a call-request capability (115), the call center receives notifications of page hits and call requests from the Web server (103) and uses these notifications to determine a historical page hits-to-call requests ratio. It then uses the ratio along with current page-hit notifications to predict a volume of calls that will soon need to be handled by the call center and staffing the call center in anticipation of the predicted call volume. The notifications are further used in conjunction with knowledge of information about the content of the Web pages to predict what agent skills will be needed to handle the calls, and to staff agent splits accordingly.

Abstract: A mobile user device, such as a personal digital assistant (PDA 100), a wireless telephone, a car phone, or any other programmable device that the user generally has with him or her, is equipped with a global positioning system (GPS) receiver (101) and is programmable (102) by the user to alert the user to when he or she arrives with the device at a predetermined location (252), as well as to disclose (101) to the user whatever information (263) the user chose to associate with that location (e.g., a “to-do” list). The user can program in the geographical coordinates (253) of locations and location names (252), and thereafter refer to the locations by name. The user can also program in a range (254) around each location, so that his or her arrival within that range will trigger the alert for the location.

Abstract: An ATM cell constructor (100) of an ATM transmitter assembles a stream of frames of constant bit-rate traffic received on a listen TDM bus (102) into cell payloads (1104) using ATM adaptation layer 1 (AAL1). Once every eight cells, the AAL1 structured data transfer (SDT) cell constructor layer (112) introduces a one-octet SDT offset pointer (1120) into the payload. This pointer designates traffic-block (TDM frame) boundaries. The payload with an attached ATM header forms an ATM cell, and the constructor transmits a stream of the ATM cells to an ATM cell deconstructor (2100) of an ATM receiver. The deconstructor disassembles the payloads of the received ATM cells and transmits the stream of frames of constant bit-rate traffic on a talk TDM bus (102). In response to each received SDT offset pointer, the deconstructor's time slot interchanger (TSI 2108) resets to the start of frame-processing, thereby aligning frames formed by the TSI with the received frames.

Abstract: The sender (101) of a message is able to specify to the recipient's messaging system (112) or to the sender's own messaging system (102) a reply time at which the sender wishes to be informed of whether or not the recipient (111) has accessed the sent message. The reply time is included (204, 304) in the message. Upon occurrence (220) of the response time, the recipient's messaging system checks if the recipient has accessed (222) the message, and if not, whether the recipient's present schedule (115) is available (226). It then sends (232) a reply (224, 230), with the schedule if it is available (228), to the sender. Upon occurrence (320) of the response time, the sender's messaging system checks (322) if a reply has been received from the recipient, and if so, whether it indicates (324) that the message has been accessed and whether it contains (328) the recipient's schedule. It then notifies (330) the sender accordingly.

Abstract: In a multi-layer printed-wiring board (100) the ground and power conductor-bearing layers (102 and 103) are placed immediately (without intermediancy of other conductive layers) below the outer surface conductor-bearing layers (101) and are connected to the outer surface layers by micro-vias (110 and 111) that do not extend beyond the ground and power layers, whereby the micro-vias avoid causing trace-routing blockages on lower, signal-routing, layers (104). The surface layers define traces for static and infrequently-changing signals. One or both of the ground and power layers define double pads (203) each comprising a pair of normal pads (204-205) interconnected by a short trace (206). One single pad of each pair is connected by a micro-via to a corresponding pad (202) on an outer surface layer, which also typically has a lead (201) of a component (200) soldered thereto or serves as a testpad.

Abstract: Selection of a call-center agent (106-108) to handle a call is based on which available agent's handling of the call will tend to optimize call-center performance criteria such as efficiency (e.g., minimize per-call handling time) or derived benefit (e.g., maximize revenue). Each agent has a service profile for each type of call that they handle. A service profile (400-402) comprises present values of a plurality of service metrics, such as proficiency, profitability, customer satisfaction, and agent satisfaction. When a call of a particular type becomes available, the present values of the service metrics of the service profile (400-500) of that call type of each agent who is available to handle the call are combined (304) into a score according to one of a plurality of formulas which corresponds to that call type, and the agent with the best score is assigned (306) to the call.

Abstract: Selection of a call for handling by a call-center agent (106-108) is based on which call's handling by the available agent will tend to optimize call-center performance criteria such as efficiency (e.g., minimize per-call handling time) or derived benefit (e.g., maximize revenue). Each agent has a service profile for each type of call that they handle. A service profile (400-402) comprises present values of a plurality of service metrics, such as proficiency, profitability, customer satisfaction, and agent satisfaction. When an agent becomes available, the present values of the service metrics of the service profile (500-502) of that agent for each type (e.g. skill) of available call handled by the agent are combined (610) into a score according to one of a plurality of formulas which corresponds to that call type, and a call of the type for which the agent has the best (e.g., either highest or just-sufficient) score is assigned (612) to the agent.

Abstract: A method, an apparatus, and a computer-readable programmed medium that facilitate browsing through an ordered sequence (108, 109) of World Wide Web pages (107) by automatically skipping over, or bypassing, previously viewed pages whenever the user requests a "Next Page" or a "Previous Page". A page owner creates a sequence by defining for each page in the sequence a page record (200) that specifies the page's URL (205), its sequential index value (210), an unviewed flag (220), and optionally page-descriptive information (230). Upon starting a session with a Web server (102), each user is given a copy of all page records. Each time a user requests access to any page by specifying its URL, the unviewed flag of the user's copy of that pages record is set to a viewed state.

Abstract: In a skills-based ACD, an available agent is reserved and assigned to handle calls needing a "rare" skill of the agent and is prevented from handling calls needing a "common" skill of the agent even if calls needing the common skill are waiting to be handled, if not reserving the agent for the calls needing the rare skill would deprive those calls of the last available agent, even if no calls needing the rare skill are available for handling. The agent is reserved only if target performance criteria, such as average speed of answer, for handling the calls needing the common skill are being met. In case of more than one agent being available to handle calls that need the rare skills, one of these agents is selected and reserved and the other agents are freed to serve calls needing "common" skills.

Abstract: A current-limiting circuit (110) of a battery-feed circuit (FIG. 1) for a digital telecommunications line (T,R) provides a low start-up current limit (I3) when power is initially applied to the digital line. It automatically and gradually changes (40) to a high current limit (I1) as the load on the line is charged. When the load is fully charged, the circuit provides a low impedance to the line. Upon occurrence of a fault, the circuit switches back to the initial low current-limit state. The circuit comprises a feed transistor (Q1, Q11), a control transistor (Q2, Q12), and a high-impedance resistive circuit (R1-R4, R15). The feed transistor limits (403) current flowing to the R lead of the line to the high limit when the voltage across the feed transistor is low (0-V2) and the feed transistor is saturated.

Abstract: In a call center (100) of a business, if it is determined (314-318 or 320) during the handling of a call involving a party who is a customer of the business that the party is at risk of being lost as a customer to the business, an identifier of the party, such as ANI, is captured (300) and stored (322) along with an "at risk" indication. The determination may be made either automatically by detecting (314-318) that the party terminated the call while on hold, or manually (320) by the agent handling the call or a service observer whereupon the agent or observer pressed an "at risk" feature button (112) on their terminal (105, 110).

Abstract: In a skills-based ACD, an agent is selected to handle a call based on which available agent's handling of the call will produce the least deviation from the agent's target performance criteria, and a call is selected for handling by an agent based on which available call's handling will produce the least deviation from the agent's target performance criteria. Illustrative target performance criteria include target per-agent per-skill skill work time to staff time ratios. Moreover, the selected call is left waiting and the selected agent is left idle if handling of the call by the agent would increase deviation from the agent's target performance criteria. This serves to equalize the levels of service given to small skills (those staffed with few agents) and large skills (those staffed with many agents).