Abstract: The present invention provides a system for electronic commerce that reduces the amount of data needed to be stored on a user computer or electronic device. A bank processor stores information corresponding to coins or funds and the user device (such as a payer or merchant processor) needs to only store a single secret key needed to access the data stored in the bank's memory. The user's device can be a smart card since only a minimal amount of data needs to be stored on the user's device. The bank processor of the present invention may hold disposable anonymous accounts in a bank memory. When a coin is spent, the corresponding account is deleted from the bank's memory and a new account is created which corresponds to a new coin. This completes a payment from a payer processor to a merchant processor. The new account is the merchant's account. This implementation avoids the threat of computer virus attacks since a smart card is far less susceptible to these.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved method for managing a toll-free number database within a storage medium. The method provides for extending space for record data within the storage medium. Memory space within the storage medium is allocated into buckets for storing records in accord with record size. A database-index is provided for mapping each record to a bucket. A bucket-index is provided for identifying buckets that may receive new records. If a bucket becomes full or approaches full occupancy, a new bucket is added to the database and the bucket-index is updated accordingly. An occupancy-index may be provided for indicating the amount of available memory in each bucket.

Abstract: An electron beam lithographic apparatus has an electron gun providing a beam of accelerated electrons, a mask stage adapted to hold a mask in a path of the beam of accelerated electrons, and a workpiece stage adapted to hold a workpiece in a path of electrons that have passed through the mask. The electron gun has a cathode having an electron emission surface, an anode adapted to be connected to a high-voltage power supply to provide an electric field between the cathode and the anode to accelerate electrons emitted from the cathode toward the anode, and a current-density-profile control grid disposed between the anode and the cathode. The current-density-profile control grid is configured to provide an electron gun that produces an electron beam having a non-uniform current density profile.

Abstract: A system for expanding a parameter encoding field in a new communications protocol that is compatible with an old protocol. An unused command parameter in an old protocol is used to indicate an expanded parameter encoding field in a new protocol. Parameter encodings from the old protocol are unchanged in the new protocol. A system communicating using the old protocol recognizes all parameters from the old protocol and ignores parameters from the new protocol. A system communicating using the new protocol recognizes parameters from both the old and new protocols.

Abstract: A quality of service guarantee for voice and other delay sensitive transmissions within an Internet Protocol (IP) network is provided by identifying the IP network path utilized for IP packet transmission between source and destination edge devices and virtually provisioning IP network path bandwidth for priority voice traffic. Priority for voice packets and admission control of new voice calls (and other delay sensitive traffic) based on the remaining available capacity over the IP network path guarantees that high priority voice (and other delay sensitive traffic) meet stringent delay requirements. A Virtual Provisioning Server is utilized to maintain bandwidth capacity data for each path segment within the IP network and to forward the bandwidth capacity data to a Signaling Gateway. The Signaling Gateway determines whether to accept or reject an additional delay sensitive traffic component based upon available bandwidth capacity for an IP network path.

Abstract: A unique waveguide structure is provided in which the waveguide contains individual scattering elements that are capable of being tuned to provide local refractive index variations, e.g., on a micron scale—which is on the order of wavelengths typically used for communication system. According to the invention, the waveguide contains a core region, a cladding region, and a solid or liquid material having the tunable scattering elements dispersed therein, where the material is disposed within the core and/or cladding regions, and/or on the exterior of the cladding region. Useful scattering elements include, for example, liquid crystals dispersed in a polymer (polymer-dispersed liquid crystals—PDLC) or electrophoretic particles dispersed in a liquid medium.

Abstract: A peak to average power ratio in a DS-CDMA transmitter is reduced by applying hard limiting to the signal while it is in digital form and prior to any frequency band filtering. In the case of a complex signal the clipping is done by making an approximation to the magnitude of the complex signal, comparing this to a threshold value and, whenever the magnitude exceeds the threshold, scaling the in-phase and quadrature components by a factor equal to the ratio of the threshold value to the magnitude. The approximation to the magnitude is made by reducing the signal to the first octant of the complex plane, evaluating a plurality of linear functions of the reduced in-phase and quadrature components, and selecting the maximum value.

Abstract: A distributed network management function is implemented in a computer network using a set of active nodes. Each of the active nodes comprises a router and a logically-separate active engine. The router in a given one of the active nodes diverts active packets associated with the network management function to the corresponding active engine for processing. The active engine supports one or more sessions, based at least in part on the active packets, for implementing at least a portion of the network management function. Each of the sessions supported by the active engine corresponds to a particular distributed task to be performed in the network, and has associated therewith a unique network identifier, such that different programs on different network nodes can belong to the same session. The router and active engine at a given one of the nodes may reside on the same machine, or on physically-separate machines.

Abstract: An intermetal dielectric structure for integrated circuits is provided having a premetal dielectric and a metal line thereon, with a SRO liner on the premetal dielectric layer and the metal lines, a FGS dielectric layer over the SRO liner, a SRO film over the FGS dielectric layer, and a TEOS dielectric layer over the SRO film. Vias through the FGS dielectric layer are treated to have fluorine-free regions around the vias. The structure is not subject to fluorine attack on the metal lines or vias while having a stable FGS dielectric layer with less fluorine out-gassing and out-diffusion.

Abstract: A methodology is provided for processing carriers in a wireless application whereby the outputs of a multiplicity of modulated RF signal sources are combined into a single RF signal stream, that single RF signal stream being thereafter divided among the inputs of another multiplicity of RF power amplifiers. The outputs of that multiplicity of RF power amplifiers are then recombined, filtered and provided as an input to a transmission antenna.

Abstract: A messaging apparatus and method is provided to allow an originator of a message to review status information associated with a stored message that has or has not been retrieved by the recipient. This status information review capability exists for a pre-determined period of time. More particularly, the message originator supplies or is provided a message identifier for the message when it is created. Subsequently, the message originator or any caller having knowledge of the message identifier may access the status information of an associated stored message by using the message identifier.

Abstract: A system for electronic correction and notification of discrepancies relating to automatic location identification information in a telephone environment comprising an initiating means for an operator to engage the system; a correction entry means for entering corrected information; and a dissemination means for disseminating the corrected information to recipients. The initiating means is connected with the telephone environment at an operator location having access to stored location identification information. The correction entry means is connected with the initiating means and includes an information entry means. The correction entry means responds to an initiation signal from the initiation means to receive correction information from the information entry means. The correction information is applied to update the stored location information at the operator location.

Abstract: Method and system integrating wireless/wireline and circuit/packet networks (to bypass GSM Memorandum of Understandings) for cellular/PCS services so that GSM subscribers roaming into CDMA networks can be provided with basic call delivery cellular services as long as the roamers can pay the bill with their valid credit card. This is achieved by integrating wireless and wireline networks as well as circuit and packet networks, using IP networks and protocols as an alternative to the existing telephony-based approach.

Abstract: Method and system to bypass GSM Memorandum of Understandings for cellular/PCS services so that GSM subscribers roaming into CDMA or TDMA networks, and CDMA or TDMA subscribers roaming into GSM networks, can be provided with basic call origination wireless services as long as the roamers can pay the bill with their valid credit card. This is achieved by integrating the proper pieces of wireless and wireline networks and secure communications.

Abstract: Processing of quadtree data structures is significantly improved with the use of an indexing that is arranged to insure that the index value of a node in column/row i and column/row j differs from the index value of a node in column/row k and row/column i by a value that is constant. With such an indexing arrangement, no indexing information, or pointer information, needs to be stored. Moreover, traversal from any node to any other node can be accomplished with a single calculation followed by a single traversal which, in the context of this disclosure, is considered to be a single step.

Abstract: A system and method for direct black box system verification is provided. For any property, a sequence of inputs for the black box is determined that will verify that the system exhibits the property. Counterexamples of the property are detected without inferring the black box's internal structure; that is, the verification proceeds without identifying all states and state transitions of the black box. A specification automaton operable to exhibit undesirable system behavior is constructed and it is then determined whether an accepting execution exists on the intersection of the black box and the specification automaton. To determine whether such an execution exists, the black box is configured such that it can be reset to its initial state upon command and such that the system indicates when an input is disabled from a current state. When an input is enabled, the implementation transitions to the next state. If an input is disabled, then there is no intersection on the input string.

Abstract: A receiver scans through two different search windows to detect a received signal: a first search window and a second search window. The timing of the second search window is adjusted after every processing cycle to follow the detected signal, while the timing of the first search window remains fixed. If the timing of the detected signal remains relatively constant for a sufficient period of time, then the timing of both the first search window and the second search window are adjusted based on the timing of the most recently detected signal. In this way, the receiver can continue to detect the received signal, even when the timing of the received signal varies greatly over time, without necessarily changing the first search window.

Abstract: A laser communication system includes transmitters and detectors coupled to a multimode fiber through “arms”, which can consist of N optical fibers joined to the main fiber through a 1×N fiber splitter. A set of N data streams is RF modulated onto RF carriers of identical frequency. RF modulated data streams are used to intensity modulate the N laser transmitters. N optical signals are combined onto the single multimode fiber for transmission to M multiple detectors, where M≧N. Each M detector receives power from all N transmitting lasers. The M detectors utilize direct optical detection to convert the received optical signal to a RF signal, which can be demodulated using standard RF techniques. The inherent modal-coupling diversity between the arms introduced by the optical system, when combined with modal dispersion in the multimode fiber, introduces a decorrelation in both the transmitted and received signal arrays to enhance signal throughput.

Abstract: An optical system for monitoring a colloidal suspension includes a chamber positioned to receive a sample of the suspension while the suspension is circulating in a mechanical system. An interferometer is positioned to generate interference patterns developed by a combination of a reference radiation signal with a sample radiation signal indicative of a characteristic in the suspension.

Abstract: The call data and hardware cache for a dial-up access concentrators caches the hardware device setup and the communication connection data created for a call connection for use in the next successively received incoming call. The call data and hardware cache for dial-up access concentrators enables the existing physical hardware connection that comprises the call connection in the dial-up access concentrator, the call processing and call connection resources to remain available for use in the next successively received incoming call. This step also retains the communication connection data comprising the call setup and call management data in the shelf controller and the call processing data in the call signal processor card for possible reuse.