Abstract: In a cable network providing, among others, interactive video services, data cells carrying real-time data concerning, e.g., trick mode commands (pause, rewind and fast-forward) initiated by a user are instantly transmitted to a headend facility for immediate processing. The invention is premised upon a recognition that such real-time data typically does not fully utilize the transport capacity of the data cells. In accordance with the invention, non-real-time (NRT) data to be transmitted to the headend facility, although accorded a lower priority than the real-time data, is inserted into those underutilized data cells before their transmission, thereby fully exploiting the transport capacity of the data cells.

Abstract: In a cable network providing, among others, interactive video services, data cells carrying real-time data concerning, e.g., trick mode commands (pause, rewind and fast-forward) initiated by a user are instantly transmitted to a headend facility for immediate processing. The invention is premised upon a recognition that such real-time data typically does not fully utilize the transport capacity of the data cells. In accordance with the invention, non-real-time (NRT) data to be transmitted to the headend facility, although accorded a lower priority than the real-time data, is inserted into those underutilized data cells before their transmission, thereby fully exploiting the transport capacity of the data cells.

Abstract: A system and method adapted to provide microcellular Personal Communications Services (PCS) through the use of an improved Distributed Radio Port Controller (DRPC) architecture. The architecture achieves the desired handover with minimal impact on the existing embedded base of switches by generating new calls from target Radio Port Controllers (RPCs) through the switches to anchor RPCs and internally bridging bearer channels without the knowledge of the switches. The system includes a Home Location Register (HLR) for storing and providing subscription data and keeping track of where the mobile terminals are registered in order to deliver calls. A PCS# database is also utilized for storing a list of Universal Personal Telephone (UPT) numbers which have been assigned to the PCS subscribers. The PCS# database is operable to map these UPT numbers to the locations of their corresponding HLR.