Abstract: A method comprises the steps of directing a call intended for a mobile (531) to a virtual tandem switch (501). The virtual tandem switch (501), which may include multiple converters (505 and 507) queries a home location register to obtain call information for the mobile (531). The call to the mobile (531) is set up over a packet-based transport network (523).

Abstract: The instant presence system authoritatively determines the present communication location of a subscriber, who may be at any of a number of possible locations. When the subscriber changes their location, they can use a subscriber communication device that is operational at their new location to update their point of presence on the telephone communication network. The instant presence system enables the communication network to complete a communication connection from a calling party to the called party with certainty. The calling party therefore can reach the called party with certainty by simply dialing a single listed directory number associated with the called party, relying on the instant presence system to complete the call connection to the called party, regardless of the present location of the called party.

Abstract: When using four transmit antennas, conventional channel coding is employed for a decoupled space-time coding approach for each of a number, L, of data substreams derived from the overall source bit stream. The symbols of the data substreams, after any encoding, are processed and the resulting derivatives of the encoded data substreams, which includes at least the complex conjugate of one of the encoded symbols, are grouped to form four transmit time sequences each one spanning L symbol periods which form a transmission matrix B. Each row of the matrix corresponds to an antenna, and the elements of each row represent the samples of a temporal sequence that is emitted by the antenna in L symbol periods.

Abstract: Audio signals from any array of microphones are individually filtered, delayed, and scaled in order to form an acoustic beam that focuses the array on a particular region. Nonlinear robust signal estimation processing is applied to the resulting set of audio signals to generate an output signal for the array. The nonlinear robust signal estimation processing may involve dropping or otherwise reducing the magnitude of one or more of the highest and lowest data in each set of values from the resulting audio signals and then selecting the median from or generating an average of the remaining values to produce a representative, central value for the output audio signal. The nonlinear robust signal estimation processing effectively discriminates against noise originating at an unknown location outside of the focal region of the acoustic beam.

Abstract: For use with a database that accommodates distinct value queries having predicates, a distinct sampling system and a method of distinct sampling. In one embodiment, the distinct sampling system includes a scanning subsystem that is configured to scan each row in the database for a distinct target attribute, employ a hash function to map the distinct target attribute to an attribute priority level, maintain random samples of each row based on a sample priority level and a sample size, and produce a distinct sample therefrom. The distinct sampling system further includes a distinct query estimator that is configured to receive the distinct value queries, cause the distinct value queries to be executed on the distinct sample to retrieve a result, and adjust the result to produce a distinct estimate therefrom.

Abstract: Secure communication protocols are disclosed in which two parties generate a shared secret which may be used as a secure session key for communication between the parties. The protocols are based on Diffie-Hellman type key exchange in which a Diffie-Hellman value is combined with a function of at least a password using the group operation such that the Diffie-Hellman value may be extracted by the other party using the inverse group operation and knowledge of the password. In one embodiment, each of the parties explicitly authenticates the other party, while in another embodiment, the parties utilize implicit authentication relying on the generation of an appropriate secret session key to provide the implicit authentication. Typically, the parties will be a client computer and a server computer.

Abstract: Apparatus comprising: a first substrate; a dielectric layer comprising a first dielectric material on the first substrate, the dielectric layer having a dielectric layer thickness and being traversed by through holes passing from an interface with the first substrate, to an opposite side of the dielectric layer; and a second dielectric material at least partially blocking the through holes. Methods for making such apparatus.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for communicating files over a communications network in which links to files, such as hyperlinks, comprise a multilink. A multilink is a hyperlink associated with a plurality of electronic addresses, each leading to a different physical file. Selection of a multilink results in the generation of a menu of options for all of the different files that can be returned to the client corresponding to the selected multilink. Selection of an option results in returning of the associated file to the client.

Abstract: A controller component of one embodiment of a system assigns a first number to a mobile station that upon location of the mobile station at a first location allows connection to the mobile station of a call that employs the first number. A controller component of the system assigns a second number to the mobile station that upon location of the mobile station at a second location allows connection to the mobile station of a call that employs the second number. The second number differs from the first number. The second location differs from the first location. In another embodiment, a controller component of a system assigns to a mobile station a number that upon location of the mobile station at any one or more of a temporary user zone and a base user zone allows connection to the mobile station of a call that employs the number. A controller component of the system selects the number to comprise fewer than seven digits.

Abstract: The present invention provides a dual organic field-effect transistor (OFET) structure and a method of fabricating the structure. The dual OFET structure includes an n-type organic semiconductor layer and a p-type organic semiconductor layer in contact with each other along an interface and forming a stack. The dual OFET structure also includes a source electrode and a drain electrode, the source and drain electrodes being in contact with one of the organic semiconductor layers. The dual OFET structure further includes first and second gate structures located on opposite sides of the stack. The first gate structure is configured to control a channel region of the n-type organic semiconductor layer, and the second gate structure is configured to control a channel region of the p-type organic semiconductor layer.

Abstract: The present invention provides an interconnect. The interconnect comprises a pliable surface having a plurality of nanostructures disposed thereon, the pliable surface configured to allow the plurality of nanostructures to at least partially conform to a surface when the nanostructures come into contact therewith.

Abstract: A system and method employing a processing node having storage capabilities for facilitating service creation and negotiation in a wireless network, by associating user information and/or service information with network information. User information, service information, and network information are provided periodically and dynamically into the storage. Using the processing node, user information and/or service information are associated with network information without having to access various network elements located throughout the network, to facilitate service creation and negotiation, and thus minimize network processing and network resources.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a magnetometer includes an electromechanical resonator coupled to a drive-and-detect (DD) circuit. The resonator has a deformable beam that is a part of a closed current path. By applying a periodic drive signal to a drive electrode located in proximity to the deformable beam, the DD circuit induces an oscillation of the beam. In the presence of a magnetic field, this oscillation changes the magnetic flux through the closed current path, thereby generating an oscillating electrical current in the path. Dissipation of this current due to resistive losses in the closed current path then dampens the oscillation of the deformable beam with a damping coefficient that depends on the magnetic-field strength. Using a sense electrode located in proximity to the deformable beam, the DD circuit detects the oscillation amplitude. Based on the detected amplitude, the DD circuit changes the frequency of the drive signal to find the resonant frequency.

Abstract: Integrated circuit fabrication techniques are provided which allow non-horizontal/non-vertical wires to traverse the entire chip surface, rather than just the corners as in the conventional Manhattan geometry, while interconnecting circuit points. This is achieved by employing a variable rotational assignment methodology with respect to the interconnect layers or levels during the IC fabrication operation. These techniques thus eliminate the litho step problem, reduce interconnect distances and lessen the influence of capacitance interaction between interconnect wires.

Abstract: A linear optical sampling apparatus, temporally samples a modulated optical signal using the amplitude of the interference of its electric field with the electric field of a laser pulse. The apparatus includes a 90° optical hybrid that combines the optical signal and laser pulse in order to generate two quadratures interference samples SA and SB. A processor compensates for optical and electrical signal handling imperfections in the hybrid, balanced detectors, and A/D converters used in the optical sampling apparatus. The processor numerically scales the two quadratures interference samples SA and SB over a large collection of samples by imposing that the average <SA>=<SB>=0 and <SA2>=<SB2> and then minimizes 2<SA·SB>/(<SA2>+<SB2>) =cos(?B??A)). This is done by adjusting the phase between the two quadratures (ideally either ??/2 or +?/2) so that cos(?B??A)) is zero.

Abstract: Described herein is a method and apparatus for transmission that provides the performance of space time spreading (STS) or orthogonal transmit diversity (OTD) and the backwards compatibility of phase sweep transmit diversity (PSTD) without significantly degrading performance in additive white guassan noise (AWGN) conditions using a transmission architecture that incorporates STS/OTD and a form of phase sweep transmit diversity (PSTD) referred to herein as biased PSTD, which involves transmitting a signal and a frequency swept version of the same signal over diversity antennas at different power levels to reduce the depths of nulls normally seen in AWGN conditions when regular PSTD is utilized.

Abstract: A telecommunications transport network is described in which a plurality of network elements each has a performance monitoring facility operative to report overall error rate at the element in each network path using the element. The network includes one or more management systems operative to calculate performance of a segment of a path between two network elements, from the reported overall error rates at the elements. Monitoring can thus be provided in management software using standard interfaces to gather the reported error rates, without additional ASICs at the network elements. Since not all paths will require TCM the additional processing required by the network management systems need not be great. Not even every connection that crosses a domain boundary will necessarily need TCM although the facility is especially useful for dedicated connections.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for decoding multiple-coded symbols from a coded input symbol stream in a single clock cycle. The method constructs an original Huffman look-up table by extending the associated Huffman tree to decode multiple symbols in one clock cycle in a first embodiment and decodes multiple DCT coefficient symbols in an alternate embodiment. An advantage of the method is that the depth of the new Huffman tree is adjustable thereby making the method easily adaptable to various hardware architectures. A further advantage of the present invention is that the decoding process speed is significantly increased while the size of the lookup table is nominally increased.

Abstract: A micro-miniature x-ray apparatus comprises: a first chip subassembly including a source of x-rays including both Bremsstrahlung photons and characteristic x-rays; a second chip subassembly including a filter for transmitting the characteristic x-rays and blocking the Bremsstrahlung photons; a third chip subassembly including a movable element for focusing or collimating the transmitted characteristic x-rays into a beam and means for controlling the position of the focusing element. In one embodiment, the controlling means include a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS). In another embodiment, the position of the movable element determines how the x-ray beam is steered to the focal area. In still another embodiment, the x-ray source includes a field emitter electron source and a target responsive to the electrons for generating x-rays. In this case, the x-ray beam is also steered by selectively energizing the anode segments.

Abstract: The inventors propose herein a novel band filter design for planar lightwave circuits. In one embodiment of the present invention, the band filter includes two waveguide grating routers interconnected by a third waveguide grating, wherein waveguides comprising the third waveguide grating have unequal path lengths. In addition, the waveguides in the third grating are partitioned into sets of adjacent waveguides wherein each set corresponds to a particular wavelength band for the filter. The individual sets of waveguides are spaced at their connection to the second waveguide grating router such that optical signals within predetermined, different optical wavelength bands are routed to different output ports of the band filter. Some of the advantages of this novel band filter include compactness, sharp passband corners, low spectral ripple, and a lack of chromatic dispersion.