Abstract: A system for controlling network access to products. The system includes a security appliance connected to a product under operational control of a first entity, a product connection platform and a user terminal under operational control of a second entity, the product connection platform being accessed by the user terminal, and a trust relationship established between the first entity and the second entity based on predetermined criteria between the first entity and the second entity, the trust relationship being represented by a certificate or public/private key exchange. Authentication of access by a user of the user terminal of the second entity to the product of the first entity is deferred to the product connection platform of the second entity based on the predetermined criteria of the trust relationship, whereupon if authentication is granted, the user is provided access to the product.

Abstract: A subscriber at a remote location is provided the capability of configuring a multipoint private line network composed of multipoint junction units or hubs that provide alternative functions of permitting exclusive data intercommunication between main lines thereof and selected branch lines thereof when certain selection codes are applied to the main lines without the subscriber having knowledge of the selection codes or the network "mapping". The subscriber at the remote location sends a service request defining the function desired and the ultimate downstream terminal to be interconnected or blocked and a control unit in the network consults a network map to identify the upstream and downstream branch lines to be selected, sending a sequence of selection codes to first select the upstream branch and then select the downstream branch or branches. The control unit also monitors responses of the junction units and reports results to the control location.

Abstract: Recovery of eight-bit data characters imbedded in the time slots of a train of data bytes individually having six slots available is implemented by a process which locates the bit alignment of a first one of the characters and executes a sequence of assembly procedures to appropriately form this and subsequent characters. The data characters are available as bursts of data characters preceded by synchronizing words having a predetermined bit sequence to create data blocks, the sequential bits of the block being inserted in sequential available slots of the byte train. Recovery is accomplished by comparing the bits of each byte with stored patterns corresponding to overlapping portions of the synchronizing word. A comparison match identifies the bit location of the first character in the burst to thereby define one of a plurality of assembly procedures which process the bits in the identified locations to form the character.