Abstract: A communication system providing telephony communication across combined circuit switched and packet switched networks, such as a telephone network and the Internet, which are connectable to terminals, such as telephones and computers, for selective communication therebetween. The communication system includes an authorization and account control object in the packet switched network, multiple gateways between the circuit switched and packet switched networks providing controlled connectivity between those networks, and an information retrieval object in the packet switched network.

Abstract: A communication system providing telephony communication across combined circuit switched and packet switched networks, such as a telephone network and the Internet, which are connectable to terminals, such as telephones and computers, for selective communication therebetween. The communication system includes an authorization and account control object in the packet switched network, multiple gateways between the circuit switched and packet switched networks providing controlled connectivity between those networks, and an information retrieval object in the packet switched network.

Abstract: A system and method for providing telephone type services over the internetwork commonly known as the Internet. Public switched telephone networks utilizing program controlled switching systems are arranged in an architecture with the Internet to provide a methodology for facilitating telephone use of the Internet by customers on an impromptu basis. Provision is made to permit a caller to set-up and carry out a telephone call over the Internet from telephone station to telephone station without access to computer equipment, without the necessity of maintaining a subscription to any Internet service, and without the requiring Internet literacy or knowledge. Calls may be made on an inter or intra LATA, region or state, nationwide or worldwide basis. Billing may be implemented on a per call, timed, time and distance or other basis. Usage may be made of common channel interoffice signaling to set up the call and establish the necessary Internet connections and addressing.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for permitting a mobile terminal having multiple, heterogeneous network connections (e.g., multiple wired or wireless transceivers of various types) to set up and maintain virtual connections over multiple networks to either the same or to multiple destinations. The mobile terminal can “load-share” traffic, i.e., it can distribute segments of traffic over a full set of heterogeneous networks, significantly improving the reliability and availability of communications. In a first embodiment, a mobile terminal is configured with multiple radio frequency (RF) transceivers. Operating system software is provided for dynamically establishing and maintaining traffic flow for user applications over multiple communications paths, and for automatically adapting to variations in the networking environment, application traffic flow requirements, end user preferences, or mobility.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting images in a first selected bandwidth includes a probe light source to generate a probe beam in a second selected bandwidth, an optical path including input imaging optics to capture an image in the first selected bandwidth and form an image beam and a beam combiner to optically combine the probe beam with the image beam to form a combined beam, and an optical readout quantum well device in the optical path of the combined beam, which simultaneously passes in an optical readout beam an intensity level of at least one wavelength within the probe beam in the second selected bandwidth in proportion to an intensity level of at least one wavelength within the image beam in the first selected bandwidth; and a detector sensitive to light in the second selected bandwidth and not sensitive to light in the first selected bandwidth.

Abstract: A communication system providing telephony communication across combined circuit switched and packet switched networks, such as a telephone network and the Internet, which are connectable to terminals, such as telephones and computers, for selective communication therebetween. The communication system includes an authorization and account control object in the packet switched network, multiple gateways between the circuit switched and packet switched networks providing controlled connectivity between those networks, and an information retrieval object in the packet switched network, wherein the authorization and account control object maintains a substantially real time record of user accounts and usage, and the information and retrieval object provides substantially real time retrieval of selected information from the authorization and account control object.

Abstract: A system and method for providing telephone type services over the internetwork commonly known as the Internet. Public switched telephone networks utilizing program controlled switching systems are arranged in an architecture with the Internet to provide a methodology for facilitating telephone use of the Internet by customers on an impromptu basis. Provision is made to permit a caller to set-up and carry out a telephone call over the Internet from telephone station to telephone station without access to computer equipment, without the necessity of maintaining a subscription to any Internet service, and without the requiring Internet literacy or knowledge. Calls may be made on an inter or intra LATA, region or state, nationwide or worldwide basis. Billing may be implemented on a per call, timed, time and distance or other basis. Usage may be made of common channel interoffice signaling to set up the call and establish the necessary Internet connections and addressing.

Abstract: A system and method for providing telephone type services over an Internet Protocol (IP) network, such as the internetwork commonly known as the Internet. In preferred embodiments, public switched telephone networks utilizing program controlled switching systems are arranged in an architecture with the Internet to provide a methodology for facilitating telephone use of the Internet by customers on an impromptu basis. Provision is made to permit a caller to setup and carry out a telephone call over the Internet from telephone station to telephone station. Calls may be made on an inter or intra LATA, region or state, nationwide or worldwide basis. Billing may be implemented on a per call, timed, time and distance or other basis. Calls may be made front telephone station to telephone station, from telephone station to computer or computer to telephone station.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for permitting a mobile terminal having multiple, heterogeneous network connections (e.g., multiple wired or wireless transceivers of various types) to set up and maintain virtual connections over multiple networks to either the same or to multiple destinations. The mobile terminal can “load-share” traffic, i.e., it can distribute segments of traffic over a full set of heterogeneous networks, significantly improving the reliability and availability of communications. In a first embodiment, a mobile terminal is configured with multiple radio frequency (RF) transceivers. Operating system software is provided for dynamically establishing and maintaining traffic flow for user applications over multiple communications paths, and for automatically adapting to variations in the networking environment, application traffic flow requirements, end user preferences, or mobility.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for permitting a mobile terminal having multiple, heterogeneous network connections (e.g., multiple wired or wireless transceivers of various types) to set up and maintain virtual connections over multiple networks to either the same or to multiple destinations. The mobile terminal can “load-share” traffic, i.e., it can distribute segments of traffic over a full set of heterogeneous networks, significantly improving the reliability and availability of communications. In a first embodiment, a mobile terminal is configured with multiple radio frequency (RF) transceivers. Operating system software is provided for dynamically establishing and maintaining traffic flow for user applications over multiple communications paths, and for automatically adapting to variations in the networking environment, application traffic flow requirements, end user preferences, or mobility.

Abstract: A mid-infrared (MIR) and/or far-infrared (FIR) to near-infrared (NIR) converter (10) for imaging applications is disclosed. The converter (10) makes use of the properties of Optical Readout Quantum Well Infrared Photodetectors (ORQWIP) (20), an NIR source (16), and a conventional near infrared detector device (24). In combination, an MIR or FIR light source (12) to be imaged is focused by lenses or mirrors (17) into a beam combiner (18) along with an NIR probe wave generated by the NIR source (16). The lower conduction level electrons (50a-50g) of the OR-QWIP (20) absorb MIR/FIR photons (60) and are excited to an upper conduction level (48) or free electron band (166) of the OR-QWIP (20) corresponding to the MIR/FIR wavelength (60), while valence band electrons (54a-54g) of the ORQWIP (20) absorb NIR photons (52) and are excited to the freed-up lower conduction level (46) corresponding to the NIR wavelength (52).

Abstract: A communication system providing telephony communication across combined circuit switched and packet switched networks, such as a telephone network and the Internet, which are connectable to terminals, such as telephones and computers, for selective communication therebetween. The communication system includes an authorization and account control object in the packet switched network, multiple gateways between the circuit switched and packet switched networks providing controlled connectivity between those networks, and an information retrieval object in the packet switched network, wherein the authorization and account control object maintains a substantially real time record of user accounts and usage, and the information and retrieval object provides substantially real time retrieval of selected information from the authorization and account control object.

Abstract: A system and method for providing telephone type services over the internetwork commonly known as the Internet. Public switched telephone networks utilizing program controlled switching systems are arranged in an architecture with the Internet to provide a methodology for facilitating telephone use of the Internet by customers on an impromptu basis. Provision is made to permit a caller to set-up and carry out a telephone call over the Internet from telephone station to telephone station without access to computer equipment, without the necessity of maintaining a subscription to any Internet service, and without the requiring Internet literacy or knowledge. Calls may be made on an inter or intra LATA, region or state, nationwide or worldwide basis. Billing may be implemented on a per call, timed, time and distance or other basis. Usage may be made of common channel interoffice signaling to set up the call and establish the necessary Internet connections and addressing.

Abstract: A system and method for providing telephone type services over the internetwork commonly known as the Internet. Public switched telephone networks utilizing program controlled switching systems are arranged in an architecture with the Internet to provide a methodology for facilitating telephone use of the Internet by customers on an impromptu basis. Provision is made to permit a caller to set-up and carry out a telephone call over the Internet from telephone station to telephone station without access to computer equipment, without the necessity of maintaining a subscription to any Internet service, and without the requiring Internet literacy or knowledge. Calls may be made on an inter or intra LATA, region or state, nationwide or worldwide basis. Billing may be implemented on a per call, timed, time and distance or other basis. Usage may be made of common channel interoffice signaling to set up the call and establish the necessary Internet connections and addressing.

Abstract: An internetwork (such as the Internet) telephony system and method incorporating architecture and methodology which facilitates a high degree of scalability. The scalability provides improvement dealing with usage recording, usage pricing, billing account management, and fraud control. The scalability is achieved primarily by bundling of usage recording, pricing, authorization and billing practices in one logical database object which may be physically distributed. A predefined set of network elements are provided access to the database object to obtain authorization for a call along with limitations on the maximum cost or duration of the call for the particular account involved. The database object records usage statistics relating to the completed call, including pricing, and this data is available for virtually immediate billing. The database object provides to customers on a virtual real time basis the customer's usage statistics, including statistics for a call in progress.

Abstract: A communication system providing telephony communication across combined circuit switched and packet switched networks, such as a telephone network and the Internet, which are connectable to terminals, such as telephones and computers, for selective communication therebetween. The communication system provides an architecture and methodology for implementing initiation of establishment of a communication path between called and called terminals from a telephone terminal. The architecture and methodology facilitates communication across carriers or service providers, settlements between carriers and service providers, usage accounting across carriers and service providers, and usage allocation among carriers or service providers.

Abstract: A communication system providing telephony communication across combined circuit switched and packet switched networks, such as a telephone network and the Internet, which are connectable to terminals, such as telephones and computers, for selective communication therebetween. The communication system provides an architecture and methodology for handling resource allocation across carriers or service providers, settlements between carriers and service providers, usage accounting across carriers and service providers, and usage allocation among carriers or service providers. A first provider of packet switched services controls a directory of addresses of gateways between the packet switched and data switched networks, and an authentication database of account data. A second provider of packet switched services controls a multiplicity of the gateways and a database of addresses of authentication databases.

Abstract: A communication system providing telephony communication across combined circuit switched and packet switched networks, such as a telephone network and the Internet, which are connectable to terminals, such as telephones and computers, for selective communication therebetween. The communication system provides an architecture and methodology for implementing initiation of establishment of a communication path between called and called terminals from a telephone terminal. The architecture and methodology facilitates communication across carriers or service providers, settlements between carriers and service providers, usage accounting across carriers and service providers, and usage allocation among carriers or service providers.

Abstract: A telephone network provided with an Internet connection and a call routing and control data base connected to the Internet is further provided with multiple geographically separated voice messaging systems connected to the Internet. Calls through the telephone network may be directed to such voice messaging systems or may be forwarded to such systems. Messages may be deposited in mailboxes in such voice messaging systems and then retrieved from telephone stations located sufficiently near the voice messaging systems as to entail no long distance or time toll charges. Return call service may be provided in a manner to avoid long distance or time telephone tolls through use of the Internet connected data base which routes calls which would incur a toll charge through the Internet.

Abstract: A number of gateway objects interconnect circuit switched and packet switched networks, such as the telephone network and the Internet, for example to enable telephony communication across the combined networks. A directory object coupled to the packet network provides address translation capability, and the directory object polls or communicates with the gateways to provide an intelligent selection of one of the gateway objects, typically for egress to the telephone network. The system also includes an authorization control object. After gateway selection, a calling terminal attempts communication through the gateway object. The gateway object then queries the authorization control object, which instructs the gateway object to proceed only if the requested communication between the calling terminal and the destination terminal is authorized.