Abstract: A process for forming a composition includes providing a liquid mixture that includes silicone oligomers and silsesquioxane oligomers and curing the liquid mixture to form a composition of first and second polymers. The first polymer includes the silsesquioxane oligomers cross-linked by siloxane bonds. The second polymer includes a cross-linked network formed in part of the silicone oligomers.

Abstract: A method and apparatus that uses the location of a mobile terminal to direct the mobile terminal to a candidate receiver for participation in a handoff of the mobile terminal. The location of the mobile terminal in communication with a first receiver is determined. It is also determined whether the mobile terminal should participate in a handoff. The later can be determined based on the location of the mobile terminal, or it can be determined in any other way. If mobile terminal should participate in the handoff, the location of the mobile terminal is used to direct the mobile terminal to a candidate receiver for participation in the handoff. The characteristics of the candidate receiver and/or transmitter can be obtained from a database that correlates the location of the mobile terminal and the characteristics of the candidate receiver and/or candidate transmitter. The mobile terminal can then be handed off to the candidate receiver.

Abstract: A signal notching system reduces signal peaks by notching the peak of a signal above a threshold to produce a notched signal. The notched signal is then filtered to produce a resulting signal with a reduced peak amplitude. For example, in an implementation where the signal is represented by signal samples, the peak notching system first locates a peak sample that is beyond a threshold, such as a sample representing a positive peak sample of a peak above the threshold. Once a peak sample is located, the peak notching system adjusts the peak sample by an amount which is a function of the amount that the peak sample is beyond the threshold, effectively creating a notched signal with a one sample notch at the peak. The peak notching system filters the notched signal to fill in the notch to produce a signal with a reduced peak.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for blind separation of independent source signals. The preceding is accomplished by disclosing new techniques for dealing with the problem of blind separation of independent source signals. The method of the present invention consists of identifying a simple constrained criterion which stems directly from derived conditions for source separation. Using this criterion, observed and output signals are used to control a filtering matrix. After being initialized, the filtering matrix is updated and projected to the closest unitary matrix. Until the filtering matrix has converged, it continues to be updated and projected to the closest unitary matrix. Once convergence has occurred, the source signals have been recovered.

Abstract: An Internet audio appliance which receives audio content from a content provider via the Internet. In one embodiment, the Internet audio appliance plays the audio information data stream as it is received. In another embodiment, the audio information data stream is obtained at a convenient time, e.g., in the middle of the night, and stored in audio memory for later playback. A channel selector module allows a user to select from among a plurality of possible audio information sources available from various content providers on the Internet. In one embodiment, the channel selector module includes memory to store Internet access information (e.g., a phone number of an Internet service provider) and IP address information to identify the selected content provider.

Abstract: A handoff scheme for a communications network is disclosed. In a first embodiment a procedure for finding an optimal path between an originating network node and a destination network node is integrated in the handoff procedure. An optimally routed connection is obtained by first determining an optimal “crossover node” along the existing path and then the handoff is effected by altering the existing connection route so that it travels along the existing path until it reaches the crossover node, where the path then varies from the original route, and a new segment between the crossover node and the new location is established. Then the call is switched to the new segment and the corresponding old segment on the old connection is released. In an alternative embodiment, the handoff procedure is performed first by completing a fast reroute connection using a prior art path extension method. This results in a quick, but sub-optimal handoff connection.

Abstract: A processing or control system having arrangements for separately and simultaneously generating instruction addresses and data addresses having two bus systems for accessing instruction and data storage, and having a single address range for both instructions and data. The boundary between the instruction range and the data range can be varied and placed under the control of the processor according to the needs of the particular application being processed. Some or all of the blocks of storage can access either the instruction bus or the data bus system, and the selection is made under the control of a control register within the processor. Advantageously, applications which require a larger amount of instruction storage, this can be provided; for applications which require a larger amount of data storage, that can be provided also; both are limited only by the total amount of storage available.

Abstract: A method of providing network intelligence between an intelligent end-user gateway (IEUG) device and a plurality of intelligent network layers. The method includes generating an end-user diary including goals, goal-related plans, and tasks to fulfill the plans. The end-user diary is sent to at least one of the plurality of intelligent network layers, where the at least one of the plurality of intelligent network layers update a user profile from the end-user diary and send goal related information to the IEUG device. The IEUG performs the tasks and plans to fulfill the goals based on the goal related information.

Abstract: An intelligent network including a plurality of hierarchal intelligent layers, each layer responsive to communications from at least one of a superior layer and a subordinate layer. A plurality of nodes form each layer, where each of the plurality of nodes have intelligence modules that are interconnected horizontally within each layer, as well as interconnected to intelligence modules of the subordinate and superior hierarchal layers, wherein the intelligence is provided end-to-end of the hierarchal self-organizing intelligent network.

Abstract: A method for varying the resistance along a conductive layer. The method including the step of removing at least a portion of a resistance-altering constituent diffused within the conductive layer.

Abstract: Transmitting a pre-recorded announcement to the user of an network interface unit (NIU) each time the user places a telephone call if an alarm is set because a battery in an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is in a low power state. The pre-recorded announcement states that the battery needs to be replaced. The user is given a simple procedure for contacting service personnel at a service center to have the battery replaced in the UPS. In addition, this announcement is overridden if the user starts to dial the emergency telephone number (911). This allows the user to gain immediate access to the emergency telephone number without having to listen to the message stating that the battery in the UPS needs to be replaced. An indicator is also set on NIU upon the battery being in the low power state. If a call is completed to the service center, the alarm is reset for a predetermined amount of time to give the service personnel time to service the battery.

Abstract: In an electronic device, plural circuit boards are plugged into respective connectors, or sockets, in a common backplane circuit board. The backplane maintains the flat circuit boards in fixed relation to one another. Each circuit board is provided with a respective optical transmitter and/or receiver to allow for the transmission of (typically digital) information via a high speed carrier in a light beam through unobstructed free space between the circuit boards. The circuit boards may also be provided with optical splitters and/or combiners as well as apertures to permit light signals to pass through the board's substrate to allow for communication between plural circuit boards. The circuit boards may further include small lenses and/or opaque elements to provide an optical path having selected physical characteristics.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a simulation testbench 10 which includes a circuit under test 14 and a plurality of test models 12 designated 1 through N. The test models 12 include at least one of a driver and a monitor. The drivers selectively apply stimuli to the circuit under test 14, and the monitors observe responses to the stimuli from the circuit under test 14. A single controller 16 is provided for the plurality of test models 12. The controller 16 has an instruction source 18 including a list of commands which control the plurality of test models 12. The commands are routed from the instruction source 18 over a model control bus 24 to the plurality of test models 12.

Abstract: A wireless telecommunications system uses location or position information of a wireless mobile unit to initiate the sending of location-specific information to travelers. As position information is received, it is compared to prestored position information of a remote location, such as an airport. As the traveler approaches the remote location, and gets within a certain distance the remote location, information such as airline arrival information is retrieved and sent to the wireless mobile unit of the traveler. Thus, useful information tied to the position of the wireless mobile unit, such as airline or traffic information for example, is obtained.

Abstract: In accordance with the principles of the present invention, in addition to conventional use of frequency division multiplexed upper and lower side bands, the spectral area occupied by the analog host will be utilized by applying a one-dimensional modulation, e.g., pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) as opposed to the conventional use of a two-dimensional modulation, e.g., quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM). Furthermore, the analog and digital information within the analog host bandwidth may be combined in quadrature to keep the signals orthogonal. Thus, should one side band under the analog carrier be deteriorated or obliterated by adjacent channel interference, the other side band under the analog carrier can still provide useful data and hence better digital audio codec performance. By transmitting one or two digital data streams asymmetrically with respect to the center frequency, particular digital side bands can be rendered useless as environmental conditions warrant (e.g.

Abstract: A binary morphological erosion operator image processor which operates on images of any size and dimension with a structuring element of any dimension and shape. The erosion operations are all processed in the 1D domain by first decomposing the image and structuring element into a series of 1D slices, and then further segmenting the structuring element into a plurality of shorter 1D segments. These segments are processed in parallel using an array of parallel processors. Once the erosion operations are completed, the resulting 1D slices are composed into a final eroded image.

Abstract: Deactivating a switch in a handset when a user wishes to answer an incoming call or terminate a call. A sound card within a personal computer transmits a hook tone that is above the human hearing range to a transmitter section of the handset. When the switch is in the activated state, the handset re-transmits the hook tone back to the sound card which converts the hook tone to digital information so that the hook tone can be detected by software running in the personal computer. When the manual switch is deactivated, the handset ceases to re-transmit the hook tone back to the sound card. The software detects the absence of the hook tone to determine if the handset is answering the incoming call. In traditional telephony terms, when the manual switch is deactivated, this is the offhook condition. When the manual switch is activated, this is the onhook condition.

Abstract: A scriptor and interpreter are disclosed. The scriptor and interpreter each not only check the syntax of a command in a script, but also that the values for the variables passed as arguments to command are consistent with the values attributed to those variables in preceding portions of the script.

Abstract: Methods and systems for enabling a subscriber to reply to a voice mail message that has been made available for the subscriber at a voice mail system (VMS). In response to an indication, the VMS transmits a release message with respect to the subscriber's communication to the VMS, which communication then is terminated to an intelligent network element (INE). The INE originates a call to the party to whom the subscriber desires to reply. The subscriber's communication and the INE's call are bridged to form the reply call from the subscriber to the party. The VMS is not included in the call path. After the reply call is concluded, the bridge is dismantled, the IP is released, and the subscriber's communication is returned to interaction with the VMS without the subscriber having to make a separate call into the VMS.

Abstract: A high capacity digital non-blocking cross-connect switching fabric is realized by employing a multi-port RAM based space-time switch having a plurality of write circuits and a plurality of read circuits, each of which operates at a timing rate that is a prescribed fraction of the input/output clock rate of the input/output ports of the multi-port RAM based cross-connect switching fabric. The at least one multi-port RAM switch unit has a plurality of write circuits and a plurality of read circuits, each of which operates at a timing rate that is a prescribed fraction of the input/output clock rate of the input/output ports of the multi-port RAM based cross-connect switching fabric. Additionally, in one embodiment, each of the write circuits and each of the read circuits has independent and unrestricted access to all data storage positions in each of a plurality of storage units that make up the at least one multi-port RAM switch unit.