Abstract: A call between a calling party and a called party, one or both of whom may be subscribers to Internet Telephony (IT) services, commences upon the receipt of a call dialed by the calling party to the Plain Old Telephony Service (POTS) number associated with the calling party. A first hub receives the call and routes it to the called party if that party is not an IT services subscriber that is currently on line. If the called party is an IT services subscriber that is on-line, the call is received at an Internet Services Provider serving the called party. The ISP converts the call to an IT format if the call is not already in that format and thereafter delivers the call to the called party.

Abstract: Concepts and technologies disclosed herein are directed to vehicle event notification via cell broadcast. According to one aspect of the concepts and technologies disclosed herein, a system can receive an event message in response to an event. The system can extract information associated with the event from the event message. The system can determine an area of relevance for the event. The system can create an event notification message. The event notification message can be formatted as a cell broadcast message to be broadcast to a cell serving at least a portion of the area of relevance.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and system for minimally intrusive fiber identification includes imparting a time-varying modulation onto an optical signal propagating in an optical fiber and subsequently detecting the presence of the time-varying modulation in the optical signal transmitting through the fiber to identify the fiber. In a specific embodiment of the invention, a time-varying curvature is imposed on the fiber to be identified and the presence of the resultant time variation in the transmitted power of a propagating optical signal is subsequently detected for identification of the manipulated fiber.

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 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: 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: 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: 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 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: 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: Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a device, process or software that determines an operation between a number of pairs of antennas of a set of antennas. A pair of antennas of the number of pairs of antennas is determined based on the operation. One antenna of the pair of antennas is eliminated from the set of antennas, which results in a reduced number of antennas remaining in the set of antennas. Each of the determining of the operation, the determining of the pair of antennas of the reduced number of antennas and the eliminating of the one antenna of the pair of antennas is repeated in response to the reduced number of antennas being greater than a predetermined number of antennas. Other embodiments are disclosed.