Abstract: Cell deposition and staining apparatuses and methods are disclosed herein. In particular, the deposition and staining apparatuses disclosed herein provide low-volume, automated bench top systems for depositing and staining cellular samples on a cytological slide. An example deposition and staining apparatus includes a housing having an access door; a substrate processing holder located within the housing configured to hold one or more substrates and/or one or more substrate cartridges, wherein the substrate processing holder is accessible when the access door is in an open configuration; at least one opening located at least partially above at least a portion of the substrate processing holder; a spray nozzle configured to dispense a gaseous substance into the substrate processing area; a user interface configured receive an input from a user, and in response to receiving the input, cause execution of a pre-programmed protocol; and a waste and/or reagent holder element.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for dynamically detecting and/or mitigating threats in communications systems. Exemplary methods and apparatus of the present invention allow for a combination of automated and operator controlled responses to threats. While an operator is provided an opportunity to provide input on how to respond to a threat, after one or more threats of a given type are identified, the system will automatically take corrective action without waiting for operator input and/or in the absence of operator input following notification of a threat.

Abstract: The present invention relates to communications methods, apparatus and systems for providing media micro-services in a scalable and efficient manner. In an exemplary method embodiment, a packet plane control service entity performs the following operations: (i) receives a request from a Signaling-Session Border Controller to implement one or more micro-services on a media packet stream, the request including information about the media packet stream including stream identification information; generates instructions for one or more entities under the control of the packet plane control service entity to implement the requested one or more micro-services on the media packet stream; and communicates the generated instructions to the one or more entities under the control of the packet plane control service entity for implementation on the media packet stream.

Abstract: The present invention relates to communications methods and apparatus for session load balancing among session processing entities. An exemplary method embodiment includes the steps of receiving from a first device at a Signaling Front End Load Balancer (SLB) a first session initiation request destined for a second device; making a first session load balancing decision at the SLB with respect to the received first session initiation request; transmitting the first session initiation request to a first Session Border Controller (SBC) worker based on the first load balancing decision, the first SBC worker being one of a plurality of SBC workers forming a cluster of SBC workers, making a session mismatch determination at the first SBC worker with respect to a first session corresponding to the first session initiation request; and when the session mismatch determination is that a session mismatch has occurred notifying the SLB of the session mismatch.

Abstract: The present invention relates to communications methods and apparatus for session load balancing among session processing entities. An exemplary method embodiment includes the steps of receiving from a first device at a Signaling Front End Load Balancer (SLB) a first session initiation request destined for a second device; making a first session load balancing decision at the SLB with respect to the received first session initiation request; transmitting the first session initiation request to a first Session Border Controller (SBC) worker based on the first load balancing decision, the first SBC worker being one of a plurality of SBC workers forming a cluster of SBC workers, making a session mismatch determination at the first SBC worker with respect to a first session corresponding to the first session initiation request; and when the session mismatch determination is that a session mismatch has occurred notifying the SLB of the session mismatch.

Abstract: The present invention relates to communications methods, apparatus and systems for providing media micro-services in a scalable and efficient manner. In an exemplary method embodiment, a packet plane control service entity performs the following operations: (i) receives a request from a Signaling-Session Border Controller to implement one or more micro-services on a media packet stream, the request including information about the media packet stream including stream identification information; generates instructions for one or more entities under the control of the packet plane control service entity to implement the requested one or more micro-services on the media packet stream; and communicates the generated instructions to the one or more entities under the control of the packet plane control service entity for implementation on the media packet stream.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for dynamically detecting and/or mitigating threats in communications systems. Exemplary methods and apparatus of the present invention allow for a combination of automated and operator controlled responses to threats. While an operator is provided an opportunity to provide input on how to respond to a threat, after one or more threats of a given type are identified, the system will automatically take corrective action without waiting for operator input and/or in the absence of operator input following notification of a threat.

Abstract: The present invention relates to communications methods and apparatus for determining whether a received call originated from an artificial intelligence system and the call handling procedures to be used on the received call based on whether or not the call was determined to have been originated from an artificial intelligence system. An exemplary method embodiment includes the steps of: receiving a first call; determining whether said first call originated from an artificial intelligence system; and when said first call is determined to have originated from an artificial intelligence system performing one or more artificial intelligence call handling operations.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for dynamically detecting and/or mitigating threats in communications systems. Exemplary methods and apparatus of the present invention allow for a combination of automated and operator controlled responses to threats. While an operator is provided an opportunity to provide input on how to respond to a threat, after one or more threats of a given type are identified, the system will automatically take corrective action without waiting for operator input and/or in the absence of operator input following notification of a threat.

Abstract: The present invention relates to communications methods, apparatus and systems for providing media micro-services in a scalable and efficient manner. In an exemplary method embodiment, a packet plane control service entity performs the following operations: (i) receives a request from a Signaling-Session Border Controller to implement one or more micro-services on a media packet stream, the request including information about the media packet stream including stream identification information; generates instructions for one or more entities under the control of the packet plane control service entity to implement the requested one or more micro-services on the media packet stream; and communicates the generated instructions to the one or more entities under the control of the packet plane control service entity for implementation on the media packet stream.

Abstract: The present invention relates to communications methods and apparatus for session load balancing among session processing entities. An exemplary method embodiment includes the steps of receiving from a first device at a Signaling Front End Load Balancer (SLB) a first session initiation request destined for a second device; making a first session load balancing decision at the SLB with respect to the received first session initiation request; transmitting the first session initiation request to a first Session Border Controller (SBC) worker based on the first load balancing decision, the first SBC worker being one of a plurality of SBC workers forming a cluster of SBC workers, making a session mismatch determination at the first SBC worker with respect to a first session corresponding to the first session initiation request; and when the session mismatch determination is that a session mismatch has occurred notifying the SLB of the session mismatch.

Abstract: Communications methods, apparatus and systems for detecting a status condition indicative of a failure of a media processing entity and providing media redirection to increase media resource function availability. One embodiment of the present invention is a method that includes directing, by a first Session Border Controller (SBC), a first media call flow of a first call through a first media content processing entity to a second SBC, detecting, at one of said first or second SBCs, a status condition indicative of a failure condition for the first media content processing entity, and redirecting, by the SBC that detects the status condition indicative of a failure condition, the first media call flow for the first call so that the first media call flow passes through a second media content processing entity instead of through the first media content processing entity without terminating the first call.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for dynamically detecting and/or mitigating threats in communications systems. Exemplary methods and apparatus of the present invention allow for a combination of automated and operator controlled responses to threats. While an operator is provided an opportunity to provide input on how to respond to a threat, after one or more threats of a given type are identified, the system will automatically take corrective action without waiting for operator input and/or in the absence of operator input following notification of a threat.

Abstract: The present invention relates to communications methods and apparatus for determining whether a received call originated from an artificial intelligence system and the call handling procedures to be used on the received call based on whether or not the call was determined to have been originated from an artificial intelligence system. An exemplary method embodiment includes the steps of: receiving a first call; determining whether said first call originated from an artificial intelligence system; and when said first call is determined to have originated from an artificial intelligence system performing one or more artificial intelligence call handling operations.

Abstract: The present invention relates to systems, apparatus and methods for the computation and use of session, device and/or user signatures for determining communications session types, device types, and/or user signatures. An exemplary system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention includes: a first device, the first device including: a receiver that receives a first set of session control messages belonging to a first communications session, said first set of session control messages including at least one session control message; a feature extractor that extracts a first set of device features from the first set of session control messages; and a first neural network that determines a device signature from the first set of session control messages based on said set of device features.

Abstract: The present invention relates to systems, apparatus and methods for the computation and use of session, device and/or user signatures for determining communications session types, device types, and/or user signatures. An exemplary method in accordance with an embodiment of the invention includes: receiving a first set of session control messages belonging to a first communications session, the first set of session control messages including at least one session control message; extracting a first set of features from the first set of session control messages; operating one or more neural networks to identify a group session signature to which the first set of session control messages corresponds based on the first set of features, the identified group session signature being one of a plurality of group session signatures.

Abstract: The present invention relates to communications methods and apparatus for determining whether a received call originated from an artificial intelligence system and the call handling procedures to be used on the received call based on whether or not the call was determined to have been originated from an artificial intelligence system. An exemplary method embodiment includes the steps of: receiving a first call; determining whether said first call originated from an artificial intelligence system; and when said first call is determined to have originated from an artificial intelligence system performing one or more artificial intelligence call handling operations.

Abstract: The present invention relates to communications methods, apparatus and systems for providing media micro flow services in a scalable manner using SDN principles. In an exemplary method embodiment a session border controller in a SDN network is operated to receive first signaling information for establishing a first media session, the first media session including a first media packet flow that passes through a first programmable switch of the SDN network; generate instructions to implement a media micro flow service on the first programmable switch through which the first media packet flow passes; and send the instructions to a SDN controller which controls the first programmable switch.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for dynamically detecting and/or mitigating threats in communications systems. Exemplary methods and apparatus of the present invention allow for a combination of automated and operator controlled responses to threats. While an operator is provided an opportunity to provide input on how to respond to a threat, after one or more threats of a given type are identified, the system will automatically take corrective action without waiting for operator input and/or in the absence of operator input following notification of a threat.

Abstract: The present invention relates to communications methods and apparatus for determining whether a received call originated from an artificial intelligence system and the call handling procedures to be used on the received call based on whether or not the call was determined to have been originated from an artificial intelligence system. An exemplary method embodiment includes the steps of: receiving a first call; determining whether said first call originated from an artificial intelligence system; and when said first call is determined to have originated from an artificial intelligence system performing one or more artificial intelligence call handling operations.