Abstract: An Ethernet Metropolitan Area Network provides connectivity to one or more customer premises to packet-bases services, such as ATM, Frame Relay, or IP while advantageously providing a mechanism for assuring security and regulation of customer traffic. Upon receipt of each customer-generated information frame, an ingress Multi-Service Platform (MSP) “tags” the frame with a customer descriptor that specifically identifies the recipient customer. In practice, the MSP tags each frame by overwriting the Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) identifier with the routing descriptor. Using the customer descriptor in each frame, a recipient Provider Edge Router (PER) or ATM switch can map the information as appropriate to direct the information to the specific customer. In addition, the customer descriptor may also include Quality of Service (QoS) allowing the recipient Provider Edge Router (PER) or ATM switch to vary the QoS level accordingly.

Abstract: Bioacoustic sensors and wireless technologies are used for the control of electronic devices, such as wireless telephones, pagers, music/media players or personal laptops and personal digital assistant (PDA) devices. Such control is implemented with certain systems, methods and apparatus which include bioacoustic sensors, a processor coupled to the bioacoustic sensors, and a transmitter coupled to the processor. The present invention is operative to detect particular hand and/or finger gestures, and to transmit control signals corresponding to the gestures for operative control of an electronic device.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a new paradigm in Multimedia Services Creation Methodology, and new Service Creation and Service Execution Environments, based on this methodology. A service designer can access the Service Creation Environment via a Web based Graphical User Interface (GUI), to design new service in an automated way. The design process includes creation of the Service Logic Script (SLS), and associated databases that are used for storage of service and subscriber related data. The service developer (user) assembles Language Graphical Objects (LGO) into Service Logic Script. LGOs are part of a new graphical language that has been developed to meet multimedia service creation needs. They represent service control and call control primitive functions that have to be performed, in order to provide a multimedia service to service subscribers.

Abstract: The present invention sets forth a network-centric service distribution architecture that integrates a wireless access system in the residence, SOHO, business or public environment through the use of a local broadband network, such as a Residential-Business Broadband Network (RBN), to the service provider's broadband transport network and to a service provider's broadband packet network. The system includes Media Terminal Adapter is coupled via the RBN to the access port(s) and via the service provider's broadband transport network to the service provider's broadband packet network. The access port is coupled to the Media Terminal Adapter via either a RBN (e.g., a Local Area Network—LAN) or simply via a traditional POTS line interface. The access port receives and sends wireless signals to a plurality of RBN devices, allowing the user to control theses devices remotely from the residence, business, SOHO or public environments.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and products mirror data between local memory and remote storage. A write command is sent from a server to a remote storage device, and a timer is established. A current time of the timer is compared to a maximum time period. If the maximum time period expires without receipt of an acknowledgment to the write command, then a write error is assumed to exist to the remote storage device.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a central controller that performs operations including monitoring multiple network nodes, at least some of the network nodes being in communication with others through respective point-to-point links. Each point-to-point link includes a respective free space optical channel. The central controller detects optical received signal strength of a free space optical channel falling below a certain level and provides control signals to reconfigure the multiple network nodes. Signals are re-routed along one of the respective point-to-point links through other network nodes responsive to detecting the optical received signal strength falling below the certain level Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for responding to an inquiry from a client via a network. The method and apparatus receive the inquiry from a client via a network. Based on the inquiry, question-answer pairs retrieved from the network are analyzed to determine a response to the inquiry. The QA pairs are not predefined. As a result, the QA pairs have to be analyzed in order to determine whether they are responsive to a particular inquiry. Questions of the QA pairs may be repetitive and similar to one another even for very different subjects, and without additional contextual and meta-level information, are not useful in determining whether their corresponding answer responds to an inquiry.

Abstract: An embodiment of a system for providing Internet access free of charge to a user utilizes an Internet service provider for connecting a user to the Internet, a zone creation means, and a zone organizer. Free zones of servers are created, wherein the free zones are groups of at least one server to which at least one user can connect. The zone organizer can be in communication with the ISP. The zone organizer can be a traffic monitor, a traffic controller, an authentication protocol, a bookkeeping protocol, a fee collection and dispersal module, and/or an indexing and listing function.

Abstract: A secure communication system utilizes multiple “decoy” data signals to hide one or more true data signals. The true data signal(s) are encrypted, and received at a scrambling unit according to an original set of channel assignments. The channel assignments are optically switched with multiple decoy data signals to form a multi-channel “scrambled” output signal that is thereafter transmitted across a communication system. The greater the number of decoy signals, the greater the security provided to the open-air system. Further security may be provided by encrypting the decoy signals prior to scrambling and/or by utilizing a spatially diverse set of transmitters and receivers. Without the knowledge of the channel assignment(s) for the true signal(s), an eavesdropper may be able to intercept (and, with time, perhaps descramble) the open-air transmitted signals, will not be able to distinguish the true data from the decoys without also knowing the channel assignment(s).

Abstract: Systems, methods, and programs for generating an authorized profile for a text communication device or account, may sample a text communication generated by the text communication device or account during communication and may store the text sample. The systems, methods, and programs may extract a language pattern from the stored text sample and may create an authorized profile based on the language pattern. Systems, methods, and programs for detecting unauthorized use of a text communication device or account may sample a text communication generated by the device or account during communication, may extract a language pattern from the audio sample, and may compare extracted language pattern of the sample with an authorized user profile.

Abstract: A method for establishing wireless communication between a transmitter and a receiver in a wireless communication system is disclosed. The receiver includes an adaptive array that has at least two antennas. Each antenna receives a signal and produces a received signal. The transmitter includes at least two transmission channels for communicating the signal from the transmitter to the receiver. The wireless communication system suppresses interference at the receiver by applying an interference suppression technique when combining the received signals. The selection of a channel at the transmitter is based on the channel performance at the receiver for each transmission channel. The channel performance is based on a combining technique different from the interference suppression technique.

Abstract: Incorporation of a mesh base station in a wireless network is presented herein. The mesh base station can utilize common wireless resource allocations as a corresponding wireless base station while transmitting to wireless subscriber stations during the same time period. The mesh base station obtains a data packet from the wireless base station over a backhaul link during a scheduled time period and transmits the data packet to the designated wireless subscriber station during another scheduled time period. The wireless base station and the mesh base station can also receive data packets from wireless subscriber stations during a same time period. A wireless network can be configured with two mesh base stations at an approximate boundary of two adjacent sector coverage areas, where a coverage area is supported by a wireless base station and each mesh base station supports wireless subscriber stations within a coverage radius.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, includes a broadband signal access point, which may be located internally or externally to the premises, in combination with the existing cabling is used with radiation device(s) to provide distribution of services, including broadband services, within the premises. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a controller to collect data indicative of temporal actions initiated by a group of users during presenting a media program. The data indicative of the temporal actions are collected in a collective metadata archive. Portions of the media program are identified based on metadata for which a number of occurrences of the temporal actions exceeds a threshold number of occurrences. A compacted presentation of the portions of the media program is prepared based on the metadata. The compacted presentation includes the portions of the media program arranged consecutively. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: Certain exemplary embodiments can comprise a method, which can comprise automatically providing content to an information device from a content distribution node of a plurality of content distribution nodes. The information device can be adapted to send a request for the content from the first content distribution node utilizing an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the content distribution node.

Abstract: The present invention provides a facility management platform to monitor and view the status of a plurality of individually addressable downstream devices including, but not limited to, addressable terminals, IRG's, settops, cable modems, taps, nodes, and/or hubs at a network control center. The FMP may display problems at these downstream devices, for example, power loss, and/or may automatically notify the appropriate companies and/or personnel to correct the problem.

Abstract: A system and a method for delivering an event from an event publisher to an event subscriber via an event broker are disclosed. The event broker performs several functions such as receiving an event published by an event publisher of a first domain, assigning a priority based on a second domain to a plurality of subscribers of the second domain, processing the event based on a rule and the priority, and further delivering the event published by the event publisher of the first domain to the plurality of event subscribers of the second domain in accordance with the priority.

Abstract: A method includes receiving at a wireless communication device via a wired connection, a signal including a synchronization signal, the synchronization signal including a baseband data signal and a plurality of pseudo noise sequences. The method includes decoding the synchronization signal to determining timing information. The method further includes synchronizing operation at the wireless communication device with a second wireless communication device based on the timing information.

Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of the invention relates to a method of using pattern vectors for image coding and decoding. The method comprises converting a block of image data into a set of transform coefficients, quantizing the transform coefficients such that a number of the coefficients become zero, constructing a single entity or bit vector indicating which coefficients are non-zero, coding the single entity or bit vector as an integer using an adaptive, semi-adaptive or non-adaptive arithmetic coder, coding the values of the coefficients in any fixed order, using an adaptive, semi-adaptive or non-adaptive arithmetic coder, or some other coder, and coding all coefficients except the zero coefficients. The system and method of decoding data relate to the corresponding hardware and process steps performed by the decoder when decoding a bitstream coded as described herein.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and products mirror data between local memory and remote storage. A write command is sent from a server to a remote storage device, and a timer is established. A current time of the timer is compared to a maximum time period. If the maximum time period expires without receipt of an acknowledgment to the write command, then a write error is assumed to exist to the remote storage device.