Abstract: A communications system includes a telephone, a data network, a device coupled to the data network and telephone, and a communications routine in the device. The communications routine controls communication of voice data between the telephone and the data network.

Abstract: A group of network devices, such as Ethernet switches, are logically configured as a single cluster, with one commander device and one or more member devices. Each network device capable of belonging to a cluster transmits data packets containing cluster capability information to its neighbors. Each network device capable of belonging to a cluster that receives data packets containing cluster capability information maintains a database containing information about its cluster-capable neighbor devices. The commander device of a cluster is the point-of-contact through which the cluster is managed. The commander device maintains a database of neighbors of the entire cluster. Upon user request, the commander device displays a list of cluster neighbors and notes which ones may be added to the cluster. When the user adds a device to the cluster, that device immediately sends its database of discovered neighbors to the commander device.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ATM cell assembling/disassembling apparatus capable of reducing power consumption. A reception VC detector 16 decides whether a reception cell is valid. A reception controller 17 performs disassembling and error check of a cell which has been decided to be valid by the reception VC detector 16 before issuing a DMA transfer request. A DMA output block 12 reads out a reception payload data from a reception data buffer 18 and DMA-transfers the data to a host memory 3. A reception clock controller 20 starts clock supply to the reception controller 17 when the reception VC detector 16 has decided that the reception cell is valid, and terminates the clock supply to the reception controller 17 upon completion of processing for one cell in the reception controller 17.

Abstract: In an operations, maintenance, and administration part, a starting data managing unit receives a command set and stores the command set into a memory. The starting data managing unit registers the command set stored in the memory to a first register when a test message processing section is in a not busy state. The starting data managing unit erases the command set from the memory both when the command set is registered in the first register and when restart of the part is made. The starting data managing unit deletes the command set from the first register when a notification is made by the test message processing section. A test information managing unit receives the command set and registers the command set to said second register together with state information of a registering state. The test information managing unit changes the state information from the registering state into a waiting state after it transmits a test message.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and program product for balancing communication loads between devices of a network comprises the introduction of a delay by a network device before responding to another network device which is sending an initiation signal for establishing communication between the devices. Based upon communication traffic of the second device, a delay occurs for a predetermined amount of time before the responding network device responds, and the delay is proportional to the amount of traffic handled by the responding device.

Abstract: In a communication network, a wireless channel is selected from multiple channels. The interference level of the selected channel is determined and a first quality value is derived and compared to a first decision threshold. If the first quality value is smaller than the first decision threshold, the selected channel is abandoned and a new channel is searched. If the first quality value is greater than the first decision threshold, the selected channel is maintained for transmission of a packet. A second quality value of the maintained channel is continuously determined and compared to a second decision threshold which is lower than the first decision threshold. Only if the second quality value is smaller than the second decision threshold, the channel is abandoned and a channel search is initiated.

Abstract: A bus for a telecommunications node includes a frame repeating at a defined interval and including a defined number of slots. Each slot includes an overhead portion identifying a type of traffic in the slot and a service traffic portion transporting traffic of the type. A first slot in at least one frame transports in the service traffic portion asynchronous traffic and routing information for the asynchronous traffic in the telecommunications node. A second slot in the frame transports synchronous traffic in the service traffic portion and has a location in the frame associated with routing information for the synchronous traffic in the telecommunications node.

Abstract: A connection admission controller determines whether to admit the requested connection according to whether admission would cause a bandwidth used to exceed a maximum bandwidth allowed. For determining the bandwidth used, an aggregate equivalent bandwidth of all connections is determined by determining a static approximation and a flow approximation, the flow approximation having a non-linear relationship to the number of connections. Using a non linear relationship enables the equivalent available capacity for a number of connections to be determined more accurately with less computational resources.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for per connection queuing of multicast transmissions. The method begins by receiving a cell associated with a multicast transmission. A multicast transmission typically includes a single ingress connection and a plurality of egress connections. The processing then continues by queuing the cell in a next available cell buffer of a root queue that is associated with the multicast transmission. Next, a determination is made as to whether a predetermined number of leaf queues (i.e., queues associated with egress queue identifiers) associated with the multicast transmission are empty when the queuing of the cell commences. Each of a plurality of leaf queues is associated with a corresponding one of the egress connections of the multicast transmission. A leaf queue will be empty when the corresponding egress connection has transported all of the data cells contained within the root queue associated with the multicast transmission.

Abstract: A system and method for transporting telephony signals across an ATM network using AAL1 while eliminating the jitter associated with the AAL1 cells. The present invention uses starve/inspect techniques to dynamically buffer the ATM frames such that jitter associated with the cells can be reduced while avoiding unneeded buffering that would cause excessive delay.

Abstract: A bi-directional line switched ring network system including a plurality of optical fiber communications lines and a plurality of nodes connected by the plurality of optical fiber communications lines forming a closed circuit. Each of the nodes performs an addition and a drop of a path between an external communications apparatus and the optical fiber communications lines or permits the path on the optical fiber communications lines to pass through, or performs a change of a direction of the path. A control unit is located in each of the nodes to control the addition, the drop, the pass-through and the direction change of the path. When the path passes through each of the nodes, the control unit sets a time slot number of the path in being inputted into the node and a time slot number of the path in being outputted from the node independently of each other.

Abstract: A communication system for switching data packets, with allocated items of routing information, between connected communication terminal apparatuses and/or communication terminal apparatuses of connected local networks wherein the system includes at least one network coupling unit in which means are arranged for the evaluation of the routing information, for the switching of the data packets dependent on the result of the evaluation, and for the adaptation, in accordance with format, of the data packets. Through the advantageous arrangement of router functions in the network coupling unit, an economical switching-oriented connected can be made between a local network and a public network.

Abstract: Scheme for the computation of a restrictive cost between pairs of border nodes of a PNNI peer group. A list of said links sorted according to their restrictive cost C is maintained. Logical sets of nodes are formed by taking one link after the other from said list starting with the cheapest cost C and assigning an identifier to the two nodes connected by the respective link, whereby the nodes of a set of nodes carry a dominant unique identifier if a border node is a member of the respective set, or a unique identifier if there is no border node being a member of the respective set. Sets are united if a link connects a node of a first set and a node of a second set, by assigning a dominant unique identifier to all nodes of both sets if either nodes of the first or the nodes of the second set carry a dominant unique identifier, or by assigning a unique identifier to all nodes of both sets if neither the nodes of the first nor the nodes of the second set carry a dominant unique identifier.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for providing synchronization in a data transmission system via the use of a short cyclic synchronization sequence inserted in the header of cells to be transmitted. A 2-bit sync sequence is inserted at the beginning of the header in each cell. At the receiving end, a pair of state machines search for and track the sync sequence. A feedback signal is generated that is used by the receiver to adjust its framing so as to align the received data with the boundaries of the cells. To aid in detecting the sync sequence, the two sync bits are rotated each cell cycle. To avoid confusion with data that mimics the sync sequence, the transmitter transmits idle cells containing all ones except for the 2-bit sync sequence field during the period that the receiver is attempting to sync up with the transmitter.

Abstract: A method is described for transmitting digital data using the time-division multiplex method, in which the data are transmitted within a sequence of time frames (82, 84). In each time frame (82, 84), at least the number of transmitted data bits matches the option defined in the ISDN Standard for 2B1Q transmission. However, a plurality of time frames (82, 82), which form an overall frame (80), are transmitted within the time which is specified by the ISDN Standard for the transmission of an ISDN Standard time frame (60).

Abstract: A syntactical representation is used to generate data describing a hierarchical broadband network and relationships between it elements. The format of the syntactical representation resembles logic programming language clauses. The syntactical representation is used to specify a broadband connection problem to be solved. Data describing physical resources and functionality of a set of network elements is entered into an inference engine which applies an algorithm to its input in order to find a solution to a specified connections planning problem. The algorithm is recursive and uses artificial intelligence techniques; such as, first fail hierarchical planning and hill-climbing to guide the inference engine's search for a solution.

Abstract: A line interfacing apparatus has terminating units connected to lines, a spare terminating unit, a line selector for connecting one of the lines to the spare terminating unit, and a termination controller. The termination controller has switches for switching connections between the terminating units and a switching unit of a higher apparatus. If any one of the terminating units fails, the line selector is controlled to switch the line connected to the failed terminating unit to the spare terminating unit. At the same time, the switches of the termination controller are controlled to supply signals from the spare terminating unit, instead of signals from the failed terminating unit, to the switching unit of the higher apparatus.

Abstract: A router in an IP (Internet protocol) network supporting a number of virtual private networks is partitioned by a divider unit. Each virtual private network has its respective control architecture. The divider unit allocates forwarding resources assigned to each control architecture so as to limit the amount of resources consumed by each control architecture and guarantee pre-set minimum amounts of those resources.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for an Internet Caller-ID Delivery Plus Service is presented. The telephone numbers and Internet accounts of a subscriber are aggregated in a database, with one of the telephone numbers being designated as the primary contact number for the subscriber. When the primary contact number is called by a caller attempting to reach the subscriber, the corresponding telephone numbers and Internet accounts of the subscriber are retrieved from the database by the Service. Each telephone number, including the primary contact number, is then dialed by the Service and the call is connected to the first numbers answered. In the case where none of the subscriber's telephone numbers are answered, each Internet account is analyzed to determine if the subscriber is currently on-line. If the subscriber is on-line, a pop-up window with the caller's ID will appear on the screen.

Abstract: The prior art for the switching of ATM cells to an equivalent circuit involves the problem of incorrect switching operations. The method provides a remedy for this by virtue of the fact that when there is a fault on a service link an equivalent circuit switching operation onto just one standby link is controlled in accordance with priority criteria and logic operation information.