Abstract: A cellular radiotelephone system (10) includes mobile stations (28) which may be remotely programmed from a customer activation system (12) to effect activation and other programming needs. Mobile stations (28) are manufactured in a blank form that causes them to operate only in an inactive state. During activation, information describing the mobile station's electronic serial number (ESN) is collected along with area of use information. A mobile identification number (MIN) is assigned in response to the area of use information. A page message is directed to the mobile station operating in its inactive state, but the page message references the mobile station's ESN. While inactive, the mobile station (28) detects pages directed to its ESN. A remote programming session is then performed wherein digital user-specific programming data, including the newly assigned MIN, are transferred to the mobile station (28) over a voice channel using a control channel protocol (80).

Abstract: A personal video involving activities of a subscriber at an amusement park, which includes personal segments recorded by a plurality of video cameras, environ segments separately recorded and interleaved between the personal segments, and text. The organization of certain segments of the personal video is determined by a subscriber who registers identification and information data prior to activating the cameras. Upon completion of the recording, the personal segments, the text and environ segments are assembled, processed, and duplicated for delivery to the subscriber. The environ segments are selected to display weather conditions existing at the time of recording the personal video segments.

Abstract: A distributed switch buffer and method for switch buffer enlargement use standard switch chips as modules that are cascaded in multiples to provide arbitrarily large switch buffers for any number of inputs and outputs. Any type of packet switch chip may be used in any combination. A packet that enters the first switch chip in the cascade automatically gets transferred to other switch chips as part of an integrated buffering scheme. Every input of the switch is connected to all of the switch chips in the first stage of the distributed buffer. The queue of each output of the switch is then expanded by adding more stages of switch chips. All outputs of each switch chip go to the inputs of the same switch chip in the next stage of the distributed buffer so that all of the buffer space of all the cascaded switch chips is available to each input port. The queue may be expanded indefinitely by cascading more chips.

Abstract: In a client/server environment, a rule-based system for the provision of complex navigational logic in an application comprises a Navigation Analysis Vehicle ("NAV") and a Matrix Analysis Package ("MAP"). The MAP facilitates creation of navigation rules for linkage with the rest of the application. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the NAV communicates navigational instructions to a user interface for the display and the take-down of screens and also communicates with other processes such as editors and data manipulators. After the navigation rules are created, those rules are then applied to provide navigational logic for the user interface for the processing the user interface screens. MAP creates the navigation rules in a user-friendly, C-like language and parses them into ANSI-standard C language for linkage with other processes that control the user interface.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for improving the speed an accuracy of recognition of speech dialects, or speech tansferred via dissimilar channels is described. The invention provides multiple models tailored to specific segments or dialects, and/or speech channels, of the population. However, there is not a proportional increase in recognition time or computing power or computing resources needed. Probability density functions for the acoustic descriptors are provided which are shared among the various models. Since there is a common pool of probability density functions which are mapped or pointed to for the different acoustic descriptors for each different dialect or speech channel model, the memory requirements for the speech recognition apparatus and method are significantly reduced. Each model is comprised of triphonemes which are modelled by discrete probability distribution functions forming hidden Markov models or statistical word models.

Abstract: An integrated network for connecting both telephones and personal computers within an organization, using a single wiring connection is disclosed. Telephones and personal computers within the organization are connected to the same local area network (LAN) which is in turn connected to a telephony-computer interface (TCI). The TCI is also connected to telephone lines. The TCI forms an interface between telephone line communications and data packets for real time communications. In this way, only one wiring connection, the local area network, need be installed to interconnect both telephones and personal computers, for both local and off-site communications.

Abstract: A multiple mode, personal, wireless communications system exists within a radiotelephone network serving general customers and provides additional services to a select group of customers. The system uses handsets (32) which automatically switch between a standard cellular radiotelephone mode of operation (1901) and an enhanced cordless mode (1420) when the handsets (32) are within range of pico cells (26) that are interconnected to the public switched telephone network (20). Each pico cell is controlled via a framework of overlay cells (10b) that operates independently of the radiotelephone network and uses a unique control protocol on a small number of reserved cellular channels. Each pico cell consists of a spectrally dynamic, non-capturing, frequency agile, multi-purpose base station (26) provided at customer-selected locations to cooperate with the overlay cell framework. Each pico cell is capable of supporting multiple handsets (32) and using low power operation that achieves limited coverage.

Abstract: In a wavelength division multiplexed network having a plurality of nodes and having optical channels at wavelengths .lambda.i, where i=1 . . . N, for transmission of optical signals over optical interconnection means, control for informing the network of which nodes are transmitting at which frequencies and for token holding. Control is provided without the need for a second transmitter at each node and another control channel. Data signals are provided at baseband by keying the optical signal at a data repetition rate. Control signals are imposed on a wavelength .lambda.t of a transmitting node as a subcarrier. Receiver means at each node respond to a .lambda.t from another channel to receive information. The node also includes means for all wavelengths .lambda.i and demodulating the subcarrier therefrom to derive control information.

Abstract: In the communications network disclosed herein, each of a plurality of similar stations is operated so that the group automatically organizes or configures itself into a multi-layered network for relaying messages from station to station, with some of the stations operating at a relatively high power level as message gateways for a cluster of stations operating at lower power thereby to form, through the gateways, a network backbone providing longer distance network links. Initially, individual stations attempt to affiliate at a lower power level with an existing cluster gateway and, if that attempt is unsuccessful, the station switches to a higher power level and commences operation as a cluster gateway. Each cluster gateway periodically communicates data at least identifying to other cluster gateways the non-gateway stations which are affiliated with it.

Abstract: A multiple mode, personal, wireless communications system exists within a radiotelephone network serving general customers and provides additional services to a select group of customers. The system uses handsets (32) which automatically switch between a standard cellular radiotelephone mode of operation (1901) and an enhanced cordless mode (1420) when the handsets (32) are within range of pico cells (26) that are interconnected to the public switched telephone network (20). Each pico cell is controlled via a framework of overlay cells (10b) that operates independently of the radiotelephone network and uses a unique control protocol on a small number of reserved cellular channels. Each pico cell consists of a spectrally dynamic, non-capturing, frequency agile, multi-purpose base station (26) provided at customer-selected locations to cooperate with the overlay cell framework. Each pico cell is capable of supporting multiple handsets (32) and uses low power operation that achieves limited coverage.

Abstract: A method for transmitting packets or cells (or both) in a communications network 10 is disclosed. The packets or cells are transmitted along a forward communications path in a network from a source node h1 via one or more intermediary nodes r1, x1, r5 and r2 to a destination node h4. At the intermediary nodes r1, x1, r5 or r2, the packets or cells are received in a buffer 38 or 42-1 to 42-4. The packets or cells are transmitted along the forward communications path according to a transmission schedule. In the presence of congestion at one of the intermediary nodes x1, an indication of the congestion is provided to the destination nodes h4 of the first packets to be transmitted according to the schedule. An indication of the congestion of the first packets or cells is provided by the destination nodes h4 of the first packets or cells to the source nodes h1 of the first packets or cells via a feedback communications path.

Abstract: A means of power control on the reverse link of a CDMA network is disclosed. Specifically, the forward link from the base station to the subscriber unit is used to direct the subscriber unit to modify the output power radiated. The forward link consists of the forward packet data channel and the forward channel control channel. The forward packet data channel carriers the informational data to the subscriber unit, and the forward packet control channel includes carries of a power control setting. The forward channel is bi-phase modulated with the forward packet data channel transmitted in-phase and the forward packet control channel transmitted in quadrature.

Abstract: A system and method for preprocessing and delivering multimedia presentations to customers such that delays due to interactive response time is virtually eliminated include a preprocessor, mass storage, a delivery processor, a distribution network, and a plurality of presentation processors. The preprocessor receives as inputs an original multimedia presentation and parameters characterizing other system components, which parameters include the round trip latency between the delivery processor and a presentation processor, and generates a preprocessed multimedia presentation including a delivery schedule in the form of a labelled, directed graph.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for preprocessing multimedia presentations to be delivered to customers such that delays due to interactive response time is virtually eliminated is described. The preprocessor receives as inputs an original multimedia presentation and parameters characterizing other system components, which parameters include the round trip latency between a delivery processor and a presentation processor, and generates a preprocessed multimedia presentation including a delivery schedule in the form of a labelled, directed graph.

Abstract: A hybrid polymeric matrix composition for a lithium-ion rechargeable battery comprises a copolymer of vinylidene fluoride with about 8 to 20% by weight chlorotrifluoroethylene.

Abstract: A customer premise equipment (CPE) network integrator (CNI) (20) is connected to today's integrated telephone network to provide additional and improved telephone services. The CNI (20) is connected between a CPE (10) and a network switch (30) and is connected to an STP (40). The CNI (20) detects existing inband call progress network tones, such as dial tone, busy, audible ringback, etc. and a variety of local CPE events, such as offhook, onhook, etc. and uses these tones and events to infer a change in network state. In response to certain network state changes, the CNI (20) queries a network service control point (SCP) (50) and requests call processing information. In response to the call processing information from the SCP (50), the CNI (20) processes the phone call. Because the CNI (20) can infer changes in network states from inband call progress network tones and local CPE events, the CNI (20) can bypass the network switch (30).

Abstract: The error performance of an ATM signaling link operating under the service specific connection oriented protocol (SSCOP) is monitored at the transmitting end of the link by attributing a penalty factor at the end of each polling interval. That penalty factor is determined by whether or not any message was retransmitted in the interval, and whether or not any stat messages transmitted by the receiver in response to each poll were received from the receiver within a predetermined number of polling intervals. At the end of a block of N.sub.-- blk polling intervals, a quality of service (QOS) measure is determined based on the average penalty factor of the block. If the QOS measure is greater than a predetermined threshold, then the link is removed from service. In order to adequately monitor a link with low traffic, the number of stat messages that are are lost within a superblock of N.sub.-- sup polling intervals is determined and if greater than a predetermined number, the link is removed from service.

Abstract: An electrically-conductive collector element (23) in a polymeric laminate lithium ion rechargeable battery is cleaned of surface oxides and coated with an adherent conductive polymer film (34) which is substantially inert to battery electrolyte components and prevents recurrent formation of insulative collector surface oxides, thereby maintaining effective electrode/collector electrical conductivity and significantly reducing internal battery resistance.

Abstract: A scheduling system and method, which employ a token passing scheme, for scheduling transmission of multimedia information between information warehouses (IWHs) and CO clusters (CCs) interconnected by ATM switch(es). Each CO cluster employs a CC schedule processor, which has means for receiving and means for storing requests for multimedia information, means for sorting and prioritizing the requests, means for forwarding requests to appropriate IWHs, and means for accepting or rejecting tokens offered by IWHs in response to a request. The IWH employs an IWH schedule processor which includes means for receiving and means for storing requests from CO clusters, means for selecting a request and generating a token to be sent to the CO cluster originating the request, and means for storing a list of CO cluster rejecting tokens. Requests received from multiple subscribers are stored, sorted, and prioritized at CC schedule processors, which forward the requests to appropriate IWHs.

Abstract: A compensator for thermal or other uncontrollable effects in a liquid-crystal etalon filter. The narrow pass band of the filter is controlled by adjusting the amplitude of an AC drive signal applied to the electrodes on either side of the liquid crystal in the filter. An optical detector detects the intensity of light from a narrow-bandwidth input beam passed by the detector. Electrical circuitry determines the bipolar amplitude of the component of the light intensity that is at twice the frequency of the AC drive signal (the doubled-frequency amplitude) and adjusts the amplitude of the AC drive signal in response to the doubled-frequency amplitude so as to reduce the doubled-frequency amplitude toward zero.