Abstract: A special network interface unit (NIU) for a communication system, called a super NIU, simulates operations of multiple NIUs, called virtual NIUs, for such purposes as testing other components of the communication system. The super NIU has a real (i.e., actual) NIU that communicates with a message simulator implemented on a PC configured with the actual NIU. The component to be tested (e.g., the host digital terminal of the communication system) sends downstream messages intended for the virtual NIUs to the super NIU, which handles the downstream messages, generates any necessary upstream messages from the virtual NIUs, and transmits the upstream messages back to the component.

Abstract: An improved PIN photodiode provides enhanced linearity by confining the light absorption region of the diode wholly within the depletion region. The photodiode exhibits improved linearity over prior art designs because the thickness of the absorption region is no longer a function of changes in the size of the depletion region during device operation. Keeping the absorption region wholly within the depletion region ensures that the charge carriers generated by incident illumination will increase the conductivity of the semiconductor material.

Abstract: A digital automatic gain control circuit for a receiver includes an averaging block and an adjustment block. The averaging block receives a length of a digital sample stream that represents an incoming analog signal and produces an absolute average signal. The adjustment block receives the absolute average signal and a reference signal and outputs an adjustment signal for controlling gain. The adjustment signal is based on a difference between the absolute average signal and the reference signal. In an alternative embodiment, a method of controlling gain according to the invention includes the steps of calculating an absolute average of an incoming signal, and comparing the absolute average to a reference to produce an adjustment signal based on a difference between the absolute average and the reference.

Abstract: A multi-output power supply voltage sensing method and apparatus with increased static efficiency over prior art are disclosed. The method and apparatus employ resistance in the negative sensing wire to alleviate electromagnetic interference. The method and apparatus can change the output voltage set point of the power stage, canceling or changing the output voltage setpoint shift is also disclosed.

Abstract: A network element with a centralized switch fabric is able to support multiple switching functions while meeting established performance requirements by using a control system based on an embedded signal status protocol. Generally, each input signal within a transmission path is monitored to derive signal status information, which is then individually encoded and embedded within the input signal. The embedded signal status can be decoded and provided as input to control logic for processing at any point within the transmission path, as necessary. In the case of a centralized switch fabric, the control logic resolves an address of a single input signal based on the embedded signal status and provides this resolved address to the switch fabric so that the appropriate input signal can be selected. In the present invention, the control logic may be configured to support any given application, e.g.

Abstract: A voice command control and verification system and method stores for each authorized user, one or a series of speech models of voice commands or phrases uttered by the authorized user. Each speech model has an associated action component which specifies the specific action that the authorized user desires in response to the issuance of the corresponding voice command. Each user has a means of asserting his or her claimed identity to the system, preferably without an overt action such as the entry of digits. When an identity is asserted, and a voice command is thereafter spoken by a person, the system first matches a model of the voice command against the stored models for the user having the claimed identity.

Abstract: In a WDM fiber-optic network, a unique laser transmitter enables signals to be routed at three hierarchical levels: at one level discrimination among signal paths is based on N WDM wavelength channels, at another level discrimination is based on m AM subcarrier frequency channels, and at a third level discrimination is based on n FM subcarrier frequency channels. Thus, a total of Nmn distinguishable optical channels can be accommodated and a like number of users served. The laser transmitter comprises a broadband, tunable semiconductor laser which includes an intracavity, integrated composite reflector to which a tuning voltage and a FM dither signal are applied, an intracavity gain section to which drive current is applied, and an extracavity, integrated electroabsorption modulator to which an information (e.g., data, voice, video) signal and an AM dither signal are applied.

Abstract: A system for distributed control in wireless cellular and personal communication systems includes separate servers for performing call control and connection control functions, thereby obviating the need for a mobile switching or other switch to be anchored for the duration of a call. During a registration procedure, visiting location servers track only roaming mobiles, rather than tracking both roaming mobiles as well as mobiles located in their home network. Direct signalling links between servers and base stations, or other servers, located in different networks allow roaming mobiles to contact their home networks for service at all times, thereby obviating the need for passing signalling information for mobiles when they are not involved in a call. The use of multicast signalling with asynchronous transfer mode switches, permits specified channel control functions to take place concurrently in channel servers associated with base station and switches that form a segment of the route for a call.

Abstract: In accordance with the invention, an amplifier for a bi-directional WDM optical system comprises an arrangement of multiplexers with unidirectional arms disposed between a pair of bi-directional amplification stages. The multiplexer arrangement combines and separates wavelengths in both directions and reduces the effects of Rayleigh backscattering and amplified spontaneous emission.

Abstract: A process for fabricating novel dual-polysilicon structures comprises forming trenches of differing depths in a field oxide that overlies a substrate. Utilizing an ion implantation barrier in the trenches, ion implantation is performed to create self-aligned structures. Importantly, polysilicon is formed in the trenches in a single deposition.

Abstract: The disclosed optical fiber communication system comprises a remotely pumped erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA). The pump radiation is de-tuned with respect to wavelength, the wavelength being selected longer than both the optimal wavelengths for pumping the EDFA and for producing Raman gain in the transmission fiber, respectively. Such de-tuning results in improved over-all system performance through reduced multi-path interference. Exemplarily, the pump radiation has wavelength in the range 1490-1510 nm.

Abstract: A connector having improved dielectric strength is provided and includes a lower portion having a front side and a rear side and a bottom, a pair of terminal disposed in the lower portion, each of the pair of terminals having a side extension and a wire wrap tail, one of the pair of terminals being disposed in the lower portion toward the front side, the other of the pair of terminals being disposed in said lower portion toward the rear side thereby forming a gap between the side extensions of each of the pair of terminals. A base having a pair of terminal openings for receiving the pair of terminals, respectively, with the base being dimensioned and shaped for receiving the lower portion. A protruding wall is disposed in the base between the pair of terminal openings. A notch is disposed on the bottom of the lower portion, the notch being dimensioned and shaped so that when the lower portion is placed in the base, the protruding wall is matingly engaged with the notch.

Abstract: Microwave radiation, perhaps with microwave absorbing materials, is utilized to provide heating of partially formed integrated circuits in a variety of circumstances.

Abstract: A network interface device includes a base, a cover and a circuit board secured in the base. The circuit board includes terminations for input and output communication lines. Each pair of input and output communication lines corresponds to a single standard telephone line, a high speed data line or other type of line. The communication line terminations may be implemented as insulation displacement connectors, and the cover may include projections on its inner surface such that closing the cover also closes the insulation displacement connectors on the circuit board. For each communication line, the circuit board may include a subscriber bridge which establishes a breakable connection between the input and output line terminations via traces in the circuit board. In fixed wireless, fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) and other similar applications, the circuit board may also include terminations for input and output power lines, and the base and cover may be extended to accommodate an uninterruptible power supply.

Abstract: A modem monitor for monitoring full duplex communications comprises one receiver for each data stream and an echo canceler for canceling "far" echo. Prior to each receiver decoding the data stream it is designed to monitor, it replicates an echo expected to be found in its received data stream from a sample of each of the other predecoded data streams. The echo canceler then subtracts the expected echo from the received data stream to remove all far echoes caused by the other data streams. The echo canceled data stream is then decoded. The monitor can also include a data communications network interface and a sample rate converter operating with the PSTN for converting from the network transmission rate to the data transmission rate.

Abstract: A continuous media server that provides support for the storage and retrieval of continuous media data at guaranteed rates using one of two fault-tolerant approaches that rely on admission control in order to meet rate guarantees in the event of a failure of the data storage medium that renders part of the continuous media inaccessible. In the first approach, a declustered parity storage scheme is used to uniformly distribute the additional load caused by a disk failure, uniformly across the disks. Contingency bandwidth for a certain number of clips is reserved on each disk in order to retrieve the additional blocks. In the second approach, data blocks in a parity group are prefetched and thus in the event of a disk failure only one additional parity block is retrieved for every data block to be reconstructed. While the second approach generates less additional load in the event of a failure, it has higher buffer requirements.

Abstract: A retractable weather shield for protecting an outdoor structure from the elements, comprising a base panel; a first telescoping panel slidably mounted and supported within the base panel, the first telescoping panel being stored substantially within the base panel when in a stored position and extending substantially outside the base panel when in a deployed position; mounting means for mounting the shield above the structure; and wherein the shield extends over the structure in a substantially perpendicular direction when the first telescoping panel is in the deployed position so as to protect the structure from the elements.

Abstract: A multichip module is assembled using flip-chip bonding technology, a stencil printable solder paste and standard surface mount equipment for interconnecting signaling input/output contact pads on devices within such multichip module.

Abstract: An output clock signal is generated from a selected input clock signal using a phase-locked loop (PLL). The output clock signal is used to detect failures in the selected input clock signal. If a failure is detected, a backup input clock signal is used to generate the output clock signal. In one embodiment, a clock detector has a counter that is initialized based on the selected input clock signal and incremented based on the output clock signal. The clock detector detects a failure in the selected input clock signal if (1) the counter is reset too early or too late, as determined by the counter value, or (2) the signal level in the selected input clock signal does not change within a specified time period.

Abstract: A data transmission control arrangement for an asymmetric communication system having a fast downstream link enabling communication of information packets from a service provider to one or more subscriber terminal connected through a common network terminal, and a slow upstream link including transmitting packets from a subscriber terminal through the network terminal to the service provider, the data transmission control arrangement including a classifier device for classifying information packets received by the network terminal for transmission over the upstream link, the information including data packets and acknowledgement packets; a control device for establishing one or more upstream link connection queues in the network terminal in accordance with the classification of the information packet to be transmitted, the upstream connection queues including one or more data queues for transmitting data information and ACK queues for transmitting ACK packets in response to data packets communicated over the