Abstract: A local communication layer is placed in communication with a remote communication layer via a communication link established between a local modem and a remote modem. The communication layers may, for instance, be PPP layers. The communication is then interrupted, for example, by being temporarily paused or being placed on hold. In one scenario, the communication is placed on hold by the remote modem, as a result of a call-waiting alert received by the remote modem. After the communication has been placed on hold, the local modem monitors PPP frames from the local PPP layer and spoofs the local PPP layer by way of responses to the local PPP layer requests as if such responses were made by the remote PPP layer.

Abstract: A mobile communications system transporting messages between mobile terminals and a central control center using a satellite communications system. The central control center and the mobile terminals each store a plurality of message display forms each having a form identifier and a predetermimed display format. The message display forms are selected as templates for generating user messages including message data supplied at the originating station. The satellite messages transmit the user message by transmitting the message data and the form identifier of the corresponding selected message display form. The receiving station, upon receiving the satellite message, accesses the message display form from memory in response to the supplied form identifier, and combines the accessed message display form with the message data to recreate the user message. The mobile terminals are designed as low-cost data terminals requiring a minimum amount of memory.

Abstract: The present invention provides a unitary mechanism for high speed end-to-end telecommunication traffic using an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) architecture for convergence of video, data and voice in an SOHO application using a DSL router. An ATM module (101) for convergence of the telecommunications traffic includes an ATM processor (120) configured to perform QoS, OAM processing and switching in an ATM system. Function modules (102,104,105) and data ports (106,108) are configurable to transceive data, voice and video traffic in which the traffic is packetized in ATM data cells.

Abstract: A network device includes a receive module, a port filter, an action generator, processing logic, and a transmit module. The receive module receives a packet and detects whether the packet includes a router media access control (MAC) destination address. The port filter stores Internet Protocol (IP) source and destination addresses, determines whether an IP destination address associated with the packet has been stored, and identifies policy handling information for the packet. The action generator generates, based on the policy handling information, forwarding information for the packet. The forwarding information includes at least a port vector, and, when the IP destination address associated with the packet has been stored, a replacement MAC destination address. The processing logic determines a replacement MAC destination address when the IP destination address associated with the packet has not been stored. The transmit module transmits the packet based on the replacement MAC destination address.

Abstract: Layered multicast provides a method of optimizing the reception data rate for a plurality of networked push media receivers having heterogeneous reception bandwidth. To reduce the latency of a pull medium element during multimedia event, the data rates for push media layers are reduced during transmission of the pull medium. Further, a recently added layer of the push medium is dropped when the transmission of the push medium is initiated and attempts of the receiver to subscribe to a higher push medium layer are suppressed during pull medium reception.

Abstract: The Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) chooses a root switch. Each of the other switches has a “root” port and one or more “designated ports(s)” chosen by STP. Packets are transmitted upstream toward the root switch through the root port, and packets designated for downstream switches from the root switch are received by the root port and transmitted through the designated ports. In the invention, an administrator of the core network identifies which switch ports in the core network are boundary ports to customer networks. The administrator designates the boundary ports as “root guard protected” ports (RG ports). The STP then executes as required by the ordinary STP protocol, and if a RG port is selected by the STP to be a root portm then the status of the port is set to “blocked,” and no packets are transmitted through the port.

Abstract: A method and system for transporting SONET signals over an optical telecommunications network, the method including generating a ComBus signal, including payload data, J1/C1 and synchronous payload envelope (SPE), per SONET path, Smart extracting of data from the ComBus signal (J1 detection and N/P detection), gathering the payload data and J1 into short packets, adding a packet header to each short packet, transporting the short packets to a destination, and generating C1 and SPE at the destination so as to reconstruct the SONET signals out of the ComBus signal.

Abstract: Growth of a distributed communication system is facilitated through dynamic addition of routing elements. A new routing element may be added to a network of routing elements by first establishing a connection between the new routing element and an existing routing element in the network. The connection may be either wireless or wireline. At least one address is assigned to the new routing element. Each assigned address comes from a pool of addresses maintained at the existing routing element. At least one pool of addresses is issued to the new routing element, permitting the new routing element to dynamically add yet another new routing element to the network of routing elements.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for selecting a Packet Data Service Node (PDSN) for a communication in a wireless transmission system supporting broadcast transmissions. The packet control function node determines a number of communicable PDSNs and assigns each a unique identifier. The PCF then selects one of the communicable PDSNs based on the multi-cast address of a given communication. One embodiment performs a modulo operation on a function of the multi-cast address and the number of communicable PDSNs, wherein the result of the modulo operation corresponds to a unique identifier.

Abstract: A network gateway is configured to facilitate on line and off line bi-directional communication between a number of near end data and telephony devices with far end data termination devices via a hybrid fiber coaxial network and a cable modem termination system. The described network gateway combines a QAM receiver, a transmitter, a DOCSIS MAC, a CPU, a voice and audio processor, an Ethernet MAC, and a USB controller to provide high performance and robust operation. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or the meaning of the claims.

Abstract: A UE system implements dynamic link adaptation by adding or changing control information to notify a receiver which timeslots and codes are currently active and which timeslots should be avoided. The UE provides synchronization such that the receiver knows which timeslots and codes the UE has used to map the coded composite transport channel onto physical channels. The UE attempts to avoid the timeslots which are experiencing transmission difficulties, while attempting to utilize the timeslots which are not experiencing transmission problems.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for data packet communications in a communication system. Packets are received at a gateway having an Internet Protocol (IP) destination address and Network Access Identifier (NAI). The gateway maps the received NAI to a local network, such as supported by a Network Address Translator (NAT). The gateway then converts the destination address to a NAT address of the local network. The gateway also adds a port number that allows the NAT to identify the target recipient. The mapping within the gateway is created and maintained as Mobile Stations send registration requests upon arrival within a local network. In one embodiment, the registration request is a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) registration.

Abstract: A method is provided for alleviating congestion in a computer network. The network includes a plurality of nodes interconnected by communication links, which communicate in accordance with at least an optical layer protocol and a second protocol layer. The method begins by receiving a signal in accordance with the optical layer protocol and determining if local forwarding capacity is available to forward the signal in accordance with the second protocol layer. If the local forwarding capacity is unavailable, the method continues by forwarding the signal in accordance with the optical layer protocol to another node having excess capacity so that the other node can forward the signal in accordance with the second protocol layer.

Abstract: A “primal ascent” technique for scheduling the shared use of a limited resource may be applied to scheduling users in a high data rate (HDR) communication network, such as in a HDR network based on the TIA/EIA/IS-856 air interface standard. In a HDR network, active users share the air interface, and the network delivers data to individual users through the air interface one at a time. The primal ascent approach to user scheduling accommodates a flexible range of utility function types, including non-differentiable types, where utility functions describe the cost, benefit, or revenue gain associated with serving users. Primal ascent techniques allow service providers to, among other things, use different types of utility functions for differentiating between user types or associated grades of service, and allow them to use utility functions that change over time.

Abstract: The invention comprises a method and apparatus for reducing uncertainty in timing on the network. The uncertainty in receive buffers is removed by time stamping the arriving packets before sending the packets to the receive buffer. The uncertainty in the transmission buffer is removed by giving the packets a timestamp in the future, and holding the packets until precisely that time. Time precision is ensured by only releasing time packets at the host physical layer to network boundary at the time specified within the packet.

Abstract: A software method and apparatus for installing and configuring network nodes in a wireless local area network by detecting noise levels on each of the available channels in the network. Each stationary access points listens on the available channels on the network. Each of the stationary access points determines a prioritized list of preferred frequencies or channels of operation based on the noise levels from the surrounding channels in use by other stationary access points. The listening stationary access point chooses a frequency and sets itself to the associated channel based on the strength of the other signals on that channel in the network.

Abstract: A system is provided for distributing in a retail environment one or more packets of information selected from the group consisting of redeemable coupons, forms, messages, tickets, warnings and written packets to potential recipients of said packets from a receiver-printer-dispenser at a remote location.

Abstract: A crossbar switch system with redundancy has N+1 cross-bar switches. A first cross-bar switch has first outputs of each of a plurality of nodes applied to N input terminals thereof, an (N+1)th cross-bar switch has Nth outputs of each of the nodes applied to N input terminals thereof, and second to Nth (Ith) cross-bar switches each have first to Nth selection circuits, which are provided at respective input terminals thereof, to each of which are input mutually adjacent (I?1)th and Ith outputs among outputs of each of the nodes. Each (Jth) node has N selection switches, which are provided at input terminals thereof, to each of which are input Jth outputs of two mutually adjacent cross-bar switches among the first to (N+1)th cross-bar switches. In response to a selection control signal output from a failure processing circuit that executes crossbar switch failure processing, each of the selection circuits selects and outputs one of its two inputs.

Abstract: A method and system that enables faster acquisition of the forward link signal of a target base station in a mixed network of synchronous and asynchronous base stations is disclosed. The serving base station transmits in a neighbor list an estimated timing error 417 between the serving base station and a target base station. By utilizing the timing information, a mobile station estimates the relative time offset 408 between forward link signals received from the serving base station and signals received from the target base station. Timing information acquired during handoff enables accurate updating of the estimated timing error 417 subsequently transmitted in the neighbor lists by the base stations.

Abstract: A network protocol translation device that allows serial data sent using the standard Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) protocol to be used between two locations, using a satellite link or a terrestrial wireless link between the two locations. This is done by translating the standard ATM data to a standard satellite modem interface at one location, and translating the data back to the ATM format at the second (remote) location. The translation can occur at any data rate up to the available effective bandwidth of the ATM connection. The device is also capable of providing Forward Error Correction in the protocol translation. The device is functionally transparent to protocols above ATM, i.e., IP, UDP and TCP. It also interfaces with standard physical layers below ATM such as Synchronous Optical Network (SONET). At the satellite interface, the device is compatible with (but not limited to) Emitter Coupled Logic (ECL).