Abstract: Communications are adaptively routed across at least one network. Responsive to a dynamic user request for routing of communications at a particular service level, available routes within the network are determined for routing the communications. Route quality characteristics are determined for routes within the network for routing the communications. A route for routing the communications for the user is determined based on the available routes, the route quality characteristics, and the particular service level requested by the user.

Abstract: A network call admission control system receives a call and determines a call characteristic requirement and a network characteristic parameter. The call is admitted to the network based in part on whether the call characteristic requirement is satisfied by the network characteristic parameter. As a result, a communications service provider can provide a high quality of service for completed calls or charge a discounted rate for completed calls not meeting a certain quality of service.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing voice labels and establishing communication connections between a calling party and a called party based on the voice labels. When the calling party wishes to establish a communication with the called party, the calling party activates his/her user device and speaks a voice label into the audio receiver of the user device. The calling party's voice is then converted into analog voice signals (or data voice signals if a data network is being used) and transmitted to a voice label processor. The voice label processor receives the voice signals and extracts at least one feature pattern from the voice signals that identifies the voice label to which it corresponds.

Abstract: A network call admission control system receives a call and determines a call characteristic requirement and a network characteristic parameter. The call is admitted to the network based in part on whether the call characteristic requirement is satisfied by the network characteristic parameter. As a result, a communications service provider can provide a high quality of service for completed calls or charge a discounted rate for completed calls not meeting a certain quality of service.

Abstract: In a system for providing telecommunications relay service, the delay in assigning an attendant to an established relay session after the text-to-speech conversion process may be controlled by establishing new relay sessions, in response to requests therefor, only if a) less than a predetermined maximum number K of relay sessions have already been established, b) none of the established relay sessions are queued and waiting for an attendant and c) an attendant is available. An established relay session is one that is 1) being served by an attendant, 2) is waiting to be reconnected to an attendant or 3) is in the midst of the text-to-speech conversion process. The value of K is greater than or equal to the number of attendants. It is determined dynamically, as a function of 1) a given set of performance objectives, 2) the current set of traffic characteristics, 3) the current performance characteristics and 4) the resources available at the telecommunications relay service center.

Abstract: A facility is provided for automating dual party relay service so that the cost of such a service may be reduced. The desired result is achieved by automating particular features of dual party relay service to appreciably decrease the amount of time that a service attendant is involved in a dual party relay call. Such automation is obtained by employing text-to-speech processing, and, on a limited basis, automatic speech recognition.