Abstract: A process produces a glass overcladding tube from a silica gel body. The process includes passing the gel body through a hot zone under conditions that cause partial sintering of the gel body and repassing the gel body through the hot zone under conditions that further sinter the gel body into a glass overcladding tube.

Abstract: Disclosed are silica structure crack detection methods and apparatuses particularly useful in sol-gel fabrication processes. A wave signature of a crack in the silica structure is sensed to indicate that cracking has occurred. Sensing may be by active or passive techniques and may include contact and non-contact methods of monitoring. Further disclosed is a silica structure fabrication process development method wherein cracks are monitored by sensing a wave signature of a crack to isolate a process step or steps in which cracking has occurred. Process parameters are then adjusted in the isolated step to diminish or eliminate cracking.

Abstract: The specification describes an MCM package which contains both a digital MCM and an RF MCM in a stacked configuration. The package contains means for isolating RF signals from digital signals. In one case the digital MCM substrate is attached to the system substrate and the RF MCM substrate is attached to the digital MCM substrate. Solder bumps are used for attachment in an arrangement resembling a BGA. For high density packages, at least the digital MCM comprises stacked IC chips. In the embodiment with the RF MCM substrate on the top of the stack, Passive Through Interconnections (PTIs) are made through the digital MCM substrate, and electrically isolated therefrom. The passive through interconnections are made through the solder bumps between boards and interconnected using a passive (with respect to the digital MCM board) through hole. Both the RF ground and the RF input can be isolated using PTIs. For additional isolation, the solder bumps comprising the PTIs are shielded with a Faraday cage.

Abstract: A capacitor includes first and second electrodes and a quasi 1D dielectric material disposed between the electrodes. The dielectric material has a charge or spin density wave state.

Abstract: The priority and security encoding system for electronic mail messages functions to ascribe a message characterization code to the electronic mail message that enables the router as well as the destination message server to more efficiently process the electronic mail message, based upon the message characterization code. The message characterization code is assigned by the message originator, or the message server that serves the message originator, to identify the nature of the electronic mail message. The message characterization code can be defined to denote any one or more message related factors, such as: message content, identification of the message originator, identification of the message recipient, or other message processing factors. The message characterizing code is used by the message routers, network nodes, and destination message server to prioritize the processing of electronic mail messages and optionally provide subscriber defined alternate routing of certain classes of messages.

Abstract: The invention provides a perceptually-based system for pattern retrieval and matching, suitable for use in a wide variety of information processing applications. An illustrative embodiment of the system uses a predetermined vocabulary comprising one or more dimensions to extract color and texture information from an information signal, e.g., an image, selected by a user. The system then generates a distance measure characterizing the relationship of the selected image to another image stored in a database, by applying a grammar, comprising a set of predetermined rules, to the color and texture information extracted from the selected image and corresponding color and texture information associated with the stored image. The vocabulary may include dimensions such as overall color, directionality and orientation, regularity and placement, color purity, and pattern complexity and heaviness.

Abstract: In accordance with the invention, the volatility of a solder plating bath with volatile brighteners such as aldehydes has its volatility reduced by the addition of diols to the bath. The diols are advantageously 1,3 propanediol or 1,2 propanediol and are accompanied by lower molecular weight alcohols. In a preferred embodiment, a diol along with low alcohol is added to a bath comprising sulfonic acid, surfactant, grain refiner and brightening agents comprising an aromatic aldehyde and a carboxylic acid.

Abstract: The Mobile Subscriber Station paging system makes use of a Standalone Home Location Register SHLR, where the mobile subscriber station records are removed from the present Mobile Switching Center and placed on a processor that manages only the subscriber's records and does not process call service requests. The ANSI-41 standard is then adapted to add a new parameter (CALLTIMEFEATURE) which includes the information required to apply Short MIN paging to a mobile subscriber station when certain conditions are met. These conditions are: the mobile subscriber station is capable of responding to a Short MIN page (the last 24 bits that represent the last 7 digits of the mobile subscriber station number), and the System ID that is immutably entered into the mobile subscriber station is the same as the System ID that is being broadcast by the cell on the overhead message train.

Abstract: An arrangement for monitoring the performance of each pump source in a fiber Raman amplifier arrangement utilizes a set of unique “signature” signals, each signature signal impressed on a different pump input signal. At the receiver, the signature signals are extracted from the received, amplified signal. If a particular signature signal is missing at the receiver, this is indicative of failure of its associated pump source at the transmitter. If a particular signature signal is noticeable weaker than other received signature signals (as evidenced by, for example a low SNR or high BER), this is indicative of a power loss in its associated pump source. Since each signature signal is chosen to be unique, the identity of each pump source can be easily ascertained. In one embodiment, a low data rate signal is impressed on an RF signal used to modulate the pump prior to be applied to the transmission fiber.

Abstract: A time-division multiplexed optical signal is routed to several input ports of a MEMS-mirror Optical Cross connect (OXC). Advantageously, a single optical signal can be routed through fiber delay coils of varying lengths to introduce precise delay to an optical pulse such that the optical pulse is fed to the input ports of the OXC at various timeslots. After switching the optical pulses through the OXC, the switched optical pulse at different timeslots is combined (multiplexed) and thereafter detected. The amount of optical energy in the (combined) received (output) enables the calibration or training of the OXC. The circuit may be reconfigured to measure the amount of cross talk (signal leakage), insertion loss, and time delay that the OXC introduces in the system.

Abstract: A policy-based network management system is realized by enabling policy-based management programs to be defined via run-time loading of “policy packages” that are collections of reusable “policy components”. Such reusable policy components may be written by the vendor of the policy-based management system, or by system-administrators, who are the users of policy-based management systems or even by third-party people, who may be experts in the management of specific application domains such as vendors of network devices. In the latter case, these policy components can be assembled into a functionally complete policy package by system administrators. Alternatively, the system administrators can also load a pre-assembled policy package into a management server and only have to specify the desired service level goals.

Abstract: A method of operating a packet network for carrying voice traffic, wherein the packets carrying voice traffic include voice samples. The method identifies a replacement packet opportunity, creates a replacement packet based on a selected packet, and inserts the replacement packet in the replacement packet opportunity. The replacement packet includes samples based on samples of the selected packet, but in an order that differs from the order of the samples in the selected packet. The method may further comprise identifying another replacement packet opportunity directly following the replacement packet opportunity, creating another replacement packet based on the replacement packet, and inserting the another replacement packet directly after the replacement packet. The another replacement packet differs from the replacement packet.

Abstract: A warm start of a system is initiated with a warm start manager disabling incoming signals to the system and initiating at least a two-phase warm start procedure. In the first phase, being an intra-process phase, each process is checked for integrity of its own data structures. When data structures fail this check and cannot be recovered, a cold start is initiated. In the second phase, being an inter-process phase, entities that each process owns are checked to ensure that all other processes have a consistent image of the entities. Those entities that do not have a consistent image across the processes are removed. In an optional third phase of the warm start procedure, a determination is made as to which of the removed entities can be recreated immediately, and those entities are recreated.

Abstract: High speed transport in a dense wavelength division multiplexed system is achieved by transmitting information supplied by multiple sources in a parallel format using a subset of the total number of optical channels in a wavelength division multiplexed signal as a parallel bus transmission group. In one illustrative embodiment, a selected number of optical channels, i.e., wavelength channels, in the wavelength division multiplexed signal are allocated to form a parallel bus transmission group, i.e., a wavelength bus. Information from one or more sources is supplied in a parallel format and then transmitted at the same transmission rate in each of the optical channels in the wavelength bus. When information from more than one source is to be transported, the information from each source is multiplexed into a parallel format.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a home location register (203) that stores records for mobile units in a home system (201). A visited location register (213) stores records for mobile units presently registered in a visited system (211) in which the visited location register (213) is located. The visited system (211) identifies a last accessed technology by a mobile unit (221) in the visited system (211) and forwards the identification of the last accessed technology to the home location register (203). The identification of the last accessed technology may be forwarded to the home location register (203) in a registration notification. The home system (201) may forward a routing request including the identification of the last accessed technology to the visited system (213).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing user orientated wireless data services over a wireless communications network to a plurality of mobile nodes. The wireless communications network includes a plurality of packet data servicing nodes (PDSN's), a plurality of packet control functions (PCFs), and a PCF-PDSN routing controller (PPRC). The PPRC acts as a single PDSN, as well as a surrogate PCF from the perspective of the PDSNs in the private IP network of the service provider. The PPRC serves to provide user oriented wireless services, as opposed to device orientated services. The method includes receiving a data session request from a mobile node, and initiating a point-to-point connection between a PCF receiving the data session request and a PPRC. The PPRC selects one of the PDSNs, and initiates a point-to-point connection between the PPRC and the selected PDSN.

Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a central server system computes a feasible stretch value for use in scheduling the servicing of job requests by a plurality of communication channels. A stretch value provides an indication of the delay experienced by each job request to complete, when the central server processes many jobs concurrently. A processing time is calculated for each job request based on the size of the job request and the bandwidth of the channel. Thereafter, a stretch value is proposed. The server system computes a deadline for each job to be the arrival time of the job request plus the product of the processing time and the proposed stretch value. Thereafter, each job request is scheduled, based on an “earliest deadline first” arrangement.

Abstract: A method for assigning a color symbol to an image pixel comprises selecting a luminance value from a discrete set of quantized luminance values; selecting a chrominance value from an ordered discrete set of quantized chrominance values; and composing a color symbol from an index of the selected luminance value and an index of an ordinal position of the selected chrominance value. In particular embodiments of the invention, each discrete chrominance value is selected from a Fibonacci lattice on a constant-luminance plane in a perceptually uniform color space such as Lab or Luv.

Abstract: An optical apparatus includes a first wavelength routing device having a first plurality of waveguide arms and a 180° optical coupler, and a second wavelength routing device coupled to the first wavelength routing device, the second wavelength routing device having a second plurality of waveguide arms. Each of the second plurality of waveguide arms has a substantially opposite curvature relative to each of the first plurality of waveguide arms.

Abstract: A method for providing packet loss recovery in a data packet-based network used for real-time multimedia communications. In accordance with a first illustrative embodiment of the present invention, the information payload associated with a given data packet k is identically copied and appended to data packet k+w (i.e., the information payload is repeated with a delay of w transmitted packets). More generally, the present invention provides a method of coding a sequence of data packets representing a contiguous stream of information, with each data packet comprising, a set of payload information representative of a segment of the stream of information corresponding thereto.