Abstract: A method of managing communications services begins with a communications platform receiving a request for a communications service to be provided to a communications device by a source other than the communications platform. The communications platform determines an authorization of the communications device to receive the communications service. The authorization comprises a permission of the communications device to receive the communications service during a lifetime of a communications session maintained with the communications device. The communications network authorizes delivery of the communications service to the communications device during the lifetime of the communications session, in accordance with the authorization.

Abstract: A method of managing communications services begins with a communications platform receiving a request for a communications service to be provided to a communications device by a source other than the communications platform. The communications platform determines an authorization of the communications device to receive the communications service. The authorization comprises a permission of the communications device to receive the communications service during a lifetime of a communications session maintained with the communications device. The communications network authorizes delivery of the communications service to the communications device during the lifetime of the communications session, in accordance with the authorization.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a drilling tool incorporating first and second ends, a cuttable and/or processable shaft extending between the ends. The first end has a drill bit to penetrate rock. The drill bit and the shaft have complementary threads. The drill bit and the shaft comprise a relative rotation stop means that ensures that the drill bit remains loose during drilling in a first direction. The invention further relates to a self drilling rock bolt, a drill bit, drill shaft and shaft coupling, and an anchoring device per se.

Abstract: A telecommunications system comprises an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network having uncommitted bandwidth, and a plurality of adaptive grooming routers (AGR) coupled to the network. The AGRs comprise a group adapted to function as a virtual transit exchange whose fabric and control are distributed over the group. The visual comprising the AGRs incorporates independent connection control and call routing functions and has means for determining the current system status whereby to set up narrow band connections across the ATM network based on that status determination.

Abstract: A system and method for reestablishing a voice communications session moderated by a group call server between two or more telephony devices. The method is performed by a processor monitoring the communications session. The method comprises: storing one or more data records representing group call information; detecting disconnection of at least one participating telephony device from the group communications session, and determining that the disconnection was not intentionally initiated; accessing the stored call group information data and causing signals to enable reestablishment of participation by the disconnected device to be sent to the disconnected device; and upon receipt by the group call server from the disconnected device of signals representing a request to reconnect the disconnected device, outputting command signals for reestablishing a communications session between the disconnected device and at feast one other device participating in the group communications session.

Abstract: A detector contains a housing with at least one window for allowing radiation to enter, at least one outlook sensor for sensing entered radiation, a unit for processing outlook sensor signals, and outlook mirrors that are shaped and mounted in the housing for reflecting onto the outlook sensor radiation from outside detection zones better than radiation from elsewhere. At least some of the outlook mirrors face the window and in operative orientation neighbor each other vertically. The detector further contains one or more window sensors for sensing radiation indicative of the window being masked or having been damaged and a unit for processing window sensor signals. A gap between at least two of the outlook mirrors allows radiation to travel between the window and at least one window sensor or accordant window sender or both.

Abstract: Traffic from a number of different service type users is multiplexed into minicells for transmission over an ATM link. Service type information is transmitted in a service specific field and is stored. This stored information is used to derive length information to delineate the different length user minicells. The technique occupies less bandwidth than the conventional methods for transmitting cell length information.

Abstract: A system and method for reestablishing a voice communications session moderated by a group call server between two or more telephony devices. The method is performed by a processor monitoring the communications session. The method comprises: storing one or more data records representing group call information; detecting disconnection of at least one participating telephony device from the group communications session, and determining that the disconnection was not intentionally initiated; accessing the stored call group information data and causing signals to enable reestablishment of participation by the disconnected device to be sent to the disconnected device; and upon receipt by the group call server from the disconnected device of signals representing a request to reconnect the disconnected device, outputting command signals for reestablishing a communications session between the disconnected device and at least one other device participating in the group communications session.

Abstract: A detector includes a housing with at least one window for allowing radiation to enter, at least one sensor for sensing entered radiation, a unit for processing sensor signals, and mirrors that are shaped and mounted in the housing for reflecting radiation from outside detection zones better than radiation from elsewhere, onto the sensor. Linked mirrors reflect radiation from a detection zone consecutively and each mirror in at least one linked pair is shaped and mounted in the housing so as to prevent it from reflecting radiation from another detection zone in sequence with other mirrors onto the sensor, thus optically isolating the pair from other mirrors.

Abstract: A method of managing communications services begins with a communications platform receiving a request for a communications service to be provided to a communications device by a source other than the communications platform. The communications platform determines an authorization of the communications device to receive the communications service. The authorization comprises a permission of the communications device to receive the communications service during a lifetime of a communications session maintained with the communications device. The communications network authorizes delivery of the communications service to the communications device during the lifetime of the communications session, in accordance with the authorization.

Abstract: A voice communications terminal is provided having a microphone to receive an audio stream and a voice activity detector to determine whether the audio stream comprises voice signals and when the audio stream comprises voice signals, notify a communications server and/or provide at least a portion of the audio stream to the communications server.

Abstract: A rechargeable battery assembly comprises a rechargeable battery unit and a data and power connector plug. The battery assembly has a deployed configuration in which the battery assembly has the general form of and functions as a conventional battery format, and a recharge configuration in which the data and power connector plug is made accessible to enable said connector to be connected to a suitable receptacle on a computing or peripheral device for recharging of the battery.

Abstract: A personalised video message system has a first database of personalised video files each of which refers in the video content to a respective name or entity and a second database of video message files each of which contains in the video content a respective message or greeting. A selection system enables a user to select from a remote computer a first video file from the first database, a second video file from the second database, and to identify an intended recipient. A video processing means is arranged to join the selected first and second video files to produce in a single video file a personalised message comprising the concatenated video content and a delivery system sends a message to the identified recipient which includes a means to access the concatenated video content.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided to achieve frequency synchronization between a first clock at a first node and a second clock at a second node of a packet-carrying communications network. At the first node: a property of packet transmission through the network between the first node and the second node is measured; and the measurement of the property is sent to the second node. At the second node, the same property of packet transmission through the network between the first node and the second node is measured. The measurement of the property made at the first node and the measurement of the property made at the second node are used to synchronize the frequency of the second clock with respect to the first clock.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a drilling tool incorporating first and second ends, a cuttable and/or processable shaft extending between the ends. The first end has a drill bit to penetrate rock. The drill bit and the shaft have complementary threads. The drill bit and the shaft comprise a relative rotation stop means that ensures that the drill bit remains loose during drilling in a first direction. The invention further relates to a self drilling rock bolt, a drill bit, drill shaft and shaft coupling, and an anchoring device per se.

Abstract: A recruitment screening tool is configured to generate a respective resume score for each of a plurality of candidate resumes based on a comparison of each resume to predetermined resume criteria by a candidate screener. The recruitment screening tool compares each respective resume score to a predetermined scoring scale having at least one scoring threshold. A candidate recruiter is notified of each resume having a respective resume score greater than the at least one scoring threshold. The recruitment screening tool is also configured to perform quality control functions with respect to the candidate screener. The tool is also configured to generate at least one statistic based on at least one analysis factor with respect to content of the candidate resumes.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a tag-modified bisulfite genomic sequencing (tBGS) method developed for simplified evaluation of DNA methylation sites. The method employs direct cycle sequencing of PCR products at kilobase scale, without conventional DNA fragment cloning. The method entails subjecting bisulfite-modified genomic DNA to a second-round PCR amplification employing GC-tagged primers. The invention also relates to a method for identifying a patient at risk for lung cancer using the tBGS technique disclosed.

Abstract: A system and method for reestablishing a voice communications session moderated by a group call server between two or more telephony devices. The method is performed by a processor monitoring the communications session. The method comprises: storing one or more data records representing group call information; detecting disconnection of at least one participating telephony device from the group communications session, and determining that the disconnection was not intentionally initiated; accessing the stored call group information data and causing signals to enable reestablishment of participation by the disconnected device to be sent to the disconnected device; and upon receipt by the group call server from the disconnected device of signals representing a request to reconnect the disconnected device, outputting command signals for reestablishing a communications session between the disconnected device and at least one other device participating in the group communications session.

Abstract: A method of keeping an alcoholic beverage in an open topped vessel cool, said beverage comprising a water content and a dissolved gas content, and said method comprising forming ice in the beverage in the open-topped vessel said ice having a cooling effect on the beverage, said ice being formed in the beverage from water of said water content.

Abstract: A spherical display and control device, that is preferably collapsible between a spherical configuration and a collapsed generally cylindrical ellipsoid configuration, comprising a flexible transparent spherical surface sprung attached to a central hinged modular cube assembly that contains digital displays on outward faces, and circuitry, battery units and electronic modules on inward surfaces, where said sphere surface contains surface position sensing layers and said central cube contains gyroscopic and inertial sensing devices to provide spherical rotation, and physical displacement data for three dimensional control applications, where said displays preferably have curved polarizer lenses such that the overall device appears as a spherical display or are flat to form an overall Cuboid display or are combined with a flexible spherical display surface.