Abstract: At least one network device that moves storage blocks based upon a session layer or higher protocol set is employed to facilitate communication between at least one host and at least one target storage device. The at least one network device may include a server and a switch. Transactions related to data storage access are expressed in a non-network protocol and transmitted via a network protocol data unit across at least a portion of the network by employing encapsulation. An adapter card associated with the data storage unit is employed to extract the non-network protocol transaction. Multiple, mirrored data storage units that are separated by relatively large physical distance may be employed to reduce the likelihood of catastrophic data loss due to an event such as a fire. Further, READ transactions may be facilitated by preloading data storage units with READ metadata for subsequent transmission to a client device to enable expedited access to data stored on the data storage units.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for regulating incoming traffic to a web site to prevent overload conditions from occurring. The system comprises a capacity determination unit for determining if a web site has additional capacity and a notification unit for notifying customers if no capacity is available. A scheduling processor provides a customer with scheduling options. When the web site has sufficient capacity, a redirect unit redirects the customer to the web site.

Abstract: A voice bus on a computer backplane provides point-to-point connection between a plurality of slots on the backplane to a particular slot. Connection from the plurality of slots is provided by third connectors which lie between first and second connectors defining the slots. Connection to the particular slot is via its respective second connector. In particular, the computer backplane is physically and electrically compatible with the IEEE standard 1014-1987 defining the VMEbus. The presence of the third connector is compatible with the VMEbus standard both electrically and physically.

Abstract: In a hands free communications terminal apparatus, a loudspeaker and a microphone are permitted to be simultaneously active. A controller monitors signals in transmit and receive paths to direct operations of transversal filters to provide two echo canceller functions, one for the microphone and one for a telephone line so that most unwanted echo and feedback is removed, to prevent the howling and squealing sounds that commonly occur when the loudspeaker and the microphone are both active. Remaining echoes are removed by voice switching of loss between transmit and receive paths, wherein the amount of loss is determined in response to characteristics of the telephone line and the operating environment of the terminal apparatus.

Abstract: Speech signal components in a high band of frequencies between 4 and 8 kHz are transmitted via a digital transmission channel, which carries speech signal samples at frequencies below 4 kHz and sampled at a rate of 8 kHz, by replacing the least significant bit of the samples with bits of information derived from the high band by linear predictive coding. These information bits are transmitted in frames, each frame comprising a synchronizing bit and bits representing the power of and a set of filter coefficients for the high band signal components occurring in a period corresponding to the frame duration. Each such bit is transmitted redundantly three or six times in view of bit stealing techniques already used for signalling on digital transmission links. The resulting wideband speech signal transmission is compatible with existing limited bandwidth voice channel transmission arrangements.

Abstract: A conference circuit has a plurality of ports for a corresponding plurality of conferees. Associated with the ports is a control circuit which determines whether a conferee is active, i.e. talking, or dormant, i.e. listening. The circuit applies gain to the "active" signals and attenuates the "dormant" signals. When a listener starts to talk, the circuit switches his port to the "active" mode. Difficulties arise in determining when a listener becomes active, due to noise and echo with the speech signal. They are mitigated by comparing the signal from the port with an echo signal estimate derived from the echo return loss for the transmission path associated with the port. The arrangement takes account of differing echo levels for different transmission paths.