Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus comprising a passive optical transmission fiber. The passive optical transmission fiber comprises a passive glass fiber core, a glass optical inner cladding surrounding the core and a glass optical outer cladding surrounding the inner cladding. The inner cladding has a lower index of refraction than the passive glass fiber core and the outer cladding has a lower index of refraction than the inner cladding. The passive optical transmission fiber also comprises a second optical segment coupled to the optical fiber. The second optical segment is configured to dissipate light in the inner cladding.

Abstract: Spot-size conversion for interfacing a first optical element having a higher refractive index to a second optical element having a lower refractive index is achieved through the use of two optical star couplers coupled to each other through a plurality of optical paths embedded in a planar waveguide. The beam from the high refractive index element is introduced into a high numerical aperture (NA) star coupler, which directs the beam through a plurality of optical paths to a second star coupler with a lower numerical aperture than the first star coupler so that its output spot-size is larger. The output port of the second star coupler is interfaced to the lower refractive index element. Wavelength selection can be provided by making non-zero path-length differences between adjacent optical paths between the two star couplers.

Abstract: A method for gracefully degrading packet data voice quality in a wireless network includes monitoring and evaluating data transfer conditions on the network. This may be done on a network-wide level, or for access terminals individually. For the evaluation, data transfer conditions are compared to criteria that indicate a relative quality level. Based on the evaluation, a variable number of the voice data packets addressed to the access terminals are eliminated prior to transmission over the airlink. If conditions are optimal, no data packets are eliminated. If not, one or more packets may be eliminated periodically (e.g., 1 data packet out of every five) until conditions change. The access terminals compensate for any eliminated packets. In this manner, packet data voice quality is gracefully degraded for temporarily reducing voice traffic on the network when conditions are poor, avoiding the need for dropped calls or the like.

Abstract: The priority communication system provides the capability to restrict access to wireless communications services to emergency service personnel, such that their access to wireless communication services is not interruptible. This is accomplished by provisioning the cell sites of a wireless communications system to respond to at least one service priority grouping, with emergency service personnel being assigned a selected service priority by a centralized emergency services agency. The service priority coverage area and emergency service personnel assigned the service priority are defined on a dynamic basis by the centralized emergency services agency and are indicated by a priority call access code that is transmitted to the emergency service personnel. In order to ensure the proper operation of the priority communication system, the priority call access codes are maintained in secrecy to thereby enable emergency service personnel to have access to wireless communications facilities.

Abstract: In accordance with the invention, a variable optical delay line with a large continuous tuning range comprises an incremental variable delay line to provide delay selected from a sequence of incrementally differing delays and a continuous variable delay line to provide a continuously variable delay over a range encompassing a delay increment in the first variable delay line. In a preferred embodiment, the first variable delay line comprises an array of delay paths where each path is curved differently from the others to provide an incrementally different delay. The second variable delay line is a tunable delay path continuously tunable over the delay increment of the first.

Abstract: A radio telecommunications receiver operates to receive digital data symbols or bits by iterative determination of soft estimates of symbols or bits followed by a hard decision as to what symbol or bit was intended. The receiver comprises a first processor operative to provide first soft estimates of symbols or bits of the received signal and a second processor operative to decode the first soft estimates and to provide second soft estimates of the symbols or bits. The receiver also comprises a combiner operative to provide third soft estimates back to the first processor for subsequent further decoding, the third soft estimates of each symbol or bit being dependent upon the respective second soft estimate and a respective previous second soft estimate.

Abstract: A policy management system implements a programmable policy-based approach for managing network elements in a telecommunication network. The policy management system includes one or more policy proxies associated with the network elements and a central policy processing point in communication with the policy proxies. The policy proxies are configured to notify the policy processing point of events occurring in the network. The policy processing point is run-time programmable with one or more policies to process such events and to notify one or more of the policy proxies of actions to be taken in response thereto. The policy proxies implement these actions at the network elements they represent.

Abstract: A portable waveguide sensor having one or more gratings. In one embodiment, the sensor has a waveguide, wherein a plurality of grooves imprinted onto the waveguide form a Bragg grating. The surface of the grooves has a functional layer adapted to bind a substance of interest, e.g., a biological pathogen. When the pathogen binds to the functional layer, the binding shifts the spectral reflection band corresponding to the Bragg grating such that a probe light previously reflected by the grating now passes through the grating, thereby indicating the presence of the pathogen. In another embodiment, the sensor has a Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI), one arm of which has a resonator formed by two Bragg gratings. The surface of the resonator between the gratings has a functional layer whereas the Bragg gratings themselves do not have such a layer.

Abstract: The invention comprises a system and method for correcting jitter and frame erasure in packet voice communication systems with out severely affecting the voice quality of the signal to be easily noticed by a listener. A packet is retrieved from a buffer, a pitch of the packet is determined, and the pitch of the packet is processed in a manner determinative of whether a next packet has arrived.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system, method and apparatus for maintaining a connection between a server and a client by receiving a message, determining whether to store one or more elements of the message, storing the one or more elements of the message when the one or more elements of the message are to be stored, transmitting the message, and determining whether the server has failed and when the server has failed, restoring the server to a pre-failure connection state using the one or more stored message elements.

Abstract: Short haul optical communication networks using multi longitudinal mode lasers are susceptible to significant degradation from mode partition noise. Losses from such noise in short haul networks are substantially reducible by employing an additional fiber with specific properties. This additional fiber is chosen to have a slope for its wavelength versus dispersion behavior that is the negative of that for the transmission fiber.

Abstract: A composition comprising a plurality of molecules. Each of the molecules has a core comprising at least one aromatic ring and at least three pendant arms chemically bonded to the core. The pendant arms comprise a phenylene-terminated thiophene oligomer.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for synchronizing two different types of modulators in an optical transmission system includes a first modulator generating an optical pulse train, a second modulator encoding data onto the optical pulse train, an optical filter resolving upper and lower modulation sidebands of the optical data and an analyzer measuring the optical power of modulation sidebands and converting the received optical power of the sidebands into a control signal for synchronizing the two modulators. A wedged etalon is the filter element selecting the USB and LSB from the optical data spectrum. The analyzer contains photo-detectors measuring the optical power of the filtered USB and LSB and an electronic differential amplifier producing a control signal based upon photo-detector output. The phase shifter, in response to the control signal, adapts the temporal delay of the first modulator to reduce differences between the power levels of the upper and lower sidebands.

Abstract: A multiprocessor configuration includes a plurality of processing groups connected to form both a first and second communication path, and an interpath connection connecting the first and second communication paths. The first and second communication paths and the interpath connection provide allow communication between processors in different processing groups even if one processing group fails and, thus, creates a discontinuity in both the first and second communication paths. One or more processors in each processing group may be operable to perform fault recovery in response to a detected failure in another processing group.

Abstract: Techniques for reducing or eliminating effects of noise on a wireless communication system are provided. In one aspect of the invention, the technique comprises monitoring noise attributable to an interference source that may affect one or more components of the wireless communication system. The interference source being monitored is distant from the wireless communication system to the degree that noise arrives at the wireless communication system within a substantially point source-like angular range. For example, the noise may be attributable to the sun or tropospheric ducting. The technique then comprises initiating one or more operations, as a function of the monitored noise, to reduce or eliminate the effects of the noise attributable to the distant interference source at one or more of the components of the wireless communication system that are determined to be affected by such noise.

Abstract: A system and method for providing data network-assisted conference service to a wireless terminal. Conference-related information is received from a conference originator and stored. Prior to conference establishment time, a conference notification message is sent to the wireless terminal. A conference connection request is sent by the wireless terminal in response to the conference notification message, and a conference connection is established between the wireless terminal and a conference bridge that connects all conference participants.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a substrate and a MEM device. The MEM includes a comb capacitor and a magnetic element physically connected to one electrode of the comb capacitor. The magnetic element is capable of moving the one electrode in a manner that alters a capacitance of the comb capacitor. The apparatus also includes at least one spring physically connecting the magnetic element to the substrate.

Abstract: A low-loss rectangular-passband multiplexer including a three-arm interferometer coherently connected to a waveguide grating router (WGR), resulting in a passband substantially of type N=3, without intrinsic loss. The three-arm interferometer has a free-spectral range (FSR) substantially equal to the channel spacing and is connected to an M-arm interferometer having a much larger FSR. The three-arm interferometer includes three waveguides each exhibiting a linearly increasing path length optically connected to a 1×3 coupler and a 3×3 coupler. The 1×3 coupler may be constructed from a series of Y-branch couplers.

Abstract: An optoelectronic integrated circuit (OEIC) having an optical core coupled to first and second interface circuits. The first interface circuit is adapted to convert an electrical input signal into an optical signal; the optical core is adapted to process the optical signal in the optical domain; and the second interface circuit is adapted to convert the processed optical signal into an electrical output signal. In one embodiment, an OEIC of the invention is fabricated using a single wafer, has only electrical inputs/outputs, does not have any external optical interfaces, and is not adapted to receive any external optical signals. Advantageously, due to the signal processing being in the optical domain, a circuit of the invention carries out its functionality, with little or no performance degradation, over a relatively wide frequency range. In addition, this circuit has a relatively small size and can be relatively inexpensive.

Abstract: A method of encoding at least two sets of data bits into a single encoded block is provided, wherein each set of data bits includes a primary set of bits to be encoded and a secondary set of bits to remain unencoded, wherein the encoding technique requires a set of code terminating bits to be added to the primary set of bits; the method comprising: combining the two sets of primary bits, whereby one set of code terminating bits is added to the combined two sets of primary bits. The two sets of data bits may each include a header portion and a payload portion, the payload portion comprising encoded speech. The encoding step may be a channel encoding step for encoding the at least two sets of data bits for transmission on a packet switched network. The data bits may be for transmission on an EDGE packet switched network, wherein the at least two sets of data bits are encoded into a single RLC/MAC block.