Abstract: In an Intelligent Network (IN) a method for acquiring data is provided. The method comprises a test call initiated from the SSP to a desired destination within the network. The test call with the log portion appended to TCAP (and ISUP) messages travel through the network and collects data in the log portion from each node on the test call path. The test call with the traveling log (TLog) helps the maintenance personnel isolate troubles and faults in the network without having to monitor each node (or office) on the route of a troubled message path.

Abstract: A ferroelectric dielectric for microwave applications is provided comprising a polycrystalline perovskite phase of lead zirconate titanate dielectric material. Small grain size material is provided by a low temperature process, by a rapid thermal annealing process. A layer of amorphous ferroelectric precursor material is deposited and annealed in an oxygen containing atmosphere in the presence of water vapour, preferably with the addition of a few percent of ozone, and at a temperature of less than 500.degree. C. Advantageously, the method provides for formation of a ferroelectric material comprising lead zirconate titanate with a grain size less than 20 nm, with low film stress, high dielectric constant and low leakage current, which has excellent ferroelectric characteristics up to 10 GHz. This material has applications for capacitors, as filters, decoupling, coupling, and bypass elements and also for high frequency surface acoustic wave devices.

Abstract: A method of configuring a plurality of directional beams in a cellular radio system having a plurality of antennas each communicating over a corresponding respective cell area by re-arrangement of directional beams using a same or like carrier frequency to each other, so as to be directed away from each other, and by restricting signal loading on beams experiencing worst case interference. Interference between geographically close cells is reduced by the method resulting in an improvement in carrier to interference ratio performance. Carrier frequencies of the inner two beams transmitted by an antenna are exchanged for the inner two beams which are transmitted in substantially the same direction by another antenna. Inner beams experiencing highest interference are restricted so as to operate at below their maximum signal load in order to reduce interference within the network.

Abstract: A process of handling a TTY call from a calling party to a called party receives a TTY call to the called party; checks a database of at least one party capable of receiving the TTY call from the called party to determine whether the called party is able to receive the TTy call; and if the called party is in the database, then prompts the calling party to leave a message; receives the message; stores the message; and notifies the called party that the calling party has left the message. In addition, the process may also check a second database of at least one party capable of receiving the TTY call from the called party and if the called party is in the database, then prompt the calling party to leave a second message; receive the second message; store the second message; and notify the called party that the calling party has left the second message.

Abstract: The process determines the I channel and Q channel components for each received soft value. The location of each soft value with respect to the fade line is determined using the I and Q channel components. These locations are averaged over a power control group duration to determine the noise density. The symbol energy is determined by subtracting the average perpendicular distance from the soft value point to the fade line from half the square of the average of the distance from the soft value point to the origin.

Abstract: A reduced-power method of updating an LCD display. LCD displays are refreshed line by line. Lines of the display which do not need to be updated, i.e. which are blank, are refreshed with less power than lines which require updating. This is achieved by latching display data to the blank lines for only a very short period of time.

Abstract: A way of bonding a ridge-structure laser diode chip ridge face down on to a substrate with solder is disclosed in which the substrate surface includes a region facing the ridge of the laser that is not wetted by solder, this region being flanked by regions that are wetted and by which the solder bonds the chip to the substrate in a manner that leaves the ridge freely spaced from the substrate surface.

Abstract: An optical transmission system comprises a transmitter and a receiver linked by an optical path having amplifier stations and incorporating a reflectometer for determining the location of an optical fault in the path. Transmitted signals are tapped from the path at an amplifier station and are processed by a correlation technique to detect the relative timing of reflections from a fault and thereby to determine the location of that fault.

Abstract: This invention relates to radio communication systems and in particular relates to a method of installation for a fixed wireless access subscriber antenna. According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of installing a fixed wireless access arrangement comprising one or more directive antennas operable to be directed at a base station; the method steps comprising: determining the absolute position of the location of the subscribers premises employing a radio position determining receiver; referencing data relating to the absolute position of the location of a fixed wireless access base station; positioning an antenna relative to the base station given the absolute position of the whereby initial set-up of the antenna is sufficiently accurate whereby fine tuning of the antenna is possible. By configuring the antenna mount prior to attachment on the structure, then the time required to deploy fixed wireless access subscriber equipment is much reduced.

Abstract: A fixed wireless access system includes a base station for bidirectional communication with a switching center, a private branch exchange (PBX) for bidirectional communication with a plurality of user stations, and a wireless trunk interface (WTI). The WTI communicates with the base station over a bidirectional wireless air link, and with the PBX over a bidirectional trunk line. Since a wireless link is established between a dual radio unit (DRU) at the base station and a transceiver at the WTI, the slots normally allocated to the directory number of the called and calling parties in the current air interface, must be used to identify the transceiver involved in the exchange of information. Therefore, the DN of the called station behind the PBX is transmitted to the WTI using other fields of the air interface, and presented to PBX in a format acceptable for establishing a correct connection (DID service).

Abstract: A telecommunications system incorporates a switch based private network having a transparent network signalling system and having a plurality of nodes interfacing each via a switch with an intelligent public network. The public network incorporates a service control point having associated therewith a database containing destination addresses corresponding to call numbers received from the private network. The database provides routing data for call independent signalling information in response to requests from a node on behalf of a private service provided to a user of that node and from a public network switch on behalf of a private service provided to a directly connected user of that switch.

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 the 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: The base station controller monitors the reverse link frame error rate of all the base stations involved in a soft hand-off with a radiotelephone. The average reverse link frame error rates of these base stations are then computed and the lowest of the average error rates is found. The last known transmit power of the base station having the lowest average error rate is determined. The transmit power of those base stations having a higher average reverse link frame error rate than the best base station are adjusted to the last known transmit power of the best base station.

Abstract: A confusability tool generates a confusability cost associated with two phonemic transcriptions. The confusability cost measures the likelihood that a human or machine hearing the first word will mistakenly hear the second word. The cost calculation is based on a weighting of the Levinstein distance between the transcription pair.

Abstract: A telephone base unit for use with a mobile telephone handset comprises means for interfacing the handset with the base unit for enabling user definable data entry key settings of the handset to be downloaded and emulated at the base unit such that when interfaced with the base unit, the mobile telephone handset operates to enable the use of the base unit as a wireless desktop interface. The interface means is comprised of means for transferring user definable data entry key settings of the handset to the base unit, means for storing the user definable data entry key settings of the handset at said base unit and controller means to enable a user to use the user definable data entry key settings with the user interface of the base unit to receive incoming and make outgoing calls from the base unit via the mobile telephone handset.

Abstract: A system and method for increasing capacity of a cellular system by reducing call overhead processing and transmission congestion previously required in updating a subscriber's mobile station data position as the subscriber moves among locations within a geographic area served by a network service provider is presented. A predetermined N number of copies of mobile station subscriber data is distributed among multiple Visiting Location Registers (VLRs) within the area served by a cellular system. Unlike previous systems, when mobile stations traverse location boundaries, the current VLR corresponding to the current location does not need to update the subscriber data if that data has not changed since the subscriber was last in that location.

Abstract: A new method of processing Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) signaling messages is described wherein a plurality of computing units (CUs), each running signaling processing software, collectively provide signaling processing services for all the ports of a switch. As more ports, and more cards, are added to a switch, CUs can be incrementally added to support additional traffic. More significantly, in order to optimize the utilization rates of the plurality of CUs, the method provides for dynamic load-sharing of signaling traffic between CUs, such that a CU is allocated not on a per port basis, but on a per switched virtual circuit (SVC) session basis.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting a stutter dial tone SDT signal. The method includes the steps of, receiving a received signal from a subscriber loop, generating a signal envelope of the received signal, generating a threshold parameter value from the signal envelope, counting the number of threshold parameter crossings undertaken by the signal envelope and producing a signal indicating SDT signal has been received when number of threshold crossings exceeds a predefined value.

Abstract: An optical communications system has a control system for controlling the transmission of signals between system elements via waveguides. The occurrence of counterpropagation occurring due to scattering or other bulk properties of the waveguides is monitored under the control of the control system at selected system elements such as bidirectional optical amplifiers. A reverse signal found to be consistent with a scattering process is analysed in terms of a power distribution as a function of delay relative to transmission of an outgoing signal and any effects due to discrete scattering events are identified and removed from the power distribution data. The revised data is used to quantify the effects of the scattering process.

Abstract: The BER is used as a parameter for evaluating the performance of an optical transmission system. Performance of optical systems is also defined by the Q factor, which uniquely determines the BER in the absence of distortion. The measurements are effected in a point of operation of the channel which gives a value of interest for the Q factor. To this end, the optical SNR is lowered by adding noise over the information signal. A distortion-free Q (Q.sub.DF) and a back-to-back Q (Q.sub.BB) are determined in the same operating point of the system. The distortion penalty for transmitter-receiver pair may be determined by comparing Q.sub.DF to Q.sub.BB. The noise loading technique will allow to investigate if equalizing. The value of OSNRs at the output of a particular system results in equalizing the noise margin in that systems or not.