Abstract: An optical data signal can be sampled by linearly combining the optical data signal with optical sampling pulses, and delivering the combination to first and second balanced detectors. The optical data signal and the optical sampling pulse are configured to have a first phase difference at the first balanced detector and a second phase difference at the second balanced detector. Typically, a difference between the first phase difference and the second phase difference is configured to be about 90 degrees. In-phase and quadrature balanced detector outputs can be combined as a sum of squares to produce a linear sampling signal representative of data signal intensity, and the sample pulses can be configured to temporally step through the optical data signal so that a sampled representation of the optical data signal is obtained.

Abstract: Private certificates designed to counteract problems associated with certificate lending are configured such that disclosure of a secret key associated with one certificate automatically results in disclosure of a secret key associated with another certificate, while the corresponding public keys are unlinkable with one another. In an illustrative private certificate generation protocol, a user generates verification information associated with a first public key. The verification information is generated at least in part using a corresponding first secret key. The verification information is supplied to a certification authority, which generates based at least in part on the first public key and the verification information a second public key having a corresponding second secret key, and generates a certificate based at least in part on the second public key. The private certificate generation protocol may be asymmetric or symmetric.

Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods for correcting errors in a received frame. The present invention introduces diversity into an error detection and correction system at the receiver side by decoding a received frame using a plurality of decoding schemes. Each of these schemes are optimized for a different set of underlying assumptions. The schemes may be optimized to account for various types of noise including, not limited to, Gaussian noise and impulsive noise. The plurality of decoded frames are then validated using an outer decoder to choose a valid frame from candidate decoded frames. By including a plurality of decoders using a plurality of decoding schemes, the error detection and correction system may accurately detect and correct errors in a constantly changing environment having constantly changing noise patterns.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a substrate having a surface and a dielectric layer comprising a distribution of particles. The layer is located over the surface and has a dielectric constant of seven or more. Each particle has a particle core and a polymer shell that is chemically bonded thereto and located around the associated particle core. Each particle core includes a material having a dielectric constant of about fifteen or more. Aggregates of the particle cores having diameters of about 0.5 microns or more are substantially absent from the layer.

Abstract: A permanent virtual circuit (PVC) over an ATM network is provisioned by using a deterministic PVC addressing scheme for computing a unique combination of VPI and VCI values based on certain input parameters associated with the network to which the PVC is logically connected. Specifically, the VPI and VCI of a PVC are deterministically computed as a known function of numerical values of particular network elements associated with the network and the particular PVC being provisioned using a function that enables the values of these network elements to be uniquely determined from the VPI and VCI of the PVC. Thus, once the VPI and VCI are determined for a PVC, the particular network elements associated with that PVC can be unambiguously identified from their values.

Abstract: A method and system forwards voice messages from a sender to a receiver through a network. A voice-mail device records a phone number of a receiver and a voice message of a sender within a digital file. The voice message and phone number are encapsulated within an e-mail, which is forwarded through a network to another voice-mail device that acts as a gateway. The e-mail is opened to obtain the phone number of the receiver and the voice message, and the phone number of the receiver is dialed to deliver the voice message to the receiver via a telephone network.

Abstract: A method for organizing records of a database by topical relevance generates statistics on relevance by monitoring search terms used and search paths traversed by a database user community. Records reviewed most often in relation to a given search term are assumed to be most relevant to that search term in the eyes of members of the user community. Additionally, a record reviewed in relation to a plurality of search terms is determined to be related by topical relevance to other records reviewed in relation to that plurality of search terms. Again, a probability is calculated, based on a frequency of record review and search terms used, as a measure of this record topical relevance. An embodiment directed toward Internet searches provides for seeding the probability calculations with information from labeled data available from open source Internet directories. The activities of the user community are monitored, for example, at a proxy server, or by reviewing proxy server logs.

Abstract: Reversibly adaptive rough structures, comprising: a substrate; a plurality of raised elements on the substrate, the raised elements mutually spaced apart by channel regions on the substrate, each of the raised elements having a lateral surface and a distal end; the lateral surface, the distal end and the channel regions having hydrophobic molecules thereon; and the distal end having reversibly adaptive bristles thereon, the reversibly adaptive bristles being convertible between relatively hydrophilic and hydrophobic states by the application of an external stimulus. Techniques for making reversibly adaptive rough structures.

Abstract: Overload conditions affecting a processor of a network switch or the like are substantially eliminated, and the processing of traffic is gradually allowed to increase, by inserting, and then monitoring one or more probes which are placed into a queue of the processor. During a given measurement interval, if the number of probes exceeds a threshold then an overload condition exists. This condition is subsequently reduced using “multiplicative decrease” techniques. Conversely, if the threshold is not exceeded and there is little or no chance an overload condition can quickly reappear, traffic is allowed to once again be processed gradually using “additive increase” techniques.

Abstract: A new filter architecture uses subband division and a reflector structure. A de-multiplexer/multiplexer combination creates N subband branches comprising dispersive elements, phase control elements, and/or delay elements. The new structure yields high spectral accuracy across the filter's overall free spectral range (FSR). In one embodiment of the inventive filter, the overall filter has a free spectral range (FSR) of F, and the first multiband filter (MBF) has a FSR of 1 F fmbf = F N .

Abstract: Circuitry for a node of an optical communication network has a mux and/or a demux. In one embodiment, the circuitry has a mux and a demux implemented on a single circuit board, where (1) the mux is configured to combine up to eight different incoming OC3/OC12-rate electrical signals into a single outgoing OC48-rate electrical signal for conversion into two copies of an outgoing OC48 optical signal and (2) the demux is configured to split a working incoming OC48-rate electrical signal (selected from two incoming OC48-rate electrical signals converted from two incoming OC48 optical signals) into up to eight different outgoing OC3/OC12-rate electrical signals. The node is configured to perform automatic signal provisioning, which may be (a) the addition of a new OC3/OC12 signal; (b) the deletion of an existing OC3/OC12 signal; (c) the rate-upgrading of an existing OC3 signal to an OC12 signal; or (d) the rate-downgrading of an existing OC12 signal to an OC3 signal.

Abstract: Apparatuses, methods, and systems of transferring correction information are described. In certain implementations, correction factors relate to stored or calculated values, and a correspondence between a correction factor and a value is indicated by a predetermined order of the correction factors. In one application, a method according to an embodiment of the invention is used to transmit correction factors relating to the positions of physical objects. For example, such a method may be used to transmit correction factors relating to the positions of space vehicles within a Global Positioning Satellite (‘GPS’) system.

Abstract: The present invention is an improved electro-optical device comprising a substrate-supported layer of electro-optical material disposed between upper and lower electrodes. Conventional practice has been to make the electrodes thick to minimize electrical loss. Applicants, in contrast, have discovered that the performance of the device can be improved by making the electrodes thin—typically about 2 microns or less and preferably about 0.5 micron or less. While the thin electrodes take a relatively large loss penalty at low frequencies, at higher frequencies the thin electrodes provide a relatively low loss, thus producing a flattened frequency response as compared with thick electrode devices. The device can maintain a wide operating bandwidth at frequencies of interest for optical transmission while reducing the required drive voltage.

Abstract: In accordance with the invention, an optical waveguide device having a polished polymer end facet for low loss optical coupling is made by the steps of providing a polymer optical waveguide workpiece comprising a substrate and an overlying waveguiding structure formed of one or more layers of polymer softer than the material of the substrate. A cover layer of a material harder than the polymer is then secured overlying the polymer layers, and one or more polymer end facets are polished. The cover layer and the substrate guide the polishing so that the resulting facets have a flat, smooth surface.

Abstract: A transmission system encodes blocks of source data with error correction codes and spreads encoded data for each source block over a range of time and frequencies. This has the effect of reducing the impact of flat fading. This is because if a portion of the encoded data corresponding to a block of source data is lost, as a result of flat fading during a time interval, other portions, transmitted at a different time, may not be affected. A receiving system may therefore recover the original block of source data based on the portions of the encoded data that were received, including error correction bits. The transmission and receiving systems may be orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) communications systems.

Abstract: A quantum cryptographic receiver, a method of achieving unambiguous state discrimination measurement of a coherent light state and a quantum cryptographic system incorporating the quantum cryptographic receiver or the method. In one embodiment, the quantum cryptographic receiver includes: (1) a beamsplitter that receives an incoming coherent state from a sender and splits the incoming coherent state into at least first and second separate coherent states and (2) at least one photodetector, associated with the beamsplitter, that is positionable with respect to the first and second separate coherent states to detect a presence of a photon therein at a particular phase, the presence revealing information originated by the sender.

Abstract: A method of providing at least one restoration path for a primary routing path in a network. The method includes receiving a customer connection request to route information. Costs are assigned for the primary routing path, and the primary routing path is computed based upon the primary routing path costs. A backtracking distance over the primary routing path is determined, and costs for at least one restoration path are assigned. The at least one restoration path may then be computed based upon the at least one restoration path costs.

Abstract: A plurality of user personas relating to various criteria for performing tasks for a user is created. A policy manager for various criteria, which apply to the user regardless of any one persona among the plurality of personas, including sub-personas thereof is established. At least one user persona from among the plurality of user personas is selected. A computer network searching task based on the policy manager and the at least one user persona selected from among the plurality of user personas is performed. Results of the computer network searching task for the user in at least a two dimensional graphical representation are presented.

Abstract: An integrated broadband polarization controller is based on planar waveguide technology. The integrated broadband polarization controller emulates the polarization control function of an existing single channel polarization controller in a device that can be built in planar waveguide technology, and is expanded from single channel operation to broadband channel operation by designing the control degrees of freedom to be wavelength selectively addressable.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for applying an electrical signal as a first of two inputs to a logic element, manipulating the output of the logic element such that the logic element produces a resulting electrical signal that logically transitions only when the input signal has associated with it a predetermined logic state, shaping the resulting electrical signal according to a desired RZ optical signal, amplifying the shaped electrical signal such that a maximum and a minimum signal level of the shaped electrical signal correspond to the adjacent optical power transfer zeroes of an optical modulator, and applying the amplified electrical signal as a driver input to the optical modulator.