Abstract: A caller who calls an 800 number is given an audible or visual indication that the call will not incur any charges for services provided on that call by the called party. If such charges will be incurred the caller is warned and may terminate or continue the call. For certain classes of telephone subscribers such as coin stations wherein the caller is not always the same person as the one who pays the bills, calls wherein the caller may incur charges for services provided on the call are automatically routed to an operator; such calls can then be completed using credit or calling cards in order to transfer the charges from the owner of the telephone station to the caller who made the specific call.

Abstract: In accordance with the principles of the invention, a multiprocessor scheduling and execution system and method is disclosed for signal processing tasks on P processors using a computer to schedule the execution. The method comprises representing the signal processing tasks in a manner stored within the computer so as to determine flow equations and timing constraints for the processor scheduling, performing corrected gradient descents on the stored representation of the signal processing tasks using the determined timing constraints and an error criterion until substantial convergence to a processor schedule occurs, and executing the signal processing tasks on the P processors substantially in accordance with the processor schedule.

Abstract: The apparatus of this invention includes a macrobend/microbend unit which imposes first and second macrobends, and microbends between the first and second macrobends, on an optical fiber under analysis. If light is travelling in one direction on the optical fiber, the bending of the optical fiber is such that some light will escape from the core of the optical fiber at the first macrobend. A first photodetector is arranged to receive light emitted from the first macrobend, and generates a signal indicative of whether light is present at the first macrobend. If light is travelling in the optical fiber in the other direction, the second macrobend causes some light to be emitted. A second photodetector arranged to receive light from the second macrobend, generates a signal indicative of whether light is present at the second macrobend.

Abstract: An electronic bridge resource management system, having a programmatically-implemented processing system. A bridge service interfaces with a plurality of clients and receives a quality of service (QOS) specification from each of the clients. A resource manager receives a QOS specification from the bridge service, distributes at least one QOS constraint associated with the QOS specification across flow processing modules of a channel, determines resource requirements for each of the flow processing modules, and then determines whether bridge resources can be allocated to meet the QOS specification. The clients may alter their QOS specifications and retry if the resource manager denies them admission because of a lack of available bridge resources.

Abstract: In a hybrid system for synthesizing a compressed video bitstream from a dynamic 3-D model, the video bitstream represents an image sequence comprised of a plurality of image frames which are sequential in time and in which each image frame is partitioned into a set of regions. Motion vectors are generated for each region within a current image frame which represent the dynamic 3-D model. A prediction error is computed for each region based on the generated motion vectors. The type of encoding to be performed on each region in a succeeding image frame is determined based on the value of the prediction error. Each region in the succeeding image frame is encoded as indicated by the determined encoding type.

Abstract: High-resolution, progressive format video signals having high frame rates may be encoded by a base layer encoder and an enhancement layer encoder to provide two kinds of encoded video signals which share a common output channel. These encoded video signals are received at an input of a video receiver which may use one or both of the two kinds of encoded video signal. Relatively lower performance high-definition televisions may thus receive video signals from higher performance transmitters and produce satisfactory pictures. Higher performance HDTVs will be able to utilize the full performance capabilities of these video signals.

Abstract: An acoustic transducer including an acoustical reflecting surface of a finite dimension and at least one sensor having an output which produces a first-order differential response pattern. The sensor is located proximate to the reflecting surface, wherein acoustical waves propagating from the reflecting surface, acoustically interact with the sensor to produce a second-order differential response pattern at the output of the sensor at a predetermined frequency. The second-order differential response pattern at the output of the sensor occurs at the predetermined frequency when the finite dimension of the reflecting surface is at least one-half of an acoustic wavelength.

Abstract: A family of low optical fiber count cables which contains either optical fiber bundles, buffered fibers, or ribbon fibers housed in a core tube whose inner diameter is optimized for a cable containing two buffered fibers. The unoccupied volume of the core tube is filled with a water blocking material and the exterior surface of the core tube is coated with a hydrophilic material applied directly thereto. The core tube is encased in a dielectric jacket or in a metallic jacket. The cables thus formed can be used in a composite cable which includes an electrically conducting cable, and two abutting cables are incased in an outer sheath or jacket, forming a FIG. 8 configuration.

Abstract: A current limiting circuit for use in broadband and combined broadband and telecommunications networks is described. A current limiting element is triggered into a high impedance state in the event of excess current on the line. A sensing element detects the resulting decrease in voltage and operates a switch which disconnects the current limiting element. Timing circuitry reconnects the current limiting element a predetermined period of time after the current limiting element returns to its low impedance state.

Abstract: A building entrance protector which incorporates the functions of a splice tray and a protector module comprising factory wired fusible link circuits which are insulated from all other wiring. Quick connect terminal strips and a protector receptacle block speed installation and maintenance.

Abstract: Real time switch overs from one set of timing signals to a redundant set of timing signals in an ATM system, as required by periodic maintenance checks, are accomplished without incurring data errors by this apparatus and method. Each switch over apparatus has a phase locked loop with a controlled control loop which assists the phase locked loop in rapidly achieving nearly perfect phase locks to one of multiple system reference clocks. The characteristics of the special phased locked loop provide the stability and the timing functions necessary for switch overs between reference clocks to produce errorless ATM signal handling.

Abstract: In a modular power supply having a plurality of module slots capable of receiving power supply modules therein, a system and method for controlling the power supply modules to regulate an overall output characteristic of the modular power supply, including: (1) an overall control circuit for sensing an overall output characteristic of the modular power supply and developing therefrom an overall error signal representing a deviation of the overall output characteristic from a reference characteristic and (2) a separate module control circuit for each of the power supply modules, each separate module control circuit sensing an output characteristic of an associated power supply module and developing therefrom and from the overall error signal a regulating signal for the associated power supply module, the regulating signal controlling the output characteristic of the associated power supply module to control the overall output characteristic of the modular power supply.

Abstract: A laser transmitter that includes a heating element coupled to the laser package and controlled to allow the laser to be kept at a higher temperature than ambient when low temperature extremes occur, thus limiting the range of wavelengths output by the laser over a given temperature range.

Abstract: Active noise control for use by individuals using magnetically coupled hearing aids is realized by generating a true representation of the handset input signal, which is employed to drive a separate external field coil. The external field coil is positioned between the handset receiver and the handset acoustic output ports so that it is in close proximity to a user's ear cavity and, hence, to the magnetically coupled hearing aid. Also, in some embodiments of the invention, a magnetic shield is employed between the handset receiver and the external field coil to inhibit the magnetic leakage field from the receiver element from mixing with the magnetic field from the external field coil.

Abstract: A piezoelectric micropositioning device includes, in one embodiment, four single-crystal piezoelectric bodies cut in the form of single-crystal parallel slabs from a single larger single crystal. Each of the single-crystal slabs has a separate electrode attached to an opposing major surface. One of the end faces of each of the slabs is fixed to a substrate; the other of the end faces is fixed to a holder. In response to voltages applied to the electrodes, the holder can be moved in two or three linearly independent directions, depending upon the applied voltages. In another embodiment, only a single piezoelectric body, preferably in the shape of a column and in conjunction with at least four electrodes located on the side surfaces of the column, is required for such motion in two or three directions.

Abstract: Debugging and/or modifying of ROM-based embedded software systems is realized by advantageously employing an extensible interpreter and inserting requests for "Customizable Call-Outs" (CCOs) throughout the ROM-based embedded software. Then, the ROM-based embedded software system can easily be directly enhanced, i.e., extended, at run time to provide virtually limitless new functionality. Advantages of the invention are that the ROM-based embedded system software does not need to be rebuilt or reloaded, and the functionality of the debugging/modifying software is decided at the time of detecting a problem and/or of providing a modification, not before. By employing the extensible interpreter, the extension to the ROM-based embedded software is implemented, i.e., written and loaded, in the system directly, without the need for or use of an additional external computer platform or compiler.

Abstract: An integrated circuit driver for providing data to a communications channel comprises first and second output buffers coupled to first and second output conductors (e.g. bondpads) respectively. Each output buffer comprises a multiplicity of pull-up transistors and a multiplicity of pull-down transistors coupled to the associated output conductor through pull-up resistors and pull-down resistors, respectively. A multiplicity of delay circuits coupled to a data input node supply delayed data signals to the control terminals of the pull-up and pull-down transistors. Control circuitry is included for selectively activating the delay circuits. In a typical case, the control circuitry comprises multiplexers each having an output that is coupled to the input of a corresponding delay circuit. Advantages of the technique include a constant output impedance and waveshaping of the data output for reduction of harmonics.

Abstract: A call-center ACD switch and queuing method are modified either to respond to a call that overflows the call queue of its primary agent split by determining which backup split in which call center is the best backup split for the call, and enqueuing the call in the call queue of the best backup split, or to respond to an arriving call by determining, for those splits that could handle the call, the present values of a parameter that defines what is a best split for handling the call, determining from those present values which split is the best split for handling the call, and then enqueuing the call in the call queue of the best split. Any desirable criteria may be used to determine the best split or the best back-up split. A preferred criterion is queue waiting time: the best split or the best backup split is the one whose call queue offers the shortest in-queue waiting time. The waiting time may be either the real estimated waiting time (EWT), or the EWT weighted for other factors (WEWT).

Abstract: An image, having N dimensions, is partitioned into a set of bounded arbitrarily shaped regions. This partitioning is achieved through the use of arbitrarily shaped N-1 dimensional surfaces which pass through the boundaries of the image. The arbitrarily shaped regions are represented in the leaf nodes of a binary tree and the arbitrarily shaped surfaces, which are used to partition the image, are represented in the non-leaf nodes of the tree. In a preferred embodiment, arbitrarily oriented lines passing through the image boundaries are employed to partition a two-dimensional image into a set of convex regions. The convex regions are represented in the leaf nodes of a binary tree and the arbitrarily oriented lines, which are used to partition the image, are represented in the non-leaf nodes of the tree. Furthermore, the arbitrarily oriented lines are selected through the use of a Hough transform and the image is partitioned, along the selected lines, in a recursive manner as the binary tree is developed.