Abstract: The present invention measures the usage level of removable media devices using residency time. In one embodiment, a usage level measurement software facility receives a number of data storage medium access requests. For reach received request, the facility performs a number of steps. The facility first assigns the request to a particular one of the removable media devices. Then, under the control of the assigned removable media device, the data storage medium access request is performed. For each performed request, the facility records a residency time. The residency time reflects the amount of time taken by the assigned removable media device to perform the request. The facility aggregates the recorded residency times to produce a measure of the collective usage level of the plurality of removable media devices.

Abstract: A headset, and a method for using a headset, to communicate with two separate devices. The headset comprises a mounting member for mounting and holding the headset on the head of a wearer, at least a first speaker, and means for connecting the speaker to the mounting member for holding the speaker adjacent an ear of the wearer. The headset further comprises first and second microphones, and a boom member connecting the microphones to the mounting member for holding the microphones adjacent the mouth of the wearer. A signal conducting circuit is provided for transmitting input communication signals from at least the first device to the first speaker, and for transmitting output communications from the first and second microphones to the first and second devices respectively.

Abstract: The present invention is a telecommunications system having separate switch fabric and switch intelligence. The system comprises a switch fabric, a switch intelligence, and a feature processor. The switch intelligence is logically separated from the switch fabric and comprises a switch fabric proxy, a facility service, a connection manager service, and a call segment instance service. The switch fabric proxy is coupled to the switch fabric via a vendor-specific first Application Programming Interface (API). The switch fabric proxy supports a second API, which is common across all vendors, representing functions supported by the switch fabric. A facility instance, which is instantiated by a facility service using a facility model, represents the bearer and signaling facilities of a party to a call, and interacts with the switch fabric proxy via the second API to communicate with the switch fabric.

Abstract: A method of selecting an optimal set of spans for fiber cut simulations for a network carrying a plurality of demand-routes between a plurality of nodes interconnected by a plurality of fiber spans includes the steps of selecting from the plurality of spans a set of critical spans and selecting from the set of critical spans a minimal set of critical spans.

Abstract: A computer implemented method responds to a telephone call from a caller. In response to receiving the telephone call, a first call receiving device obtains call information for the caller. The first call receiving device transfers the telephone call and transmits the call information to a second call receiving device. A call recognition service may be employed as a central repository for the call information and as an interface between the call receiving devices. Transmitting the call information to the second call receiving device enables the second call receiving device to service the caller without having to reobtain the call information for the caller.

Abstract: A plurality of optical cross-connect switches are freely interconnected to form a mesh type network. At least three of the optical cross-connect switches are switched to form a line-switched ring network, thereby forming a ring/mesh network. Simply by changing the switching logic of the optical cross-connect switches within the ring/mesh network, new rings can be created and existing rings can be modified, thereby providing a great deal of flexibility to make changes to the network as traffic patterns change without incurring hardware costs or significant network downtime. Another advantage of the ring/mesh design approach is that spare capacity within the line-switched ring can be utilized by the mesh network, and spare capacity within the mesh network can be utilized by the line-switched ring, thereby significantly increasing the spare efficiency.

Abstract: A system for establishing a restoral route to bypass a failed component in a communications network. The network has components that include nodes and links. Each link connected to a node is either an input or an output link for that node. When a component failure is detected on a output link of a node, the system selects a source node and a target node for the restoral route and sends messages through output links of the source node to establish a restoral route to the target node. When a message to establish a restoral route to the target node is received at a node, the node forwards the message through its output links. When a message that a restoral route has been established to the target node is received through an output link of a node, the node connects the input link through which the message to establish a restoral route was received to the output link, and forwards the message that a restoral route has been established through the input link.

Abstract: A telephone system and method is provided for delaying authorization validation queries until a dialed phone is answered. This way, authorization validation queries are avoided in cases where a requested phone line is busy or not answered. In a collect call scheme the system may even delay queries until a party agrees to accept the collect call billing charges. This way, query charges are avoided not only for busy signals and no-answers, but also in the event that the requested party declines to accept the charges. Because authorization validation queries typically take less than one half of a second, parties are not significantly affected by the delay.

Abstract: A method and program product for organizing a relational database used for the storage of data related to the configuration and placement of equipment in field sites. The method includes recording, maintaining, and viewing placement and configuration of equipment in remote field sites. Additionally, the method includes defining equipment in terms of components, such as modules, shelves, and racks. Once components are defined and stored in the database, they are configured by specifying interrelationships between components. The program product includes a computer useable medium having computer program logic stored therein for enabling a computer to store data associated with the configuration and placement of equipment in field sites, the equipment includes rails, shelves, and modules.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for delivering facsimile messages to electronic mail addresses as object files attached to or inserted within e-mail messages. A facsimile server device is provided with a facsimile modem for receiving facsimile calls. The facsimile server device includes various application file translation software programs for translating the facsimile object files to subscriber selected formats. In operation, an e-mail subscriber also subscribes to a facsimile-delivery-to-electronic-mail system and is issued a specially designated phone number for receiving facsimile transmissions. The subscriber selects a file translation format in accordance with a software application program which the subscriber uses. The facsimile server device receives and demodulates the facsimile transmission and stores it as an object file in the native facsimile format. The facsimile server device then queries a subscriber database for translation of the dialed phone number to an e-mail address.

Abstract: An automated and distributed method and apparatus for normalizing a network after restoration begins with end nodes of the restoral route detecting a clearing of alarms after a failure is repaired. After a specified time period is passed, the end nodes perform a sequence of tasks to execute a modified form of a patch-and-roll normalization. Each end node transmits traffic over both the restoral route and the original traffic route that has been fixed. Each end node confirms receipt of signals over the fixed traffic route. Thereafter, each end node switches to receiving live traffic from the restoral route to the fixed traffic route and stops transmitting over the restoral route. Finally, the end nodes instruct the other nodes along the restoral route to disconnect the restoral route.

Abstract: A method and system for automatic object refresh. A target object specification is associated to a source object specification for performing a replacement (refresh) of at least one target object with a corresponding source object. When a target object is accessed for the first time, or released from a last access, one or more source objects may replace (refresh) the locations of one or more corresponding target objects. A comparison of values of an identical attribute may be performed, such as a date/time stamp, or trap count, of corresponding source and target objects. The refresh may be conditional depending on the outcome of the comparison.

Abstract: A system and method for automatic addressing of distributions. The system receives distributions, such as phone calls, phone messages, E-mail messages, soft facsimiles, print jobs, and pages, historically maintains a set of information, such as addressing information associated with senders of the distributions. The set of address information includes the sender's name, E-mail address, phone number, fax number, pager number, LAN address, or the like. The system permits the recipient of an inbound distribution to automatically address an outbound distribution to a previous sender of the inbound distribution by invocation of hot keys, or by use of a query manager. The system also permits the recipient to paste information about the sender directly into arbitrary applications on his computer.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved terrestrial optical fiber communications network link including an increased number of amplification sites spaced at intervals along the link in series with shorter optical fiber spans. One embodiment of the invention includes an improved long-haul terrestrial optical fiber link having low-power line optical amplifiers (LPLAs) at the amplification sites connected together by optical fiber spans. In other embodiments of the present invention, some or all of the LPLAs have integrated dispersion compensation modules (DCMs). Another embodiment of the improved optical fiber link system uses proper adjustment and spacing of LPLA amplifiers (e.g., spaced between 30-60 km long fiber spans) to eliminate the need for lightwave regenerators (LREs) even along very long (e.g., 300-2500 km long or even longer) links.

Abstract: A restoration system for restoring a communications network following a failure of one or more communications network components. The restoration system identifies spare segments and spans of spare segments in the original network configuration, as well as interconnected sub-spans of the identified spans of spare segments. The restoration system assigns a cost to the identified spare spans and spare segments. The costs are based on the cost of connecting a spare span or a segment as part of a restoral route and the cost of fragmenting a spare span. The restoration system uses these assigned costs to select a low cost combination of spare segments and spare spans to use as the restoral route.

Abstract: Telephone calls, data and other multimedia information including video, audio and data is routed through a switched network which includes transfer of information across the internet. Users can transmit video, audio and data communications of designated quality over the internet to other registered video telephony users. Users can manage more aspects of a network than previously possible, and control network activities from a central site.

Abstract: A system and method for managing a telecommunications network through near real time analysis of Call Detail Records (CDRs) is provided. The system and method of the invention reports how a particular call service is performing and how its performance deteriorates as a result of any type of network event, including both hardware and software related events. A feature of the invention is that it provides several levels of service impact reporting, thus providing users with more versatile and detailed network management capabilities.

Abstract: A method of and system for providing local direct broadcast satellite service by transmitting a plurality of local programming packages. The satellite transmits the local programming packages to a plurality of geographically separate local ground areas.

Abstract: A method of adding multibit data units to and dropping multibit data units from a stream of multiwavelength optical pulse multibit data units converts the stream of multiwavelength optical pulse multibit data units into a serial stream electrical bits, identifies add locations in the stream of electrical bits to add multibit data units to the stream of electrical bits, and identifies drop locations in the stream of electrical bits to drop multibit data units from the stream of electrical bits. The method adds multibit data units to the stream of electrical bits at the add locations, and drops multibit data units from the stream of electrical bits at the drop locations. Then, the method converts the stream of electrical data bits to which multibit data units have been added and from which multibit data units have been dropped into a stream of multiwavelength optical pulse data multibit data units.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for analyzing a telecommunications network and isolating failures within the network first analyzes the network to identify all non-terminating paths between two digital cross-connect (DXC) nodes and terminating paths that extend from one DXC node but terminate before reaching another DXC node. All non-terminating paths are assigned "failure spans" or maximum spans that can be restored with a single restoration route. All terminating paths that correspond to end nodes of the non-terminating path are selected, where each terminating path has a path identifier preferably indicating the inter-node connections of the path. The path identifier is compared to each failure span to create a table of correlations. A similar process is performed for all terminating paths that do not correspond to non-terminating paths in the network. When a failure occurs, all paths are identified for each corresponding alarm and compared to the previously constructed table.