Abstract: A telecommunications system 100 is provided that includes a plurality of TTY devices 124a-n, a switching system 104 to switch a call to a selected one of the plurality of TTY devices; and back-to-back modems 132a-m comprising first and second modems 136 and 140. The first modem 136 faces the TTY devices 124a-n and the second modem 140 faces a set of outgoing trunks.

Abstract: A user of a computer indicates a desired user interface behavior, and the computer automatically selects and sets options of programs and devices of the computer individually for each program to achieve that behavior. Alternatively, the user indicates a condition of the user, such as a specific motor or sensory disability, and the computer automatically adjusts its programs and devices to accommodate the user's needs.

Abstract: A normalizer (100, 300) of the accent of accented speech modifies (210, 410) the characteristics of input signals that represent the speech spoken in an individual voice with an accent to form output signals that represent the speech spoken in the same voice but with less or no accent.

Abstract: The accent of a party to a call is determined from a speech sample of the party and the call is sent for servicing to a call-center agent who has skill in the determined accent, and preferably to an agent who speaks both the determined language and the language of the accent.

Abstract: A normalizer (100, 300) of the accent of accented speech modifies (210, 410) the characteristics of input signals that represent the speech spoken in an individual voice with an accent to form output signals that represent the speech spoken in the same voice but with less or no accent.

Abstract: The accent of a party to a call is determined and the call is sent for servicing to a call-center agent who has skill in the determined accent, and preferably to an agent who speaks both the determined language and the language of the accent.

Abstract: An automatic speech recognition (ASR) apparatus (100) has a database (108) of a plurality of clusters (110) of speech-recognition data each corresponding to a different accent and containing words and phonemes spoken with the corresponding accent, an accent identifier (104) that identifies the accent of incoming speech signals, and a speech recognizer that effects ASR of the speech signals by using the cluster that corresponds to the identified accent.

Abstract: Disclosed is a way of enhancing capabilities of an interface, such as a communications bus (100), while retaining backwards compatibility of the interface. The bus has a plurality of signal lines (250) including critical control signal lines. Legacy devices (102-103) present a legacy interface to each other over the bus by communicating with each other via a legacy protocol (251) over the bus. Critical control signals of the legacy protocol are conveyed by the critical control signal lines. New devices (104-105) present an enhanced interface to each other over the same bus by communicating with each other via an enhanced protocol (252) over the bus. Control signals of the enhanced protocol are conveyed by signal lines other than the critical control signal lines for the legacy protocol, so that the critical control signal lines remain idle or invalid for the legacy protocol.

Abstract: An arrangement (FIG. 1) that allows banks (15, 25) of up to eight duplicated active devices (30-37, 40-47) to be connected to a SCSI bus (14) and to share SCSI device IDs, and also allows multiple hosts (10, 20) to share the SCSI bus and the connected active devices. Tri-state buffers (200) act as gates (13, 23, 38, 48) to interface host adapters (12, 24) of a plurality of hosts, and active devices of a plurality of device banks, to the SCSI bus. The gate of only one host adapter and the gates of only one bank of devices are enabled at any one time. Only the devices of the enabled bank can receive and respond to addresses from the SCSI bus, while the devices of the other banks are prevented from receiving and responding to addresses from the SCSI bus. Each host has a tri-state buffer acting as bank selector (16, 26) for selecting one of the device banks, by enabling the gates of the devices of the selected bank through a bank select bus (50). Only one host's bank selector is enabled at any one time.

Abstract: Base stations responding on a shared channel to a registration request message received on another shared channel from a wireless mobile unit with the base station to which the mobile unit is assigned transmitting in a first time slot and the other base stations transmitting in a time slot determined by the strength of the received signal from the mobile unit. If two base stations respond to the registration request message in the same time slot and the assigned base station does not respond, the mobile unit determines whether there is a response in a time slot which is earlier in time to the first time slot than the collided time slot. If the collided time slot is earlier in time than any other time slot in which a response is received, the mobile unit transmits a second registration request message specifying the collided time slot.

Abstract: An arrangement for effecting call handoffs in a wireless communications system (FIG. 1 ) in a substantially glitchless manner. The arrangement relies on the mobile terminal (4) that is involved in a handoff to trigger the handoff by transmitting a handoff coordination signal simultaneously to the base stations (1, 2) that are involved in the handoff. The base stations receive the signal substantially simultaneously, and in response the base station that has been serving the mobile terminal's call ceases to do so while the base station that is henceforth to serve the mobile terminal's call commences to do so at the same instant in time.

Abstract: Signaling a mobile unit to transmit a synchronization pattern with voice information upon detecting from the signal strength of the wireless mobile unit by a base station that the mobile unit is approaching a minimum threshold. Where the voice information is initially being transmitted in a set of frequency hopping channels using spread spectrum transmission, the synchronization pattern is transmitted in one or more of the set of frequency hopping channels. In addition, the base station alerts a system controller to this fact, and the system controller requests that neighboring base stations monitor the set of frequency hopping channels being transmitted by the mobile unit. In order to synchronize to the mobile unit, the base stations utilize the synchronization pattern to come into synchronization with the mobile unit. The system controller transfers the wireless mobile unit to the base station which is receiving the strongest signal strength.

Abstract: A wireless-access communications system, such as a CDMA cellular radio-telephone system (FIG. 2), comprises a packet-switched communications network (202, 207, 201) that interconnects cells (base stations; 202) with each other and with the public telephone network (100). Traffic of individual calls is packetized, and packet-bearing frames (300 in FIG. 7) of a plurality of calls are then statistically multiplexed and frame-relayed through the network to yield the high capacity, efficiency, and speed of traffic transport and handoff required for a CDMA cellular system. At each call processing unit (264 in FIG. 5), individual calls are handled by individual service circuits (602 & 612) which perform speech-processing functions such as coding and decoding, tone insertion, and echo cancellation, and packet-to-circuit-switched-PCM traffic conversion.

Abstract: A wireless-access communications system, such as a CDMA cellular radio-telephone system (FIG. 2), comprises a packet-switched communications network (202, 207, 201) that interconnects cells (base stations; 202) with each other and with the public telephone network (100). Traffic of individual calls is packetized, and packet-bearing frames (300 in FIG. 7) of a plurality of calls are then statistically multiplexed and frame-relayed through the network to yield the high capacity, efficiency, and speed of traffic transport and handoff required for a CDMA cellular system. At each call processing unit (264 in FIG. 5), individual calls are handled by individual service circuits (602 and 612) which perform speech-processing functions such as coding and decoding, tone insertion, and echo cancellation, and packet-to-circuit-switched-PCM traffic conversion.

Abstract: An arrangement for securing data transmissions to and from one data device from among a plurality of data devices sharing a common interface is disclosed. In a data communication network, a master communication bus connects to a plurality of data transmitting and receiving devices via a single interface. The disclosed arrangement provides circuitry in the common interface which generates a jamming signal to all devices connected to the interface except for that one device which is either transmitting or receiving a data-transmission. The jamming signal inhibits all the connected devices from monitoring and detecting the data transmission processes of the interface. The one transmitting and receiving device is enabled to either transmit or receive data during the generation of the jamming signal which ensures a secure data transmission and prevents "eavesdropping" by the other devices. The jamming signal is removed at the conclusion of the data transmission to or from the one device.

Abstract: There is disclosed a port communication method and apparatus for controlling system controller communications with port circuits of the system. The port communication apparatus generates commands to port module interfaces, interposed between the controller and port circuits, in a predetermined order and receives acknowledgement signals therefrom. Thereafter, the port interfaces concurrently collect data from the associated port circuits and transmit this data in response to a subsequent read command from the port communication apparatus. In one embodiment the port communication apparatus includes a programmable microcode routine which generates the commands using input parameters which are specified in various registers and in the microcode program call.