Abstract: A system and method for blending tasks received from a plurality of media switches. The method comprises receiving a plurality of task data indicating a plurality of tasks and a plurality of agent data indicating a plurality of agents. The task data and the agent data are stored in a database system. Tasks are assigned to the agents according to workflows. The system comprises a blending engine coupled to a plurality of media switches and a plurality of agent workstations coupled to the blending engine. The blending engine receives a plurality of task data from the media switches. The agent workstations provide a plurality of agent data to the blending engine. The blending engine provides a plurality of task assignments to the agent workstations according to workflows.

Abstract: A general purpose expert system architecture for diagnosing faults in any one of a plurality of machines includes a machine information database containing information on characteristics of various components of the machines to be diagnosed and a sensory input database which contains vibration data taken at predetermined locations on each of the machines. The system knowledge base contains a plurality of general rules that are applicable to each of the plurality of machines. The generality of diagnosis is accomplished by focusing on components that make up the machine rather than individual machines as a whole. The system architecture also permits diagnosis of machines based on other parameters such as amperage, torques, displacement and its derivatives, forces, pressures and temperatures. The system includes an inference engine which links the rules in a backward chaining structure.

Abstract: A tool for building a knowledge system and running a consultation on a computer is easily mastered by people with little computer experience yet also provides advanced capabilities for the experienced knowledge engineer. The knowledge system includes a knowledge base in an easily understood English-like language expressing facts, rules, and meta-facts for specifying how the rules are to be applied to solve a specific problem. The tool includes interactive knowledge base debugging, question generation, legal response checking, explanation, certainty factors, and the use of variables. The knowledge base language permits recursion and is extensible. Preferably, control during a consultation is goal directed in depth-first fashion as specified by rule order. The tool is easily embodied in assembly language, or in PROLOG to allow user-defined PROLOG functions.

Abstract: A tool for building a knowledge system and running a consultation on a computer is easily mastered by people with little computer experience yet also provides advanced capabilities for the experienced knowledge engineer. The knowledge system includes a knowledge base in an easily understood English-like language expressing facts, rules, and meta-facts for specifying how the rules are to be applied to solve a specific problem. The tool includes interactive knowledge base debugging, question generation, legal response checking, explanation, certainty factors, and the use of variables. The knowledge base language permits recursion and is extensible. Preferably, control during a consultation is goal directed in depth-first fashion as specified by rule order. The tool is easily embodied in assembly language, or in PROLOG to allow user-defined PROLOG functions.

Abstract: A time assignment speech interpolation (TASI) system includes a speech buffer comprising storage packets which are assigned to the individual channels as required for the storage of the signals of each off-hook channel. For each inactive channel, the signals are stored sequentially and cyclically in one packet. When the channel becomes active, the sequential storage of signals continues in this and in further packets as required, signals stored before detection that the channel had become active being retained in the first packet to accommodate the response time of a speech detector of the system. Clipping of speech signals is thereby avoided. The channel is assigned a transmission facility and channel-to-facility assignment information is transmitted, following which the signals of the relevant channel are read sequentially from the buffer packets and transmitted via the facility.

Abstract: A DSI transmission system is described in which noise signal contrast is mitigated by transmitting not only active channels but also channels which carry background noise, the resolution of the background noise channels being varied in dependence upon the number of channels transmitted. In the described system, the DSI transmission is effected in superframes each of which consists of an overhead information frame and a plurality of digital message frames. The overhead information frame contains a word indicating the transmission status of each channel during the superframe, a code indicating the number of bits of each digital message, and maximum segment value information bits for each of the active channels which are transmitted using nearly instantaneous companding. Each of the remaining frames contains a digital message in respect of each active channel.