Abstract: Embodiments provide a system, methods, apparatus, means, and computer program code for providing information regarding an identity's media channel availability.

Abstract: A presence management system allows or blocks access to presence information at a group-level. A subscriber assigns contacts to groups and sets presence access parameters for the groups. In response to a request for the presence information, the presence management system determines a contact group assigned to the requester and checks the group access parameter. Access is allowed or blocked based on the group access parameter and based on overriding access parameters that may be established in the presence management system.

Abstract: A system and a method for quantitatively measuring voice transmission quality within a voice-over-data-network such as a telephony-enabled LAN utilize speech recognition to measure the quality of voice transmission. A first aspect of the invention involves determining the suitability of the LAN for voice communications. A voice sample is selected by a first terminal and is transmitted to a second terminal on the LAN a number of times. The first terminal introduces an incrementally larger quantity of noise into each transmission of the voice packet. The second terminal performs speech recognition for each successively received voice sample and determines the accuracy for each speech recognition session. The amount of noise which drops the speech recognition accuracy below a threshold level provides a measure of the suitability of the LAN for voice communications. During normal operation of the LAN, speech recognition accuracy tests are performed between various endpoints to monitor voice transmission quality.

Abstract: A data processing system comprises an audio processing means receiving data within said data processing system for converting the data into an analog signal with a first and a second analog channel components; an audio output means receiving the analog signal and providing a first and second output signal wherein the first output signal is provided for a loudspeaker and the output second signal is provided for a headset. The control of the audio processing means by a control signal providing an audio signal on the first or on the second channel or on both.

Abstract: Embodiments provide a system, methods, apparatus, means, and computer program code for providing information regarding an identity's media channel availability.

Abstract: A system and a method for quantitatively measuring voice transmission quality within a voice-over-data-network such as a telephony-enabled LAN utilize speech recognition to measure the quality of voice transmission. A first aspect of the invention involves determining the suitability of the LAN for voice communications. A voice sample is selected by a first terminal and is transmitted to a second terminal on the LAN a number of times. The first terminal introduces an incrementally larger quantity of noise into each transmission of the voice packet. The second terminal performs speech recognition for each successively received voice sample and determines the accuracy for each speech recognition session. The amount of noise which drops the speech recognition accuracy below a threshold level provides a measure of the suitability of the LAN for voice communications. During normal operation of the LAN, speech recognition accuracy tests are performed between various endpoints to monitor voice transmission quality.

Abstract: A system and method for supporting communications among multiple interconnected networks include assigning multiple dynamic telephony addresses to each wireless communication device that registers in more than one network. The networks assign the addresses independently of each other. When an incoming call is directed to a particular wireless device via a first network, if the wireless device is beyond the transmission range of the first network, a locate-wireless-communication-device message may be single-cast, multicast or broadcast to remote networks, with instructions to return dynamic telephony addresses assigned to the device. While the telephony addresses are different in each network, each wireless device is associated with a device identifier that is universally applied in the internetwork. Upon receiving a telephony address from a remote network, the address is stored in local memory at the first network, thereby allowing access for subsequent incoming calls.

Abstract: A method of transmitting DTMF signals over a compressed computer network (24) comprises sending a packet containing a compressed DTMF signal followed by a confirmation packet. The confirmation packet preferably comprises an uncompressed DTMF signal which is transmitted on the same logical channel as the packets that represent voice signals. To detect the DTMF signal transmitted, a telephony Internet server (28) decompresses packets as they are received. If a packet appears to contain a compressed DTMF signal, the telephony Internet server looks for the presence of the confirmation packet before processing the previously received packet as a DTMF signal. In an alternative embodiment, the confirmation packet comprises a code that represents a DTMF signal. The packets that represent the voice signal and the code representing the DTMF signal are sent on separate virtual channels of the same logical channel.

Abstract: A method and a system of providing call progress tones in a packetized network include storing the call progress tones and pre-programmed audio deliveries at a first device and includes multicasting or broadcasting the tones and deliveries from the first device to a number of telephony-enabled devices. The multicasts are in a format that enable the telephony-enabled devices to individually control transmissions of the tones and deliveries to other devices, particularly calling devices for incoming calls. Typically, the audio deliveries include memory intensive signals, such as announcements and music-on-hold. The progress tones include conventional call status tones, such as ringback, busy and error tones. In one embodiment, the telephony-enabled devices are telephones to which the calls are directed. In another embodiment, the telephony-enabled devices include proxies that process the system-wide multicasts for telephones of the network.

Abstract: A method of transmitting DTMF signals over a compressed computer network comprises sending a packet containing a compressed DTMF signal followed by a confirmation packet. The confirmation packet preferably comprises an uncompressed DTMF signal. To detect the DTMF signal transmitted, a telephony Internet server decompresses packets as they are received. If a packet appears to contain a compressed DTMF signal, the telephony Internet server looks for the presence of the confirmation packet before processing the previously received packet as a DTMF signal. In another embodiment, an output of a speech compressor and a DTMF signal detector are transmitted on separate virtual channels of a real time protocol data stream.

Abstract: A method of transmitting DTMF signals over a compressed computer network (24) comprises sending a packet containing a compressed DTMF signal followed by a confirmation packet. The confirmation packet preferably comprises an uncompressed DTMF signal which is transmitted on the same logical channel as the packets that represent voice signals. To detect the DTMF signal transmitted, a telephony Internet server (28) decompresses packets as they are received. If a packet appears to contain a compressed DTMF signal, the telephony Internet server looks for the presence of the confirmation packet before processing the previously received packet as a DTMF signal. In an alternative embodiment, the confirmation packet comprises a code that represents a DTMF signal. The packets that represent the voice signal and the code representing the DTMF signal are sent on separate virtual channels of the same logical channel.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for selectively compressing information to be transmitted over a communications network includes an analog line monitor connected to an analog telephone and an analog data communications device. The analog line monitor is configured for detection of carrier tone signals associated with data transmissions. An analog-to-digital/digital-to-analog (AD/DA) converter is connected to the analog line monitor to convert the information contained in transmissions from the analog telephone and the analog data communications device from an analog format to a digital format. Optionally, the AD/DA circuitry is configured for demodulating data prior to transmission over the network. Compression circuitry is responsive to detection of a carrier tone signal by the analog line monitor, such that detection of a carrier tone signal suppresses compression of data transmitted by the data communications device.

Abstract: A conferencing system (100) improves audio quality by identifying and selectively allowing a dominant audio channel to bypass a lossy compression transformation included in a server 102. The system (100) places conference calls over a network (106) and includes the conference server (102), having an input interface (200), a decompressor (202), a summation circuit (212), a correlation unit (206) a compressor (214), and an output interface (220). The input interface (200) receives a plurality of audio channels, each being compressed using a lossy compression algorithm. The decompressor (202) decompresses each of the incoming channels to produce a plurality of decompressed audio channels, which are then summed by the summation circuit (212) to produce a summation stream. The compressor (214) compresses the summation stream to produce a first audio output. The correlation unit (206) identifies a dominant channel from the incoming compressed audio channels.

Abstract: A method and system for delivering multimedia data to a user. The multimedia data is stored on a computer network which can consist of a private network or intranet or a public network like the Internet. The multimedia data to be delivered is typically stored in a combination of hypertext markup language (HTML) and audio file formats (WAV, MPEG, AU, etc.) and typically delivered using hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP). The multimedia data contains a visual portion of data such as text and graphics and an audio portion of data such as music. The visual portion of the data is delivered to the user's computer via a computer network. The audio portion of the data is delivered to the user's telephone via a telecommunications network.

Abstract: A safety system for electronic devices having multiple power inputs includes dedicating a different power detector to each power input and includes disabling all of the power inputs upon detection that one input has been disabled. Each of the power inputs is typically a power cord that provides electrical energy to a discrete electrical circuit. Thus, the safety system permits the electronic device to use a different power supply for each electrical circuit, while ensuring that there is no erroneous assumption that disconnecting one of the power cords will de-energize the entire electronic device. In the preferred embodiment, the paths to the power supplies are disabled by opening relay switches, with the switches that are specific to a power cord being in a logical AND arrangement.