Abstract: A method and system for demonstrating the context of features of a product or service, receiving selections of those features from a user, and modifying the demonstration to show the consequences of the received selections.

Abstract: A wireless terminal monitors its communications with a wireless network in order to provide the network with performance information. The terminal monitors its own operations and messages, or expected messages from the network, and stores information as to the success or failure of these various events. Performance information, for example, bit error rate and receive signal strength is also stored. The terminal is also capable of performing transmission path quality tests, for example, loop backs. The terminal can transmit information to a network at regular time periods or as a response to a request from the network.

Abstract: A delay circuit for delaying high-speed logic signals has a continuously-variable delay which is a linear function of a control current. The resulting delay time may be set as short as a single logic gate delay. The CMOS delay circuit comprises delay means having as its output an internal signal characterized by an internal signal swing, coupled to amplifier means whose output is the delayed logic signal, characterized by a settling time. The amplifier means contributes minimal delay. The swing of the internal signal of the delay circuit is controlled by differential negative feedback to be just sufficient to drive the next stage, while the delay circuit's settling time is controlled by capacitively coupled positive feedback to be as short as the delay itself. The differential negative feedback is provided by four MOS devices.

Abstract: Techniques of service-rate controls in ATM switches are described, and apparatus for their implementation are devised. The techniques fall in two categories: frequency domain controls, and time-domain controls. The regulators control the service rate on a per-class basis or on a per-connection basis. Some class regulators operate at very high speeds of the order of several gigabits per second and cover a medium number of classes, 32 for example. Other regulators operate at high speeds of the order of several-hundred megabits per second, and cover a very large number of classes, e.g., 10000. A compound regulator which combines both types of regulators is also described. The compound regulators extend the range of controllable classes considerably, covering some 200,000 classes. The main advantages of the regulators of the invention are simplicity, robustness, and high performance.

Abstract: A multi-line key telephone system not having a key service unit includes three analog telephone lines to which up to eight, three-line telephones may be connected to provide enhanced service features with cost-effectiveness. System reliability is maintained, notwithstanding a power dependency of the telephones, by including POTS telephones to provide uninterrupted essential telephone service in the event of a power outage. Both data and voice communications between two or more of the three-line telephones is achieved by converting an input digital bit stream from either a digital or analog source into a corresponding out-of-band binary FSK radio frequency output signal that is transceivingly communicated between the three-line telephones as data packets within a TDM frame. The out-of-band signal thus permits analog voice communications on the same line to proceed without interference.

Abstract: A system and method for restoring telephone and data communication services provided by a primary computing resource when such primary computing resource fails, by providing a backup computing resource and restoration software having means which uses a heartbeat and challenge protocol to detect such a failure and to restore such services.

Abstract: An electronic checklist program is provided for commercially available printed circuit board layout design programs. The checklist program creates a file which is appended to a design file created by the layout program. The checklist program has step menus indicating steps for each interval to be completed in the layout design. When steps in an interval are completed, the time is logged for each and when an interval is done, the cumulative time is logged. The program tracks the last step completed such that on start-up with a previously created design, the program skips to the screen including the last completed step. Provision is also made to churn completed intervals and log churn time.

Abstract: An antenna structure which has a triangular platform defining three sides, each of which sides defines respective first and second sectors, each of which sectors defines a vertex located within the triangular platform. At least one antenna is positioned on each respective side for transmitting and receiving signals substantially only in the first sector of the respective side. At least one other antenna is positioned on each respective side for transmitting and receiving signals substantially only in the second sector of the respective side.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus and method for increasing the efficiency of usage of an assigned rf spectrum used by a cellular or wireless communication system for a large number of high speed data transfer user requests. An MS, upon analyzing a plurality of parameters available to the MS may determine that although it needs more than a single channel to accommodate a given software data generating application, it may adequately and optimally use less than the maximum number of channels (or maximum data rate) that the MS can support. The MS then generates a request to the base station for additional channels (or a supplemental channel of a higher data rate) to transmit in one data burst a specified total number of quantity of data. The request may also specify the maximum number of channels (or maximum data rate) that the MS can support along with an indication of relative priority by means of indicating the amount of time over which the burst occur as an optimum situation for the MS.

Abstract: An electronics enclosure is provided with passive thermal management for a high power electronic units, for example a power amplifier for wireless telecommunications, the enclosure being suitable for mast head mounted units, or remotely located units exposed to a wide range of weather conditions. The use of heat pipes in place of a conventional heat sink provides for natural convection cooling and eliminates the need for fans. Appropriate selection of materials, using copper and aluminum respectively, for the construction of heat pipe and cooling fin assemblies provides a significant reduction in weight and volume is achieved relative to know units having conventional heatsinks and forced air convection cooling. Since the heat pipe efficiency decreases at low temperature, the power amplifier self heats the unit in cold weather and eliminates the need for heaters. This further reduces the power consumption and the size of the unit.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process and apparatus for tracing software entities, more particularly a tracing tool providing tracing capabilities to entities in an application. The object-tracing tool provides software components to allow tracing the execution of an application. Tracing software entities is important for software developers to permit the quick localization of errors and hence facilitate the debugging process. It is also useful for the software user who wishes to view the control flow and perhaps add some modifications to the software. Traditionally, software-tracing tools have been confined to single node systems where all the components of an application run on a single machine. The novel tracing tool presented in this application provides a method and an apparatus for tracing software entities in a distributed computing environment.

Abstract: The use of regularly repeated small sections of pattern in making a complete optical grating may generate unwanted effects, such as side lobes, as a result of the regular repetition of defects in the small sections. Methods are described for disrupting the regularity of the occurrence of such defects in a grating made of a plurality of sections, thereby minimizing the likelihood of the occurrence of unwanted side lobes, for example.

Abstract: In a data access transport service call setup from the Public Switched Telephony Network (PSTN) requires efficient utilization of PSTN resources and signalling infrastructure. A system is disclosed for interworking the PSTN Common Channel Signalling System Number 7 (CCS7) and Internet Protocol (IP) based data networks call setup protocols. The system provides efficient control of network-based signalling and control resources in support of PSTN originated IP-based data calls and services interworking between IP-based networks and other telecommunications networks. An architecture is provided allowing a flexible implementation and distribution of the interworking functions, including functional distribution between an CCS7 interworking function, network controller, Network Access Server, and existing telecommunications network interfaces.

Abstract: The system and method consistent with the present invention provides a directory with graphical icons representing characteristics of the entries for a communication device. The graphical icons are associated with additional information for the corresponding entry.

Abstract: A method for optimizing spectral re-use between an interferer digital phase modulated cellular system and a desirable analog phase modulated cellular system is disclosed wherein an optimal guard band to use with adjacent channel interference is determined, or an optimal guard zone to use with co-channel interference is determined. This is achieved by determining the effect of interference due to a digital phase modulated signal at the baseband of a desired analog phase modulated signal. By the use of this invention, the capacity of a desired system and/or the quality of a service provided by a desired system may be enhanced.

Abstract: The frequency transition process migrates frequency groups from one frequency reuse plan to another. In response to a change in capacity requirements, the process migrates each layer of the present frequency reuse plan to the layers of the new frequency reuse plan.

Abstract: A communications network has a plurality of nodes interconnected by an optical transmission medium. The transmission medium is capable of a carrying a plurality of wavelengths organized into bands. A filter at each node for drops a band associated therewith and passively forwards other bands through the transmission medium. A device is provided at each node for adding a band to the transmission medium. Communication can be established directly between a pair of nodes in the network sharing a common band without the active intervention of any intervening node. This allows the network to be protocol independent. Also, the low losses incurred by the passive filters permit relatively long path lengths without optical amplification.

Abstract: A method to control feature interaction and ensure compatibility among disparate service features, resources and terminals of a communications network is provided. Resource devices and terminals access a compatibility message bus via interface agent modules when originating requests or events. The message bus, which could be, for example, an Ethernet link of any length, is accessible to all devices and to one or more compatibility controllers in the computing platform of a PBX or switching office, or in a general computing platform separate from the switch or PBX. A temporary compatibility control module is then constituted, which processes requests and events, by retrieving processing rules stored in a data base to ensure provision of invoked service features in a controlled manner.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for identifying on-line access calls in a network switch. The switch determines which calls are to an on-line service provider, usually an Internet service provider or ISP. The switch then determines if the service provider has enough ports available to handle the call, and if the connection to a dedicated data network has enough capacity. The call can then be handled as an on-line access call and routed accordingly. The initial determination as to whether the call is an on-line access call can be made by analyzing information received when the call is initiated such as the called party number digits or by a query initiated by an advanced intelligent network (AIN) trigger.

Abstract: A fixed wireless access communication network is described. The capacity of a fixed wireless access network is limited by the number of radio frequencies and hence the numberof channels available. The present invention prepares a solution to this problem whenever the radio channels are transmitted at one of at least two power levels.