Abstract: The testing of a series of commands is enhanced using a multilevel approach that employs orthogonal arrays within orthogonal arrays. Specifically, an Orthogonal Array (OA) is applied within each operation and then re-applied across the different operations. Thus, the process initially applies an OA to an intra-operation covering the different combinations of command parameters associated with an operation. The process applies an OA to an inter-operations OA covering the combinations of all command parameters.

Abstract: A facility is disposed in a telecommunications network to provide an alternative to the conventional call waiting feature. More particularly, if a telephone call is placed to a subscriber while the subscriber's telephone station set is busy with another telephone call, then the facility notes that fact and terminates the new telephone call after advising the caller that the subscriber's station is busy. Thereafter, the facility places a telephone call to the subscriber and presents thereto at least the telephone numbers of the telephone stations that placed respective calls to the subscriber during the time that the latter's station was busy.

Abstract: The processing of a telephone call identified in part by an area code associated with a particular geographical area results in forwarding the call to telephone equipment located in the geographical area. Such processing is enhanced by associating a unique area code with an entity other than a geographical region or telephone service and then forwarding a telephone call identified in part by the unique area code to telephone equipment associated with the entity even though that equipment may be located in a geographical area associated with a different area code.

Abstract: To prevent particular transmission equipment from artificially increasing low level audio signals to a predetermined allowable level, such signals are first summed with a stabilization signal having a predetermined frequency to form a composite audio signal. Moreover, the stabilization signal has a level that prevents any increase in signal level that may be artificially imposed on the composite signal during the processing of the composite signal by the transmission equipment. Once the composite signal has been so processed, then the stabilization signal is removed therefrom and the original audio signal is outputted to associated transmission media.

Abstract: The detection and cancellation of echo in a communications system is enhanced by taking advantage of the accumulated knowledge relating to the echo path delay that an adaptive filter acquires as a result of its adaptation process. Such knowledge improves significantly the ability of an associated Near-End-Speech (NES) detector to detect for the presence of near end speech.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for adding a dither signal to an optical carrier modulated with an information signal. The apparatus includes a dithering element having an input and an output in series with an optical carrier modulated with an information signal. A differential element having an inverting input, a non-inverting input, and an output is coupled to the input of the dithering element. A signal generator, which is provided for producing a desired dither signal to be added to the modulated optical carrier, is coupled to the non-inverting input of the differential element. A feedback element produces a signal related to the output of the dithering element and couples the signal related to the output of the dithering element to the inverting input of the differential element.

Abstract: A system is designed to allow collision to be avoided in a wireless local area network environment through the exchange (between a transmitting station and an intended receiving station) of handshake information that includes power level control signals indicative of power levels at which the sending and receiving stations are allowed to operate in order a) to avoid causing interference with communications between other stations, and b) to prevent other stations from causing interference in subsequent communications between the sending and receiving stations.

Abstract: The regression testing of a recompiled main software program is provided a facility which performs a limited regression test that has the same level of testing as if the main program were tested using an expanded regression test that tests virtually all of the software modules forming the program. More particularly, if an error is found in the main program it is documented in a modification request which a programmer thereafter uses to track down and identify the software module(s) that needs to be modified to deal with the error. At that point, the programmer modifies the identified software module and also designs a current test program to test the recompiled program to determine if the error has been corrected and that the modification does not affect some other aspect of the program. The modified module and test program are then associated with an identifier identifying the associated modification request.

Abstract: The detection of echo is enhanced using a coarse near-end speech detector at a Y-side of an echo canceler and using a more accurate near-end speech detector at the E-side of the echo canceler, such that the latter detector uses a representation of far-end speech and a threshold value to determine if the magnitude of the echo canceler output is larger than that of an echo signal only. If it is, and there is an absence of an indication of the presence of near-end speech from the coarse detector, then the more accurate speech detector adjusts the value of the threshold in a first direction, otherwise it adjusts the threshold in a second direction, to more "finely tone" such accuracy.

Abstract: A facility is provided to enable a user of a telecommunications system, for example, a key telephone system, to automatically print labels for the designation strips of a telephone station set connected to the telecommunications system. In particular, when a user changes the functions (features) associated with respective ones of the station set buttons, then the user may print the labels for the designation strips associated with those buttons, in which the printing is done automatically on paper stock having designation strip labels printed thereon, in which the layout of the printed labels is customized for the particular station set.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a communications protocol which facilitates the exchange of interface information between a host processor and a terminal, such as a workstation, smart phone, portable computer, etc., by associating an object that is to be displayed on the terminal display with a particular identifier, and by associating input information entered in response to a user manipulating a displayed object with the associated object identifier, rather than the location of the displayed object. Accordingly, a host processor may specify relative rather than specific attributes for an object that is to be displayed on a terminal display, thereby leaving it up to the terminal to display an object in accord with its own capabilities.

Abstract: A modulated backscatter communication system (e.g., an Electronic Shelf Label (ESL) system) includes a central node (e.g., a ceiling node) and one or more remote nodes (e.g., ESL tags). The central node transmits a downlink radio signal which is reflectively modulated at a remote node to produce a modulated reflected radio signal. At the remote node, a precise-frequency subcarrier signal is modulated with an uplink information signal to produce a modulated signal which is used to produce the modulated reflected radio signal. At the central node, the modulated reflected radio signal is received, detected and narrowband filtered to obtain the modulated subcarrier signal which is then demodulated to obtain the uplink information signal, with great immunity to close to carrier downlink radio noise and fluorescent light backscatter interference.

Abstract: A facility is provided in a telecommunications network which causes Digital Speech Interpolation (DSI) apparatus to transmit noise signals toward a destination if the level of the noise signals at least equals a predetermined threshold value, in which the predetermined threshold value is selected, in accord with an aspect of the invention, as a function of a type of telephone service subscribed to by the telephone station set involved in the associated telephone call.

Abstract: A telecommunications operation support facility is arranged so that a user may easily build and/or update a program implementing a test strategy for testing a special services circuit without having to consider certain aspects that make the strategy complex. Such aspects include, inter alia, the configuration of the section of the special service circuit that is to be tested and the "vintage" of a remote test system which provides a way of accessing the section from a remote test point.

Abstract: A computer is provided with the facility to display in map form spatially-time-varying data associated with respective nodes. Specifically, responsive to a user inputting a specific command, the computer displays a plurality of symbols representing respective ones of the nodes in which the symbols share a common characteristic, the size of which is varied commensurate with changes in the data associated with their respective nodes. In addition, the user is provided with a tool so that he/she may either manually or automatically play through the data. The user is also provided with a number of other tools to control the display of the symbols and/or data, such as, for example, a tool which changes the size of the symbols so that smaller symbols are not obscured by larger symbols.

Abstract: An operations facility is provided for administering unsubscribed telephone lines and conserving the use of the phone numbers associated with such lines by associating a plurality of unsubscribed lines with the same telephone number and same switch line termination point. Advantageously, then, a plurality of unsubscribed lines may be inexpensively provisioned with soft dial tone, thereby allowing a potential telephone subscriber to interactively subscribe to and activate telephone service from an unsubscribed line. Moreover, the application of soft dial tone may be used to identify a network access endpoint that is being used by a customer, and thus improve the accuracy of the contents of databases used by the operations facility in the provisioning of telephone service by identifying incorrect data.

Abstract: A facility is disposed in a telecommunications network which, advantageously, establishes a conference (N-way) call more efficiently than was done priorly. Specifically, a caller may establish a N-way call by dialing a code representing a sequence of speed dial codes respectively associated with the telephone numbers of the conferees that will be involved in the N-way call, rather than dialing each such telephone number. The facility, responsive to receipt of the dialed code, identifies the associated sequence of speed dial codes and places a call to each of the telephone numbers associated with those codes. In this sense, one code represents a plurality of telephone numbers.

Abstract: A telecommunications network is arranged to provide equal access to a user of a text telephone device, such that a TDD user may dial directly a desired telephone number, without having to first place a call to a so-called relay center and directing the relay center to dial the desired telephone number.

Abstract: An Asynchronous Transfer(ATM) network comprising a plurality of ATM switches may be arranged so that it receives calls from Synchronous Transfer Mode (STM) switches that employ out-of-band signaling such that the ATM switches communicate telephone call signaling information between each other and the STM switches via an out-of-band signaling network associated with the ATM network and interface with out-of-band networks associated with the STM switches.

Abstract: A system is arranged to a) monitor the flow of data communicated within a session between a mobile end-user device and a host via a connection which includes a wireless link established over a wireless network b) detect a disabled condition of the wireless link c) in response thereof, simulates a functioning mode of the session, and d) when the wireless link is restored, resume the session between the mobile end-user device and the host at the stage where the disabled condition occurred, as if a disconnect never occurred.