Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling a valve during the detection of a hazard event. A hazard event is defined as an event that may endanger the health or safety of people or the environment from contamination of hazardous material carried by a vehicle. The hazard event may be detected from a condition of the vehicle, an input received from a vehicle operator, or a message received from a remote location. After detecting a hazard event, a valve located on the vehicle is controlled to prevent contamination from the hazardous material being transported.

Abstract: In a system having a plurality of processors 1 to M and each processor has corresponding output registers 1 to N an apparatus and method to transfer is claimed. The data comprises a current group of data and a next group of data. Each group of data comprises a plurality of portions of data. The current group of data from each processor 1 to M is transferred to its corresponding output register 1 to N. Each processor then receives and processes the next group of data. Simultaneously, the portion of data from output register N to output register N-1 is transferred. Similarly, each portion of data from output register N-1 is transferred to output register N-2, and so on. The portion of data from register 1 is transferred to a frame buffer.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for determining a block size assignment for a block of pixels is claimed. A mean for a given block of pixels and a neighborhood mean for adjacent blocks of pixels is determined. A contrast ratio is then determined, as a function of the mean and the neighborhood mean. A variance threshold is determined as a function of the contrast ratio. Then, various sub-block sizes within the block of pixels is determined as a function of the variance threshold. As such, a pixel block is considered in the context of adjacent pixel blocks rather than in isolation, which narrows the spread of block variances and allows for a more robust subdivision of pixel blocks.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for allowing a transparent service option transition between at least two wireless communication devices (WCDs). A first communication between a first WCD and a second WCD is established using a first service option. At some point during the first communication, a transition to a second service option, such as an asynchronous data service option, is initiated. At least one of the WCDs provides an identification code to the other WCD using a signaling protocol over the first service option. The first communication is then terminated. A second communication using the second service option is then initiated by one of the WCDs, resulting in a seamless transition to the second service option.

Abstract: A single CDMA radio access network is used in conjunction with both a GSM core and an IS-41 core using a hybrid MSC to support mobile stations having subscriptions in either the GSM core or IS-41 core without requiring more than a single subscription.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing privacy of user identity and characteristics in a communication system. A public key and a private key is generated, corresponding to a transceiver. The public key is transmitted to a wireless communication device. The wireless communication device encrypts one or more an initial messages using the public key and transmits the one or more encrypted initial messages to the transceiver. The transceiver receives the one or more encrypted initial messages and decrypts it using the private key. The transceiver may then allocate resources to initiate a desired communication between said wireless communication device and a second communication device.

Abstract: A self-correcting mobile antenna control system and method. A method is provided for controlling the direction of an antenna mounted on a vehicle. The method includes determining a position decision based on a direction change signal output from a direction sensor, determining an energy decision based on a signal strength indicator, combining the position decision and the energy decision to produce an antenna control signal, and adjusting the antenna's direction based on the antenna control signal. The system also operates to periodically calibrate itself to offset any sensor errors so that intensive calibration procedures can be avoided.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are presented herein for encrypting and authentication data, such that some of data can be transmitted in the clear but still be authenticated by the sender. A set of cleartext positions and/or a set of ciphertext positions are used to specify which data blocks will be used to generate an input checksum value and an output checksum value. These checksums are then used to generate an authentication tag.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are presented for encrypting and authenticating data, wherein some data is encrypted and some data is not encrypted, but all of the data is authenticated. Different formulations for authentication blocks are used according to whether a block of data occupies a cleartext position or ciphertext position. The authentication blocks are then combined to form a checksum, which is encrypted to form an authentication tag.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for improving searching in a remote unit of a slotted mode, wireless, communication system. In a slotted mode communication system, the remote unit enters an “active state” during its assigned slot. While in the active state, a controller in the remote unit passes selected sets of search parameters to a search engine. The order that the searches are performed is based on the measured signal strength and the age of the measurement. The search engine performs searches using the selected sets of search parameters. Searching continues as long as the remote unit is in the active state. When the remote unit enters the inactive state, searching ceases. While in the inactive state, the controller evaluates the results of the searches performed during the previous active state. During the next active state, the next sequence of searching is performed based on measured signal strength and the measurement age corresponding to the measurements made during the previous active state.

Abstract: A method of authenticating anonymous users while reducing potential for “middleman” fraud includes the step of constructing a puzzle in response to information received from a software user. The puzzle includes the received information. The puzzle is sent to the user by a software provider. The user solves the puzzle and returns the solution to the provider. The puzzle includes a portion of a value derived from an encrypted “cookie” and an exponentiation of the derived value. The cookie includes information about the user.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for minimizing the code length of an input address for at least one for variable length encoded data is claimed. A block of variable length encoded data is read. The block of variable length encoded data is then converted into sub-optimall encoded data. The variable length encoded data is defined in having a prefix portion and a suffix portion. The prefix portion of the variable length encoded data is used to signify the look-up table. The suffix portion of the variable length encoded data is used as an input address for the look-up table.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for efficiently synchronizing a stream cipher. State information is transmitted that will allow the intended recipient of the encrypted data stream to set a stream cipher generator to the correct state from which to start generating the stream cipher. A cycle number indicating the current state of a linear feedback shift register and a stutter number indicating whether an output of the linear feedback shift register is dropped are both transmitted to a remote station along with the encrypted data stream.

Abstract: Techniques for efficient storage and retrieval of Preferred Roaming Lists are disclosed. In one aspect, PRL entries are stored in two tables. One table contains records that are common to two or more PRL entries. Another table stores any information that is unique to a PRL entry, as well as an indicator of which common record is associated with it. The common record is concatenated with the unique information to generate the uncompressed PRL entry. Various other aspects of the invention are also presented. These aspects have the benefit of reducing the memory requirements for storing a PRL. In addition, time required to download the compressed PRL is reduced.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for generating encryption stream ciphers are based on a recurrence relation designed to operate over finite fields larger than GF(2). A non-linear output can be obtained by using one or a combination of non-linear processes to form an output function. The recurrence relation and the output function can be selected to have distinct pair distances such that, as the shift register is shifted, no identical pair of elements of the shift register are used twice in either the recurrence relation or the output function. Under these conditions, the recurrence relation and the output function also can be chosen to optimize cryptographic security or computational efficiency.

Abstract: In communications networks, network elements require knowledge of other network elements such as when they are added to or deleted from the network configuration and the resources they have available. The protocol allows network elements to communicate resource information dynamically and directly. The protocol also allows direct exchange of network configuration information between network elements for determining wireless communications network paging areas.

Abstract: In a method of synthesizing voiced speech from pitch prototype waveforms by time-synchronous waveform interpolation (TSWI), one or more pitch prototypes is extracted from a speech signal or a residue signal. The extraction process is performed in such a way that the prototype has minimum energy at the boundary. Each prototype is circularly shifted so as to be time-synchronous with the original signal. A linear phase shift is applied to each extracted prototype relative to the previously extracted prototype so as to maximize the cross-correlation between successive extracted prototypes. A two-dimensional prototype-evolving surface is constructed by unsampling the prototypes to every sample point. The two-dimensional prototype-evolving surface is re-sampled to generate a one-dimensional, synthesized signal frame with sample points defined by piecewise continuous cubic phase contour functions computed from the pitch lags and the phase shifts added to the extracted prototypes.

Abstract: The present invention is a novel and improved method and apparatus for performing position location in wireless communications system. One embodiment of the invention comprises a method of performing position location in a wireless subscriber unit having a local oscillator, including the steps of receiving a position location request, acquiring a timing signal when a sufficient period of time has elapsed since the local oscillator has been corrected and correcting said local oscillator using a correction signal based on said timing signal, substantially freezing the correction signal, performing a position location procedure using the local oscillator with the correction signal applied, and ending said position location procedure.