Abstract: Disclosed is a task classification system that interacts with a user. The task classification system may include a recognizer that may recognize symbols in the user's input communication, and a natural language understanding unit that may determine whether the user's input communication can be understood. If the user's input communication can be understood, the natural language understanding unit may generate understanding data. The system may also include a communicative goal generator that may generate communicative goals based on the symbols recognized by the recognizer and understanding data from the natural language understanding unit. The generated communicative goals may be related to information needed to be obtained from the user. The system may further include a sentence planning unit that may automatically plan one or more sentences based on the communicative goals generated by the communicative goal generator with at least one of the sentences plans being output to the user.

Abstract: Traffic pattern models of a complex communication system are compared. A normalized transmission parameter is computed for each traffic pattern model. Model parameters are also computed for each traffic pattern model. The model parameters for each traffic pattern model represent anticipated traffic flow through the complex communication system over a predetermined time period. Data representing an actual traffic flow pattern through the complex communication system over the predetermined time period is compared to the model parameters representing anticipated traffic patterns for each model. The normalized transmission parameters for each of the traffic pattern models are also compared.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a method for receiving a first radio frequency signal from a radio frequency identifier tag carried by a first item, retrieving from the first radio frequency signal information about the first item, identifying a need to replace the first item from the retrieved information, selecting according to a selection strategy at least one advertiser that promotes products, and selecting at least one product of the at least one advertiser that is at least similar to the first item. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, utilizing a first communication device for identifying a user interface adaptation according to operating characteristics of a second display of a second communication device, identifying first and second user interface portions according to the user interface adaptation, presenting the first user interface portion at a first display of the first communication device, transmitting the second user interface portion to the second communication device for presentation at the second display of the second communication device, and enabling user interface navigation that includes the first and second user interface portions as a single user interface based on user inputs received at the first communication device. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: The performance of an echo canceller is assessed using a) a test signal launched from originating test equipment and b) a simulated echo of the test signal launched from terminating test equipment. The launch of the simulated echo signal is timed in such a way that it arrives at the tandem echo canceller(s) at a particular point in time relative to the arrival of the test signal, at the tandem echo canceller(s), when the tandem echo canceller(s) is (are) not able to cancel the simulated echo signal. The latter thus arrives uncanceled at the target echo canceller. The launch of the simulated echo signal is further timed in such a way that it arrives at the target echo canceller at a point in time relative to the arrival of the test signal, at the target echo canceller, when the target echo canceller is able to cancel the simulated echo signal.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, computer-implemented methods, and computer-readable storage media for tagging a known signal of interest. Initially, the system classifies the data from an input signal using a short-term classifier, wherein there are at least two classifications available, a first classification of the data as having no identified outputs and a second classification of the data as at least one potential signal of interest, wherein the short-term classifier also bypasses data that is known to be of no interest. After the short-term classifier classifies the inputs, it collapses the input data that is classified as having no identified outputs. This allows the short-term classifier to create time-variant data. Finally, the system will tag a known signal of interest in the time-variant data that was classified as having at least one potential signal of interest. Therefore, a system for tagging a known signal of interest is described.

Abstract: A method and system for adaptive processing of alert messages exchanged between applications is disclosed. The system may include a diagnostic engine coupled to a plurality of applications. A plurality of application alert messages may be monitored to determine if the alerts exceed a predetermined threshold. If a threshold number of alert messages is exceeded, an interface status based on a diagnostic code for the interface may be determined. A query value for the interface may be adjusted. Based on the amount of the increase in the alert messages, different actions may be indicated. An administrator for the application interface or for equipment associated with the interface may be notified for servicing the equipment.

Abstract: A system and method routing content over a packet network. A call request is received at a call control manager to communicate data packets including real-time over a packet network. A determination is made of at least one network node through which a call path for a call is to be routed, the network performance information including real-time bandwidth usage and non-real time bandwidth usage. Network performance information associated with communications are accessed over the at least one network node. An automatic determination is made whether the at least one network node is impaired or congested. The real time bandwidth usage and the non-real time bandwidth usage is determined from the network performance information if the at least one network node is determined to be impaired or congested.

Abstract: A set-top box may include a storage unit, input/output (I/O) unit configured to communicate with a network node of a service provider over a communications network, memory unit, and a processing unit in communication with the storage unit, I/O unit, and memory unit. A user control panel module may be executed by the processing unit and configured to cause the processing unit to present a graphical user interface to a user to control access to one or more content stores of a content mall operating on the network node. A service provider control panel module may be executed by the processing unit and be configured to cause the processing unit to enable the communications service provider to control operation of the processing unit. A codec module may be executed by the processing unit and configured to enable the processing unit to display content downloaded from a content store of the content mall.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for selecting a speech recognition model in a standardized speech recognition infrastructure. The system receives speech from a user, and if a user-specific supervised speech model associated with the user is available, retrieves the supervised speech model. If the user-specific supervised speech model is unavailable and if an unsupervised speech model is available, the system retrieves the unsupervised speech model. If the user-specific supervised speech model and the unsupervised speech model are unavailable, the system retrieves a generic speech model associated with the user. Next the system recognizes the received speech from the user with the retrieved model. In one embodiment, the system trains a speech recognition model in a standardized speech recognition infrastructure. In another embodiment, the system handshakes with a remote application in a standardized speech recognition infrastructure.

Abstract: A method and apparatus prioritizing video information during coding and decoding. Video information is received and an element of the video information, such as a visual object, video object layer, video object plane or keyregion, is identified. A priority is assigned to the identified element and the video information is encoded into a bitstream, such as a visual bitstream encoded using the MPEG-4 standard, including an indication of the priority of the element. The priority information can then be used when decoding the bitstream to reconstruct the video information.

Abstract: A device detects and diagnoses correlated anomalies of a network. The device includes an anomaly detection module receiving a first data stream including an event-series related to the network. The anomaly detection module executes at least one algorithm to detect a potential anomaly in the event-series. The device further includes a correlating module receiving a second data stream including other event-series related to the network. The correlating module determines whether the potential anomaly is false and determines whether the potential anomaly is a true anomaly.

Abstract: Certain exemplary embodiments provide a method comprising: in a network at a node located on a label switched path: selecting a backup path to respond to a failure; and for each link along the backup path, reserving a backup bandwidth, wherein the backup bandwidth is sufficient to reroute traffic around the failure.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a server operably couplable to an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network and an Interactive Television (ITV) system, where the server includes a controller to receive a session transfer request from a first communication device operably connected to the ITV system and presenting media content where the session transfer request includes identification information associated with a second communication device operably connected to the ITV system, and transmit an INVITE message to the second communication device and transmit a media adjustment message to a Media Resource Function Processor (MRFP) of the IMS network, where the media content is adjusted and transmitted to the second communication device based on receipt of the media adjustment message, where the adjusted media content is generated by the MRFP based on the identification information associated with the second communication device.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a system having a controller to present an overlay combined with a presentation of media content at each of a plurality of computing devices on an electronic communications network to illustrate a collection of one or more commentaries temporally associated with portions of the presented media content where the portions of the presented media content comprises portions of a teleconference workflow meeting, to collect one or more commentaries from each of the plurality of computing devices, and to present the commentaries from the plurality of computing devices. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for providing an alert to a called party's communications device. One method processes a communication initiated by a calling party and terminating at the called party's communications device. An alert accompanying the communication is also processed. The alert is selected by the calling party for playing on the called party's communications device, and the alert announces the incoming communication request. This method thus allows the calling party to specify the alert to be played on the called party's communications device.

Abstract: The cumulative utilization of communication system resources by a communication terminal is determined. An alert is generated through the communication terminal in response to the cumulative utilization exceeding a threshold amount. The cumulative utilization of resources may be determine by a core network of the communication system and/or by the communication terminal. The core network may transmit an alert message to the communication terminal to trigger an alert therefrom in response to the cumulative utilization of resources exceeding a threshold value.

Abstract: Included are systems and methods for providing a personalized directory. At least one embodiment of a method includes receiving a request to view at least one listing, the at least one listing including information related to a plurality of criteria. Other embodiments include providing a display that includes at least a portion of the information, the display further including a user option to store at least a portion of the information in a personal directory.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to mitigate a Denial-of-Service (DoS) attack in a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) network are disclosed. An example method comprises receiving a communication session initiation message from a communication session endpoint, determining whether the communication session endpoint is associated with a probable DoS attack, and sending to the communication session endpoint a communication session initiation response message comprising a DoS header when the communication session endpoint is associated with the probable DoS attack.

Abstract: A reconfigurable polarization antenna includes a microwave dielectric substrate having a ground plane that has a centrally located slot with five conducting patches, four of which form an evenly spaced apart perimeter group with a gap between each and the fifth, centrally positioned conducting patch. A conducting pad is positioned in each gap and is connected via a switch to the ground plane. A microstrip feed line including a short stub is positioned on the opposite side of the substrate and electromagnetically coupled to the slot. The polarization of the antenna is reconfigured by a selection of an on or off state of each of said switches.