Abstract: A system for, and method of, configuring border gateway selection for transit traffic flows in a computer network. In one embodiment, the system includes: (1) a border gateway modeler that builds a model of cooperating border gateways, the model including capacities of the border gateways and (2) a traffic flow optimizer, associated with the border gateway modeler, that initially assigns traffic to the border gateways in accordance with a generalized assignment problem and subsequently reassigns the traffic to the border gateways based on cost until the capacities are respected.

Abstract: Integrated circuit fabrication techniques are provided which allow non-horizontal/non-vertical wires to traverse the entire chip surface, rather than just the corners as in the conventional Manhattan geometry, while interconnecting circuit points. This is achieved by employing a variable rotational assignment methodology with respect to the interconnect layers or levels during the IC fabrication operation. These techniques thus eliminate the litho step problem, reduce interconnect distances and lessen the influence of capacitance interaction between interconnect wires.

Abstract: A micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) actuator device is disclosed. The MEMS actuator device has an actuated element that is rotatably connected to a support structure via torsional members. The torsional members provide a restoring force to keep the actuated element planar to the surface of an underlying substrate. The surface of the substrate has electrodes formed thereon. The electrodes are adapted to receive an electrical potential. When an electrical potential is applied to certain of the electrodes, an electrostatic force is generated which causes the actuated element to rotate out of plane. The electrodes have three components. At least a portion of two of the components is within the tilting area of the actuated element. The third is outside the tilting area of the actuated element. The tilting area is defined as the surface area of the actuated element as projected onto the underlying substrate.

Abstract: Interactive voice response (IVR) services are provided to an end user at a telephone terminal (201) connected to the PSTN (202) through a telephone/IP server (205) that serves as an interface between the PSTN and an IP network (204) such as the Internet. A first IVR service is provided by a web server (203) running a service logic (207) for that service, which produces pages formatted in a phone markup language (PML) in response to an HTTP request sent over the IP network by the telephone/IP server to the web server at the URL address associated with the service. Hyperlinks to a second IVR service offered on a web server (208) at a different URL address are embedded and associated with a specific question or statement in a PML-formatted page produced by the first service.

Abstract: Apparatus, and a method for switching digital signals of different protocols in a large switching network. Signals and different protocols are encapsulated in a common protocol by a set of input modules. The signals in the common protocol are then switched by a large central stage to a plurality of output modules, which then generate signals in the correct protocol. Narrow-band signals are converted into broadband signals, so that the central stage switches only broadband signals. This simplifies the design of the central stage, while still making it possible to have a very large and economical central stage switch. Advantageously, this arrangement allows a single large switch to switch large quantities of traffic in a plurality of protocols.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for signal detection in a wireless communication system that includes multiple-antenna arrays for transmission and reception. The method involves multiplying a vector of signals collected from respective receiving antennas by a nulling vector, such that the resulting vector product provides an estimated value corresponding to a specific one of the transmitted signals. A respective such multiplication is performed to detect each of the transmitted signals. In contrast to related methods of the prior art, each nulling vector is obtained from a channel matrix of estimated channel coefficients without performing any matrix inversion operations, and only a single pseudoinverse related to the channel matrix is computed. As a result, numerical stability is improved and the computational complexity of the method is reduced by an order of magnitude relative to methods of the prior art.

Abstract: An optical internet router apparatus uses optical tags to send and receive command and response messages between routers of an optical network for establishing, maintaining or changing a packet data connection over the network between a source router and a destination router. The optical router comprises (1) optical tag apparatus for reading a message and writing a message modulated on one or more wavelengths which are used for communicating with another router of a network connection, the control message being modulated onto the one or more wavelengths using a secondary modulation scheme which is different from a primary modulation used to modulate packet data; and (2) a controller responsive to a received read message for controlling a network connection at this router, and for generating a network control message to be written by the optical tag apparatus, the generated message controlling a network connection to said another router.

Abstract: A circuit board, for use with a high speed backplane, includes transmitter and receiver with circuitry for correcting for multipath signal errors. A training sequence that is often a pseudo-random signal is transmitted by the transmitter on a first circuit board to a receiver located on a second circuit board. The receiver on the second circuit board includes an analog-to-digital signal converter, an equalizer, and a binary digital-to-analog reconverter for receiving the training sequence. The equalizer preferably comprises a series of connected registers having taps in between, a plurality of individual weighting means attached to each of the taps, and a summing means connected to the weighting means. A training sequence is transmitted from the first circuit board to the receiver on the second circuit board, enabling the receiver to adaptively determine a set of weighting means coefficients for correcting the multipath errors in subsequent signals.

Abstract: A method is provided for verifying that optical signals are properly routed between inputs and outputs of an optical cross-connect according to the prescribed routing paths defined in the cross-connect map. More specifically, optical signals are independently tagged at the cross-connect input ports with connection verification messages containing identification information. Connection verification messages can include, among other information, a message identification, incoming and outgoing wavelength information, incoming and outgoing port information, a time stamp, user verification data, and so on. At the cross-connect output ports, the messages are retrieved (and optionally removed) from the optical signals so that the identification information from the retrieved messages can be compared to the routing defined in the cross-connect map.

Abstract: An emergency call monitor (110) monitors the progression of a call in a telephone switching system. The sequence of called digits for a call is detected by a line/trunk interface unit (200). A call-type processor (202) determines whether the call is an emergency call by examining the sequence of called digits and examining a call-type associated with the call. If the call is an emergency call, then a call monitor (204) is initiated to monitor the progression of the call through the telephone switch. If errors are encountered during the call, an alarm (206), including a visual and/or audible indicator, is asserted.

Abstract: A sub-network manager in a telecommunications network such as a synchronous digital hierarchy (SDH) or a synchronous optical network (SONET) filters out secondary (AIS) alarms generated in response to signals received by network elements on incoming links by determining whether the upstream termination point of the incoming link on which the signal was received is within the managed domain of the sub-network manager. If it is within the managed domain, the alarm is blocked. If the upstream termination point is outside the managed domain the alarm is processed further. In the latter case the secondary alarm may be the only indication of the fault causing the alarm that the sub-network manager receives, whereas in the former case it will have received notification from some other alarm, either a primary alarm, such as a loss of signal alarm (LOS) or an AIS alarm generated in response to a signal entering the managed domain from outside.

Abstract: A speech recognition system front end interface to provide a subscriber voice control over many voice mail functions. The speech recognition system converts spoken instructions into DTMF instructions for voice mail systems while allowing prompts form the voice mail system and DTMF tones from the subscriber to pass through without any interference by the speech recognition system. To accomplish these pass through functions, the speech recognition system sets up what is know as a hairpin connection between the subscriber, the speech recognition system and the voice mail system.

Abstract: A time-efficient real-time correlator is provided for use in a receiver of a wireless communications system. The correlator correlates a signal received by the receiver with a pseudo-random number (PN) code in order to determine the time delay of the received signal. The correlator requires no memory for storing samples of the received signal. A shift register having only W storage elements is utilized for storing the samples of the PN code sequence, where W is a positive integer corresponding to the length of the correlation window. W+1 correlation results storage elements are utilized to store correlation result values. When the correlator receives a current sample of the incoming signal, the current sample r(j) is multiplied by each of the samples of the PN code sequence to obtain products. The correlation result values stored in the correlation results storage elements are added to the products and the resulting sum is stored in the correlation results storage elements.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for remotely identifying software and software versions using a maintained software audit file. The disclosed system management tool identifies software installed on each network node by comparing the name and size of installed files to a software audit file. The system management tool performs an inventory scan of the software on each network node and obtains a list of each file and the corresponding file size. The software audit file provides identifying information, such as the file name and corresponding size, for each known file. Known files can be quickly identified using a match criteria based, for example, on the file name and size. The software audit file is maintained by investigating any unknown files with a sample of the user population having the unknown file. In one implementation, a targeted query is automatically transmitted to a sample of the user population having the unknown file requesting header information for the unknown file.

Abstract: A system and method for dynamically managing Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) in a manner enabling subscriber access to VPN services on an as needed basis.

Abstract: A MEMs mirror device comprises a mirror layer, a frame structure, and an actuator layer. At least one mirror is movably coupled to the frame. The actuator layer includes at least one conductive path for moving the mirror. In accordance with the invention, the mirror is curved for efficiently directing and focusing reflected light. The mirror comprises a metal-coated base, and curvature can be achieved by doping selected regions of the base or by using coating/base combinations with sufficient mismatch that they be curved by differential thermal expansion. The resulting MEMs devices are advantageous for optical switching, variable attenuation and power gain equalization.

Abstract: In accordance with the invention, an optical cross-connect switch includes an optical router for distributing multi-wavelength optical input signals, an optical combiner for supplying multi-wavelength signals at the output ports of the switch, and optical fibers for interconnecting the optical router and optical combiner. Selected interconnecting optical fibers include controllable wavelength-selective elements, such as magnetically controllable fiber gratings, which are capable of transmitting or reflecting individual channels within the multi-wavelength optical signals so that a selected channel of a particular wavelength can be routed from any of the input ports to any of the output ports of the switch.

Abstract: A method and system for robbing bits in an ATM channel for forming a robbed bit stream. Unused portions of the header in an ATM cell stream are robbed to form a new robbed bit stream. Information is inserted into the new robbed bit stream and sent to a service area. The information in the robbed bit stream is then extracted and input into information appliances in, for example, homes. The information in the robbed bit stream can include an additional video channel, a program guide or other information.

Abstract: A telecommunications system including a public telephonic switching network interconnected with a telephonic network switch for routing calls from an initial telephonic unit to a destination telephonic unit. Telephonic calls are sent via the public telephonic switching network for receipt at the computer controlled telephonic network switch. The telephonic network switch has a central processing unit and an associated memory with an improved programmed operator services position system for assigning a language to the telephonic call such that the assigned language is an associated attribute for the telephonic call. Throughout the duration of the telephonic call, the call is identified to receive telephone operator services in the particular language assigned for the telephonic call.

Abstract: The specification describes a lamination method for thin film transistor TFT devices wherein each ply of the laminate is a polymer and each contains a portion of the TFT or the interconnection circuit. The plies are laminated together using a solid adhesive polymer layer on the surface of one or both of the plies. The solid adhesive polymer layer has a low elastic modulus that provides effective encapsulation of the TFT, and laminates the plies without high heat or pressure.