Abstract: A method is disclosed that enables accelerating the removal from service of a signal processor at a media gateway. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, the media gateway receives an indication to remove one of its digital signal processors from service. Instead of waiting for all of the calls that are using the signal processor to come to an end, the media gateway proactively moves the packet streams from the signal processor to one or more other signal processors resident at the gateway. Advantageously, an effort is made to avoid having to inform the corresponding media gateway controller of the move, thereby minimizing any discontinuity in each moved packet stream.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods are disclosed for authenticating users of wireless telecommunications terminals. A user is authenticated by instructing the user to travel to a geo-location, where the geo-location is referred to by an identifier that the user has previously associated with the geo-location. When the user chooses identifiers that are meaningful to the user, but that do not indicate the associated geo-locations to other people, the user can be securely authenticated via the following procedure: (i) select one of the identifiers that the user has defined, (ii) instruct the user to “go to <identifier>,” and (iii) declare the user authenticated if and only if the user visits the geo-location associated with <identifier>before a timeout expires.

Abstract: A contact center is provided that includes an input operable to receive work items 204a-w, a work item processing agent 200 to populate work item containers 212a-i with information respecting the received work items, and a notification agent 216 to notify subscribing entities of state changes in the work item containers. The processing agent transfers work items to a subscribing entity when requested by the subscribing entity via a subscription notification comprising an applet or serve-let.

Abstract: A contact center is provided that includes an input operable to receive work items 204a-w, a work item processing agent 200 to populate work item containers 212a-I with information respecting the received work items, and an Aagent Work Awareness Algorithm (AWAA) server notification agent 216 to notify subscribing AWAA agent entities of state changes in the work item containers. The processing AWAA server agent transfers work items to a subscribing AWAA agent entity when requested by the subscribing entity.

Abstract: Methods that enable the detection and handling of lost messages during load-balancing routing protocols are disclosed. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, when a candidate intermediate node N receives a routing-protocol message, node N performs: (1) a first procedure that is capable of detecting some lost routing-protocol messages that were previously transmitted by node N, and (2) a second procedure that is capable of detecting some lost routing-protocol messages that were previously transmitted by a neighbor of node N.

Abstract: A method is disclosed that enables an improved technique for recovering from an error scenario encountered during a call setup that involves a malfunctioning media gateway and the corresponding media gateway controller. The media gateway first detects a malfunction that affects a digital signal processing resource. The media gateway then proactively selects a processing resource available elsewhere at the gateway. The media gateway selects the new processing resource based on criteria that include: i) the capabilities that were identified to handle the packet stream at the affected (faulty) processor; ii) the capabilities of the IP terminal originating the packet stream that is being moved; and iii) the Internet Protocol address of the affected processing resource. Advantageously, an effort is made to avoid having to inform the media gateway controller of the move, thereby minimizing any discontinuity in each packet stream and minimizing the time and processing that are required to establish the call.

Abstract: A method or computer program for encoding or un-encoding data receives a keyword string and removes characters in the keyword string which are not in a pre-approved character set and duplicate characters to form a validated keyword. The validated keyword is sequenced with un-used characters of the pre-approved character set and formed into a cipher grid. Clear text may be encoded using an algorithm in combination with the cipher grid, and encoded text may be un-encoded to form clear text using a reverse algorithm in combination with the cipher grid.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods are disclosed that enable a non-multi-hop wireless terminal (i.e., a wireless terminal that has not been programmed to participate in multi-hop ad-hoc wireless networks) to in fact participate in a multi-hop ad-hoc wireless network, without any changes to the non-multi-hop terminal's software or hardware. In the illustrative embodiment, a wireless terminal T that already belongs to a multi-hop ad-hoc wireless network is assigned to a non-multi-hop wireless terminal W, and a signal is transmitted to terminal W that induces terminal W to use terminal T as a relay for transmitting messages. The assignment of multi-hop-capable terminals in the network to non-multi-hop terminals can be based on a variety of factors, such as signal strengths and the geo-locations of terminals.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods are disclosed that enable load-balancing of routes in ad-hoc wireless networks. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, when a candidate intermediate node receives a routing-protocol message, the node waits before it transmits a message in response to the received message, where the amount of time that the node waits is based on the value of a load metric at the node and is independent of any other nodes in the network. As a result, a node that has a larger load will wait longer to transmit its routing-protocol message, and consequently, it is less likely that this node will be selected for inclusion in the new route. The techniques of the illustrative embodiment are applicable to both proactive and on-demand routing protocols, and are also applicable to other kinds of networks.

Abstract: A method is disclosed that enables a user to set their “away” or auto-reply messages for two or more communications services (e.g., e-mail, voice mail, etc.) in one action. Separate actions are required in the prior art to change each outgoing message for every distinct communication service. The illustrative embodiment of the present invention is a method that enables a user to change the auto-reply message for multiple communication services with less effort than was required for multiple services in the prior art. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, a text auto-reply message intended for e-mail is automatically converted into an abbreviated form for instant messaging and wireless text services and into audio for services like telephony. Furthermore, the illustrative embodiment enables the automatic translation of messages into different natural languages, and can apply rules so that the resulting messages are used appropriately.

Abstract: A conferencing room has conferencing equipment which identifies a person speaking, among a group of people in the conferencing room, to remote participants in a conference call. The conferencing equipment includes a plurality of unique tags, each fixed proximate to a seating position for a person in the conferencing room. Each person reads the tag at their seated position using a personal interrogator, which may be incorporated into a cellular telephone. The person's identification and seated location are received and stored by a controller. The controller receives inputs from a microphone array, which monitors the voices in the room. By using the microphone array, the controller can approximate the source of the voice to one of the unique tag locations and hence can identify the person speaking.

Abstract: A technique is disclosed that changes one or more properties of a user interface at a telecommunications terminal based on an incoming call. When a first caller calls the telephone number of the terminal directly and the terminal answers the call, the terminal presents the direct call to the user through a first user interface. When a second caller calls a telephone number that is associated with a data-processing system and the call is then redirected to the terminal, the terminal presents the redirected call to the user through a second user interface. The telecommunications terminal can be a cell phone that belongs to a user, and the data-processing system can be a private branch exchange that serves an office enterprise network that the user belongs to, wherein the private branch exchange extends the call to the user's cell phone when the user is out of the office.

Abstract: A method is disclosed that enables an improvement in the scalability of a centralized server by reallocating to the client endpoints some, but not all, of the feature functionality of the server. Each logical user in the system is represented by his own private domain of endpoint entities, from which an endpoint is selected to serve as a super peer to represent the user to the centralized server. Furthermore, a designated endpoint is selected, also from the private domain of devices, to handle some of the telecommunications features that the server otherwise would have handled. Each endpoint in the private domain is permitted to have limited direct access to the server, typically for the purposes of registering and subscribing to features, in addition to and in contrast with the indirect access through the super peer. During the subscribing process, the server redirects a subscribing endpoint to the designated endpoint that is handling the feature.

Abstract: A technique is disclosed that attempts to improve the evaluation of a network path's signal quality, as well as the selection of a network path for transmission purposes, without some of the costs and disadvantages of doing so in the prior art. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, a node with access to the packet network, such as a VoIP telephone endpoint, evaluates the quality of service that is associated with each of multiple network paths. The evaluation process is iterative, in which the number of candidate paths is successively reduced from one iteration of the technique to the next. The multiple paths that remain as candidates in any given iteration are evaluated concurrently and at an evaluation bit rate that i) is less than the full transmission rate of the real-time traffic (VoIP) packets to be sent and ii) varies as a function of the number of candidate paths remaining under consideration.

Abstract: A technique that seeks to direct and re-direct streams of packets through a packet network without adversely affecting the quality of service of existing streams is disclosed. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, streams of packets that are directed and re-directed through a packet network are initially put on probation. During the probation period, a quality-of-service measure for the stream is compared with a threshold whose value is initially high and decreases with time. This has the advantageous affect of noticing problems quickly so that they can be remediated quickly.

Abstract: A method is disclosed that comprises a presence-based management function that enables the intelligent routing of messages to the telecommunications endpoints of a user. The management function operates by filtering the messaging to the user's endpoints based on a series of policies around the user and system preferences for messaging, as well as on the current presence of the user at each of those endpoints. The management function resides in a proxy server. The present invention is based on the notion that instant messaging is no longer limited to client applications that run on password-protected personal computers and that, consequently, it is often undesirable to transmit an instant message to multiple endpoints of the same user.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a voice activity detector that uses the periodicity of amplitude peaks and valleys to identify signals of substantially fixed power or having periodicity.

Abstract: A computing system is provided that includes a display 124 for displaying information and an audible locating agent 148 that, as a pointer moves over the display, plays audible locating signals to identify spatial locations of at least some of the displayed information.

Abstract: A technique is disclosed for interfacing business processes with telephony functions. Particularly, an orchestration engine is interposed between a business process engine that executes business processes and an enterprise telecommunications network that executes telephony functions. Acting as an intermediary between the business process engine and the telecommunications network, the orchestration engine decouples the atomic telephony functions that are required for a business application from the business logic that is used in features that comprise one or more business processes. Thus, a new protocol state, feature, or algorithm change is isolated to a single and easy-to-develop location in software.