Abstract: A network resource server is deployed in a convergent telecommunications network for providing traditionally service circuit type applications to both circuit switches and packet switches of the convergent network. The network resource server includes a variety of processors for accommodating specific application requests from nodes within the convergent network. Advantageously, the network resource server has a greater capacity than traditional service circuit nodes and is able to serve both the circuit-based network elements and packet-based network elements in a convergent network. For this reason, the network resource server eliminates the need for traditional service circuit nodes and various types of data servers.

Abstract: A portion of signal points that appear at predetermined positions in a signal point stream and that benefit less from a particular form of error immunity—e.g., conversion gain—are transmitted in such a way that their robustness against errors is at least as great as that of the signal points that benefit more therefrom. In preferred packet transmission embodiments of the invention, the ending signal points of a packet are transmitted using a signal point constellation that has fewer signal points than the constellation that is used for the other signal points in the packet.

Abstract: A system and method have been developed wherein a cylindrical antenna array is configured and reconfigured in a wireless communication network. Position and signal information are continuously received from wireless mobile units and are used to determine reconfigurations of antenna components of the cylindrical antenna array to enhance performance of the system. As such, base station antennas are dynamically configured to minimize such things as interference and dropped calls, and to maximize their voice quality both within a cell, and among neighboring cells.

Abstract: A non-conductive frame supports the resonators in a patch antenna assembly. The frame supports the resonators without making holes in the resonators and thereby avoids the problem of creating unwanted electric field polarizations. Additionally, the frame grasps the resonators in areas of low current density and thereby avoids creating additional disturbances in the radiation pattern. The frames may also include posts that are used to attach the frames to the feedboard without using additional components such as screws.

Abstract: In a communications system, multi-rate coding in accordance with the invention is implemented to generate multiple representations of an audio signal at different rates. These representations contain equivalent and/or various amounts of audio information. In an illustrative embodiment, at least one of the representations is a core representation containing core audio information. The remaining representations are enhancement representations containing enhancement audio information. The core representation is necessary for recovering the audio signal with minimal acceptable quality. Such quality is enhanced when the core representation, together with one or more of the enhancement representations, is used to recover the audio signal.

Abstract: In order to transmit variable length encoded data in low signal to noise ratio environments, a first data pattern is added to a beginning portion of encoded data to signify a beginning of the encoded data. Further, a second data pattern is added to end portion of the encoded data to signify and end of the encoded data. Additionally, since the encoded data may naturally include the second data pattern and thereby mistakenly indicate an end of the encoded data, the encoded data is first checked for such a pattern. If the pattern is found within the encoded data, a new pattern is substituted therefore. In order to counter errors, patterns similar to the first data pattern are also substituted with new patterns. As such, a variable length encoded data can be transmitted in a low signal to noise ratio environment, and can thereafter be easily decoded.

Abstract: Bursts of additional bandwidth (e.g., one or more supplemental channels or a channel having variable bandwidth) is assigned to users (e.g., high-speed data users) in a cellular telecommunication system. A request for assignment of additional bandwidth may be an initial request, a continuation request for an on-going burst, or a retry request after a previously rejected request. In any case it is determined whether to grant or reject the request. If the request is rejected, instructions are given to submit a retry request after a specified backoff time. The present invention may be implemented using either an asynchronous approach or a synchronous approach. According to the asynchronous approach, all requests are handled asynchronously. According to the synchronous approach, initial requests are handled asynchronously, but continuation requests and retry requests are handled synchronously at epoch times that coincide with specific time slots.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for improving thermal efficiency and reliability of a linear power amplifier of a communication system. In an illustrative embodiment, the communication system operates in a half-duplex mode and a transistor control terminal (e.g., gate) of the amplifier is biased at a first bias voltage during transmit intervals of the half-duplex mode. The control terminal is biased at a second bias voltage different from the first bias voltage during receive intervals. The second bias voltage is sufficient to reduce idle currents in the amplifier during the receive intervals, thereby improving thermal efficiency of the amplifier. Also disclosed is a base station including a base station controller, a variable bias control circuit and a linear power amplifier. The variable bias control circuit operates under the control of the base station controller to supply a variable bias voltage to the amplifier.

Abstract: A self-inverting enhanced CMEA encryption system suitable for use in wireless telephony. An unprocessed text message is introduced into the system and subjected to a first iteration of a CMEA process, using a first CMEA key to produce a first intermediate message, a first intermediate processed text message, a first intermediate ciphertext message or the like. The first intermediate processed text message is subjected to a further iteration of the CMEA process, using a second CMEA key, to produce a second intermediate processed text message. The second intermediate processed text message is subjected to a final iteration of the CMEA process, using the first CMEA key, to produce the final processed text message. Security may be additionally enhanced by subjecting each message to an input/output transformation before and after each iteration of the CMEA process.

Abstract: A customized method or algorithm for holding an interactive dialogue session between a (human) user and a machine (hereinafter referred to simply as a “dialogue”) is generated, such that the resulting dialogue advantageously responds to the user's requests and wherein the system's capability (i.e., the dialogue) is automatically modified thereafter based on dynamically changing external databases. Specifically, a computer system acts as a Dialogue Generator agent by creating such a customized dialogue consisting of services that are organized and presented in a form that is a combination of the user's expectations and the system's capabilities.

Abstract: An input device for providing position and orientation information with six degrees of freedom for use in manipulating a real or virtual three-dimensional object. An illustrative embodiment includes a handle with a plate attached to an upper portion thereof. Associated with an upper planar surface of the plate is a set of LEDs or other light sources arranged in a designated pattern. A camera or other suitable type of detection device detects light from the light sources in order to determine the position, e.g., X, Y and Z positional parameters, and orientation, e.g., roll, pitch and yaw rotational parameters, of the input device.

Abstract: In a communications system for conducting a teleconference, a voice bridge is employed to establish communication connections with attendees of the teleconference. In addition, a facsimile bridge is employed to distribute facsimile data associated with the teleconference. In an illustrative embodiment, the attendees provide, through the communication connections, their facsimile numbers which may be used by the facsimile bridge to distribute the facsimile data to those attendees. Alternatively, through the communication connections, the voice bridge provides the attendees with an access number for retrieving the facsimile data from the facsimile bridge.

Abstract: A duty cycle controller provides a uniform 50% duty cycle in a 2:1 digital multiplexer without an upper operating frequency limit. The multiplexer uses a comparator to generate interleaving signals by comparing a clock signal to a comparator set point. A feedback loop includes a bandpass filter, a power detector and an integrator, connected in series between the multiplexer output and the comparator. The bandpass filter passes components of the multiplexed output signal with a frequency substantially equal to the main clock frequency of the multiplexer. Signal components at that frequency are a second harmonic of the fundamental frequency of the multiplexed signal and therefore will not be present in the multiplexed signal if its duty cycle is exactly 50%. The power level of those frequency components is integrated over a suitable time period and the integrated signal is used to adjust the set point of the comparator.

Abstract: A method for supplying a requested web page to at least one client is disclosed. In normal operation, a server or host computer waits for a client to request a web page. After being requested, the server determines whether the requested web page is a high-volume page. If the requested web page is not a high-volume page, the web page is unicast to the client. If the requested web page is a high-volume page, the server determines whether the requested web page is currently being multi-cast. If the requested web page is currently being multi-cast, the server increments a counter by one. If the requested web page is not currently being multi-cast, the server re-directs the client to a multi-cast address, sets the counter to a numeric value of one and initiates a multi-cast of the requested web page.

Abstract: A printed circuit board is aligned to its mounting plate by using cutouts already cut for electronic components. A top plate with a notched location block and two edge locators is placed on top of both the printed circuit board and the mounting plate so that the notched block straddles two cutouts on the board and the mounting plate. At the same time, the two edge locators are placed inside the two matching cutouts. An eccentric cam is used to move a pressure plate that slides on top of the top plate and pushes both the circuit board and the mounting plate with spring action. The cam is turned until the edge locators hit the edges of the cutouts, aligning the printed circuit board to the mounting plate.

Abstract: A computer system comprises an active processor and one or more spare processors. A dummy thread is created on the active processor while the active processor is running a current thread, causing the current thread to become dormant. The operating system of the active processor saves a set of internal state information for the current thread into a first memory coupled to the active processor. Each write to the first memory is duplicated in an equivalent spare memory coupled to each of the one or more spare processors. The dummy thread then activates the spare processor and de-activates the active processor.

Abstract: Automatic switching between clock sources in synchronous networks is accomplished using Synchronous Status Message transmitted over the network and a control circuit positioned between SASE (Stand Alone Synchronization Equipment) and a network element (SDH-NE, Synchronous Digital Hierarchy Network Element).

Abstract: In an imaging system for carrier profiling of a device structure, a doped semiconductor tip is utilized as an active dynamic sensing element for successively probing spaced-apart portions of the structure. At each probe position, the bias voltage applied between the tip and the structure is varied. While the bias voltage is being varied, a measurement is taken of the change in capacitance that occurs between the tip and the structure. These measurements provide an accurate high-resolution high-contrast image that is representative of the carrier profile of the probed portions of the device structure.

Abstract: The use of a co-propagating fiber Raman amplifier in an optical WDM transmission system has been found to be practical in the situation where the fiber amplifier is operated into depletion and the characteristics of the input signals are controlled to exhibit a reduced integrated relative intensity noise (RIN) over the fiber crosstalk bandwidth. In particular, the reduction in the integrated RIN can be achieved by increasing the number of input channels (by adding more messages or simply using dummy channels), encoding the data in a particular fashion to reduce the integrated RIN, or decorrelating the plurality of N input signals below a predetermined, relatively low frequency (for example, 2 MHz).

Abstract: The present invention provides a semiconductor device located on a semiconductor substrate having opposite types of first and second transistors formed thereon. The device preferably includes a first gate electrode that includes a first metal gate electrode material having a work function compatible with the first transistor, and a second gate electrode that includes a second metal gate electrode material having a work function compatible with the second transistor and the first metal gate electrode material is also located over the second metal gate electrode material, which forms a gate stack.