Abstract: An improved Genetic Algorithm scheduling system includes system for encoding and testing hard constraint information. Each resource and task includes an associated capability and constraint indicating component. A comparison of the capability and constraint components provides an indication of the associated resource is capable of perform the proposed task. The system also includes a method of creating genomes using cost factors and weight settings to produce initial genomes which encode at least partly optimized schedules. The weight settings can be manipulated to emphasize different cost factors during genomes creation. This method also allows changes to be added into a running GA scheduling system, in that new or changed tasks and new or changed resources are encoded into the genome population.

Abstract: An armrest telephone assembly comprises an armrest unit and a telephone handset. The armrest unit includes an upper side and a lower side, and the armrest unit has a release mechanism mounted therein. The telephone handset includes a latching mechanism for releasably mounting the handset to the lower side of the armrest unit. The release mechanism of the armrest unit is mechanically linked to the latching mechanism of the handset such that the latching mechanism releases the handset from the lower side of the armrest unit in response to actuation of the release mechanism.

Abstract: The system disclosed herein controls the vibratory energy radiated from a structure subject to excitation from an outside disturbance by enforcing a preselected mechanical impedance upon at least one point in the structure using an electromechanical transducer connected to the structure at that point. The transducer is energized in response to the output of an adjustable or adaptable filter. Sensors provide signals representing the force applied by the transducer and the resultant velocity. The force and velocity signals are applied as inputs to the adaptable filter through circuit means including a component providing an electrical analog of the preselected mechanical impedance. The adaptable filter is then controlled to reduce the amplitude of the input signal applied to the filter, i.e. the error between the measured mechanical impedance and the desired impedance.

Abstract: The active vibration mount disclosed herein employs a multiplicity of layers of an electro-strictive material such as an electro-strictive polyurethane film interleaved with electrodes. A majority of the layers are employed as an output transducer while at least one layer is employed as a sensor generating a force-induced voltage. Accordingly, a feedback controller responsive to that voltage can energize the output transducer thereby to reduce the vibratory force transmitted through the mount over a preselectable range of frequencies while the mount supports a static load.

Abstract: A churn amelioration system (20) supports data feeds from mobile switching centers (32), billing systems (34), and customer service systems (36). The system (20) maintains an extensive database (42) of customer/unit data and of rules which indicate how to interpret the data. A churn history process (68) establishes rules for predicting the likelihood of churn. An administration process (86) establishes action-related and offer-related rules and assigns identified customer/units to selected organization representative user (ORU) in-boxes so that the identified customers may be proactively contacted by the ORUs. The ORUs interactively operate a churn amelioration process (126). The churn amelioration process (126) proactively or reactively identifies a specific customer/unit (128), then calculates churn vulnerability (140) and customer worth (150). The system (20) prompts ORUs with pre-approved potential offers (192) which may be extended to customers. These offers are configured in response to customer worth.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to cancel gear vibration and noise by imposing a canceling drive torque or force on a driven gear set. Sensors receive information and produce an error signal representative of the vibration and/or noise generated at meshing gears. The error signal indicative of vibration and/or noise information is provided to a control mechanism that processes the noise information to generate a corresponding drive torque. The drive torque corresponding to the noise information is applied to a drive shaft or through a power supply to reduce vibration and noise of the gear assembly at gear meshing frequencies.

Abstract: A write controller for a signal switch with a linearly searchable memory eliminates the need to maintain an ordered list of free addresses. The write controller utilizes a hardware encoded bit map and search logic to search linearly for memory locations that do not contain valid data and can therefore be written to. The search stops at the first memory location where the bit map tag indicates that the memory location is available, and then the write control logic unit associated with that memory location sends a kill signal that tells downstream write control logic units associated with other memory locations to deactivate. The write controller writes the data into the selected memory location and flips the status bit of that location to indicate that the memory location is no longer available for writing. The write controller then releases the restraining kill signal, allowing the next available memory location in line to receive data during the next clock cycle.

Abstract: A multiple channel radio frequency repeater has a receive port for receiving an input signal from a first antenna and a transmit port for transmitting a frequency shifted output signal to a second antenna. An input bandpass filter is located at the input port. A low noise amplifier follows the input bandpass filter for amplifying all signals within the input bandwidth. A plurality of channel filters divide the input signal into a plurality of channel signals. A local oscillator generates a local oscillator (LO) signal. There is a mixer corresponding to each channel, each mixer has an input port, an output put port and an LO port. The LO port is coupled to the local oscillator. An Automatic Gain Control (AGC) amplifier is between each channel filter and each mixer for adjusting the channel signal level to the mixer input port to assure that each mixer has the same level amplified channel signal.

Abstract: A network (10) includes a broadband customer service module (B-CSM) (20). The B-CSM (20) includes a plurality of feeder interface cards (FICs) (36) and optical line cards (OLCS) (38) which are coupled together through a midplane assembly (34) so that each FIC (36) couples to all OLCs (38) and each OLC (38) couples to all FICs (36) through junctor groups (68). The B-CSM (20) interfaces many OC-12 SONET feeders to many OC-12 SONET lines. Within the B-CSM (20) circuit switching is performed electrically at an STS-1 rate. A reference clock which oscillates at a frequency lower than the data rate is routed with payload data so that it receives delays similar to those imposed on the payload data due to processing. At second stage switching fabrics (50) where data need to be extracted from signals flowing within the B-CSM (20), a clock regeneration circuit (32) generates a master clock signal oscillating at twice the data rate and phase synchronized to a delayed reference clock.

Abstract: Management packets are defined that are modified in the payload by each node along a virtual connection and are used to measure both end-to-end QoS and specific individual intermediate node performance parameters. Management packets are implemented by defining entirely new packets or by modifying ATM OAM cells. Switches or routers for use as intermediate nodes are defined that modify the payload of the management packet and locally measure packet delay and packet loss. An intermediate node measures and records the difference between the arrival and departure times of management packets at that switch utilizing delay-stamp fields within the management packets and either the switch internal routing header or timestamp fields within the packet. At the endpoint of the virtual connection, delay-stamp fields in the management packet indicate individual node delays and the cumulative delay.

Abstract: A multi-mode communication network (12) uses a two phase process to activate a cordless base station (22) using the assistance of a multi-mode handset (18). A customer activation system (30,32) collects cellular and cordless activation data (56,58). The handset (18) is activated for cellular use (92). In a first phase of activation, cordless base station programming data are transferred from the customer activation system (30,32) to the handset (18). During a second phase of activation (124,150), the cordless base station programming data are transferred from the handset (18) to the cordless base station (22).

Abstract: A fuzzy-logic-based evidence fusion tool for predicting function levels of a switch in a telecommunications network. Confidence factors related to the geographical location and to the physical characteristics of the switch are acquired and mapped into fuzzy membership values. The membership values activate a set of fuzzy evidence fusion rules at each function level, and a degree of truth for each rule is inferred. A defuzzification scheme combines the degree of truth of each rule into a single combined confidence factor for each function level. Finally, the maximum combined confidence factor for each rule is determined, and the switch function level corresponding to that confidence factor is assigned to the switch.

Abstract: A cellular telecommunication system (CTS) is provided that supports the operation of a radiotelephone (RT) in cellular and cordless modes. The CTS includes operating features that are dependent upon the intrasystem location of the RT. The CTS includes a mobile telephone switching office, a plurality of land stations, a plurality of cells, a plurality of zones defined by one or more cells, a plurality of local regions defined by one or more cells, and a cordless base station located within one of the cells. The land stations transmit zone identification (ZNID) signals and local region identification (LRID) signals, which the RT receives and compares to one or more ZNID codes and one or more LRID codes, respectively. The RT displays its intrasystem billing zone location and initiates communication with the cordless base station in response to the received ZNID and LRID signals, respectively.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for selecting a system for communication with a personal station, such as a cellular telephone or a PCS station, in a roaming area. The personal station transmits a system access message to a default system. When the default system that receives the system access message is a visited system in the roaming area and the personal station is not registered with the visited system, the visited system registers the presence of the personal station in the roaming area with a home system for the personal station. The home system sends a response including a selection indication to the personal station through the visited system. The selection indication contains selection information for controlling selection of a system for communication with the personal station in the roaming area. The personal station selects a system for communication in the roaming area in accordance with the selection information.

Abstract: A switching matrix routes each received input to a unique output port. Each input specifies an output port as a destination. For each output port, a set of inputs contending for the output port is determined. A control for correctly routing selects an input from each set of contending inputs and routes it to the correct output port of the switching matrix. If no input specifies an output port as a destination, that output port is designated as an available output port. A control for misrouting determines the set of available output ports and the set of inputs that have not been correctly routed by the control for correctly routing. The control for misrouting then misroutes each remaining input to one of the available output ports of the switching matrix. The switching matrix may provide status signals for use by the switch in tracking the location of the correctly routed and misrouted inputs.

Abstract: A multi-mode communication network (12) accommodates piloted cellular operation and pilotless cordless operation using a multi-mode handset (18). A common pool of channels (28) serves cellular and cordless operations. At least some channels from a cordless subset (32) of the pool of channels (28) are unused in cellular operations regardless of location. The handset (18) monitors forward portions of all cordless subset channels when the handset (18) is within the coverage area (16) of its cordless base station (22). Unused channels are indicated on a dormant channel list (70), which is passed to the handset's cordless base station (22) when the handset (18) registers for cordless operation. The cordless base station (22) makes an active channel list (62) based upon the dormant channel list (70). Cordless operation messages transmitted from either a handset (18) or cordless base station (22) use a channel selected from the active channel list (62).

Abstract: An apparatus and method for telecommunications network local number portability supports service provider portability, location portability, and service portability. A subscriber is assigned a nongeographic subscriber number that is uniquely mapped to a location-based geographic terminal location number. Different embodiments of the apparatus query different combinations of databases to obtain the nongeographic subscriber number to geographic terminal location number mapping that allows a call to a nongeographic subscriber number to be routed and delivered using existing network routing mechanisms. The originating switch determines whether a received called number is a geographic terminal location number or a nongeographic subscriber number that will require the originating switch to query a database to request that the number be mapped to a geographic terminal location number.

Abstract: A cord reel assembly is provided which includes a housing including a funnel-shaped port, a spool journalled within the housing, and a cord wound about the spool and having an end portion exiting the housing via the funnel-shaped port. The housing typically includes first and second opposing walls generally perpendicular to an axis of rotation of the spool, and a bridging wall connecting the first and second walls. The funnel-shaped exit port extends outwardly from the bridging wall.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for measuring the radio signal (RF) transmission statistics of a communication channel. The apparatus is arranged to receive and process a wide bandwidth signal from which signal power is measured and from which fading or other such transmission problems can be measured for the wide bandwidth. In parallel with the wide bandwidth receiver there is a narrow bandwidth receiver arranged to receive the same RF signal but to process only a single tone or narrow bandwidth portion of the RF signal. From this narrow bandwidth processing the narrow bandwidth transmission statistical characteristics of the RF transmission channel can be measured simultaneously with the wide bandwidth statistical characteristics. The outputs of the spectrum analyzer are digitized and fed to a computer for storage and for other analysis.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for push-out of signals from switch buffers ensures that a high percentage of the highest priority input signals are accepted by the switch by using the switch resources to remove lower priority input signals from the switch buffer in order to accommodate higher priority input signals. Signals of any priority may be pushed out of the switch buffer. The apparatus requires a queue with simultaneous read and write capability and a switch that performs one read operation to N write operations, N being the number of input ports. It pushes signals out of the buffer by performing additional "dummy" read operations to read out signals of the specified priority, and then discards the signals by preventing them from entering the parallel-to-serial shift registers. A preferred embodiment of the invention utilizes an ATM CAM-controlled switch fabric, where the CAM receives the arrival number and priority of each cell in the buffer.