Abstract: An image or other information signal having a texture is analyzed along perceptual dimensions such as directionality, symmetry, regularity and type of regularity. A wavelet decomposition or other type of filtering operation is first applied to the information signal, in order to generate oriented subbands. Texture-related features, e.g., coarse features, vertical edges, horizontal edges, corners, etc., are then extracted from the subbands. The extracted features are then used to characterize the above-noted perceptual dimensions of the texture. A classification process may subsequently be used to classify the texture as directional, symmetric, regular and/or having a particular regularity type, e.g., a small, medium or large regularity, based on comparison with established thresholds. Advantageously, the classification process can also be used to determine the replicability of the texture.

Abstract: An optical router and accompanying method utilizing an N×N frequency router and N tunable transmitters. Packets to be routed are “colored” according to their intended destination and applied to an input port of the frequency router such that they appear at a desired output port.

Abstract: A sorting method for use with a database having randomly hashed records stored therein. The records are sorted in accord with a predetermined parameter and the database exists on a storage medium. At least one stage of the method includes sorting the records in accord with a subgroup of the predetermined parameter and into record groups stored in the storage medium. Records are further sorted in later stages and may be read onto a second medium for sorting. The sorting method allows the amount of processor memory used for sorting to be limited, such that adverse effects on normal call processing are limited or nonexistent.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for interfacing ADSL modems to a codec, wherein a total of four frame buffers are used for receiving and transmitting data from and to the codec. The present invention also enables interoperability between ADSL modems that use 128 tones and those that use 256 tones.

Abstract: Optical channel overhead information for individual optical channels is transported in a message based channel on an optical supervisory channel. Specifically, this is realized by obtaining performance monitoring, and/or performance measurement, and/or operations, and/or administration, and/or maintenance information, and/or the like for the individual ones of one or more optical channels, formatting the obtained information into a message for each individual optical channel and inserting the resulting message(s) into an optical supervisory channel to be transported on the OTN. In one embodiment of the invention, particular overhead information is formatted into a message and controllably inserted into the optical supervisory channel at a prescribed optical network element to be transported on the OTN.

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 system for, and method of compressing a data table using models and a database management system incorporating the system or the method. In one embodiment, the system includes: (1) a table modeller that discovers data mining models with guaranteed error bounds of at least one attribute in the data table in terms of other attributes in the data table and (2) a model selector, associated with the table modeller, that selects a subset of the at least one model to form a basis upon which to compress the data table.

Abstract: A computer-network based system/method integrates group-related information from a plurality of sources, such as a plurality of user and sub-applications, thereby allowing group members, e.g., members of a business organization, to access and view information entered by other group members from an integrated database. Authorized users retrieve and view such information using interactive web browser navigation and search “views,” which enable the user to filter through and retrieve categorized information, such that time-, location-, organization-, and/or category-specific information is displayed. By integrating and categorizing information entered from different group members and sub-applications, group members can effectively manage and coordinate their activities, as well as share information related to the group operations.

Abstract: The invention is a method for controlling power on multiple forward link communication channels by using multiple power control sub-channels, wherein each power control sub-channel is associated with a forward link communication channel to be power controlled. A fundamental power control sub-channel and a supplemental power control sub-channel are time multiplexed onto a reverse pilot channel. Transmitted over the fundamental power control sub-channel is a fundamental power control bit for indicating to a base station to increase or decrease its transmission power over a corresponding forward fundamental channel. Transmitted over the supplemental power control sub-channel is a supplemental power control bit for indicating to a base station to increase or decrease its transmission power over a corresponding forward supplemental channel. The pilot sub-channels are preferably separated by the fundamental and supplemental power control sub-channels for time diversity purposes.

Abstract: An intelligent-networked telecommunications system allows a customer to make a free telephone call after listening to a product or service advertisement. The customer reaches a product/service menu after dialing a telephone number with a special prefix reserved for Advertisement With Bonus Call (AWBC) service. The customer then chooses the advertisement of interest. After listening to the advertisement, the system allows the customer to enter a destination number for a free bonus telephone call. In the preferred embodiment, the bonus call is limited to a predefined duration monitored by a timer reset at the beginning of the bonus call. When the time limit is near, the system broadcasts this fact to both the calling party and the called party. At the expiration of the time limit, the call is automatically disconnected, and the customer can be returned to the AWBC product/service main menu.

Abstract: An interferometric system includes first, second and third optical fibers with first and second couplers. The first coupler is configured to receive radiation through the first fiber, provide a first radiation portion through the second fiber and provide a second radiation portion through the third fiber to the second coupler. The system also includes fourth and fifth optical fibers each configured to receive radiation from the second coupler and transmit radiation for receipt by the other.

Abstract: A simplified method for frequency offset estimation in a TDMA cellular PCS environment using &pgr;/4-shifted DQPSK comprises the steps of multiplying a complex conjugate of a received complex-valued symbol and a succeeding symbol to produce a comparison vector having an angle equal to the phase angle between the received complex-valued symbol and the succeeding symbol, rotating the comparison vector so that the angle thereof is between 0° and 90°, and estimating the frequency offset by determining a constant deviation of the phase angle from an ideal phase angle value of 45° by calculating an average phase angle for a plurality of successive comparison vectors or correlating the rotated comparision vector against a bank of unit vectors to determine a maximum correlation.

Abstract: A new scheduling discipline is disclosed for the forward link of a wireless network such as a CDMA network. The new discipline, which we denominate Modified LWDF (M-LWDF), resembles the known LWDF discipline in that only one queue is served at a time, and the queue to be served is that having the largest weighted delay.

Abstract: A method for detecting and calculating the contribution by external jammer signals to the total power received by a reverse link of a communication system. The total received power for a reverse link is measured. Calculations of load estimates based on power rise due to background noise and total Eb/N0 are performed. The contribution of external jammer signals to the total power received is calculated from the load estimates. The ability to calculate the power level of external jammer signals for a certain reverse link allows a service provider to more efficiently use the capacity of the reverse link. An average of the calculated external jammer power level can be calculated over a period of time defined by the service provider of the communication system.

Abstract: Unique, voicemail pages are used to improve communication systems which combine both voicemail and paging devices. A “deletion”, voicemail page is used to automatically delete previously sent voicemail pages in a pager at virtually the same time as a corresponding voicemail message is being deleted in a voicemail system. Other unique voicemail pages make it possible to restrict the notification of a received voicemail page and provide the capability of listening to voicemail messages while viewing a separately sent, corresponding page on a pager.

Abstract: The distributed network application management system provides distributed data processing services in a data communication network environment. This system dynamically allocates resources to a processing request that is received from a user application device that has limited processing capabilities using application modules that are machine-independent and network independent to thereby process the received request in the network, yet in a manner that appears to be implemented on the user application device. The distributed network application management system is implemented in a network environment using a kernel that represents the network protocol and the effective processor is dynamically created in the network as capacity becomes available. The applications in this system are distributed via the network without meta code being written for the application.

Abstract: A combined spectrometer/polarimeter device capable of being placed in-line in a WDM optical transmission system is provided. The combined device contains an optical waveguide, wavelength manipulating optics that include one or more wavelength dispersive elements formed in the waveguide, and polarization manipulating optics. The wavelength dispersive elements tap at least a portion of the propagating light from the waveguide, such that the tapped light is directed to or through at least a portion of the polarization manipulating optics. The presence of the wavelength dispersive element(s) allow monitoring of one or more channels present in the propagating light. Thus, the device is able to act as a spectrometer to determine the presence/intensity of channels in the WDM system. In addition, by inclusion of the polarization-manipulating optics, it is further possible to use the same in-line device to monitor polarization characteristics of each such channel (e.g.

Abstract: A system for, and method of, generating an alias source address for an electronic mail (“e-mail”) message having a real source address and a destination address and a computer network, such as the Internet, including the system or the method. In one embodiment, the system includes an alias source address generator that employs the destination address to generate the alias source address. The system further includes an alias source address substitutor that substitutes the alias source address for the real source address. This removes the real source address from the e-mail message and thereby renders the sender, located at the real source address, anonymous. Further-described are systems and methods for forwarding reply e-mail and filtering reply e-mail based on alias source address.

Abstract: A technique for forming functionalized particles, where such particles are readily formed into periodic structures. A layer of particles is formed on a substrate, a first material is deposited over at least a portion of each of the particles, and then a functionalizing agent is attached to the first material. The functionalized particles are then capable of being formed into an ordered structure, by selection of appropriate complementary functionalizing agents on a substrate and/or on other particles and/or on other regions of the same particles.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for scheduling jobs having a staging time and a processing time are described. In one method, the jobs are divided into subsets based on a predetermined criteria such as depending on whether the staging time is longer than the processing time. In this method, the jobs in each subset are ordered independently. The jobs are then scheduled by alternating between the ordered subsets. In a second method, the jobs are again divided into subsets based on a predetermined criteria such as depending on whether the staging time is longer than the processing time. The jobs in each subset are ordered independently. The jobs in one subset are then simply appended to the other subset. In a third method, the jobs are ordered according to a predetermined criterion into a list and are executed by alternating between both ends of the list. The invention is also applicable to scheduling jobs having a destaging time.