Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide data transmission which satisfies specifications for SD-format digital interface in a transmission device using an isochronous transmission mode such as IEEE 1394 digital data transmission and reception. To achieve this object, the device for converting the data transfer rate in communication of digital audio and/or video data comprises a timing simulator and a transmission timing controller. The timing simulator receives some signals and mode signals to generate transmission basis signals for transmitting a stream of the source packets and outputs the transmission basis signals. The transmission timing controller receives the transmission basis signals and transmits packets at every cycle sync, according to fixed rules.

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: Equal access IP transport and Internet services are provided using a public switched telephone serving a plurality of defined geographic areas (LATAs). A switched multimegabit data service (SMDS) network and a frame relay network spans the geographic areas. A plurality of Internet service providers (ISPs) are connected to the SMDS network. A data hub node, connected to both the SMDS network and the frame relay network in each geographic area, includes a gateway router connected via a packet switch and at least one network access server to one of the central office switching systems. A central maintenance center monitors and maintains the wide area communications network through the SMDS and frame relay networks and data hub nodes. An ISP may setup conditions for redirection of all or a portion of a load to one or more network access servers in the hub for routing over the SMDS network in the event of overload.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for routing data in a radio data communication system having one or more host computers, one or more intermediate base stations, and one or more RF terminals organizes the intermediate base stations into an optimal spanning-tree network to control the routing of data to and from the RF terminals and the host computer efficiently and dynamically. Communication between the host computer and the RF terminals is achieved by using the network of intermediate base stations to transmit the data.

Abstract: A network switch having a shared memory architecture for storing data frames includes configuration registers that are programmable by a host processor to adaptively adjust overflow buffer locations and flow control watermark levels based on monitored network traffic. The host processor allocates shared resources by setting memory configuration registers corresponding to an external memory, where the network switch uses the external memory for storing received data frames, Management Information Base (MIB) counter values, and output port overflow data. The host processor periodically reads the MIB counter values from the external memory, and adjusts flow control watermark levels or the memory configuration registers in the network switch based on rate-based network traffic derived from the MIB counter values. PCI burst transfers between the host processor and the external memory via the network switch ensure that stored data is not lost during reconfiguration of the external memory.

Abstract: An interface located on a network switch transmits header information to an external device that makes data forwarding decisions. The interface receives and transmits header information that includes the source and destination address of the data. The external device generates data forwarding information and transmits the information back to the switch via the interface device. The network switch uses the information obtained via the interface and forwards the data packets to the appropriate destination.

Abstract: A method for providing real-time multimedia conferencing services is described over a hybrid network, consisting of packet-switched nonguaranteed quality of service local area networks and a cell-switched wide area network having a multimedia bridge connected to the wide area network. The local area networks and the multimedia bridge are interconnected to the wide area network via routers. New architectural entities within the multimedia bridge execute a multimedia performance and resource analysis algorithm and determine whether the network and the bridge have sufficient resources to satisfy the requirements of the multimedia conference call. If sufficient resources are not available, it is determined whether the requirements for the higher priority services can be provided by preempting the lower priority resources.

Abstract: A user of a remote typically has a choice of multiple access methods and telephone numbers using which the user can connect his remote computer to a local computer or a local area network. The remote user often user faces several problems. These problems include first knowing what numbers and access methods the user has a choice of, and knowing the cost of using those numbers and access methods. This first problem is exasperated by a large number of available access points, changes of access telephone numbers, changes in telephone and network access rates, and changes in quality of service provided by various service providers. Distributing, storing, and searching a comprehensive directory of access numbers and associated costs would, in general, be prohibitive on remote computers with limited storage and computation capacity, such as portable computers typically often used by mobile workers.

Abstract: An efficient approach and corresponding apparatus for selecting virtual paths in a network for routing datagrams achieves effective sharing of capacity without adversely affecting call setup latency. Edge nodes of the network assign calls to virtual paths based on the destination of the call and the current load status of each of a relatively small number of paths. Each call is assigned a VPI (Virtual Path Identifier) corresponding to the path chosen and a VCI (Virtual Circuit Identifier) corresponding to the identity of the call at that edge node. The ATM backbone nodes route calls based solely on the VPI. Capacity management and load balancing is achieved by each edge node keeping track of the load on each access link from its edge node to the rest of the network and of the congestion status of the various links in the network.

Abstract: A new type of data transport service which uses a frame relay layer 2 data link connection identifier (DLCI) to select among various service types, feature sets, and/or closed user groups (CUGs). A layer 3 address may be extracted from a layer 2 frame, and the layer 3 address information may be used to route a data packet over a packet-switched network according to the service classes, feature sets, and/or CUGs selected. At the destination, the layer 3 data packet may again be enclosed in a layer 2 frame with a DLCI indicating the service classes, features sets, and/or CUGs. Because the use of conventional permanent virtual circuits (PVCs) is not required in aspects of the invention, new methods of measuring and managing network traffic are presented.

Abstract: The invention is to provide an STM-16 Network-Node Interface(NNI) which is capable of exactly checking whether a fault is generated on any station when the VC-4 AU received from a remotely located station has the fault, by checking the incoming data streams and communication with the remote node using the still unused values of APS bytes, thereby further enhancing the reliability thereof, which comprising duplicate physical layer processing blocks for processing a physical layer to provide a plurality of simplex ATM layers, and an ATM layer controller for controlling the processing condition of each of the ATM layers processed by the ATM layer processing means, to thereby processed information to the microprocessor; and ATM layer processing block for processing the ATM layers to a plurality of ATM cells.

Abstract: A process and system for improving the display resolution of a video image that is transmitted point-to-point. The process and system function by determining regions on a screen that are of high interest to a viewer and regions on the screen which are of lower interest to the viewer. Regions of high interest to the viewer are transmitted from a video source and displayed on the screen at a higher resolution than those regions of lower interest to the viewer.

Abstract: An Internet telecommunication system in accord with the invention combines the capabilities of the Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) with those of the internetwork commonly known as the Internet. Functions associated with the Internet Domain Name Server system are enhanced using AIN data and processing. Voice grade telephone calls from a fixed position Internet PC to a roaming wireless personal communication system are enabled. Home Location Register data from the control point of the AIN is forwarded into the Internet Domain Name Server for conditioning the IP lookup and addressing to determine the ultimate call routing. Internet calls may also be automatically completed by the system to addresses other than the ones entered by the caller.

Abstract: A packet generating Ethernet testing device is provided with a microprocessor for generating packets. A packet memory is provided which stores the generated Ethernet packets. A packet forwarding device is connected to the packet memory and to the microprocessor. A MAC bus is connected to the packet forwarding device for forwarding packets to the bus and receiving packets from the bus. A plurality of media access controllers (MACs) are connected to the MAC bus for controlling an output of Ethernet packets from the packet memory. A physical layer connection is provided connected to each of the media access controllers. A media interface is connected to the physical layer. The media interface is connected to a port of a device to be tested for injecting Ethernet packets into the device to be tested. The packet generating Ethernet testing device preferably also includes another MAC bus and another plurality of media access controllers connected to the another MAC bus.

Abstract: The invention relates to a dynamic channel allocation system for a mobile communication system wherein mobile units communicate with the base station on allotted channels. The channel allocations are determined according to a framework of network flows including flow paths with nodes representing active mobile units, base stations and channels used for communication between active mobile units and their respective base stations. A new call from a mobile unit is added by finding the shortest available augmenting path for the added unit. The edges between nodes can include cost and capacity factors which can be used to determine desirable reconfigurations for the network.

Abstract: A technique for searching for signals to assign to the fingers of a rake receiver is disclosed. In particular, some embodiments of the present invention identify signals with some PN sequence offsets as more likely to have signals appear at them than other offsets, and monitor the more promising offsets more closely than the less promising offsets, thus enabling signals to be more quickly discovered and assigned to a finger. One embodiment of the present invention comprises: assigning a signal to a finger of a rake receiver; de-assigning the signal from the finger; searching for the signal with the finger after the signal has been de-assigned from the finger; and re-assigning the signal to the finger, if a measure of signal quality of the signal crosses a threshold.

Abstract: A method of establishing wireless communications between an interrogator and individual ones of multiple wireless identification devices, the method comprising utilizing a tree search method to establish communications without collision between the interrogator and individual ones of the multiple wireless identification devices, a search tree being defined for the tree search method, the tree having multiple levels representing subgroups of the multiple wireless identification devices, the number of devices in a subgroup in one level being half of the number of devices in the next higher level, the tree search method employing level skipping wherein at least one level of the tree is skipped.

Abstract: A wireless, peer-to-peer, capability addressable network (22) is disclosed. The network (22) accommodates any number of peers (20). Network connections are formed based upon proximity between peers (20) and upon a needs and capabilities evaluation (82). Networks (22) support three classifications of service capabilities: service requesting, service providing, and service relaying. Wireless communications occur at a sufficiently low power to form a detection zone (28) of less than five meters for many peers (20).

Abstract: A design for a network route server in which network routing functions are distributed throughout the processing elements that constitute a switching node, while maintaining the global identity and routing information exchange functions of a route server element (RSE). Intelligent line-cards are provided having the ability to route independently of the RSE. This removes the RSE as a bottleneck resource and ensures that the capacity of the switching node is limited only by the switching capacity of its switch fabric. The RSE serves the functions of network topology discovery and routing table construction using a network topology database and an optimal routing algorithm. Copies of the dynamically maintained routing tables are distributed to the intelligent line-cards on a periodic basis governed by predetermined criteria. Wider geographical distribution of the RSE is enabled and most efficient utilization of the switch fabric is ensured. Scaling of distributed switching architectures is also enabled.

Abstract: Improved methods and apparatus to facilitate switching Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) cells through an ATM switching circuit are disclosed. The improved methods and apparatus facilitate the implementation of per virtual connection buffering, per virtual connection arbitration of ATM cells, and/or per virtual connection back-pressuring to improve switching efficiency and/or reduce the complexity and/or costs of the ATM switching circuit.