Abstract: An apparatus includes a thermoelectric cooler adjacent to a surface of a device substrate and including a first set of one or more metal electrodes, a second set of one or more metal electrodes, and one or more semiconductor members. Each member includes a material different from the device substrate and physically joins a corresponding one electrode of the first set to a corresponding one electrode of the second set. The electrodes and at least one member are configured to transport heat to or from a thermal load in a direction parallel to the surface of the device substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and an apparatus for managing mobility of a wireless communication device across a first and a second access node in a common administrational area of a network. The method comprises using the first access node to assign a temporary identification to the wireless communication device, causing the second access node to identify the first access node from which the temporary identification originates and hiding the mobility of the wireless communication device from the network when routing traffic to a serving access node of the first and second access nodes based on the identified first access node and the temporary identification. In one embodiment, use of software at these access nodes may enable deploying of a centralized logical functionality instead of centralized physical nodes.

Abstract: A technique for managing loops between network devices such as customer and carrier edge devices involves monitoring the MAC moves that occur at a device to detect the existence of a loop and initiating a loop protection action if the MAC moves indicate that a loop exists. The number of MAC moves that indicates the existence of a loop is user programmable and pre-established in the device configuration. The number of MAC moves can be expressed as a MAC move threshold, which is defined in terms of, for example, a MAC move rate or a number of MAC moves. Typically, the loop protection action that is initiated in response to a detected loop involves blocking the flow of the looping packets at the corresponding device.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a reinforcing strut of the invention is a polyhedron attached to a plate and having at least two slanted facets, with each of the slanted facets oriented with respect to the plane of the plate at an angle different from about 90 degrees. Two slanted facets intersect to form an edge that causes the strut to have a tapered profile along the longitudinal axis of the strut.

Abstract: An optical transport system (OTS) having a plurality of optical transponders (OTs) connected via one or more optical links and adapted to communicate with one another using respective rate-adaptive forward-error-correction (FEC) codes. In one embodiment, the OTS has a rate control unit (RCU) adapted to configure the OTs to dynamically adjust the rates of the FEC codes based on an estimated performance margin for each link between two respective communicating OTs to optimize the overall capacity of the OTS while maintaining an adequate, but not excessive, overall system margin.

Abstract: A representative embodiment of the invention provides a thermal actuator for a MEMS-based relay switch. The thermal actuator has an “active” arm that is movably mounted on a substrate. The “active” arm has (i) a thermal expansion layer and (ii) a resistive heater that is electrically isolated from the thermal expansion layer. The thermal expansion layer is adapted to expand in response to a temperature change induced by a control current flowing through the resistive heater, thereby bending the “active” arm and moving that arm with respect to the substrate. Due to the fact that mechanical and electrical characteristics of the “active” arm are primarily controlled by the thermal expansion layer and the resistive heater, respectively, those characteristics can be optimized independently to obtain better operating characteristics for MEMS-based relay switches of the invention compared to those attained in the prior art.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of the invention has the steps of: (A) establishing an access-layer security association (SA) between a mobile node (MN) and an authentication authorization accounting (AAA) server; (B) deriving a secondary key from an extended master session key (EMSK) corresponding to the access-layer SA; (C) providing the secondary key to a home agent; and (D) based on the secondary key, establishing an SA corresponding to an Open System Interconnection (OSI) layer higher than the access layer for securing communications between the home agent and a selected network node. In various embodiments, the selected network node can be (i) the MN, (ii) a proxy node configured on behalf of the MN, or (iii) a proxy node configured on behalf of the home agent.

Abstract: A system and a method for hierarchical routing with a look-ahead mechanism is disclosed. The method includes originating a call having an origination point in a first form through a first region. The method continues with routing the call to the originating MSC and then to a first internet protocol tandem associated with the first region. The method continues with forwarding the call to a second internet protocol tandem associated with a second region. The second region is generally the destination region. The method continues with determining whether or not the call qualifies as a call that may be terminated in a second form and if the call does qualify to be terminated in the second form, rerouting the call back to the original mobile switching center and connecting the call to the termination point in the second form, i.e., a circuit based form.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a polymeric composition of matter. The composition includes at least one polymer matrix and plurality of quantum dots distributed therein. The polymer may be a perfluorocyclobutane polymer having high optical transmission at telecommunications wavelengths. The quantum dots may include cap compounds to increase the solubility of the quantum dots in the composition. Typical cap compounds include aromatic organic molecules. Optical devices including waveguides may be fabricated from the polymeric compositions of the invention.

Abstract: Apparatus including flexible line extending along a length. Flexible line includes first charge carrier-transporting body, photosensitive body over first charge carrier-transporting body, and second charge carrier-transporting body over photosensitive body. Each of first and second charge carrier-transporting bodies and photosensitive body extend along at least part of length of flexible line. Photosensitive body is capable of near-infrared or visible light-induced generation of charge carrier pairs. Second charge carrier-transporting body is at least semi-transparent to near-infrared light or visible light.

Abstract: A medium-access-control (MAC) scheduler, according to one embodiment of which a station of a wireless network evaluates data throughputs corresponding to three different transmission configurations for transmission of a packet over a first of that station's wireless links. The first and second of those transmission configurations have the packet encoded in the first and second tiers, respectively, of a two-tier signal. The third transmission configuration has the packet encoded as a conventional single-tier signal. For each of the first and second transmission configurations, the station selects a second of that station's wireless links for transmission of at least a second packet, with the first and second packets encoded in different respective tiers of the two-tier signal.

Abstract: A method for identifying alternate end-to-end media paths through internet protocol realms using substitute session description protocol parameters is disclosed. The method includes receiving an session description protocol offer, including a list of previously traversed through internet protocol realms. The method continues with determining the next internet protocol realm for a media path based on unspecified signaling criteria. Finally, the method includes that if the next internet protocol realm to be traversed through is on the list of previously traversed through internet protocol realms, bypassing at least one border gateway associated with the current and previously traversed through internet protocol realms.

Abstract: Methods include providing substrate having substrate surface, forming metal-containing pad on substrate surface, and forming metal-containing protective shell enclosing metal-containing body on metal-containing pad. Methods may include forming sacrificial layer on metal-containing pad and including top surface and cavity, cavity having side wall extending between metal-containing pad and top surface; and forming metal-containing protective shell in cavity. Methods may also include providing first, second, third and fourth metal-containing pads on first, second, third and fourth substrate surfaces; forming first metal-containing protective shell on first or second metal-containing pad; forming second metal-containing protective shell on third or fourth metal-containing pad; heating first metal-containing protective shell to form solder-bond between first and second substrate surfaces; and heating second metal-containing protective shell to form solder-bond between third and fourth substrate surfaces.

Abstract: A representative embodiment of the invention provides a compact image projector having a light source coupled to a spatial light modulator (SLM). The light source has a substantially planar structure. The overall size of the SLM is dominated by its length and/or width. The projector has an optical arrangement that enables the SLM to be oriented so that the SLM's dominant dimensions are parallel to the plane of the light source. Due to this relative orientation of the SLM and light source, one of the dimensions of the image projector can be smaller than 12 mm, which advantageously enables incorporation of the projector into a hand-held electronic device, such as a cell phone, PDA, or media player.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a reconfigurable spatial light modulator capable of spatially modulating an incident wavefront responsive to an image formed on the modulator. A light source is configured to direct a coherent illumination light beam towards the modulator such that the modulator produces a modulated outgoing light beam therefrom. A filter is configured to spatially filter a light pattern formed by the outgoing light beam on a plane to selectively transmit light from a plurality of diffraction peaks therein.

Abstract: A routing protocol, according to one embodiment of which a first station of a wireless network monitors its outgoing transmissions corresponding to a traffic flow for occurrence of multi-tier signals and for ability to achieve a specified minimum transmission rate. Based on the monitoring, the first station may transmit an outgoing solicitation message that identifies the monitored traffic flow as a candidate for rerouting. Upon receipt of the solicitation message, a second station of the wireless network evaluates whether rerouting of the monitored traffic flow through the second station is capable of increasing data throughput for that traffic flow without decreasing data throughputs for other traffic flows presently handled by the second station. Based on this evaluation, the second station may transmit to the first station an offer to reroute the monitored traffic flow. The first station, in turn, evaluates this offer, e.g.

Abstract: The present invention provides a network-hosted server, a method of monitoring a call connected to a network-hosted server and a network-hosted voicemail server associated with a called party. In one embodiment, the network hosted server includes: (1) a call-alerter configured to provide an indication to a called party when a call between a calling party and the network-hosted server is established and (2) a call monitor coupled to the call-alerter and configured to establish a one-way connection of the call between the server and the called party to allow the called party to monitor the call in progress.

Abstract: A representative embodiment of the invention provides a sound-direction detector having a miniature sensor coupled to a signal-processing block. The sensor has (i) a microphone responsive to a sound wave and (ii) a differential pressure sensor (DPS) responsive to a pressure difference induced by the sound wave between two inlet ports located in proximity to the microphone. The signal-processing block applies phase-sensitive detection to the output signal generated by the DPS, while using the output signal generated by the microphone as a reference for the phase-sensitive detection, to measure the pressure difference. The signal-processing block then determines direction to the sound-wave source based on the amplitude of the sound wave at the microphone and the measured pressure difference.

Abstract: The present invention provides a bi-directional microelectromechanical element, a microelectromechanical switch including the bi-directional element, and a method to reduce mechanical creep in the bi-directional element. In one embodiment, the bi-directional microelectromechanical element includes a cold beam having a free end and a first end connected to a cold beam anchor. The cold beam anchor is attached to a substrate. A first beam pair is coupled to the cold beam by a free end tether and is configured to elongate when heated thereby to a greater temperature than a temperature of the cold beam. A second beam pair is located on an opposing side of the cold beam from the first beam pair and is coupled to the first beam pair and the cold beam by the free end tether. The second beam pair is configured to elongate when heated thereby to the greater temperature.

Abstract: A replica/cache locator, a method to locate replication tables and caches in an overlay network having multiple nodes and an overlay network. In one embodiment, the method includes: (1) determining a network distance between a first node of the multiple nodes in the overlay network and each of the remaining multiple nodes, (2) calculating m clusters of the multiple nodes based on the network distances and (3) designating at least a single node from the m clusters to include a replication table of the first node.