Abstract: In recent years, the world-wide packet data network, commonly known as the Internet, has grown exponentially. The data network now reaches virtually all businesses, most schools and an increasing number of homes. To provide an alternative to all or portions of the carrier-based telephone network, a number of companies have developed equipment and software that enable voice telephone-like communications via the Internet. Severs are now coming on line, which enable calls over the Internet to go off-net to end user stations still coupled to the local telephone network. A number of situations arise where a telephone service subscriber wants to allow callers to call the subscriber's equipment and have part or all of the communication charges billed to and paid by the subscriber. The invention enables such billing to the called party, for calls routed partially or entirely via the Internet.

Abstract: A method for operating a switching device utilizing different signaling protocols. A terminal device is connected to a switching device with the assistance of an interface unit for protocol conversion. Signaling commands that correspond to a signaling protocol employed in the switching device are “tunneled” between the interface unit and the terminal device.

Abstract: A method and a transmitter (100) and a receiver (102) for transmitting messages (114) in a digital telecommunications system. The information (104) to be sent is encoded in an information encoder (106) of the transmitter (100) into frames that are transmitted via a transmission path (108) to the receiver (102). A good state and a bad state have been defined for the frames, and a bit pattern corresponding to each message (114) has been defined. The messages(114) are encoded with a message encoder (116) of the transmitter (100) and transmitted to the receiver (102). The messages (114) are transmitted together with the information (104) via a common transmission path (108), inserting the bit pattern corresponding to the message (114) in the frame, forming the frame corresponding to the time of transmitting the message (114) as bad, and in short sequences, preferably only one frame at a time.

Abstract: A controller for residential telephone wiring. Apparatus associated with the controller provides multiple communication channels on ordinary residential telephone wiring. The controller (1) routes incoming calls to a selected telephonic device within the residence, (2) routes outgoing calls to a free external line servicing the residence, and (3) routes calls within the residence from one telephonic device to another.

Abstract: A flow control method in an Ethernet switch being a downstream device using a full duplex mode in a packet switched network of the type having a plurality of input ports connected to a plurality of Ethernet switches being upstream devices and a common memory for storing packet data received from each input port and for transmitting packet data read from the common memory to a destination upstream device. In such flow control method, the buffer state of the common memory is first determined. If the buffer state is buffer-full, a pause frame including a predetermined pause time is transmitted to the plurality of Ethernet switches being upstream devices and an expected pause time of the upstream devices is counted. The buffer state of the common memory is determined again if the expected pause time expires.

Abstract: In a packet network, on receiving a packet a receiving host determines if the packet has been marked by any of the nodes through which it passed, to indicate congestion at that node, e.g. by checking the CE bit in an IP header. A packet flow control parameter is generated at the receiving side, and sent to the source using an Internet Protocol, as part of the packet acknowledgment, to control the flow of packets from the source, according to the packet flow control parameter. This can reduce control loop delays caused by waiting at the source for a number of acknowledgments to arrive before the congestion level can be calculated. Conditions at the receiver which may be different to those at the source can now be taken into account in the flow control.

Abstract: In a method for transmitting data in a digital transmission system given packet-switched service, for purposes of channel coding, a turbo-coding is performed in a turbo-coder at the sender side and a turbo-decoding with soft decision output signals is performed in a turbo-decoder at the receiver side. To trigger an ARQ, the channel quality is estimated by a parameter estimation method; the variances of the soft decision output signals at the turbo-decoder are determined; the correctness or respectively, defectiveness of the transmitted packet is inferred from the channel quality and the variances; and a retransmission of at least a part of defective packet is triggered. In the retransmission of the information of a defective packet, at least part of the information suppressed by the dotting in the precious transmission is sent. This additional information is [. . .] inserted into the already existing information at the receiver side, and this complete information is decoded again.

Abstract: An assembly of simultaneously transmitted electrically generated signals is disclosed, which contains a subset of binary spreading-code sequences that are members of a larger set of binary spreading-code sequences available to a particular node of a multi-node communication network. All sequences in the set of spreading-code sequences available to the particular node of the network can be generated by the same configuration of two linear-feedback binary shift registers, where feedback taps of the two linear-feedback binary shift registers correspond to primative polynomials of the same degree over GF(2), the field of two elements.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the transmission of voice data in data packets upon utilization of additional performance features in a terminal equipment, wherein switching equipment is employed for the through-connection of voice connections such that voice data is transmitted in voice channels and wherein switching equipment is also employed for the control of supplementary services.

Abstract: A band manager (100) for a frequency-agile network simplifies packet transmission over multiple channels in an ad hoc network or wireless network by acting as a filter between a radio layer (104) and a network layer (102). The band manager (100) selects one channel out of multiple channels for transmitting and receiving packets, thereby taking the channel-decision making responsibility away from the components (e.g., the routing module (206), packet multiplexer (204), clustering module (210)) in the network layer (102). As a result, the radio layer (104) and the network layer (102) transmit and receive packets over a single channel selected by the band manager (100) rather than handling multiple packets over multiple channels. The inventive band manager (100) simplifies a multiple-channel network by making the network layer (102) and radio layer (104) act like a single-channel network.

Abstract: The system provides a distributed decentralized network architecture. Network routing is performed at each node in the network, as opposed to the centralized architecture's single POP. Each node is typically an access point to the network, and it collects the relevant traffic statistics for subscribers connecting at that node. This is accomplished by a network switching/control element contained within the (Invisible Fiber Unit) IFU. The information is collected from the switching/control element contained within the IFU. The information is collected from the switching element by the IFU's CPU. This information can then be pre-processed locally, or sent directly to a central billing facility, for further processing, eventually resulting in the creation of the subscriber's bill. Essentially, it is only billing information that flows back to a central point, rather than the data traffic itself.

Abstract: A novel method of operating a physical layer device in a local area network, such as one conforming to Ethernet protocol, to make a single physical layer device compatible with Physical Media Dependent (PMD) devices operating over different network media types. The methodology involves monitoring signal detect inputs and based on their levels, automatically reconfiguring the physical layer device to support interface to a required PMD device. In a preferred embodiment, a physical layer device in a network transceiver for interconnecting a hub device and PMD devices has first transmitting and receiving paths for supporting interface to a first PMD device, such as 100 BASE-TX, and second transmitting and receiving paths for supporting interface to a second PMD device, such as 100 BASE-FX.

Abstract: A bridged network and a method for performing bridged network topology acquisition. The bridged network includes network segments and smart bridges having one or more ports. The network segments are interconnected by the smart bridges via the ports. Each of the smart bridges being configured to perform steps to accomplish the network topology acquisition. The method also performs steps to accomplish the network topology acquisition. The steps include an inventory construction that compiles a list of the ports that are connected to each of the network segments. Among the ports that are connected to any of the network segments the inventory construction respecting each port operates cooperatively so as to cause the list respecting each of the ports to converge rapidly to the state in which all the lists are similar and yielding a uniform segment inventory.

Abstract: A video communication system that uses multiple streams to carry digital video. The use of multiple streams ensures that errors in one or more of the multiple streams do not prevent reconstruction of remaining ones of the multiple streams. This enables an error free display of the digital video at a reduced frame rate during the loss of a subset of the streams. In addition, the multiple streams provide past and future frames that may be used to recover lost frames and thereby recover the lost stream.

Abstract: A plurality of address chains are assigned to each of such flows as output lines, priority control, etc. in the address management carried out in a switch with a shared buffer. Each of the address chains has a write address register 20 and a read address register 30. The switch is also provided with a distributive pointer 22 for distributing cells in a flow to a plurality of address chains and a write address register selector 21, as well as a read pointer 32 for reading packets from a plurality of the address chains and a read address register selector 31 so as to read the packets through a pipeline with use of those plural address chains.

Abstract: An improved method and system for determining round-trip time (RTT) during a radio link protocol (RLP) wireless communication link. The RTT estimate is negotiated by both sides of the RLP communication link without the need for the 3-way handshake generally required for RLP synchronization. The method includes techniques used by both sides of the RLP communication link to dynamically update and refine their initial, negotiated RTT estimates.

Abstract: A route caching design in a fiber channel switch for providing quick access to recently used D_ID and exit port combinations. The fiber channel switch has a plurality of ports, each are coupled to a central route look-up table. A cache is coupled to each port for storing D_ID to exit port association information received from the central route look-up table.

Abstract: A link state advertisement protocol message received from an originating device over an inbound interface is forwarded over the fast path according to a multicast distribution tree using a special multicast address. Specifically, a special multicast address is used for the link state advertisement protocol message. The special multicast address differentiates the link state advertisement protocol message from other protocol messages. A multicast routing protocol is used to establish a multicast distribution tree for distributing link state advertisement protocol messages based upon the special multicast address. The multicast distribution tree determines, among other things, the preferred inbound interface for the link state advertisement protocol message and any outbound interfaces to which the link state advertisement protocol message is to be forwarded. The link state advertisement protocol message is forwarded according to the multicast distribution tree.

Abstract: In a communication method between the Internet and a mobile station, when transmitting an outgoing signal to the Internet, a private address is assigned to the mobile station which has transmitted the outgoing signal to a switching device. The private address is selected from a group of private addresses uniquely assigned to the switching device. A first correspondence of the private address and the ID number of the mobile station is stored. After converting the private address to a unique network address as a source address, a second correspondence of the unique network address and the private address is stored. The first and second correspondences are used to transfer an incoming signal received from the Internet to the mobile station through a switching device.

Abstract: A digital signal transmitting method, a digital signal receiving apparatus, and a recording medium which ensure the security of fee-charged software information. When an image providing predetermined services is transmitted, a band-compression coded digital video signal is given first-encryption processing and then the digital signal is further given encryption processing and transmitted. Therefore, double security can be added to the video signal and a digital signal transmitting method where its security is more firmly ensured can be realized.