Abstract: A thresholding noise estimator detects and samples an error signal during a sampling period. When the magnitude of a noise sample, also known as an error sample, is at least equal to a predefined threshold, the power of that error sample is calculated. At the end of the sampling period, the computed powers of the error samples (only those data samples having a magnitude at least equal to the predefined threshold) are averaged. This average power corresponds to an error indicator which quantitatively indicates the power for that portion(s) of an error signal which is at least equal to the threshold. Alternative embodiments provide for magnitude hysteresis, time hysteresis, or both magnitude and time hysteresis in the determination of an error indicator.

Abstract: A communication system containing a constellation encoder, a feedback precoder, and an interleaver that is coupled to the feedback precoder, enables efficient trellis encoding by preventing adjacent transmit symbols from having the same trellis symbol. Consequently, the adverse impact of quantization noise that may occur over adjacent transmitted symbols is minimized. The constellation encoder uses redundant bits that are generated by a trellis encoder connected to the interleaver, the redundant bits being added to an input stream of data bits being provided to the communication system for transmission. The trellis encoder generates the redundant bits based on the interleaved storage of trellis symbols bits in the interleaver.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for providing simultaneously multiple telephone-type services to any/all POTS-type devices on a single wire pair at a user premises. The present invention provides for the ability to add separately addressable POTS devices on a single service loop.

Abstract: A system and method for transmission over a bus between ATM layer devices and PHY layer devices which exist on different printed circuit boards use a ATM-PHY layer interface connected to the ATM and PHY layers across a bus. Data and control signals are transmitted across the ATM-PHY interface consisting of a single clock and one or more pairs of data leads. Asynchronous cell transmission without flow control, with cell level flow control and with byte/octet level flow control as well as cell synchronization are possible. The number of signals required to connect the PHY/ATM layer devices are dramatically reduced by transporting the data and control information using in-band signaling.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for communicating both packet data and time division multiplexed (TDM) transmissions over a shared bus. An apparatus is providing having a shared data communication bus and first and second control signals. The first control signal indicates the transmission of time division multiplexed data on the shared data communication bus, while the second control signal indicates the transmission of packet data on the shared data communication bus. A plurality of packet modules are provided, wherein each packet module is responsive to the state of the first and second control signals, and each packet module is further configured to transmit and receive data across the shared data communication bus. A plurality of synchronous interfacemodules are further provided, wherein each synchronous interface module is configured to transmit and receive data across the shared data communication bus.

Abstract: A digital subscriber line (DSL) communication device employs a linear block interleaver for mathematically combining multiple symbols from a signaling constellation into n-symbol combinations in order to efficiently suppress or eliminate impulse noise generated in the communication channel. In architecture the linear block interleaver includes logic configured to combine multiple symbols from a signaling constellation into n-symbol combinations. The multiple symbols are mathematically combined such that noise energy present in at least one of the n-symbol combinations is spread among each of the multiple symbols, thus reducing the energy of the noise on each of the multiple symbols.

Abstract: Disclosed is a local loop interceder which interfaces between the local loop and the central office and which provides access to the public switched telephone network (PSTN). The local loop interceder establishes a first signal pathway from the local loop to the PSTN and a second signal pathway from the local loop to a high speed data modem. The local loop interceder alternates between the first and second pathways depending upon whether the end user desires voice or data communication on the local loop. In a second embodiment, the high speed data modem is a simultaneous voice and data (SVD) modem. In such case, the local loop interceder provides a third signal pathway from the SVD modem to the PSTN for voice communication which is demodulated from a simultaneous voice and data signal received by the SVD modem through the second signal pathway.

Abstract: The preferred embodiments of the present invention generally provide improved communications over a subscriber loop that is loaded with at least one and potentially a plurality of load coils. The preferred embodiments of the present invention will support digital subscriber line service over loaded subscriber loops that also support a native POTS interface and offer various techniques for advantageously arbitrating use of the 0-4 KHz baseband between POTS and DSL. Furthermore, the rapid start and stop DSL modulation techniques as well as various mechanisms such as protocol spoofing allow DSL service to appear to be always-on for many end user applications even though DSL communication may cease for POTS signaling messages and completed POTS telephone calls.

Abstract: A system and process for customizing the performance of an xDSL communication system in which a transmitting modem and a receiving modem will negotiate a performance parameter for adjustment. The receiving modem measures the signal to noise ratio on the xDSL loop and, based on that measurement, sends a request to the transmitting modem to make a specific adjustment to the selected performance parameter. The transmitting modem will make the adjustment upon receipt of the request from the receiving modem. In a preferred embodiment, the modems will choose either the data rate or the transmission power level as the performance parameter for adjustment. In a multiple xDSL system in which the xDSLs affect each others' performance through crosstalk, the present invention allows a first modem pair to instigate a transmission power reduction, which will in turn allow a second modem pair to either increase its present data rate or decrease its transmission power.

Abstract: A system and method of communicating voice and data via a local packet network (LPN) to and from a customer site. A remote digital terminal (RDT) is provided at a customer site to interface a plurality of telephone devices and/or data devices (computers or a local area network of computers) with the LPN via a local loop link, such as a Digital Subscriber Line or a wireless local loop. A host digital terminal (HDT) is provided at a control site within or connected to the LPN that coordinates the communication of voice calls between the RDT and a public switched telephone network (PSTN) switch via the LPN and that coordinates the communication of data between the RDT and a data network within or without the LPN. Multiple telephone calls with the customer site can be supported by the remote digital terminal over a single local loop link connected to the LPN.

Abstract: In a communication network, a system and method allow cooperating probes/access units at each end of a network connection, to mark, detect, and calculate the data delivery efficiency of the network connection for data transmitted in multiple service classifications. A trailer, which corresponds to the service classification of the data, is appended to the data at the ingress point of the network. The data, including the trailer, is then transmitted to the communication network. At the egress point of the network, the trailer is examined to determine the service classification of the data transmitted. The received data is then compared to the transmitted data for the service classification indicated by the trailer to determine the data delivery efficiency of the network connection with respect to that service classification.

Abstract: A virtual circuit (PVC) to switched virtual circuit (SVC) conversion system and method are used for communication across SVC in parallel with VCs or in place of VCs set up to other sites on a network when communication problems exist such as congestion, node-to-node failures or any other instances in which increased bandwidth is needed or service pricing justifies it. The VC to SVC conversion system is used in a communications access device to allow Carriers providing SVC service to avoid having to upgrade or replace the customer's existing premises equipment to support SVCs. The system comprises logic which maps a VC to an SVC configured by the user during configuration, based on the VC address contained in the data link control identification in the frame layout of the data.

Abstract: A communication system includes a master transceiver in communication with one or more transceivers, for example, a first tributary transceiver and a second tributary transceiver over a communication medium. The first tributary transceiver uses a primary modulation method for communication while the second tributary transceiver uses a secondary or embedded modulation method for communication. The master transceiver and tributary transceivers each include a processor, memory, and control logic for controlling their operation. While the primary modulation method is normally used for transmissions on the communication medium, the master transceiver can communicate with the second tributary transceiver by notifying the first tributary transceiver that the primary modulation method is being temporarily replaced by the secondary or embedded modulation method.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for determining an efficient and accurate committed information rate (CIR) for a frame relay data communications device to facilitate the conversion of frame relay data packets into asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) data cells. In one embodiment, the present system includes a processor coupled to a local interface, a memory coupled to the local interface, an adaptive CIR logic stored in the memory, the adaptive CIR logic being executed by the processor, the adaptive CIR logic including: sample identification logic to identify at least one sample group of a number of data packets transmitted across a data communications link, the data packets having a variable length and the data cells having a fixed length, modeling logic to adapt a modeled packet size of the frame relay data packets transmitted across the data communications link based upon the data packets in the sample group, and, logic to calculate an efficient committed information rate based upon the modeled packet size.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for simultaneously providing multiple telephone-type services to any/all POTS-type devices on a single wire pair at a user premises. The present invention provides for the ability to add separately addressable POTS devices on a single service loop. This can be accomplished in at least two ways: first by the use of a multipoint protocol or second by Frequency Division Multiplexing.

Abstract: A communication device transmits very low frequency signals in order to help diagnose the cause of a communication problem in a DSL communication system. The communication problem may be, for example, the inability of a remote data transceiver unit (DTU-R) to successfully train-up with a central data transceiver unit (DTU-C). The very low frequency signals may be used to communicate the status or settings of the remote transceiver unit to the DTU-C, to download settings parameters or executable code to the DTU-R, or to coordinate the transmission of testing signals.

Abstract: A network monitoring system and method is provided for determining service quality over a packet switching network. In one embodiment, the system comprises a processor coupled to a local interface, a memory coupled to the local interface, and operating logic stored in the memory, the operating logic being executed by the processor. The operating logic includes network management logic which comprises logic to poll a transmit buffer in a transmit probe for a number of transmit pattern identifiers, the transmit pattern identifiers being generated from a stream of data packets at a transmit side of a packet switching network. The network management logic also comprises logic to poll a receive buffer in a receive probe for a number of receive pattern identifiers, the receive pattern identifiers being generated from the stream of data packets at a receive side of the packet switching network.

Abstract: The present invention is a touch probe which can be connected to a computer controlled machine for determining positions of and defining shapes of work pieces, edges, hole centers and contours. The probe due to it design allows for a simpler and effective alternative to previous probes. The probe includes a body, stylus, a shank and an internal assembly. The body contains the internal assembly, which provide signals to a computer. The arrangement of the internal assembly is what makes the present invention simpler to manufacture and allow the probe to be miniaturized. The internal assembly includes an upper circuit board with a Light Emitting Diode (LED), a spring, a spring cap, a stylus mount, a housing, carbide balls, a lower circuit board, a support ring and wires.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically adjusting the transmit power level of a data communication equipment (DCE) device being used in an environment in which one or more telephones and one or more DCEs may be connected to the same twisted wire pair. When a telephone goes off-hook, the receiver of the DCE notifies the processor of the DCE that the telephone has gone off-hook. The receiver comprises an equalizer which generates a tap signature based on the off-hook condition of the telephone and deliver the tap signature to the processor. The processor compares the tap signature with tap signatures stored in a memory device until a match has occurred. The processor then reads the transmit power level associated with the matching tap signature out of the memory device and sets the transmit power level of the transmitter of the DCE to the transmit power level read out of the memory device.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for communicating voice and data across a communication link, in a manner that senses and dynamically adapts to the simultaneous transmission of voice information across the local loop. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a method is provided for dynamically communicating data over a local loop using a modem comprising the steps of transmitting data in a full-band transmission state, sensing a band-limiting condition, and adjusting the transmission of data from the full-band transmission state to a band-limited transmission state, in response to the sensing step. In accordance with the method, data may be transmitted by the modem across the local loop at the same time that voice information is communicated via telephone across the same local loop. A significant aspect of the present invention is the dynamic allocation of the data transmission bandwidth, whereby the invention senses a condition indicative of whether voice information is being communicated.