Abstract: The invention relates to a tunable ?/4-filter subassembly whose frequency response can be adjusted. For this purpose, the ?/4-filter subassembly has a signal-conducting electrical conductor and an electrically conductive element that is at a reference potential. Furthermore, at least one short-circuit device is provided that electrically contacts the electrical conductor. An electrical coupling device is provided that couples the short-circuit device at a settable contact position to the electrically conductive element, wherein the electrical coupling device and the short-circuit device are movable relative to each other in order to set the length of the short-circuit device.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for detecting the release of a chemical, biological, or radiological agent are disclosed. In some embodiments, a microphone is used to continuously monitor sound and acquire acoustic data and a sensor is used to substantially continuously monitor a property that is related to a chemical, biological, or radiological agent. The acoustic data is analyzed for a signature that is distinguishable from background sound. The sensor data is analyzed for an event that is indicative of the release of a chemical, biological, or radiological agent. The acoustic signature, and the time at which it is observed, is used to corroborate the sensor data.

Abstract: The invention relates to a control system for active vibration isolation of a supported payload with a control device that comprises a processing unit (41) for processing position data and orientation data of all available sensors to supply a sensor control matrix, as well as for subsequent calculation of axis input signals in orthogonal degrees of freedom from the sensor signals and the sensor control matrix, a downstream control-path cascade block (42) for processing axis input signals into axis output signals in orthogonal degrees of freedom, and a downstream processing unit (43) for processing position data and orientation data of all available actuators for vibration suppression into an actuator control matrix, as well as for subsequent calculation of actuator control signals from the axis output signals and the actuator control matrix.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed that enable a first telecommunications endpoint to ensure that a second endpoint is receiving the first endpoint's packet stream transmissions with a satisfactory waveform quality. When the second endpoint receives the packet stream, it decodes the media waveform from the stream, encodes the waveform back into a second packet stream, and transmits some or all of the packets in the second stream back to the first endpoint. The first endpoint then decodes the received waveform in the second stream and compares it to the original waveform transmitted to the second endpoint. Based on the comparison, the first endpoint adjusts the value of a quality indication, and provides the quality indication to its user and to the second endpoint. Advantageously, the user at the second endpoint is able to determine whether the received waveform is, in fact, close enough to the waveform that the first endpoint's user intended to be received and understood.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to arrange for and to set up a conference call are disclosed. The party who arranges for a conference call provides all of the details of the conference call to a conferencing server through an encoded public address. The arranging party's telecommunications endpoint then transmits the encoded, initial public address to the server. The encoded public address is encoded with (i) the public address for each participant, which can be a group address or an individual address, and (ii) one or more commands that can be used to control the conference call, and is encoded in such a way so that it is still routable to the conferencing server. Because the encoded public address comprises all of the participants, either the conferencing server or an external proxy server can recursively retrieve all of the constituent public and contact addresses to set up the call.

Abstract: A method for detecting intrusions that employ messages of two or more protocols is disclosed. Such intrusions might occur in Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems, as well as in systems in which two or more protocols support some service other than VoIP. In the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, a stateful intrusion-detection system is capable of employing rules that have cross-protocol pre-conditions. The illustrative embodiment can use such rules to recognize a variety of VoIP-based intrusion attempts, such as call hijacking, BYE attacks, etc. In addition, the illustrative embodiment is capable of using such rules to recognize other kinds of intrusion attempts in which two or more protocols support a service other than VoIP. The illustrative embodiment also comprises a stateful firewall that is capable of employing rules with cross-protocol pre-conditions.

Abstract: A mechanism for empirically deriving the values of the damping ratio and frequency of the mechanism driven by a servo-controlled control system is disclosed. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, the values of the damping ratio and frequency are continually re-generated based on empirical data derived from sensor feedback of the maximum-amplitude switch and the linear second-order servo. Because the values of the damping ratio and frequency are generated from empirical data, it is not necessary that they be known, and because the values of the damping ratio and frequency are continually re-generated, variances in their values are continually noticed and compensated for.

Abstract: Avalanche photodiodes are provided, wherein the APDs provide both high optical coupling efficiency and low dark count rate. The APDs are formed such that their cap layer has an active region of sufficient width to enable high optical coupling efficiency but the APD still exhibits a low dark count rate. These cap layers have a device area with an active region and an edge region, wherein the size of the active region is substantially matched to the mode-field diameter of an optical beam, and wherein the size of the edge region is made small so as to reduce the number of defects included. These APD designs maintain a substantially uniform gain and breakdown voltage, as necessary for practical use.

Abstract: A system and method for screening inter-modal shipping containers for the presence of weapons-of-mass-destruction, such as chemical-warfare agents, biological-warfare agents, radiological materials, nuclear material, or explosives, is disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods are disclosed for authenticating users of wireless telecommunications terminals. A user is authenticated by instructing the user to travel to a geo-location, where the geo-location is referred to by an identifier that the user has previously associated with the geo-location. When the user chooses identifiers that are meaningful to the user, but that do not indicate the associated geo-locations to other people, the user can be securely authenticated via the following procedure: (i) select one of the identifiers that the user has defined, (ii) instruct the user to “go to <identifier>,” and (iii) declare the user authenticated if and only if the user visits the geo-location associated with <identifier> before a timeout expires.

Abstract: Methods to minimize the impact of malicious peers on the performance of a peer-to-peer system. The system computes a global trust value for a peer by calculating the left principal eigenvector of a matrix of normalized local trust values, thus taking into consideration the entire system's history with each single peer. Algorithms for performing such computations in a scalable and distributed manner are provided. Rewarding highly reputable peers with better quality of service encourages non-malicious peers to share more information and to self-police their own information.

Abstract: The invention relates to an electronic power supply device, particularly a switched-mode power supply, for supplying power to a low-voltage load protected by a protective device, and to a method therefor. The invention also relates to a device for protecting a low-voltage load against an excess current and to an auxiliary power supply device for use with such a protection device. The conceptual core of the invention can be seen in providing measures which ensure that after a fault has been detected, for example a short circuit at the output, a current is supplied for a short period, for example 15 ms, which is of such a magnitude that a protective device can be reliably and quickly tripped. The period for this is selected in such a manner that electronic components, connected loads and feedlines are not damaged and destroyed.

Abstract: A process and machine for estimating the location of a wireless terminal is disclosed. The illustrative embodiment of the present invention is based on the observation that the signal strength of a signal from a transmitter is different at some locations, and, therefore, the location of a wireless terminal can be estimated by comparing the signal strength it currently observes against a map or database that correlates locations to signal strengths. In accordance with a first example, if a particular radio station is known to be received well at a first location and poorly at a second location, and a given wireless terminal at an unknown location is receiving the radio station poorly, it is more likely that the wireless terminal is at the second location than it is at the first location.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for responding to a command at a mobile telecommunications terminal based on the geo-location of the terminal are disclosed. The illustrative embodiment determines the appropriate response based on geo-location and optionally, one or more additional factors (e.g., who the user is, the nature of the command, what the data is when the command is a query, the date and time [i.e., “calendrical time”], etc.). Responses based on the geo-location of the terminal (and inferentially, the user) might be desirable in a variety of settings, such as hospitals, banks, military bases, libraries, museums, etc.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed that enable an interactive voice response (IVR) system to generate video content in addition to audio content (e.g., synthesized speech, etc.). The video content is based on the state of the IVR system, the video display capacity of the calling telecommunications terminal, and information supplied by the user via a telecommunications terminal. The illustrative embodiment generates video content based on the text from which the audio content is generated. In particular, the video content comprises an abridged version of this text that is suitable for display at the telecommunications terminal. In the illustrative embodiment, the abridged version of the text is generated via syntactic and semantic processing. In addition, an abridged version of user-supplied information is generated and incorporated into the video content.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods for improving the ability of a detection system to distinguish between a “true attack” as opposed to a nominal increase in a monitored environmental characteristic.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed that enable an interactive voice response (IVR) system to select, tailor, and deliver a “filler” content stream to a calling telecommunications terminal during a delay in a call (e.g., when performing automated speech recognition, retrieving other content, etc.). The delivery of the filler content can reduce the chance that the caller terminates the call prematurely, and can also be used to provide information to the caller, advertise new products, etc. The filler content can be based on one or more of the following: the date and time, the identity of the caller, a prior call to the IVR system, the type of the calling telecommunications terminal, and a content stream that the IVR system is in the process of retrieving.

Abstract: A system is disclosed that provides a sonar system featuring combined spatial and temporal correlation array processing. The disclosed system merges spatial-based velocity errors with temporal-based velocity errors by using a combining algorithm that is based on the optimization criteria that the output after combining has no bias error and has a minimized mean square error. With these criteria, the combining algorithm takes the form of a weighted summation of the spatial data stream and temporal data stream inputs with the weights being a function of the relative velocity errors. In combining spatial and temporal processing in this manner, the disclosed system provides improved velocity measurements for a wider range of ship's speeds. In particular, the system achieves performance levels of a spatial correlation sonar for low ship's speeds for which a temporal correlation sonar solution might not be available.

Abstract: A method for fault tolerance and fault recovery in multiprocessor systems that concurrently manage queues is disclosed. The illustrative embodiment comprises a plurality of servers, a queue of jobs to be assigned to the servers, and two queue managers—a primary unit and a secondary unit—such that the secondary fills in for the primary unit while the primary unit is down. The illustrative embodiment provides for smooth transitions from the normal state into the failure state and back into the normal state without losing jobs or violating the queue discipline of the system.

Abstract: An apparatus that provides shock absorption and ejection for a payload that is to be deployed from a launch capsule is disclosed. The payload ejection mechanism comprises a movable housing that houses a resilient member and a shock-damping system. The rapid acceleration of the capsule upon launch causes the movable housing to move, which compresses the resilient member, thereby storing energy. Movement of the housing also provides shock damping behavior. A locking mechanism maintains the compression of the resilient member until the capsule opens to deploy the payload. As the capsule opens, a restraint decouples from the locking mechanism and permits the resilient member to expand. Expansion of the resilient member causes the movable housing to move, thereby propelling the payload away from the capsule.