Abstract: An optical system has an optical emitter that transmits an optical signal through an optical fiber. An optical detector detects light from the fiber and provides an analog signal indicative of such light. A crosstalk cancellation element is configured to receive an electrical signal from the optical emitter and to adjust such signal in order to form a cancellation signal that models the optical and/or electrical crosstalk affecting the analog signal. The cancellation signal is subtracted from the analog signal thereby removing optical and/or electrical crosstalk from the analog signal.

Abstract: An optical communication system comprises a network interface device (NID) having a media converter coupled to an optical fiber of a passive optical network (PON). The media converter converts optical signals from the PON into electrical signals for communication across at least one non-optical channel, such as a conductive or wireless connection, to customer premises equipment (CPE), such as a residential gateway or other customer premises (CP) device. Rather than implementing an optical media access control (optical MAC) layer in the NID, an optical MAC layer for handling PON protocols and management is implemented by the CPE, thereby effectively extending the customer end of the PON across at least one non-optical connection to the CPE. By implementing the optical MAC layer at the CPE, the complexity of the NID is reduced thereby lowering the cost of the NID.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally pertains to optical communication apparatuses having field-tunable power characteristics. In one exemplary embodiment, an optical communication apparatus has an optical transmitter. The optical transmitter is coupled to logic that receives a user input indicative of a desired transmit mode for the transmitter, and the logic then dynamically tunes the transmitter's output power according to the selected transmit mode. In addition, the optical communication apparatus may have an optical receiver for receiving optical signals. The sensitivity of the receiver is controlled by a bias voltage that is applied to the receiver by the logic. The logic is configured to receive a user input indicative of a desired receive mode and then to tune the receiver's sensitivity via the bias voltage according to the selected receive mode.

Abstract: A system for configuring and registering Internet Protocol (IP) phones has at least one IP phone coupled to a private branch exchange (PBX) through a switch. A boot server stores a plurality of configuration files used to configure IP phones, and the IP phone downloads a default configuration file having a default extension identifier from the boot server in order to allow the IP phone to initiate a registration session with the PBX. Once the registration session is initiated, the PBX is configured to automatically learn a media access control (MAC) address of the IP phone and to generate at least one unique configuration file identified by the learned MAC address. The IP phone is then configured according to the generated unique configuration file without an administrator having to associate the MAC address with the extension identifier.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally pertains to network systems and methods that efficiently drop packets carried by virtual circuits. In one exemplary embodiment, a packet network has at least a first node having a first port that is coupled directly to a second port of a second node. A virtual circuit is established such that a virtual connection exists between the two ports. The first node communicates with the second node to determine whether the second node is provisioned such that the second port is a member of the virtual circuit. If the second node is not provisioned such that the second port is a member of the virtual circuit, then the first node drops the data packets that (1) are carried by the virtual circuit and (2) are to be forwarded to the first port, as indicated by virtual circuit (VC) mapping data in the first node. Thus, the dropped packets are prevented from usurping capacity that otherwise could be used to transmit other packets between the two nodes.

Abstract: An exemplary network management system comprises a management server communicating with a plurality of network devices via a network. Each network device initiates a check-in request with the management server that indicates a task to be performed by the server. Upon receiving a check-in request from a network device, the management server is configured to determine a task to be performed that requires communication with the network device, and the management server is configured to determine a weight value indicative of a processing burden for the server in performed such task. The management server is further configured to determine whether to perform the task during the current check-in session based on the weight value.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally pertains to systems and methods for protecting bonding engines in network communications. In one exemplary embodiment, physical communication links, such as subscriber lines, of a bonding group are terminated by a plurality of access modules such that at least some of the communication links remain operational in the event of a failure of one of the access modules. Further, a backup bonding engine is used to protect the group's bonding engine. In the event of a failure or other operational problem associated with the group's bonding engine, the backup bonding engine is used to fragment incoming messages and to send the fragments to the operational subscriber lines. Thus, the bonding group can survive an operational failure of the group's bonding engine.

Abstract: A system has a current mirror that has an input node and an output node and an avalanche photodiode (APD) coupled to the output node of the current mirror. The system also has a nonlinear voltage-to-current conversion element coupled to the input node of the current mirror that transmits current through the current mirror and the APD. Further, the system has a feedback path coupled between the output node of the current mirror and the voltage-to-current conversion element that senses a voltage across the APD and provides, based on the sensed voltage, an input signal to the voltage-to-current conversion element for controlling the element's output current, and the feedback path is arranged to limit a voltage of the input signal such that the output current is limited thereby preventing damage to the APD.

Abstract: A portable technical support device includes a location-determining element configured to allow the portable technical support device to be location-aware, and a communicating element configured to allow the portable technical support device to access a network management system, the network management system having information relating to a communication device, wherein the portable technical support device obtains from the management system the information relating to the communication device by making the network management system aware of the location of the communication device using the portable technical support device as a location-determining element.

Abstract: A communications system and associated method distributes media in a communications network. A Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) communication session call is established between a caller and a communications server. A message is transmitted from the communications server to the media server that includes Session Description Protocol (SDP) parameters for media provided by the media server. Media is delivered to the caller in a packet format in accordance with the Real Time Transport Protocol (RTP) to reuse the same socket as the source IP and port numbers and update RTP timestamps and sequence numbers. The media is transferred to the caller with minimal jitter buffer flushes and network resource usage.

Abstract: Multicast delivery of channels of information using an Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) is improved by implementing a smart immediate leave to avoid either excessive bandwidth utilization or undesired gaps in deliver of an IGMP channel to a host, such as a set top box. The smart immediate leave technique checks a channel-host list associated with a network interface of a proxy or a Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) to ensure continued delivery of IGMP channel information to remaining hosts connected to the IGMP channel on the network serviced by the network interface.

Abstract: Flexibility of handling of multicast information using an Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) is improved by overcoming failures to respond to group specific queries. Such failures occur when heterogenous host devices are used on a common network. When a failure to respond to a group specific query is experienced, a general query is used to obtain information that was not provided by the group specific query.

Abstract: In accordance with a non-limiting example, a communications system includes a plurality of Virtual Local Area Networks (VLAN) enabled switches interconnected together and each having a plurality of ports and configured into a plurality of VLAN's in a single topology map. The switches each comprise a processor and transceiver and configured to process and transport data packets and further comprising forwarding tables and operating in accordance with a Spanning Tree Protocol in a single topology map, for example, operating with the Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol and not having multiple topologies. When a topology changes occurs to a specified VLAN, the switches are configured to flush the forwarding tables only for the specified VLAN associated with the port of the switch whose state change caused the topology change.

Abstract: A system for preventing noise transmission at the end of a telephone call includes a telephone having a handset and a base unit. The telephone has a proximity sensor configured to detect when the handset is in close proximity to the base unit prior to the handset contacting the base unit. A control element communicates with the proximity sensor and prevents transmission of sound received from the handset when the proximity sensor indicates that the handset is in close proximity to the base unit thereby preventing transmission of noise caused by the handset contacting the base unit.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally pertains to systems and methods for powering service units. A service unit has a plurality of first transceivers coupled to a plurality of customer premises (CP) transceivers via drop connections, and each of the drop connections is coupled to a respective one of the CP transceivers. The service unit has forwarding logic that is configured to forward data packets to the first transceivers. The service unit further has a power management unit configured to receive electrical power from at least one of the drop connections and to power at least one component of the service unit based on the received electrical power.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally pertain to systems and methods for reducing RF interference in communication systems. A communication system in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure comprises an element management system (EMS) communicating through a network with a plurality of network access devices. The EMS is configured to manage at least one network access device such that the device refrains from communicating data or reduces a data rate within a frequency range of a nearby interferer during time periods when interfering activity of the interferer is increased. Accordingly, the effects of RF interference for signals communicated by the device is reduced and degradation of service is prevented to an extent.

Abstract: A communication system comprises a plurality of line cards having transceivers coupled to a plurality of subscriber lines. Each line card has at least one active transceiver within the same vectoring group, and each line card also has vector logic capable of cancelling crosstalk induced by an active transceiver that is a member of the vectoring group. Further, the line cards are coupled to one another via a ring connection across which vectoring information is passed from one line card to the next. In the event of a failure of one of the line cards, the failed card is bypassed by the vectoring stream so that the operational line cards can continue crosstalk vectoring operations despite such failure.

Abstract: A communication system comprises a plurality of line cards having transceivers coupled to a plurality of subscriber lines. Each line card has at least one transceiver within the same vectoring group, and each line card also has vector logic capable of cancelling crosstalk induced by a tone communicated by any member of the vector group. Further, the line cards are coupled to one another via a data connection across which a vectoring stream carrying vectoring information from one line card to the next. The bandwidth of the vectoring stream is reduced by dynamically adjusting time slots of the vectoring stream based on bit loading for the communicated tones.

Abstract: A system and method in accordance with a non-limiting aspect minimizes echo return loss in a communications system. The dial tone is broken on an analog telephone line connected to a hybrid circuit having selectable impedance configurations and that interfaces a digital communications circuit and the analog telephone line. A white noise signal as a test call is inserted through the hybrid circuit onto the analog telephone line corresponding to a selected impedance configuration. The returned white noise signal is used for measuring the echo return loss. The test call is dropped. This process is repeated at different impedance configurations to obtain echo return loss measurements at each of the impedance configurations. The optimum impedance setting configuration is determined based on the results and applied to the hybrid circuit and typically set during a running telephone configuration.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally pertains to systems and methods for allocating bonding engines among bonding groups. In one exemplary embodiment, a provision module is configured to allocate bonding engines. When selecting a bonding engine for a new bonding group, the provision module only considers bonding engines residing on access modules that terminate at least one of the communication links of the bonding group. Out of the bonding engines residing on access modules terminating at least one communication link of the bonding group, the provision module selects a bonding engine servicing the least number of external links and assigns the selected bonding engine to the bonding group. The provision module also provisions the access modules terminating the communication links of the bonding group such that the selected bonding engine bonds such communication links during operation.