Abstract: Provisioning a Central Office (CO) Basic Rate Interface (BRI) access is a complex procedure which involves hundreds, and potentially thousands, of parameters that must be asserted to configure the CO for a particular users service profile. In such a complex procedure, errors in the provisioning may be introduced which are difficult and costly to detect and correct. To solve this problem, a provisioning tool which exercises BRI lines i.e., digital subscriber lines (DSLs) from a CO to a premises switch is defined which validates that transport related restrictions and permissions are properly administered at the CO. This is achieved by the system calling itself over such lines, and varying the types (e.g., voice, digital, data, 3.1 kHz audio, et al.) of call attempts that are placed to ensure that all lines support the intended services.

Abstract: A module which holds an optical fiber and a laser in alignment to couple light energy emitted from the laser to an end of the fiber. The fiber is held within a metal ferrule. The fiber and the laser are aligned by means of a metal platform to which both the ferrule and the laser are secured. The ferrule is secured to the platform by means of thin flexible washers which compensate for thermal expansion mismatch along the axis of the fiber. In addition, by using dissimilar metals to form the platform, transverse thermal expansion matching is attained.

Abstract: The problems with reaching unavailable mobile telephones, and the unnecessary costs associated therewith are avoided by a) marking as unavailable a wireless telephone to which a wireless telephone call could not successfully be completed; b) waiting for the wireless telephone to register, i.e., signal its availability to receive calls; and c) notifying the caller of the wireless telephone call that could not successfully complete that the wireless telephone is now available. Optionally, any call attempts to the wireless telephone during this waiting period are disallowed, i.e., no attempt is made to contact the wireless telephone over the wireless telephone service provider's network.

Abstract: The present invention is an optical monitoring and test access interconnection module especially adapted for use with a fiber optic distribution frame for a fiber optic communications system. The interconnection module provides a combination of monitoring and test access for two fiber lines, typically a transmit/receive pair, where wavelength division multiplexer (WDM) test access is provided to both the transmit and receive fibers. In one embodiment of the present invention, the interconnection module monitors only the receive fiber line where a power monitoring circuit receives a monitor level optical signal via an optical tap and converts the optical signal to an electrical output. Processing electronics and firmware within the module are operable to generate alarms and other control signals when changes in the power level of the received signal are detected. A test access path is provided on the module for use, for example, with an optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR).

Abstract: A device for creating and analyzing larger symbolic representations without the limitations imposed by available resources of previous devices is disclosed. More specifically, a debugger for debugging a symbolic representation of a program is disclosed. The debugger comprising means for inputting a set of characteristics, means for linking the set of characteristics to the symbolic representation, means for identifying a first portion of the symbolic representation mutually exclusive from the set of characteristics, and means for analyzing a second portion of the symbolic representation for the set of characteristics wherein the second portion being mutually exclusive from the first portion. A method of debugging programs using the debugger, in addition to the resultant debugged program, is also disclosed.

Abstract: There is provided a method and apparatus for an improved computer pointing device. The present invention facilitates positioning the computer cursor and includes a pointing device for providing coordinate input signals and a gain control device for providing gain signals, wherein gain is defeined as the ratio of the cursor movement along the y-axis and x-axis relative to the corresponding amount movement of the pointing device along the y-axis and x-axis. The coordinate input signals and gain signals are received by a processor. The processor is operative to execute a program that scales the coordinate input signals as a function of a gain value determined from the gain signal. The processor then outputs the scaled coordinate input signals in a form simulating a mouse output. The pointing device can be any computer peripheral device capable of providing coordinate input signals indicating an amount of movement along the y-axis and x-axis.

Abstract: A user replaceable flexible retractable antenna for use with a cordless phone comprises a conductive base pipe assembly having a screw terminal to be threadably received on a bracket assembly of the cordless phone, and a flexible antenna assembly having a conductive contact secured to one end slidably received within the base pipe assembly. The contact is maintained in sliding communication with the inner wall of the base pipe assembly and is connected to a conductive helix extending through the flexible antenna to define a conductive path between the distal end of the flexible antenna and the screw terminal of the base pipe assembly. The antenna can be easily removed from the cordless phone by rotating the base pipe assembly to disengage the screw terminal from the bracket assembly.

Abstract: An integrated light-emitting device has a laser section and a detector section. The laser section and the detector section have an active layer that is integrated along an in-line waveguide. The detector section also has a bulk layer adjacent to the active layer, where the bulk layer has a band gap energy lower than the band gap energy of the active layer. In one embodiment, the active layer is an multiple quantum well (MQW) layer, the waveguide has two quaternary layers, and the bulk layer is a bulk quaternary layer. The device, which has uncooled modes of operation for both transmitting and receiving, may be used as a transceiver in a ping-pong optical data link configuration. The device may also have a beam expander section, with the laser, detector, and beam expander sections inside a Fabry-Perot cavity, along the single in-line waveguide. In one embodiment having a 1.3 .mu.m lasing wavelength, the addition of a 1.4 .mu.

Abstract: A memory device and method of packaging to increase the production yield of large scale digital memory chips. The architecture provides the ability to house a plurality of partially defective memory chips into a single casing to provide the same memory as a non-defective chip, thus eliminating the need to discarding a chip having minor defects. The chips are divided into data blocks that can be individually tested and disabled so that only that defective block is discarded not the entire chip, thus increasing production yield.

Abstract: In a fiber optic communication system, a multifrequency light source generates a signal having a plurality of discrete and temporally spaced wavelengths. The wavelengths can be modulated with data for transmission in an optic medium. The multifrequency light source is cascaded with a power splitter for dividing the generated signal into a plurality of multifrequency signals of substantially equal power. The wavelengths in the plurality of signals may be modulated with data for transmission in an optic medium to a plurality of optic receivers for retrieval of the data.

Abstract: The specification describes techniques for isolating noisy subcircuits in integrated analog/digital devices. The isolating means are trenches formed in the backside of the chip, and extending through, or partially through, the chip substrate. The isolating trenches are configured to be discontinuous so that the structural integrity of the chip, and the wafer as the chips are processed, is preserved.

Abstract: A pyramid shaped group of reflective surfaces segment a field of view. Each of the reflective surfaces of the pyramid provides a segment of the field of view to a lens which focuses the segment onto a sensor. The pyramid shaped collection of reflective surfaces provide each of the sensors with a common center of projection. This avoids distortions that may result from using sensors with differing centers of projection. The sensors provide an electronic representation of the image for storage or other uses. The sensor used to receive each segment may have a low resolution, but since the low resolution sensor is only capturing a segment of the image, the overall effect is to capture the entire image at a high resolution.

Abstract: Average local traffic load in a simulcast radio system is estimated to achieve efficient resource sharing and dynamic reconfiguration of the simulcast areas. A method for estimating the average local traffic load uses relative power measurements at each radio port (or distributed antenna element). The estimating method is applicable to both code-division multiple access (CDMA) and time-division multiple access (TDMA) systems. The method provides accurate estimates of the actual radio port traffic over various system conditions, while requiring only an approximate knowledge of the radio propagation environment.

Abstract: A methodology for automated task selection is provided, where the selected task is identified in natural speech of a user making such a selection. A set of meaningful phrases are determined by a grammatical inference algorithm which operates on a predetermined corpus of speech utterances, each such utterance being associated with a specific task objective, and wherein each utterance is marked with its associated task objective. Each meaningful phrase developed by the grammatical inference algorithm can be characterized as having both a Mutual Information value and a Salience value (relative to an associated task objective) above a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A handoff method and apparatus are disclosed for use in a wireless communication network in which a base station servicing a call selects a handoff candidate base station based in part on subscriber-specific information. For example, in some wireless networks, certain subscribers can only access a limited number of base stations and the subscriber-specific information identifies such access limitations. A central control processor provides the subscriber-specific information to the base station servicing the call during the course of the call. The base station is then operable to select a handoff candidate from the one or more neighbor base stations based on one or more neighbor base station signal quality measurements and subscriber-specific information.

Abstract: Apparatus for visualizing slices of transitive closures of entities having dependence relationships with one another. A preferred embodiment visualizes slices of programs. A display in a computer system includes reduced representations of the files, procedures, and lines making up a program. The user employs a pointing device to interactively select a reduced representation as the slice point and the apparatus computes the slice and changes the color of the reduced representations in the slice. The color of the reduced representation indicates the distance of the entity represented by the reduced representation from the slice point. The display may be rearranged so that files and procedures are ordered by distance from the slice point.

Abstract: A bimodal power converter, having an input couplable to a voltage source, provides a charging current to at least one of first and second serially-coupled output energy storage devices. The bimodal converter includes power switching circuitry, coupled to the input, for controlling the charging current conducted through the power converter and a mode selection circuit. The mode selection circuit includes a voltage sensing circuit for sensing an input voltage at the input of the power converter and a mode switching circuit, coupled to the voltage sensing circuit, for selecting an alternative one of a first and second mode of operation. In the first mode of operation, the charging current concurrently flows through both of the first and second output energy storage devices when the input voltage exceeds a threshold voltage. In the second mode of operation, the charging current alternates flowing through the first and second output energy storage devices when the input voltage is less than the threshold voltage.

Abstract: A security latch mechanism suited for use with a splice chamber in a building telephone entrance terminal. The mechanism includes a latch member having a hook at its top end for engaging a splice chamber cover. A stem arrangement including a fastening member joins a bottom end of the latch member to part of the entrance terminal while permitting the latch member to move between a latch open position and a latch closed position. A spring mechanism associated with the fastening member urges the latch member toward the open position. The fastening member has a head for governing movement of the latch member, wherein the latch member advances toward the entrance terminal and its hook engages the splice chamber cover to define the latch closed position when the fastening member head is operated in a first sense, and the latch member advances toward the splice chamber cover and the hook disengages the cover to define the latch open position when the fastening member is operated in a second sense.

Abstract: A relatively large printed circuit board includes a pair of stiffening members for preventing bending of the board during handling. The stiffening members are disposed along opposite sides of the board and include edge portions abutting against the board side surfaces and forming planar side extensions of the board. The member edge portions adjoin lateral extensions which are off-set from the plane of the edge portions and which lie flat against a substrate major surface and there secured to the substrate. A beam is rigidly secured to the lateral extension of each member by means of spaced apart posts. The beam overlies the lateral extension and functions, in combination with the lateral extension and post, as a lattice-type I-beam.

Abstract: The invention includes an interconnection assembly for coupling optical fibers to respective optical waveguides of an optical integrated circuit (OIC). The interconnection assembly includes an OIC assembly preferably formed by adhering a protective plate to a substrate on which the OIC and its optical waveguides are integrated. In one end of the OIC assembly, ends of the optical waveguides are exposed. Importantly, the protective plate and the substrate have substantially similar thermal coefficients of expansion to reduce or eliminate stresses or strains on the adhesive when the interconnection assembly is subjected to temperature and/or humidity conditions that are different from those under which the interconnection assembly was formed. The interconnection assembly also includes an optical fiber array that houses end portions of the optical fibers.