Abstract: Systems, methods and devices described herein relate, generally, to controlling use of a consumable with a user device. In one embodiment, a consumable item is stored in a cartridge and when the cartridge is coupled to a user device, operation of the user device with cartridge is verified with the assistance of an external system for managing registration information. If verified, operation of the user device and cartridge is enabled and the item within the cartridge is available to be consumed by the system formed by the user device and cartridge.

Abstract: A system and a method are described for remotely verifying the presence of copyrighted content on removable media over the Internet. A server initiates a request to instruct a client to extract a unique signature from the removable media. The client extracts said unique signature from the removable media and transmits to the server as positive indication of the presence of the removable media within the client device. Servers then control online viewing of the content in accordance with the rights inferred from verified possession of removable media such that copyright rules are respected at all times.

Abstract: A system and a method are described for presenting media content for users to view over the internet. Rights pertaining to said media to be viewed are uploaded to servers by users holding such rights to rent or resell such media content. Servers restrict the viewing of the content in accordance with the limitations of the uploaded rights such that copyright rules are respected at all times.

Abstract: A system and a method are described for presenting media content for users to view over the internet. Rights pertaining to said media to be viewed are uploaded to servers by users holding such rights to rent or resell such media content. Servers restrict the viewing of the content in accordance with the limitations of the uploaded rights such that copyright rules are respected at all times.

Abstract: An Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Loop (ADSL) Discrete Multi-Tone system has disjoint and adjacent upstream and downstream channels. During the training phase of an ADSL connection, an ADSL DMT transmitter first determines a round trip propagation delay by transmitting a ranging signal to a far-end ADSL endpoint. During the subsequent communications phase, the ADSL transmitter synchronizes transmission of DMT symbols to a reference clock. In addition, the cyclic extensions of each DMT symbol are increased as a function of the propagation delay.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for minimizing quantization noise in signal transmissions between modems coupled together via a digital network resulting from the performance of digital loss insertion in &mgr;-law encoded signal transmissions when the receiving modem is coupled to the digital network via an analog subscriber loop. In a preferred embodiment, the minimization of quantization noise is effected by providing a digital modem capable of &mgr;-law encoding and decoding a signal transmission; and capable of scaling the amplitude levels of signals generated by the modem; and capable of performing an inversion mapping.

Abstract: A method is presented to enable the impulse response of a channel to be identified when the received signal contains a large amount of quantization noise. A probabilistic estimate of the distribution of the quantization noise is subtracted from the summation of the products of the received training signal samples and tap coefficients to provide a more accurate error signal for the adjustment of the tap coefficients.

Abstract: For use with a central communications device digitally-coupled to a digital telecommunications network that includes an analog interface having an analog-to-digital converter ("ADC"), a system and method for iteratively determining quantization intervals of the ADC and a modulator/demodulator ("modem") employing the system or the method. The system includes: (1) a signal generator, coupled to an input of the ADC, that generates a sequence of analog signals to be quantized by the ADC to yield resulting symbols for reception into the central communications device and (2) an analyzer, that receives a return signal from the central communications device, the return signal indicating comparisons by the central communications device of the resulting symbols with expected symbols, the comparisons allowing the analyzer to determine threshold values between the quantization intervals of the ADC, the quantization intervals being a function of the threshold values.

Abstract: For use with an analog communications device coupled to an analog interface of a digital telecommunications network, the analog interface having signal conversion values corresponding to an n-level symbol table, a system and method that dynamically selects a constellation of symbols from the n-level symbol table, and a modulator/demodulator ("modem") employing the system or the method. The system includes (1)a logic circuit that selects m symbols, m being less than or equal to n, from the n-level symbol table, the m symbols being a function of the signal conversion values, and (2) a transmission circuit adapted to transmit data identifying the m symbols to a remote device digitally-coupled to the digital telecommunications network, the data allowing the analog communications device and the remote device to communicate with a common symbol table dynamically adapted to the signal conversion values of the analog interface of the digital telecommunications network.

Abstract: A telephone system simultaneously transmits voice and data through a public switched telephone network and over one telephone line between a calling party location having an ISDN connection and a destination party location having a POTS analog connection. The calling party location determines if the destination party location has an analog POTS connection and then creates a connection between the calling party and the destination party. Data and voice band signals are packetized and multiplexed and transmitted through the public switched telephone network to a modem located at the destination party location. The packets are demultiplexed into separate voice band and digital signal components and the digital signal components demodulated within the modem. The demodulated data signals are forwarded to a data terminal and a voice band signals forwarded to an analog terminal.

Abstract: The general problem of conveying a particular meaning in a message so that the meaning is most understandable when an abridged version of the message is displayed is solved by supplying as the message a "tagged" string in which all characters in the unabridged version of the sting are tagged with respective priority indicator each having a value indicating a particular priority level. In a station set an abridged version of the string for a particular priority level is determined by selecting all characters from the received, unabridged version having a priority indicator value equal to or greater than that particular priority level. A priority level is elected such that the corresponding abridged string fits within the available display length.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for minimizing quantization noise in signal transmissions between modems coupled together via a digital network resulting from the performance of digital loss insertion in .mu.-law encoded signal transmissions when the receiving modem is coupled to the digital network via an analog subscriber loop. In a preferred embodiment, the minimization of quantization noise is effected by providing in a digital modem means for .mu.-law encoding and decoding of signal transmissions, means for scaling the amplitude levels of signals generated by the first modem down by a predetermined reduction factor to obtain factored signals in addition to means for performing an inversion mapping comprising a scaling of the amplitude level of the factored, .mu.-law encoded signals up by a predetermined inversion factor to obtain a gain in the amplitude level of the factored signals corresponding to the predetermined loss inserted in the amplitude levels of the transmitted .mu.

Abstract: A modem that operates reliably at a symbol rate that corresponds to twice its bandwidth even when it is coupled to a receiving A/D converter that operates under control of a clock is realized by synchronizing the modem's operation to the A/D's clock. The superior operation of this modem advantageously extends to A/D clock frequencies beyond the frequency of twice the modem's bandwidth. To minimize quantization noise, the modem's output is conditioned to minimize intersymbol interference by adjusting the modem's output to the A/D converter's sampling times and slicing levels. When the A/D's clock is higher than twice the bandwidth of the modem's output signal, some intersymbol interference cannot be avoided. In accordance with this invention, the position and value of this interference is computed at the receiver and subtracted from the received signal.