Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing enterprises with the ability to provide telecommuting virtual number to these remote workers that are consistent with the dialing plans used internally at an enterprise location are disclosed. This telecommuting virtual number is routed through a packet network, e.g., a VoIP network, to allow calls placed to and from these workers to be treated as local calls.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing timeout events in a packet network are disclosed. For example, the method detects a timeout event by a first network element, wherein the timeout event is generated due to a lack of response from a second network element. The method then determines whether a threshold for reporting of timeouts is exceeded for the second network element. The method then generates a report by the first network element to a fault management system if the threshold is exceeded, where the report indicates that the second network element has exceeded the threshold for reporting of timeouts.

Abstract: A special rendering mode for the first few seconds of play out of multimedia data minimizes the delay caused by pre-buffering of data packets in multimedia streaming applications. Instead of pre-buffering all incoming data packets until a certain threshold is reached, the streaming application starts playing out some of the data packets immediately after the arrival of the first data packet. Immediate play out of the first data packet, for example, results in minimum delay between channel selection and perception, thereby allowing a user to quickly scan through all available channels to quickly get a notion of the content. The immediate play out is done at a reduced speed.

Abstract: One embodiment of a method for translating a message can be broadly summarized by the following steps: generating an electronic message in an understood language of an originating party; receiving instructions to translate contents of the electronic message to another language; converting the electronic message to the another language in accordance with the instructions; and delivering the converted electronic message to the receiving party. Other methods and devices are also provided.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed whereby location based information (LBI) is used to make access and routing decisions within a network. Such LBI is sent from mobile devices to the core network when the mobile device registers with the network and is updated periodically. Over time, this collected LBI data represents the position of mobile devices over time and periodic patterns of usage in different geographic areas. When a network receives an indication that a mobile device requires registration with the network, the network determines as a function of said LBI, a desired network access technology to use to connect said mobile device with the network. Instructions are then transmitted to the mobile device to establish a connection using said desired network access technology and the device is registered with the network. Dynamically updated LBI information from mobile devices is also used for IP network routing optimization.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing a relevant content delivery service on networks such as packet networks, e.g., Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Service over Internet Protocol (SoIP) networks are disclosed. For example, the present method receives a request to initiate a call from a calling party to a called party. The method then establishes a communication connection between the calling party and the called party and a communication connection to a speech recognizer. The method monitors a conversation between the calling party and the called party using the speech recognizer for detecting one or more verbal triggers. Finally, the method delivers relevant content that is associated with any detected verbal triggers to the calling party and/or the called party.

Abstract: An apparatus, system and method provides an out-of-synchronization detection by using a network layer checksum. A process operating at an upper layer verifies that a checksum embedded in a network layer header is correct before encrypting and transmitting a data packet containing the header and a payload. The data packet is received through a wireless communication channel at a receiver and decrypted. A calculated checksum is calculated on the received payload at the receiver and compared to the received checksum embedded in the header. A key stream used at the receiver for decrypting the received encrypted data packets is determined to be out of synchronization with a key stream used at the transmitter to encrypt the data packets if the calculated checksum is not equal to the network layer checksum.

Abstract: A method and system for indicating at least one modification to at least one timeframe in a packet-switched network is described. In one example, a visual indicator is used to indicate the modification(s) made to the timeframe(s) associated with at least one test suite is provided. Similarly, a notification of the modification(s) is sent to at least one party impacted by the modification(s). In another example, approval for the modification(s) is obtained.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for training a spoken dialog service component from website data. Spoken dialog service components typically include an automatic speech recognition module, a language understanding module, a dialog management module, a language generation module and a text-to-speech module. The method includes selecting anchor texts within a website based on a term density, weighting those anchor texts based on a percent of salient words to total words, and incorporating the weighted anchor texts into a live spoken dialog interface, the weights determining a level of incorporation into the live spoken dialog interface.

Abstract: A method and apparatus derive a dynamic grammar composed of a subset of a plurality of data elements that are each associated with one of a plurality of reference identifiers. The present invention generates a set of selection identifiers on the basis of a user-provided first input identifier and determines which of these selection identifiers are present in a set of pre-stored reference identifiers. The present invention creates a dynamic grammar that includes those data elements that are associated with those reference identifiers that are matched to any of the selection identifiers. Based on a user-provided second identifier and on the data elements of the dynamic grammar, the present invention selects one of the reference identifiers in the dynamic grammar.

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, without more, will not be useful in determining whether their corresponding answer responds to an inquiry.

Abstract: A network is disclosed that includes a message originator computer and a message recipient computer, for secure electronic mail delivery. In accordance with the invention, the network includes a message delivery server that can distinguish between real and phantom messages. In operation, the message originator computer waits a random time and then transmits a first encrypted phantom message to the message delivery server. This message is to spoof an eavesdropper into believing that there is a steady stream of messages being sent from the originator computer. However, the message delivery server recognizes the message as a phantom message and discards it. When the message originator computer receives a user request to transmit a real message to the recipient computer, it waits a random time and then encrypts and transmits the real message to the message delivery server. The message delivery server recognizes the message as a real message and forwards the real message to the recipient computer.

Abstract: A system and method of updating automatic speech recognition parameters on a mobile device are disclosed. The method comprises storing user account-specific adaptation data associated with ASR on a computing device associated with a wireless network, generating new ASR adaptation parameters based on transmitted information from the mobile device when a communication channel between the computing device and the mobile device becomes available and transmitting the new ASR adaptation data to the mobile device when a communication channel between the computing device and the mobile device becomes available. The new ASR adaptation data on the mobile device more accurately recognizes user utterances.

Abstract: A system and method for mediating anomaly notifications in health data to health alerts using data structures and logic to organize, contain, and disposition identified health anomalies. Multiple generators of anomaly notifications operating asynchronously and independently can be processed. The case manager organizes anomaly notifications and supports collaborative decision making among users with diverse areas of expertise.

Abstract: The present invention is a technique for provisioning and assessment of voice quality in Internet Protocol (IP) voice applications. A predetermined quality of service (QoS) is received from a user in the form of an acceptable packet loss. The technique measures current packet loss and delay in the network and in the terminal, and determines and optimum play-out delay for the use by a play-out adaptation routine. An actual QoS is reported back to the user. To enhance packet delay and loss measurement, a QoS engine component is placed on the terminal side of the packetizer, therefore including packetizer losses in any measurement of the network.

Abstract: Systems and methods for optimization of facility locations are disclosed, for example, wireless telecommunications facility locations. Among a plurality of cluster points, corresponding to wireless customers, optimal locations are determined for a predetermined number of cluster centers, each cluster center having a predetermined cluster radius that defines a cluster area. Among a plurality of cluster points, optimal facility locations are determined for a variable number of cluster centers, each cluster center having a minimum acceptable economic value.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for enabling multiple services to be invoked in a specific precedence per call are disclosed. For example, the present method allows a subscriber to interact with a plurality of services provided by a service provider on a single call.

Abstract: The invention provides devices and methods that process images. The invention processes a received signal representing information of texture and information of an image, which has the texture removed from at least one region. The image information is encoded to obtain encoded information of the image. An output signal is generated representing the texture information and the encoded image information. In another embodiment, the invention synthesizes texture based on the received texture information, decodes received image information, which is encoded, to obtain a decoded image, and then maps the synthesized texture onto the decoded image.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing transaction data in a packet network is described. In one embodiment, at least one routed call is received. Transaction data is subsequently obtained from the at least one routed call. In turn, the transaction data is provided to an entity (e.g., a business or store) associated locally to the at least one routed call.

Abstract: A speech synthesis system can select recorded speech fragments, or acoustic units, from a very large database of acoustic units to produce artificial speech. When a pair of acoustic units in the database does not have an associated concatenation cost, the system assigns a default concatenation cost. The system then synthesizes speech, identifies the acoustic unit sequential pairs generated and their respective concatenation costs, and stores those concatenation costs likely to occur.