Abstract: Systems and methods for live proximity-based media transfer are disclosed. For example, a secure network between a sharer device and a viewer device may be established when the devices are within a given geographic area of one another. An instance of an application running on each device may be utilized to authenticate a sharing session and then the sharer device may share media with the viewer device. The viewer device may have its functionality limited when in the viewer mode such that the viewer device may only view the shared media, zoom the view of the media, and/or exit the sharing session and/or application. The shared media is not saved to the viewer device and cannot be permanently manipulated by the viewer device.

Abstract: A graphical user interface system for a computer system is disclosed. Regions of interest and locations thereof are defined. Icons are associated with the regions and the sizing and arrangement thereof is determined according to rules, such as user-specified rules. A representation of the icons of a region may be enhanced or altered in response to user interaction. An altered representation may animate icons of a region, enlarge an icon, augment information displayed on an icon, or perform other functions.

Abstract: A thermal management system includes a distributor plate secured to and parallel to a circuit board. The circuit board has a module secured thereto and the distributor plate defines an area on an inner surface thereof secured to or otherwise in thermal contact with the module. Heat pipes embedded in the distributor plate include a portion over the module and a portion over the circuit board outward from the module. A portion of the heat pipes outward from the module may be substantially perpendicular to a direction of airflow between the circuit board and distributor plate. The module may be located closer to one edge of the circuit board and the heat pipes may according extend from adjacent that edge to an opposite edge of the circuit board. An inward facing surface may include fins extending toward the circuit board and the fins may be contoured to the circuit board.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for visualizing a point to multi-point network, such as a network including Ethernet Ring Protection (ERP) using a visualization techniques used for point-to-point networks. For example, for a selected start and end node, intervening nodes may be identified and any protection rings also identified. A blocking port for each ring is identified and based thereon a path through the ring is identified. A trail between the start and end node is then generated using the current path through the protection rings. The trail may then be represented graphically. Unblocking of a blocked port of a ring may be detected and a new path through the ring may be determined and represented graphically. Status indicators may be included in the updated representation of the ring to indicate the presence of a failure condition.

Abstract: A system and method for visualizing a network topology is disclosed that includes defining a tree representation of a network topology wherein a highest level of detail includes representations of nodes of the network and connections therebetween and lower levels include nodes representing clusters of nodes in a lower level of detail and connections therebetween. The tree may then be traversed to identify selected nodes lying within a level-specific threshold of a viewpoint. Metalinks having as either of their endpoints non-selected nodes are identified and heterogeneous links are generated that define connections between selected descendants of the non-selected nodes. A graphical representation of the network topology may be generated that includes representations of the selected nodes, the heterogeneous links and connections between selected nodes. The graphical representation may then be transmitted for display to a user.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for providing redundancy in a network node implementing a ring protection protocol. Each of the two ring ports connecting the node to other nodes in a ring supporting the protocol may be maintained by a separate line card. Should one line card fail, traffic passing through the node may be redirected through the remaining ring port under the control of the surviving state machine. The two state machines may be coordinated over the backplane of the node to maintain a common state, making them transparent to other nodes. Additionally, the backplane link between the state machines may be monitored for failures that may be addressed with messages used to respond to general ring failures and by assigning one state machine to block a ring port upon recovery to prevent a loop within the ring until the ring protection link can be blocked.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for effectuating control-plane changes at increased speeds to protect a network in which switching operations are performed. Operations to effectuate control-plane changes in the network can be divided between software and more-rapid, dedicated hardware within a line card. Examples of operations reserved to hardware implementation can include blocking and unblocking of ports, flushing of learned entries from switch tables, and coordination of control-plane changes through the generation of messages sent between nodes, and also between line cards of a node. Determinations about the need for hardware-driven, control-plane changes may be made based on events occurring in the network in accordance with any of a number of different network protection protocols. The protocol may be implemented in a state machine and the software may determine the state of the hardware through a master/slave relationship.

Abstract: Heat dissipating electronic components and circuitry in a communication chassis are cooled by moving air at least through a midplane, between two groups of channels that are laterally oriented relative to one another. In an illustrative embodiment, channels of one group are oriented vertically while channels of another group are oriented horizontally. Each channel, regardless of whether it is vertical or horizontal, is defined by space in the chassis between adjacent circuit boards. Circuit boards on one side of the midplane are electrically connected to circuit boards on the other side of the midplane by orthogonal connectors on the midplane. The midplane additionally has openings that enable movement of air between vertically-oriented channels and horizontally-oriented channels. Circuit boards of the two orientations are cooled by increasing air pressure in vertically-oriented channels or by decreasing air pressure in horizontally-oriented channels or both, depending on the embodiment.

Abstract: A network element of a transport network has three fabrics housed within a single shelf of a telco rack, namely a packet fabric, an electrical fabric and an optical fabric. A stream of traffic including a plurality of lambdas is received at a trunk interface of such a shelf. The optical fabric in the shelf performs optical switching on the stream to replace a first lambda in the stream with a second lambda. The first lambda is converted within the shelf into an electrical signal. Also within the shelf, first frames are recovered from the electrical signal. The packet fabric in the shelf is used to perform packet switching on the first frames to generate a flow of second frames. The flow of second frames is transmitted at a client interface of the shelf.

Abstract: A shelf of communication equipment provides frontal illumination of a face plate of the shelf. Specifically, a shelf in a rack in a communication network includes a face plate and a bezel. The face plate has a first exterior surface that carries a legend. The bezel forms a second exterior surface extending in a predetermined direction transverse to the first exterior surface. For example, if the first exterior surface is vertical, the second exterior surface is horizontal and overhangs the first exterior surface. During operation, electromagnetic radiation generated by a source enclosed by the bezel exits through the second exterior surface and directly illuminates at least the legend, and optionally also illuminates a electronic device adjacent to the legend, such as an LED or a jack, if such a device is present on the first exterior surface.

Abstract: A network element of a transport network has three fabrics housed within a single shelf of a telco rack, namely a packet fabric, an electrical fabric and an optical fabric. The shelf also includes inter-fabric circuitry, to bridge between the fabrics, e.g. packet-electrical and/or electrical-optical and/or packet-optical. The inter-fabric circuitries switchably transmit packets across fabrics in intermediate nodes of the transport network. The single shelf of some embodiments has a wall (“midplane”) between a rear region that holds the three fabrics and a front region that holds inter-fabric circuitry, and external interfaces to optical trunks and/or packet services and/or optical tributaries.