Abstract: A cellular communications system includes a base station and at least one mobile station communicating therewith. The base station may include a plurality of antennas and a modulator for providing a transmit signal for each antenna. The modulator may estimate a weighting factor for each transmit signal based upon considering each transmit signal as having an unknown and arbitrary fading factor associated therewith and based upon considering the unknown and arbitrary fading factors to have a predetermined cross-correlation function.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling administration of Automatic Call Distributor (ACD) queues of an ACD or network of ACDs by a caller, and of communicating data to and from an ACD Agent. The caller receives information concerning the status of queues in one or a plurality of ACDs. If the caller wishes to communicate with a particular Agent, wait time for that Agent is provided to the caller. The caller can select a particular Agent, and will be connected when that Agent becomes available subject to other restrictions of the ACD queue. The caller can prepare information for transmission to an answering Agent while the caller waits. Advantageously, the caller can control which Agent or which sub-group of Agents should respond to his/her call, taking into account the different waiting times associated with a particular Agent or the first available Agent when the caller reaches the top of the queue. Advantageously, the caller can link to ACD Agents from multiple companies by accessing an ACD Network.

Abstract: Optical infinite impulse response (IIR) filters are efficient polarization mode dispersion (PMD) compensators, requiring fewer stages than finite impulse response (FIR) filters. IIR filter architectures incorporating allpass filters allow the phase and magnitude compensation to be addressed separately. An IIR filter PMD compensator comprising a polarization beam splitter, allpass filters, polarization rotation devices, a 2×2 filter, and a polarization beam combiner optically coupled is described.

Abstract: An antenna array comprising at least two groups of antennas where each group comprises at least two pairs of antennas. Each of the pairs in a group contains orthogonally polarized antennas and at least one antenna in a pair is similarly polarized to one antenna in at least another pair in the group. The antenna array further comprises circuitry coupled to the antenna groups to select and activate certain antennas in a group to enable the antenna array to operate in either a beam forming/steering mode, a diversity mode or a MIMO mode or any combination thereof. The antennas in the groups are activated based on the characteristics of the signals being transmitted or received by the antenna array.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for wireless signal transmission of signals from an array of two or more antennas, in which each signal to be transmitted is selected from a constellation of unitary space-time signals. Each unitary space-time signal is a unitary matrix, in which each column represents a respective antenna, each row represents a respective time interval, and each element represents a complex amplitude to be transmitted by a given antenna during a given time interval. In specific embodiments of the invention, the matrices of the signal constellation form a non-Abelian group having a positive diversity product, or a coset of such a group. In other embodiments, the signal constellation is a subset of such a group, and its multiplicative closure forms a finite non-Abelian group having a positive diversity product.

Abstract: A Network Access Server incorporates a “hand-off” feature that allows the NAS to transfer an existing PPP connection from one NAS to another NAS. In particular, 3 new control messages are defined for use in the NAS. Namely: (i) Continued Call Request, (ii) Continued Call Reply, and (iii) Continued Call Connect. These 3 new control messages comprise a L2TP control message header, message identifier (e.g., continued call request, etc.), and a number of fields.

Abstract: An apparatus, method and system are provided for hand-off of a communication session in a mobile wireless communication system, from the serving base station to a target base station, utilizing a shared directory number associated with a first terminal of the serving base station which is providing the communication session with the mobile unit through a first call path. The serving base station includes a second terminal having the shared directory number associated with the first terminal. A switch, coupled to the serving base station and to the target base station, is configured, upon reception of a message from the serving base station, to establish a second call path from the second terminal of the serving base station to the target base station, and to bridge the second call path with the communication session of the first call path to form a multiway communication session, with the multiway communication session including a bridged call path to the target base station.

Abstract: A gap soliton can be controlled by introducing a perturbation into a waveguide structure that includes an otherwise essentially periodic variation of its refractive index. In one embodiment of our invention, by controlling the amplitude, phase and/or average value of the refractive index of a first perturbation, and by maintaining the speed of the soliton below a certain critical speed, we have found that the soliton will transfer its energy to the modes of the perturbation. When the soliton transfers essentially all of its energy in this way, we refer to the soliton as being trapped or captured by the perturbation. Trapped gap solitons enable a variety of unique system applications in, for example, memories, buffers, switches and WDM demultiplexers.

Abstract: A system and method for partially decoding a noise-corrupted Reed-Solomon (RS) code and a communications terminal incorporating the system or the method. In one embodiment, the system includes: (1) a syndrome sequence generator that computes a syndrome sequence Sh, S1+h . . . S2t−1+h from the noise-corrupted RS code and (2) an error locator and magnitude polynomial generator that iteratively determines both the error locator polynomial and the error magnitude polynomial from the syndrome sequence.

Abstract: A wavelength selection and, optionally, amplification device that finds utility as an optical filter or laser and is realized using two waveguide grating routers with different free spectral range values.

Abstract: Techniques and systems for allocating bandwidth in a communication channel to devices using the communication channel are described. A communication system includes a central device and one or more remote devices. The central device may transmit information to and receive information from each of the remote devices and each of the remote devices may transmit information to and receive information from the base station. The central device receives information relating to the quality of the communication channel experienced by remote device and adjusts the bandwidth allocated to each remote device based on the communication channel quality experienced by that device. The total frequency range encompassed by the communication channel may also increase or decrease as the average quality of the communication channel for all remote devices increases or decreases.

Abstract: An improved circuit card package wherein additional child cards are accommodated by providing an interface adaptor board having connectors for receiving the child cards. The interface adaptor board is itself received by a connector on a parent card, which plugs into a system backplane.

Abstract: An apparatus, method and system are provided for hand-off of a communication session from a serving base station to a target base station. The preferred system includes a switch coupled to the serving base station and to the target base station. Respective first and second terminals at the serving and target base station share the same directory number, with the first terminal of the serving base station providing the communication session with the mobile unit. For a hand-off, the target base station transmits a request designating the shared directory number to the switch. Upon reception of the request, the switch bridges the target base station, through a bridged call path, into the communication session, through a second terminal of the target base station having the shared directory number, to form a three-way communication session.

Abstract: A single centralized video controller is employed to convert and distribute video channels to one or more analog TVs (i.e., viewing devices or the like). This is realized without the need for changes to either the TVs or the interconnecting COAX. Specifically, the centralized controller includes one or more MPEG2 decoders, the number of which depends on a desired number of active TVs to be used in viewing different programs, and one or more wireless (e.g., radio frequency (RF)) communications links to television controllers (i.e., remote control units) associated on a one-to-one basis with the desired number of TVs. In operation, channel selection for each of the one or more TVs is communicated up-stream from the centralized controller to a remote video server and, therein, to a video services controller. The video services controller causes the video server to transmit only the selected program channels to the local centralized video controller.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling transients in an optical signal propagating along an optical fiber path interconnecting a plurality of network elements employs a power threshold to determine an appropriate response given a change in optical signal power.

Abstract: A connectionless packet network and an optical WDM network are interconnected by one or more optical interface modules (gateways) that include both optical to electrical interfaces, as well as a connection management module, or control element, that is arranged to control the OADM's and the configuration of lasers and port assignments within the gateways, such that a route through the optical network to a desired endpoint is selected. The OADM's can be programmed, (i.e., locally or remotely controlled by the control element) such that the wavelengths that can be added or dropped by an OADM can be changed, thereby allowing routes to be established through the optical network, from an originating gateway to a destination gateway. In addition, the optical interface modules can include a plurality tunable lasers that can be controlled such that routes can be established through the optical network without requiring changes to the routing table that associates particular endpoints with particular ports.

Abstract: A device and method for detecting rotational drift of mirror elements in a MEMS tilt mirror array used in an optical crossconnect. The optical crossconnect directs optical signals from an input fiber to an output fiber along an optical path by rotatably positioning mirror elements in desired positions. A monitoring device disposed outside of the optical path is used to obtain images of the MEMS array or to transmit and receive a test signal through the crossconnect for detecting the presence of mirror element drift.

Abstract: According to the invention a synchronous hierarchic network system and a method of transmitting data are disclosed using at least a path segment between a first network element and at least a second network element on which a tandem connection monitoring method is established for monitoring information over said path segment, and means for minimizing the signal interruption due to a loss of multiframe alignment subsequent to an interruption, distortion or switching operation of the signal transmission path.

Abstract: A feature server, e.g., a stored program controller, processes calls to a subscriber's main directory number in a packet network by submitting a subscriber-administered questionnaire to callers. The information in the questionnaire, when completed by the calling party, can be used to automatically route the call or to reposition the call in the incoming call queue. Alternatively, the completed, or even partially completed questionnaire may be displayed in a “pop up” window to a subscriber's operator who can then use the information to assist the caller or, without-need of answering the call, to reposition the call within the queue or to divert the call to another directory number. In addition, information previously provided in a questionnaire completed by a caller is stored so that when the caller calls again, the stored information may be employed to more efficiently process the call.

Abstract: An extender card arrangement having ejector levers attached to the unitary card portion of an extender card to aid in the insertion and removal of the extender card into and from a backplane, and having ejector lever brackets attached to the extender card card guides to allow the ejector levers on a card under test to be used to aid in the insertion and removal of the card under test into and from the extender card.