Abstract: A system and method of collecting and maintaining historical top communicator information on a communication device. The system and method is located on a communication device, which is attached to a network, and responds to internal an external data requests for host information. A top communication storage device and an RMON protocol storage device are inspected by top communicator logic for communicator information. Non-user excluded information is stored within the top communication storage device and updated periodically, along with an RMON database, according to a RMON alarm/user history poller and a user defined timer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a connector lock for locking a first electrical connector to a second electrical connector. The connector lock comprises a first mounting bracket adapted to mount to the first electrical connector and a second mounting bracket adapted to mount to the second electrical connector. The second mounting bracket is pivotally displaceable with respect to the first mounting bracket such that the second mounting bracket can be pivoted relative to the first mounting bracket to align mating portions of the first and second electrical connectors.

Abstract: An echo canceler disabling system is associated with a cellular data communications device, such as a modem, which is utilized to communicate digital data over a cellular network for the purpose of enhancing digital data communications over the network. The echo canceler disabling system is configured to disable voice echo cancelers brought on-line during digital data transmission after call startup in order to prevent disruption of digital data communications by the voice echo cancelers. To deactivate the voice echo cancelers, the echo canceler disabling system is configured to transmit a tone at approximately 2100 Hz with 180 degree phase reversals to disable one or more echo cancelers brought on-line after the call startup.

Abstract: The present invention is a hardware implementation of frame relay switching functions which provides for real time concurrent multiple processes by implementing the processes in dedicated hardware logic operating in parallel, whereas in a typical software implementation the processes are sequentially processed. While data structures in software based implementations are accessed on some multiple of a byte regardless of the logical structure of the data, in the hardware implementation of the present invention the physical widths and the logical widths of the data structure elements are identical. This allows direct access of the logical structure by the operating process.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for use with an analog front end circuit of a DCE of a multipoint system for preventing an impedance null from being generated in the frequency bands being used by the DCE. A feedback circuit is employed with the analog front end circuit to force the input current of the analog front end circuit to zero, thus providing the analog front end circuit with a high input impedance, which prevents an impedance null from forming in the frequency bands being used by the DCE. In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a sensing resistor is incorporated into the analog front end circuit of the DCE for sensing the input current of the analog front end circuit.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to method, and associated system, for communicating pre-connect information between a calling endpoint and a called endpoint in an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) system. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the method includes the steps of dialing the called endpoint from the calling endpoint, and setting a calling party's subaddress information element to a value that allows the contents of a subaddress information field to be user specified. The method further includes the steps of specifying the contents of the subaddress information field, and transmitting the message of information to the called endpoint, the message of information including the calling party's subaddress information element.

Abstract: An effective communications system for assuring compatibility between new and existing networking technologies is described which may be utilized to prevent the use of trial and error techniques in the establishing of the best possible connection between a calling terminal or modem and a destination terminal or modem. An enhanced services platform is provided which establishes the connection based on the signaling capabilities of both the calling and destination terminal, provides for in-call modification, and provides for call teardown.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for eliminating or reducing local area and broad area interference in a twisted pair transmission system. The apparatus of the present invention comprises a detection device, such as an antenna, for example, for detecting electromagnetic interference coupled into a twisted pair line, a sampling/scaling device which samples and scales the detected signal, and a combiner device which combines a signal correction component with the signal received over the twisted pair by a differential receiver. The sampling/scaling device preferably comprises an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) which converts the detected analog signal into a digital signal and a digital signal processor which receives the digital signal from the ADC and processes the signal to generate a correction signal. The correction signal is then subtracted from the signal received by the differential receiver. The sampling/scaling device may be fixed or adaptive.

Abstract: A crosstalk canceller system is disclosed for a transceiver bank, which has one or more transmitters and one or more receivers, for cancelling crosstalk between signals associated with different communications channels having overlapping frequency bands. In a simplified embodiment, the system includes a crosstalk canceller (CC) connected between transmit and receive connections to receive a transmit signal and receive signal, respectively, associated with different communications channels. The CC produces a cancellation signal and passes the cancellation signal to an adder. The adder combines the cancellation signal with the receive signal to generate an enhanced receive signal, which is communicated to the receiver and also back to the CC. The enhanced receive signal is characterized by less crosstalk as compared to the original receive signal.

Abstract: In a communications environment where it is desirable to allow the simultaneous transmission of digital data and conventional voice on a single communication line, an audio distortion canceler method and apparatus is configured to adaptively cancel the nonlinear low frequency audible harmonic distortion caused by a device, such as a conventional telephone, connected to the communication line. The method and apparatus of the present invention has application where a harmonic distortion signal resides in a region of the frequency spectrum that is apart from that of the transmit spectrum.

Abstract: In a communications environment where it is desirable to allow the simultaneous transmission of digital subscriber line (DSL) signals and conventional plain old telephone service (POTS) signals on a single two-wire communication line, a method and apparatus is configured to automatically measure the distortion caused by a telephone or other attached device such as a dial modem due to the presence of a DSL signal on the same communication line, and to use such measurement to automatically and adaptively adjust the DSL output signal to achieve the highest DSL data rate commensurate with an acceptable level of distortion as required by the POTS devices.

Abstract: An improvement to a half duplex multipoint communication environment wherein a pilot tone enables a control device to maintain synchronization with a plurality of remote devices. The present invention employs a quantization noise compensator apparatus and method to supply a single bit, two level analog signal to drive a Voltage Controlled Crystal Oscillator (VCXO) in a remote device. The VCXO derives the sample rate signal for both transmit and receive devices, eliminating the requirement for a highly accurate digital to analog converter, thus reducing the cost and complexity of the system while allowing continuous synchronization between a control device and a plurality of remote devices.

Abstract: A system and method for the transmission of additional special marker symbols in a circular signal space constellation allows the communication of additional control information without requiring any additional power to transmit the additional symbol. Additional symbols can include "Start of Message", "End of File", "End of Transmission", "Increase Data Rate", "Decrease Data Rate", "Save State" or "Clear", or any additional command signal desired to be transmitted.

Abstract: A system and method for the efficient compression and identification of non frame relay data packets allows the transport of non frame relay data packets over a frame relay network. Generic, non frame relay data is segmented into a plurality of data packets and encapsulated for transparent transport over a frame relay communication network.

Abstract: A modified version of the operating communication program of a stored program controlled apparatus is installed with the aid of a downloadable start address specification means, optionally realized with an EEPROM memory. The start address specification means stores information that is downloaded through a communication port in the apparatus, and that information is used in defining the address from where the communication programs are initiated. In accordance with the method of this invention, downloading of the entire new set of programs is effected by first downloading a segment of the essential portion of the new package of programs. Control is then transferred to the new segment by downloading appropriate information into the start address specification means. Thereafter, utilizing the downloaded essential portion of the new package of programs, the remainder of the new package is downloaded.

Abstract: In a communications environment where it is desirable to allow the simultaneous transmission of digital subscriber line (DSL) signals and conventional Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) signals on a single two-wire communication line, a method and apparatus is configured to automatically measure the distortion caused by a telephone or other attached device such as a dial modem due to the presence of a DSL signal on the same communication line. The method and apparatus of the present invention allows DSL devices and POTS devices to be used on the same communication line without the use of a splitter.

Abstract: A protocol allows a device connected to a common channel to communicate directly with another device on that channel during a predetermined slot time. The protocol is particularly suited to a communications network where all communications devices are able to communicate directly with each other. In architecture, the protocol can be implemented in hardware, software or a combination thereof, and is more particularly implemented as follows. A central communications device for processing slot time sequence information and communicating it to tributary communications devices is connected via any number of communications channels to a plurality of tributary communications devices. The configuration of the system is such that the communications devices can directly transmit and receive information from each other. The central communications device optimizes system bandwidth usage by dynamically allocating a sequence of slot times for use in the protocol.

Abstract: A system and method for optimizing the uncoded transmission and reception, or modulation and demodulation, of data using circular constellations by using circular preceding and nonlinear encoding. This system allows increased data rate by improving channel efficiency and signal-to-noise ratio.

Abstract: An adaptive gain algorithm allows the maximization of gain of an audio signal that is transmitted with a digital data signal by allowing a trellis decoder to compensate for occasional excursions of the audio and noise signal across a signal space boundary. By measuring the short term energy present in an audio signal, the algorithm of the present invention allows the maximum power to be used to transmit an analog signal without overloading the trellis decoder.