Abstract: A personal communication system provides full duplex digital communications between multiple users for both audio and data. A universal adaptor interface receives a plurality of wireless communications. The wireless adaptor interface multiplexes the plurality of wireless communications into a composite signal. The universal adapter interface transmits the composite signal wirelessly. At least one personal communications unit receives the composite signal. Multiplexing the plurality of wireless communications facilitates simultaneous reception thereof by the personal communications units.

Abstract: The present invention provides a modular architecture for connecting a plurality of telephone lines to a computer network. The invention binds a plurality of network access servers together so that they form a single system image to clients dialing into the plurality of network access servers. The invention operates by providing a tunneling mechanism for communication between the network access servers. The tunneling mechanism facilitates packet re-forwarding so that a call dialed into a physical port in a network access server can be re-forwarded through a logical port in another network access server. This allows a call to be routed through a physical port in a network access server even if no logical port is available in the network access server. Packet re-forwarding also allows multilink connections through physical ports in multiple network access servers to be routed through a single logical port in a network access server.

Abstract: A communication system in which a user device (10) generates authentication information (32) unique to the user device and provides a data packet (35) including this authentication information to an infrastructure part which is a gateway (14) or a host (16). The packet also contains a host identifier (36) or time dependent information (202). This is used at the gateway (14) or the host (16) to authenticate the packet.

Abstract: A system and method for configuring a local network from particular nodes of a remote network is provided. A transmission medium forms a local network by connecting the nodes within the customer premise. The transmission medium also forms a remote network through a subscriber line which connects the customer premise to the remote service provider. The transmission medium is used for voice band communication between the customer premise and the remote service provider, for data band communication within the local network, and for data band communication between the local network and the remote service provider. A master node is coupled between the local network within the customer premise and the subscriber line to control data band communications between the local network and the remote service provider.

Abstract: A method is provided for allocating and de-allocating transmission resources in a local multipoint distribution services system. In the method, one of an off-hook after idle signal and an incoming call request signal is detected. A frequency and a time slot for a call are assigned at a base system in response to the detection of the off-hook after idle signal or the incoming call request signal. A customer premises equipment unit is tuned to the assigned frequency in order to deliver the call.

Abstract: A bandwidth throttling system is implemented on a server network connected to a computer network system to serve one or more clients over a network. The network server supports a service that presents multiple virtual services that can be individually requested by the clients. The bandwidth throttling system controls bandwidth on a per virtual service basis. The bandwidth throttling system has a measuring subsystem to measure the amount of bandwidth being used by each virtual service supported by the network server. The bandwidth throttling system also has a control subsystem to selectively throttle requests for a particular virtual service independently of others based upon the bandwidth used by the particular virtual service. The bandwidth throttling system utilizes an adaptive, hierarchical throttling strategy that is applied to each virtual service independently.

Abstract: Prior to communication over the Internet and using a different line, a first terminal transmits to a second terminal a set of information including at least an IP address of the first terminal on the Internet. Based on the IP address thus transmitted separately, the party at the second terminal initiates communication over the Internet. This establishes direct end-to-end communication between the two terminals over the Internet. In a communication setup such as an Internet-based telephone call wherein address information about a desired party on the network is not previously known to a calling party, the inventive method allows the two parties to communicate directly with each other over the network on an end-to-end communication basis without recourse to a rendezvous server or like services.

Abstract: A technique for handling undesired data over a limited bandwidth channel. Specifically, one embodiment in accordance with the present invention operates within an electronic system or device (e.g., personal digital assistant) which can be coupled to a networking environment. An embodiment of the present invention allows higher levels of software operating within an electronic system to directly communicate with and determine the current operation of lower levels of software. As such, a higher level of software is advantageously able to perform appropriate actions in response to activities being performed by a lower level of software.

Abstract: A network node is connectable to a network. The node includes a physical media access sublayer. The physical media access sublayer includes a link monitor state machine. The link monitor state machine includes an evaluate link state, an evaluate carrier state, an increment criteria state and a link down state. In the evaluate link state, an idle timer is started. The evaluate carrier state is entered from the evaluate link state when a carrier event is detected before expiration of the idle timer. In the evaluate carrier state, a valid carrier timer is started. The increment criteria state is entered from the evaluate carrier state if a status error is detected or if the carrier event completes before expiration of the valid carrier timer. In the increment criteria state, a false carrier count is incremented. The link down state is entered from the increment criteria state if the false carrier count, after being incremented, is equal to a false carrier count limit.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for implementing buffering in a packet-switched telecommunications network. In the method, incoming data units are received and stored in a logical queue in a buffer (BF) comprising a plurality of memory locations, and data units are read out from the memory location (FML) at the head of the queue at a predetermined rate. In order to eliminate delay variations over desired connections by as simple a method as possible, the traffic is divided into at least two different classes in such a way that (a) the data units of one class are stored in the first free memory location starting from the head of the queue in each case, (b) feed points (FP; FP1 ...

Abstract: Improved performance is achieved for cellular systems with an arrangement where mobile units transmit information in packet format. A base station routes received packets to switching agents identified by the packets, and the switching agents forward the information contained in the packets to a wired network. The switching agent thus forms the interface between the packet switched portion of the cellular system and the wired network, which may be a circuit switched network. The routing of packets to switching agents allows the system to dedicate one agent to each mobile unit known to the system. It also allows a mobile unit's switching agent to remain wherever it is hosted even when the mobile unit moves from cell to cell, causing different base stations to receive the mobile unit's packets. The routing of packets is achieved with a routing network, which preferably is immune to single failures.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an improved system and method for increasing the timing accuracy of a time domain multiple access (TDMA) mobile communication system using a resource efficient parabolic interpolator. With the present invention, a mobile unit receives burst transmissions from a base station and a timing information is recovered therefrom. Since the timing information establishes the time of arrival of the burst, correlation initially identifies a coarse approximation of the location of the control signal within a defined portion of the burst signal and, together with two adjacent samples. Using a curve fitting technique, a precise position of the peak, relative to the coarse position, is determined. The equation can be solved ahead of time and values from the three samples substituted into a single expression for evaluation. Once the coefficients of the equation are known, the time offset of a refined peak relative to the coarse peak is readily calculated.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for implementing a technique for inserting and removing a node in a network loop. In a preferred implementation, a hub port includes a detect element which monitors data from the node and from an upstream node. The detect element sets a first flag when a primitive is received at the port, and sets a second flag when a primitive which is a frame termination primitive is received at the port. A frame termination generator generates frame termination primitives and a buffer data generator generates buffer data. A switching element has a control input, an output, and a plurality of data inputs. One data input is connected to each of an output of the node, the upstream node, the frame termination generator, and the buffer data generator. A control element is connected to the detect element and the control input of the switching element.

Abstract: The non-real time (NRT) bandwidth collector unit in a master apparatus collects the bandwidth of the non-real time (NRT) communications beforehand by decreasing the bandwidth limit value of a non-real time (NRT) queue in the client apparatus with a light traffic of a non-real time (NRT) communications. When the traffic of the non-real time (NRT) communications increases and there is a shortage of the bandwidth in a certain client apparatus, an increase request for the bandwidth is sent from the client apparatus to the master apparatus. The non-real time (NRT) bandwidth distributor unit in the master apparatus redistributes a new bandwidth limit value within the range of the collected bandwidth. The new bandwidth limit value is notified from the master apparatus to the client apparatus by a non-real time (NRT) bandwidth notifier unit and is set therein.

Abstract: A telecommunication apparatus and method for providing packets to at least one of a first and a second network are described. A telephone set connects the first network to the second network. In one embodiment, the telephone set includes two MAC devices. Each MAC device is in electrical communication with one of the two networks via a communication path. In another embodiment, a packet switching device provides the separate communication paths to the two networks. The telephone set forwards packets received from one network to the other network, generates packets from signals locally inputted into the telephone set and forwards such generated packets to at least one of the networks, and performs actions prescribed by packets received by and addressed to the telephone set. Packets addressed to the telephone set may or may not be forwarded.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and system for routing information lookup for packets using a routing protocol such as IP. Routing information which has been determined responsive to the packet header, which includes a destination address, a source address, and an input interface for the packet. Routing lookup is performed in response to at least one set of selected routing information, using a lookup table which includes tags both for the routing information and for a bitmask length (thus indicating the generality or scope of the routing information for the routing lookup). The lookup table is structured so that addresses having the most common bitmask length are addressed first, but that more specific addresses are still considered when they are present. It has been discovered that most internet addresses can be found by reference to 24-bit or 21-bit IP addresses, after which 16-bit, 12-bit, and finally 32-bit IP addresses are considered.

Abstract: A scheduler for a server for serving ATM cells. The scheduler includes R rate bins where R is greater than or equal to 2. The scheduler includes a controller which places a session having a desired rate into a rate bin of the R rate bins. A system for transmitting ATM cells. The system includes an ATM network along which ATM cells are transmitted. The system includes S sources where S is greater than or equal to 1 and is an integer. Each source is connected to the network and produces ATM cells for transmission on the network. The system includes D destinations where D is greater than or equal to 1 and is an integer. Each destination is connected to the network. Each destination receives ATM cells from the network. The system includes a server connected to the ATM network. Additionally, the system includes a scheduler which has R different rate bins for holding sessions, where R is an integer greater than or equal to 2.

Abstract: A data processing system and methodology allow subscribers to have web business cards that are accessible by other individuals via communication networks such as the Internet. The data processing system serves as an enhanced paper business card by providing references to available communication devices that may be used to access an individual. The web cards also perform an active feedback operation to provide information about the roles played by and the status of the subscriber's communication devices. Additionally, information about the availability of the communication devices utilized to access the owner of the web card page may also be indicated to another individual.

Abstract: A novel system and method for maintaining timing synchronization in a digital video network, in conjunction with a digital video and data delivery system, makes possible the delivery of digital video content, bi-directional data services, such as Internet data, and plain old telephone service (POTS) to an end user over a communications channel. The channel is typically the copper wire pair that extends between a telephone company central office and a residential premises, but may be any communication medium that supports the communication of compressed digital video, bi-directional data, such as Internet data, and POTS, and indeed, may be a wireless connection. The digital video and data delivery system capitalizes on a bus, or broadcast backplane, created by circuitry contained within the central office.

Abstract: A control communication method includes synchronizing a timing in a central earth station and a plurality of remote earth stations such that a predetermined control time period having a plurality of time slots is synchronized among the central earth station and the remote earth stations. The control time period is not longer than a substantially real-time response time period for the remote stations. This method further includes: initiating from a respective remote earth station, and completing, a transmission of control information through a satellite to the central earth station only during one or more of the time slots assigned to the respective remote earth station; receiving the transmission at the central earth station; and sending from the central earth station a separate transmission of data through the satellite to the remote earth station.