Abstract: A broadband communications system for coupling telephony or other digital networks to a CATV network. The system transmits a multiplex of telephony signals in the forward band of the CATV network. Each forward channel is QPR modulated on a carrier and contains multiple subscriber telephony signals. The forward telephony channels are demodulated and demultiplexed by a plurality of subscriber terminals into the individual telephony signals directed to an addressed subscriber. Audio and control signals returning from the subscriber are digitized into standard telephony signals and QPSK modulated on a carrier onto the reverse band of the CATV network. The multiplicity of reverse band telephony channels are demodulated and multiplexed into a standard telephony signal which is directly interfaced to the telephony network.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for efficiently transferring a data packet on a network. The efficient transfer of data includes compressing the data as the data packet is transmitted from a repeater to a management unit by determining if a destination address of a received packet matches a stored management unit address. When the stored address does not match the destination address, the data packet is compressed. The apparatus includes a repeater, a management unit, and a packet compression mechanism. The apparatus further includes comparator circuit means for determining address comparisons and count comparisons to control data compression.

Abstract: A wireless system comprising a network of base stations for receiving uplink signals transmitted from a plurality of remote terminals and for transmitting downlink signals to the plurality of remote terminals using a plurality of conventional channels including a plurality of antenna elements at each base station for receiving uplink signals, a plurality of antenna elements at each base station for transmitting downlink signals, a signal processor at each base station connected to the receiving antenna elements and to the transmitting antenna elements for determining spatial signatures and multiplexing and demultiplexing functions for each remote terminal antenna for each conventional channel, and a multiple base station network controller for optimizing network performance, whereby communication between the base stations and a plurality of remote terminals in each of the conventional channels can occur simultaneously.

Abstract: A wireless communication system basestation making use of a wideband, multichannel digital transceiver having incorporated therein a time division multiple-access (TDM) bus for providing digital samples of a plurality of wireless communication channels, wherein the time slot duration and frame rate of the TDM bus may be reconfigured. The invention allows various air interface standards, even those having different channel bandwidths, to be serviced by the same basestation, without having to install additional or different equipment, and by automatically redistributing signal processing resources, eliminating the need to reconfigure the basestation when different types of wireless signaling must be accommodated.

Abstract: Apparatuses and mobile stations are described which provide packet data services in TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) cellular systems, based on providing shared packet data channels optimized for packet data. A first "integrated" embodiment utilizes the current cellular infrastructure to the extent possible consistent with functional and performance requirements. Shared packet data channels in base stations may be provided dynamically determined by demand. A packet data controller in each Mobile services Switching Center controls access to the packet data services. A packet data router in each MSC routes packets to and from the MSC service area. A backbone network interconnects packet data routers and Interworking Functions providing internetworking with external network(s).

Abstract: An efficient distributed queueing random access method and network system provide, in the medium access control layer in networks with broadcast channels, for conserving reservation bandwidth and concomitantly providing immediate transmission access, wherein, prior to receiving a first time slot, a plurality of reservation slot parameters are initialized by a user.

Abstract: A bus system uses separate clocks for arbitration and data transfer. The arbitration clock signal is used for synchronizing bus request and grant events, and the data clock signal is used for synchronizing data transmission and reception. In particular, the data clock signal, which is generated by a bus master node without any temporal relationship to the arbitration clock signal, is transmitted by the bus master node through the bus to a slave node, where the received data signal is synchronized with the data clock signal transmitted therewith.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining when all packets of a message sent over a computer network by a source computer have arrived at a destination computer includes a counter located at the source computer for storing an initial value and for assigning a delta value to each packet in the message, where the last packet stores a delta value that is equal to the counters initial value minus number of packets previously sent modulo the counter range; and includes an accumulator located at the destination computer for extracting the delta value from each packet of the message. The destination computer is notified that all packets in the message have arrived only when the sum of the extracted delta values stored in the accumulator is equal to zero modulo the capacity of the accumulator.

Abstract: A system for capturing handwritten data includes a base station, a docking station coupled to the base station and a plurality of portable handwriting capture devices, which may be in the form of pads or trays. The pads or trays normally rest in quick release slots in the docking station, and are removed from the slots when put into use. Each pad includes a digitizer for capturing handwritten information, a controller for digitizing the information, a memory for storing the digitized information and an interface for transmitting the digitized information through the docking station to the base station, where it is decoded. A paper slip may be placed over the digitizer and retained in position, where it provides visual feedback to a person writing on the pad and also provides a written record.

Abstract: A radio communication system (100) operates according to a channel hopping protocol on communication channels grouped into channel blocks, including a channel block of reservation channels, from which channel hopping sequences are organized (810, 820). Each sequence has a communication channel from each channel block, including a reservation channel from the channel block of reservation channels (820). A first transceiver selects multiple sequences for operation (840, 842). The transceiver reserves a communication slot on each sequence such that corresponding communication slots exist on a group of channels simultaneously across the sequences (842, 844). The transceiver then operates within the communication slots on successive communication channels of the sequences according to the channel hopping protocol (846). A second transceiver may select a subset of the sequences of the first transceiver for its operation (860, 862, 864, 866).

Abstract: An apparatus matches the configuration of a first station of a local area network to the configuration of the second station of the local area network. The first station detects a protocol advertisement from the second station that indicates a protocol in which the second station is capable of operating. The first station compares the indicated protocol of the second station to a protocol in which the first station is capable of operating. The first station determines, when the result of the comparison is negative, which of the first station and the second station is a higher priority station. The first station advertises, to the second station, a protocol capability of the first station, The first station changes the advertised protocol capability of the first station when it is determined that the first station is the higher priority station.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for packet alignment in a simulcast system includes a communications controller (310) having a vocoder and an input/output (I/O) processor (313) controlling the vocoder (311), the I/O processor having a timing alignment control (315) and a packet counter (314) for inserting timing alignment tags in voice/data packets and adjusting packet numbering and timing based on alignment requests from a master radio communication unit. The communications controller is coupled to radio communication units (330, 340, 350), each having a packet buffer (331) and an alignment processor (332) which includes a packet number detector (333) for detecting the transmission timing tag and sending a request for a packet numbering adjustment to the communications controller and a timing alignment detector (334) for comparing a receive time of the first information packet and a predetermined preferential receive time and for sending a timing alignment request to the communications controller.

Abstract: A telecommunications system has subscriber and/or private automatic branch exchange accesses, an access signalling system, and a connectionless network signalling system. The telecommunications system employs a connectionless signalling interworking unit for controlling the access signalling system remotely from the accesses. The unit is operative for interworking the network signalling system and the access signalling system. The unit includes a transaction control and transaction monitoring function for passing information bi-directionally between network points without establishing a bearer connection between the network points.

Abstract: In a system that includes a constellation of satellite communication nodes, information packets are routed through the constellation using routing tables stored in each communication node. When a packet is received at a node, the packet's destination and routing table ID are read. One of several routing tables are selected using a mapping table. Each of the several routing tables has a different routing instruction set. The packet is routed away from the node using the selected routing table. When system traffic is heavy, or some of the communication links are overloaded or have failed, routing table control bits are sent to the nodes updating the mapping table. Packets are subsequently routed using different sets of routing tables, such as ones having greater hop counts.

Abstract: Network bit efficiency for transmitting a limited size data frame over a digital communication system is enhanced by a macro-header encoding mechanism which replaces plural header portions of a data frame sequence with a single macro-header byte. The macro-header may be representative of protocol and signal processing operation fields that would otherwise require a longer overhead sequence as a precursor to data transmission. At the receiver, the macro-code is translated into a predefined sequence of opcodes, parameters and data bytes. Whenever the receiver requires another opcode, parameter or data byte, it initially looks to the macro-code. Otherwise, the necessary byte is obtained from the data frame segment being interpreted.

Abstract: A device and method for designing a reliable communication network using disjoint paths with no shared links or nodes. An adjacency matrix is copied to a temporary adjacency matrix, and when it has been confirmed by matrix calculation that there is a path or paths between the origin and destination nodes, a path is obtained backwards and links in the path are deleted. The search for a path is repeated using the resulting temporary adjacency matrix. In this way, the actual number of disjoint paths is never overestimated. Rapid calculation is possible by means of a super-computer.

Abstract: A routing system in a multimedia integrated network formed of nodes connected by links is provided for transmitting various media such as voice, image and data in a packet format. The respective nodes forming the integrated network output the packets in an optimum output direction so that conditions required by various media and reliability of communication are satisfied. Each node includes an interconnection type neural network for determining the packet output direction. An external stimulus input unit outputs an external stimulus to the neurons in the neural network in response to a present state of the integrated network, such as a packet delay time and a packet loss ratio for respective links, and a condition required by the media such as an allowable packet loss ratio. Therefore, the packet is output in an optimum direction which is adaptive to the present state of the integrated network and which satisfies a condition required by the media.

Abstract: In a data transmission system that transmits a transmitting signal to an external network and receives a receiving signal plus an echo signal of the transmitting signal from the network, a method of eliminating the echo signal from the receiving signal includes the step of time interpolating samples of the transmitting signal at a sampling rate of the receiving signal before the transmitting signal is sent to the network. A replica signal of the echo signal is generated using the interpolated samples of the transmitting signal to cancel the echo signal from the receiving signal after the receiving and echo signals are also time interpolated at the sampling rate of the receiving signal. An apparatus for eliminating the echo signal from the receiving signal is also described.

Abstract: A program type code (PTY) burst signal detection method for a radio data system (RDS) receiver, which can automatically receive an arbitrary information program from another network from the beginning of the program. This detection method detects a PTY burst signal in RDS data, which is indicative of switching of broadcasting of an information program from another network. The PTY burst signal is defined as a signal obtained by transmitting RDS data of a group type 14A comprising an information classification code (Usage Code)=(13) in a second block several times in a short period of time. This detection method respectively compares data of three blocks at least in the 14A group, excluding the first block thereof, with data of the three blocks received earlier, and detects the PTY burst signal when every compared data matches with associated data by a predetermined number of times.

Abstract: A personal communications system is described which includes components of software and hardware operating in conjunction with a personal computer. The user interface control software operates on a personal computer, preferably within the Microsoft Windows.RTM. environment. The software control system communicates with hardware components linked to the software through the personal computer serial communications port. The hardware components include telephone communication equipment, digital signal processors, and hardware to enable voice, fax and data communication with a remote site connected through a standard telephone line. The functions of the hardware components are controlled by control software operating within the hardware component and from the software components operating within the personal computer.