Abstract: In a cellular telephone terminal having increased storage capability, ease of entry and access for data stored therein is provided through utilization of a computer equipped with a modem, a wired telephone network and the cellular telephone network. A user utilizes the ease of data entry implicit to modern computers through dedicated or existing personal information organizers to input data into a database, such as a personal dialing directory, at the computer. For the entering of data at the cellular telephone terminal, first the terminal, also equipped with a modem, is configured in a data download mode where data can be received from the computer and entered into on-board storage. The computer then places a modem telephone call to the terminal, either directly or through a network translator, and transfers the data into the terminal. The data is then accessible through standard data recall techniques using a display and interface keys on the telephone terminal.

Abstract: A handoff method and apparatus are disclosed for use in a wireless communication network in which a primary base station servicing a call directly selects a handoff candidate base station based in part on provided base station identity and address information. The base station is operable to directly establish a connection with a handoff candidate, selected from the one or more neighbor base stations, or neighbors of its neighbors, and handoff the call, based on one or more signal quality measurements and base station identity and address information.

Abstract: Traffic on a connectionless (CL) network, such as IP packets, can be routed onto a connection a connection oriented (CO) network, such as an ATM telephony network, when it is advantageous to do so from a user or service provider viewpoint, without affecting the ability of users to continue to use existing applications. Routing is controlled by nodes called CL-CO gateways, with connectivity to both the CL network and the Co network. When CL traffic originating at a source reached these gateway nodes, a decision is made whether to continue carrying the information in the CL mode, or to redirect the traffic to a CO network.

Abstract: In an Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Loop (ADSL) Discrete Multi-Tone (DMT) system, ADSL DMT equipment includes a decoder that operates on a received DMT signal representing Nf symbols/second, where N>1, to recover f symbols per second. In particular, the decoder decides each symbol value of the recovered signal as a function of values of a respective 2N symbol values from the received DMT signal.

Abstract: Base station in a soft handoff programmed to have a threshold power level to control the power transmitted by the base station on the forward link. When the threshold power level is a minimum-threshold power level, each base station maintains its transmit power level at or above the minimum-threshold power level. When the threshold power level is a maximum-threshold power level, each base station maintains its transmit power level at or below the maximum-threshold power level. Preferably, all power levels are expressed in decibels (dB) relative to the pilot's power level. The threshold power level can be adjustable or fixed. In the case where the threshold power level is fixed, each base station is programmed with the fixed threshold power level, and each base station decides how to adjust its transmit power level locally based on the fixed threshold power level without input from other base stations.

Abstract: A method for voice activated dialing of a wireless voice communication terminal is provided. The method includes connecting the wireless voice communication terminal to an application server of a voice activated dialing service provider and collecting requested party information at the application server over a voice network. The method also includes providing a phone number of the requested party as data and delivering the requested party phone number data to the wireless voice communication terminal over a data network. A data assisted voice activated dialing system is provided which receives spoken requested party identification information from a user operated wireless voice communication terminal over a voice network. In response, the server provides the requested party phone number as data to the wireless voice communication terminal over a data network.

Abstract: An optical fiber shutter adapter including a housing having a bay and a bay opening for receiving a second connector. The optical fiber shutter adapter further includes a door disposed near the bay opening and having a blocking portion for blocking laser radiation from being emitted from the bay opening when the door is in a closed position. The door is connected to the housing for movement from the closed position to an open position for allowing the second connector to be received into the bay for connection to the shutter adapter. The blocking portion of the door moves into the adapter housing when the door is moved from the closed position towards the open position.

Abstract: The invention addresses a micro-electro-mechanical (MEMS) device, or an array of such devices, for use in an optical communication system and a method of manufacture therefore. An embodiment of the device includes a moveable element support structure, a moveable element and torsional members that couple the moveable element support structure and the moveable element and allow the moveable element to gimbal with respect to the support structure. The inventive device includes torsional members that are substantially free of corrosion thereby producing a device with improved response characteristics. The method includes using an etchant that substantially inhibits corrosion of the torsional members.

Abstract: An input interface system provides gesture-based user control of an application running on a computer by classification of user gestures in image signals. A given one of the image signals is processed to determine if it contains one of a number of designated user gestures, e.g., a point gesture, a reach gesture and a click gesture, each of the gestures being translatable to a particular control signal for controlling the application. If the image signal is determined to contain a point gesture, further processing is performed to determine position and orientation information for a pointing finger of a hand of the user and its corresponding shadow. The position and orientation information for the pointing finger and its shadow are then utilized to generate a three-dimensional pose estimate for the pointing figure in the point gesture.

Abstract: A method for optimizing a wavelet packet structure for subsequent tree-structured coding which preserves coherent spatial relationships between parent coefficients and their respective four offspring at each step. A valid frequency tree is defined by a wavelet packet decomposition algorithm. Constraints are placed on the pruning of the frequency tree in order to select valid frequency trees as each step. These constraints include considering any four offspring sub-bands as candidates for pruning only when their current frequency decomposition level is the same as that of their respective spatially co-located parent sub-band, and pruning the spatially co-located offspring sub-bands when pruning only the parents results in an invalid wavelet packet structure.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing text-to-speech conversion in a client/server environment partitions an otherwise conventional text-to-speech conversion algorithm into two portions: a first “text analysis” portion, which generates from an original input text an intermediate representation thereof and a second “speech synthesis” portion, which synthesizes speech waveforms from the intermediate representation generated by the first portion (i.e., the text analysis portion) The text analysis portion of the algorithm is executed exclusively on a server while the speech synthesis portion is executed exclusively on a client which may be associated therewith. The client may comprise a hand-held device such as, for example, a cell phone, and the intermediate representation of the input text advantageously comprises at least a sequence of phonemes representative of the input text.

Abstract: A method of reducing, or even eliminating, the tariffs, surcharges and long-distance charges that might be incurred for calls involving wireless switching centers in multiple regions (or countries) is disclosed. This is accomplished in the illustrative embodiment by trunking calls directly from the calling wireless switching center to the visiting wireless switching center, where advantageous, without trunking the call across a regional or political boundary as is done in the prior art.

Abstract: The distributed cellular communication system architecture for the co-existence of multiple technologies uses the mapping table capability of the Asynchronous Transfer Mode network and the multi-layer nature of the signaling protocol that is used in cellular communication networks to transparently interconnect cellular communication network elements that use different technologies and/or signaling protocols. The present distributed cellular communication system architecture avoids the need for significant changes in the cellular call processing software to accommodate new cellular communication network components by inserting signal routing data into the Asynchronous Transfer Mode network routing tables to thereby interconnect signals between compatible endpoints that are connected to the Asynchronous Transfer Mode network.

Abstract: A system and method of implementing a radio link protocol and dynamic partial echo management for a transaction oriented packet data communication system. A data backlog is described with a media access control layer controller and transmitting a BEGIN protocol data unit transmitted to a receiver. A media access control layer transaction is initiated in response to the transmitting of the BEGIN frame.

Abstract: A method (10) is provided of setting up a call over a multiple bit-rate transmission channel between a central module (25) and a remote module (22). The channel comprises at least one first transmission channel (401) having a primary bit rate and at least one second transmission channel (402) having a secondary bit rate. Each of said first and second transmission channels is a two-way channel comprising a first transmission half-channel (43, 45) in one direction and a second transmission half-channel (44, 48) in another direction. The method comprises the following steps: setting up a call on the primary transmission channel, scanning for a signal indicating a secondary bit-rate requirement, and if a signal indicating a secondary bit rate requirement is detected, bit-rate switching from said first transmission channel (401) to the second transmission channel (402).

Abstract: A system in accordance With the principles of the present invention employs a loop field test to predict the data rate capability of at least one loop other than the one tested. A local telephone loop is selected for field testing that includes wideband noise testing and signal frequency testing. This reference loop is characterized in response to the results of the field tests and the characterization is used to predict the data handling capability of other similar loops. In an illustrative embodiment one loop Within each binder group terminated at a telephone office is selected as a reference loop and the data rate capability of the other loops Within the binder group are predicted, based on the characterization of the reference loop.

Abstract: The present invention provides a semiconductor device including large topography alignment marks, and a method of manufacture therefor. The method of manufacturing the semiconductor device includes forming an isolation trench and an alignment mark in a substrate to a substantially common depth, and forming an etch stop layer in the alignment mark.

Abstract: A system and method that enables a calling party to change the content of previously recorded voice mail messages by receiving telephone calls and comparing an incoming caller ID with all caller IDs stored in a database. If the caller ID matches, then the calling party is presented with a menu of options. The menu may include listening to the previous message, deleting the previous message, modifying the previous message and/or recording a new message. A user can change or modify a previously recorded message and determine whether the message has been received by the called party, thus providing a more flexible interface for leaving messages.

Abstract: Amplified noise signals in an optical communication system can be advantageously used to detect an LOS condition for particular wavelengths of interest. The disclosed method includes generating a sampling window of suitable size and counting the number of transitions in the amplified noise signal that occur during the sampling window. If no transitions occur in a sampling period, then true data is assumed to be present. On the other hand, if transitions occur more frequently than during the period when data are present, an LOS event is deemed to have occurred and an appropriate signal is generated. In another aspect, the disclosed method uses a Clock and Data Recovery (CDR) circuit and adds simple digital logic circuits to detect an LOS condition in a predetermined sampling window.

Abstract: A two layered segmentation technique coupled with a two layer error detection technique is used to implement the wired to wireless network interface. A wireless network divides network layer packets from a wired network into radio data link packets, and the information within the radio data link packets is divided into portions that can be placed into time slots. Error detection is performed on each of the time slots and also at the radio data link packet level to determine if there is an error within the radio data link packet. Errors detected in any radio data link packet only requires retransmission of the radio data link packet in which the error was detected, and, advantageously, do not require retransmission of the entire network layer packet as would have been required in a system that mapped directly from network layer packets to time slots.