Abstract: In general, in one aspect, the disclosure describes a method includes accessing data of an egress packet belonging to a flow, storing data associating the flow with at least one queue based on a source of the data of the egress packet. The method also includes accessing an ingress packet belonging to the flow, performing a lookup of the at least one queue associated with the flow, and enqueueing data of the ingress packet to the at least one queue associated with the flow.

Abstract: Techniques are described that can be used to identify a defective communication channel in a communications network. A decoder in a receiver may decode a signal received from a network. The decoded signal may be re-encoded and compared with the signal received from the network. A count of differences between the re-encoded signal and the signal received from a network may be provided. An indication of errors remaining after the decoding may also be provided. Based on the count and the indication, a defect in the communication channel may be identified. A user may be notified and/or actions may take place.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for resource management includes storing in a memory a set of resource consumers, resources for allocation to the resource consumers, and initial binary constraints applying to the allocation of the resources. Respective variables are associated with the resource consumers, and the resources are identified as values applicable to the variables. A non-binary scoring criterion is applied to generate scores on a graded scale for proposed assignments of one or more of the resources to respective ones of the resource consumers. One or more additional binary constraints are defined based on the graded scale of the scores. An assignment is found of the values to the variables that satisfies the initial and additional binary constraints using a constraint satisfaction problem (CSP) solver running on a processor that is coupled to the memory. The resources are assigned to the resource consumers responsively to the assignment of the values to the variables.

Abstract: In general, in one aspect, the disclosure describes a method includes accessing data of an egress packet belonging to a flow, storing data associating the flow with at least one queue based on a source of the data of the egress packet. The method also includes accessing an ingress packet belonging to the flow, performing a lookup of the at least one queue associated with the flow, and enqueueing data of the ingress packet to the at least one queue associated with the flow.

Abstract: Upstream information at a user terminal in a satellite network is efficiently scheduled through a Demand Assigned Multiple Access (DAMA) algorithm that delays transmission of the first packet's bandwidth allocation request in order to allow subsequent packets to be included in the first packet's bandwidth allocation request (up-front delayed concatenation) in order to minimize delay due to the long round trip time and overhead in packet processing and packet transmission through a hardware queue. Rather than merely the size of the next packet, the size of the entire concatenated frame is communicated to the scheduler, which may be distributed between the user satellite modem and the gateway, to prepare the schedule, where the schedule is the basis of the upstream transmission of the various associated user terminals. Optimal delay is a function of traffic pattern and the scheduling delay including round-trip delay.

Abstract: In a data over satellite system, preallocation of upstream channel resources is provided by a scheduler at the gateway satellite modem termination system (SMTS) in response from the user terminal, wherein the user terminal detects web browser and/or bulk transfers involving large amounts of data transfer from users via the upstream channel. A type length value (TLV) field is included with data packets transmitted to the gateway SMTS, at which excess transfer capability is allocated to the user terminal in anticipation of load requirements.

Abstract: Upstream information arriving through a gateway from a user terminal in a satellite link subject to propagation delay is efficiently scheduled through a modified Demand Assigned Multiple Access (DAMA) algorithm such that arriving data packets arriving at the software queue at the user terminal are concatenated to form a large frame for transmission to improve efficiency. A piggyback request replacing a conventional DAMA contention request for the succeeding packet is issued to request bandwidth allocation for the succeeding concatenated packet. In a specific embodiment, all packets up to the physical request limit arriving at the user terminal since a prior piggyback request or contention request are concatenated so that all currently known packets (up to that limit) are accounted for by the next piggyback request.

Abstract: Upstream information arriving through a user terminal in a satellite link is efficiently scheduled through a modified Demand Assigned Multiple Access (DAMA) algorithm such that data packets arriving at the user terminal are concatenated to form a larger frame for transmission and the concatenated packet is held in a first queue disposed ahead of a second queue, where the data in the second queue cannot be modified (typically a hardware queue), sufficient to allow the second queue to be emptied. In a specific embodiment, all packets arriving at the user terminal since a prior piggyback request are concatenated so that all currently known packets (up to a preselected limit) are accounted for by each succeeding piggyback request. Since it is desirable to concatenate all packets that arrive at the user terminal since the last piggyback request, the piggyback request according to the invention covers all currently known packets (up to the preselected limit) in the user terminal.

Abstract: In general, in one aspect, the disclosure describes a method includes accessing data of an egress packet belonging to a flow, storing data associating the flow with at least one queue based on a source of the data of the egress packet. The method also includes accessing an ingress packet belonging to the flow, performing a lookup of the at least one queue associated with the flow, and enqueueing data of the ingress packet to the at least one queue associated with the flow.

Abstract: Techniques for accelerating network receive side processing of packets. Packets may be associated into flow groupings and stored in flow buffers. Packet headers that are available for TCP/IP processing may be provided for processing. If a payload associated with a header is not available for processing then a descriptor associated with the header is tagged as indicating the payload is not available for processing.

Abstract: A personal communications earpiece (10, 10a, 10b) for use with a personal communications device such as a telephone (50). The personal communications earpiece (10, 10a, 10b) has an ear hook (12) for placing over an ear (60) of the user. An ear bud (14, 14a) containing a speaker (27) is both physically and electrically connected to the ear hook (12) by a flexible connector (16). A front portion (22) of the ear hook (12) extends generally downward in front of the ear (60). In one embodiment, the ear bud (14) has an in ear portion (28) with a plurality of grooves (30) therein for assisting in preventing the ear bud (14) from completely blocking or occluding the ear canal of the user.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for data transmission at energy efficient rates. An embodiment of an apparatus includes a port for the transfer of data. The port has an active state in which the port may transmit or receive data and an inactive state in which the port does not transmit or receive data. The apparatus further includes logic to control the transfer of data. The logic places the port into the active state for a first time period for the transfer of data and places the port into the inactive state for a second time period. The logic further prevents transfer of data during the inactive state.

Abstract: A personal communications earpiece (10, 10a, 10b) for use with a personal communications device such as a telephone (50). The personal communications earpiece (10, 10a, 10b) has an ear hook (12) for placing over an ear (60) of the user. An ear bud (14, 14a) containing a speaker (27) is both physically and electrically connected to the ear hook (12) by a flexible connector (16). A front portion (22) of the ear hook (12) extends generally downward in front of the ear (60). In one embodiment, the ear bud (14) has an in ear portion (28) with a plurality of grooves (30) therein for assisting in preventing the ear bud (14) from completely blocking or occluding the ear canal of the user.

Abstract: In general, in one aspect, the disclosure describes a method that includes accessing a packet, determining a flow associated with the packet, and determining, based at least in part on the packet, whether to remove the flow from a list of flows to handle using page-flipping.

Abstract: Method and system for strategic global resource sourcing in one aspect incorporates concurrently a plurality of qualitative and quantitative attributes that influence performance of sourcing strategy with respect to one or more quantitative measures, quantifies an impact of said qualitative attributes using said one or more quantitative measures, and optimizes the sourcing strategy with respect to said one or more quantitative measures subject to one or more constraints.

Abstract: The substitution of employees in a service engagement is a computer based method designed to consider a set of attributes that describe the resource capabilities required for delivering a services engagement and identify the actual real-world human assets that can be substituted and/or matched to these attributes. The method will produce an allocation plan that provides the set of permissible substitutes for a given resource demand, given a set of allowable substitute resources for a particular resource attribute, and substitution and matching rules for the given resource demand. A set of metrics is created that identify which substitutions are best relative to the ideal match of resources to the demand.

Abstract: A system has a power consuming component, power source circuitry, and power control circuitry. The power source circuitry is to supply power from a number of different sources, including some extracted from a local area network (LAN) cable that is attached to the system. The power control circuitry is to supply the power to operate the component from all of the different sources.

Abstract: The present invention forecasts workforce demand by extracting a data set representing project requests that are recorded in a corporate workforce request database before work begins and using advance request data to forecast the future workforce demand. Thus, advance resource request data is accessed, and demand signals are extracted from the data. Forecast models are built for each skill category and forecasting lead time using the advance resource request data. Workforce demand forecasts are also generated.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for optimizing a sourcing strategy for potential services offerings of large, multinational services organizations. This optimization method considers existing capabilities, resource skills, locations of the resources, costs of the resources, desired profit margins and other strategic sourcing policies to produce an optimized service offering staffing plan.

Abstract: A workforce management tool includes an input section that receives data from one or more data sources that together reflect data of substantially an entirety of a workforce of an organization. A plurality of service modules receive and process the data in accordance with requirements of different segments of the organization. The plurality of service modules are interconnected so that a user in a segment of the organization can selectively view any data of the workforce tool that is related to that segment.