Patents by Inventor Alan Frank Graves
Alan Frank Graves has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 7995919Abstract: An optical intensity control system for use with an optical switch providing individual signal paths between input and output ports. The system has a optical splitters connectable to output multiplexers of the switch and also has variable optical intensity controllers (VOICs) for insertion into the individual signal paths. The VOICs individually control the intensity of optical signals present in the signal paths in accordance with intensity control signals. An equalizer is connected to the splitters and to the VOICs, for producing an estimate of the optical power of each individual switched optical signal and generating the intensity control signals. The equalizer is adapted to controllably isolate individual switched optical signals.Type: GrantFiled: June 2, 2009Date of Patent: August 9, 2011Assignee: Nortel Networks LimitedInventors: Alan Frank Graves, John G. Gruber, Andrew John Bryant
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Publication number: 20090238565Abstract: An optical intensity control system for use with an optical switch providing individual signal paths between input and output ports. The system has a optical splitters connectable to output multiplexers of the switch and also has variable optical intensity controllers (VOICs) for insertion into the individual signal paths. The VOICs individually control the intensity of optical signals present in the signal paths in accordance with intensity control signals. An equalizer is connected to the splitters and to the VOICs, for producing an estimate of the optical power of each individual switched optical signal and generating the intensity control signals. The equalizer is adapted to controllably isolate individual switched optical signals.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 2, 2009Publication date: September 24, 2009Applicant: Nortel Networks LimitedInventors: Alan Frank Graves, John G. Gruber, Andrew John Bryant
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Patent number: 7593607Abstract: A fast optical switch is needed to realize an economical and scaleable optical-core network. In the disclosed optical switch, switching is effected by rapid wavelength conversion. Either channel switching, Time Division Multiplex (TDM) switching or both may be provided by the fast optical switch. The operation of the fast optical switch is enabled by a fast scheduler. The throughput of the optical switch may be increased through a process of bimodal pipelined connection-packing. An in-band exchange of control signals with external nodes may serve to minimize the control overhead. Such control signals may include time-locking signals and connection-requests. A modular structure may be configured to comprise several fast optical switches to yield a high-speed, high-capacity, fully-connected optical switch.Type: GrantFiled: January 4, 2007Date of Patent: September 22, 2009Assignee: Nortel Networks LimitedInventors: Maged E Beshai, Alan Frank Graves
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Patent number: 7542675Abstract: An optical intensity control system for use with an optical switch providing individual signal paths between input and output ports. The system has a optical splitters connectable to output multiplexers of the switch and also has variable optical intensity controllers (VOICs) for insertion into the individual signal paths. The VOICs individually control the intensity of optical signals present in the signal paths in accordance with intensity control signals. An equalizer is connected to the splitters and to the VOICS, for producing an estimate of the optical power of each individual switched optical signal and generating the intensity control signals. The equalizer is adapted to controllably isolate individual switched optical signals.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 2000Date of Patent: June 2, 2009Assignee: Nortel Networks LimitedInventors: Alan Frank Graves, John Gerald, Andrew John Bryant
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Patent number: 7430671Abstract: A data processing apparatus comprises a memory store; a data bus connected to the memory store, the data bus being adapted for transporting data to and from the memory store; a processing entity operative to release read and write commands towards the memory store, the write command being accompanied by first data intended to be written to the memory store; and an encryption module communicatively coupled to the processing entity and to the data bus. Upon the processing entity releasing a write command accompanied by said first data, the encryption module encrypts, in accordance with an encryption key, said first data and send an encrypted version of said first data onto the data bus for writing into the memory store. The reverse operation is performed upon the processing entity releasing a read command.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2004Date of Patent: September 30, 2008Assignee: Nortel Networks LimitedInventors: Alan Frank Graves, Jeffrey Fitchett, John Watkins
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Publication number: 20080209513Abstract: A system comprising a switching entity disposed between healthcare data processing resources and non-healthcare data processing resources. The switching entity is capable of operation in a first state in which an end user device is communicatively coupled to the healthcare data processing resources to support a healthcare session and a second state in which the end user device is communicatively coupled to the non-healthcare data processing resources to support a non-healthcare session. If the authentication request message is received while the switching entity is operating in the second state and a particular non-healthcare session is in progress, and the selected authentication entity is the healthcare authentication entity, initiating a memory purge at the end user device. Attacks on the healthcare data processing resources, both from the non-healthcare resources directly and via the end user device, are thus prevented.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 18, 2008Publication date: August 28, 2008Inventors: Alan Frank Graves, Jeffrey Fitchett, Stephen Elliott, John Watkins, Dany Sylvain
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Patent number: 7386202Abstract: A last optical switch is needed to realize an economical and scaleable optical-core network. In the disclosed optical switch, switching is effected by rapid wavelength conversion. Either channel switching, Time Division Multiplex (TDM) switching or both may be provided by the fast optical switch. The operation of the fast optical switch is enabled by a fast scheduler. The throughput of the optical switch may be increased through a process of bimodal pipelined connection-packing. An in-band exchange of control signals with external nodes may serve to minimize the control overhead. Such control signals may include time-locking signals and connection-requests. A modular structure may be configured to comprise several fast optical switches to yield a high-speed, high-capacity, fully-connected optical switch.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2006Date of Patent: June 10, 2008Assignee: Nortel Networks LimitedInventors: Maged E Beshai, Alan Frank Graves
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Patent number: 7376836Abstract: A system comprising a switching entity disposed between healthcare data processing resources and non-healthcare data processing resources. The switching entity is capable of operation in a first state in which an end user device is communicatively coupled to the healthcare data processing resources to support a healthcare session and a second state in which the end user device is communicatively coupled to the non-healthcare data processing resources to support a non-healthcare session. If the authentication request message is received while the switching entity is operating in the second state and a particular non-healthcare session is in progress, and the selected authentication entity is the healthcare authentication entity, initiating a memory purge at the end user device. Attacks on the healthcare data processing resources, both from the non-healthcare resources directly and via the end user device, are thus prevented.Type: GrantFiled: April 7, 2004Date of Patent: May 20, 2008Assignee: Nortel Networks LimitedInventors: Alan Frank Graves, Jeffrey Fitchett, Stephen Elliott, John Watkins, Dany Sylvain
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Patent number: 7324506Abstract: The present invention delivers both voice and real-time communications over telephony infrastructure. The telephony infrastructure will effectively couple a DSL server in a local telephony exchange to telephony terminals and DSL modems at any number of user locations. Each DSL modem will be coupled to a computing device, such as a personal computer, that is capable of facilitating real-time communications. The DSL server is directly or indirectly coupled to a packet network. In addition to being coupled to the DSL server, telephony cabling at the local telephony exchange is also coupled to a telephony switch to support circuit-switched voice communications. As such, circuit-switched voice sessions may be established via the telephony switch with the telephony terminal over the same telephony cabling. Real-time communications may be provided over the telephony cabling using DSL service between the DSL modem and the DSL server.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 2003Date of Patent: January 29, 2008Inventors: Stephen Bennett Elliott, Alan Frank Graves, John Watkins
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Patent number: 7171072Abstract: A fast optical switch is needed to realize an economical and scaleable optical-core network. In the disclosed optical switch, switching is effected by rapid wavelength conversion. Either channel switching, Time Division Multiplex (TDM) switching or both may be provided by the fast optical switch. The operation of the fast optical switch is enabled by a fast scheduler. The throughput of the optical switch may be increased through a process of bimodal pipelined connection-packing. An in-band exchange of control signals with external nodes may serve to minimize the control overhead. Such control signals may include time-locking signals and connection-requests. A modular structure may be configured to comprise several fast optical switches to yield a high-speed, high-capacity, fully-connected optical switch.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2005Date of Patent: January 30, 2007Assignee: Nortel Networks LimitedInventors: Maged E. Beshai, Alan Frank Graves
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Patent number: 6922501Abstract: A fast optical switch is needed to realize an economical and scaleable optical-core network. In the disclosed optical switch, switching is effected by rapid wavelength conversion. Either channel switching, Time Division Multiplex (TDM) switching or both may be provided by the fast optical switch. The operation of the fast optical switch is enabled by a fast scheduler. The throughput of the optical switch may be increased through a process of bimodal pipelined connection-packing. An in-band exchange of control signals with external nodes may serve to minimize the control overhead. Such control signals may include time-locking signals and connection-requests. A modular structure may be configured to comprise several fast optical switches to yield a high-speed, high-capacity, fully-connected optical switch.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2003Date of Patent: July 26, 2005Assignee: Nortel Networks LimitedInventors: Maged E. Beshai, Alan Frank Graves
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Publication number: 20030194175Abstract: A fast optical switch is needed to realize an economical and scaleable optical-core network. In the disclosed optical switch, switching is effected by rapid wavelength conversion. Either channel switching, Time Division Multiplex (TDM) switching or both may be provided by the fast optical switch. The operation of the fast optical switch is enabled by a fast scheduler. The throughput of the optical switch may be increased through a process of bimodal pipelined connection-packing. An in-band exchange of control signals with external nodes may serve to minimize the control overhead. Such control signals may include time-locking signals and connection-requests. A modular structure may be configured to comprise several fast optical switches to yield a high-speed, high-capacity, fully-connected optical switch.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 19, 2003Publication date: October 16, 2003Applicant: NORTEL NETWORKS LIMITEDInventors: Maged E. Beshai, Alan Frank Graves
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Patent number: 6421150Abstract: An improved access system for use in a Fiber-In-The-Loop (FITL) communications network is disclosed. The access system comprises a host digital terminal (HDT) and a plurality of subtending optical network units (ONUs). The digital signal processing (DSP) functions traditionally executed by line interface units (LIUs) within the ONUs are migrated to the HDT, rendering the individual ONUs simpler, cheaper and more reliable. This is made possible by the provision in each ONU of an oversampling codec for sampling (and conversion) of upstream and downstream data at a very high bit rate. The large bandwidths of the data communicated between the ONUs and the HDT are easily handled by the fiber optic medium therebetween.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2001Date of Patent: July 16, 2002Assignee: Nortel Networks LimitedInventors: Alan Frank Graves, Todd Douglas Morris, Donald Russell Ellis
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Publication number: 20020012138Abstract: An improved access system for use in a Fiber-In-The-Loop (FITL) communications network is disclosed. The access system comprises a host digital terminal (HDT) and a plurality of subtending optical network units (ONUs). The digital signal processing (DSP) functions traditionally executed by line interface units (LIUs) within the ONUs are migrated to the HDT, rendering the individual ONUs simpler, cheaper and more reliable. This is made possible by the provision in each ONU of an oversampling codec for sampling (and conversion) of upstream and downstream data at a very high bit rate. The large bandwidths of the data communicated between the ONUs and the HDT are easily handled by the fiber optic medium therebetween.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 10, 2001Publication date: January 31, 2002Inventors: Alan Frank Graves, Todd Douglas Morris, Donald Russell Ellis
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Patent number: 6229788Abstract: The invention is a novel method and apparatus for controlling the flow of traffic between a host digital terminal (HDT) and a plurality of optical network units (ONUs). Each ONU is connected to the HDT by optical fiber and to a plurality of subscribers by a respective plurality of subscriber drops (typically pre-existing copper twisted pairs). The bandwidth on the fiber, although large, is usually inferior to the total bandwidth that can be transmitted across the subscriber drops. Therefore, both upstream and downstream traffic may become congested at various “choke points” under certain circumstances of usage. Ordinarily, the data is buffered at the choke points, leading to the installation of large queues within each ONU. This solution is not only expensive, but is inadequate since the required queue size is dependent on the maximum transaction size, which has no hard upper bound.Type: GrantFiled: May 27, 1998Date of Patent: May 8, 2001Assignee: Nortel Networks LimitedInventors: Alan Frank Graves, Andrew Jocelyn Timms, David Anthony Fisher
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Patent number: 6198558Abstract: An improved access system for use in a Fiber-In-The-Loop (FITL) communications network is disclosed. The access system comprises a host digital terminal (HDT) and a plurality of subtending optical network units (ONUs). The digital signal processing (DSP) functions traditionally executed by line interface units (LIUs) within the ONUs are migrated to the HDT, rendering the individual ONUs simpler, cheaper and more reliable. This is made possible by the provision in each ONU of an oversampling codec for sampling (and conversion) of upstream and downstream data at a very high bit rate. The large bandwidths of the data communicated between the ONUs and the HDT are easily handled by the fiber optic medium therebetween. In the HDT, DSP functions are executed by a common pool, or bank, of DSP ASICs. Decimators are provided in the HDT in order to properly format the data for processing by the DSPs.Type: GrantFiled: April 7, 1998Date of Patent: March 6, 2001Assignee: Nortel Networks LimitedInventors: Alan Frank Graves, Todd Douglas Morris, Donald Russell Ellis
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Patent number: 6169740Abstract: Novel traffic management schemes of a telecommunications network using the concept of virtual links is disclosed. As an example, if a switch connects via a high bandwidth link to an access mux that drives lower bandwidth links. The mux is a potential congestion point in the downstream direction (from high to low bandwidth links) because traffic can arrive at a greater rate over the high bandwidth link than it can exit through the lower bandwidth link. If all of the traffic destined for a particular low bandwidth link can be organized into a unique virtual link. This virtual link can be scheduled at a maximum rate not exceeding the bandwidth of the low bandwidth link, thus preventing the mux from ever becoming a congestion point. Therefore, the amount of mux buffering can be reduced to a very small amount (for jitter absorption). One advantage of this scheme in this example is potentially large cost reductions in the high volume access mux at the lesser expense of a more complex low volume switch.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 1997Date of Patent: January 2, 2001Assignee: Nortel Networks LimitedInventors: Todd Douglas Morris, Norman Allan Lyon, David Anthony Fisher, Alan Frank Graves