Abstract: A computing device includes an appliance status table to store at least one of reliability and performance data for one or more network functions virtualization (NFV) appliances and one or more legacy network appliances. The computing device includes a load controller to configure an Internet Protocol (IP) filter rule to select a packet for which processing of the packet is to be migrated from a selected one of the one or more legacy network appliances to a selected one of the one or more NFV appliances, and to update the appliance status table with received at least one of reliability and performance data for the one or more legacy network appliances and the one or more NFV appliances. The computing device includes a packet distributor to receive the packet, to select one of the one or more NFV appliances based at least in part on the appliance status table, and to send the packet to the selected NFV appliance. Other embodiments are described herein.

Abstract: Disclosed is a hub station of an alarm system, having: a hub station housing; a hub station controller disposed within the hub station housing, wherein the hub station is configured for: communicating, bi-directionally over a short range network during an active alarm condition, with a plurality of client stations that are distributed in a plurality of zones, the plurality of client stations each including a housing and located therein a power transformer, a speaker, a microphone, and one of a plurality of controllers; obtaining, from the communicating during the active alarm condition, intrusion sound data indicative of sounds received by one or more of the plurality of client stations; and determining, from the intrusion sound data, intrusion location data indicative of a location and movement of an intrusion among the architectural zones; and forwarding, over a long range telecommunications network, the intrusion location data to a central station.

Abstract: Disclosed is a hub station of an alarm system, having: a hub station housing; a hub station controller disposed within the hub station housing, wherein the hub station is configured for: monitoring, over a short range telecommunications network, a plurality of client stations that are distributed in a plurality of architectural zones, the plurality of client stations each including a client station housing and located therein a client station power transformer, a client station speaker, a client station microphone, and one of a plurality of client station controllers; determining, from the monitoring, that an alert condition exists in the one of the architectural zones; and establishing a first bidirectional communication concurrently with two or more of the plurality of client stations distributed in the plurality of architectural zones.

Abstract: Provided are embodiments for an alarm system including one or more sensors configured to detect an alarm condition, and one or more client stations. The alarm system also includes a controller of a security panel operably coupled to the one or more client stations, and a central station operably coupled to the control panel over a network, wherein the central station is configured to initiate a conference between the one or more client stations and the central station. Also provided are embodiments for a method to establish an audio/video link to a central monitoring station.

Abstract: Disclosed is a hub station of an alarm system, having: a hub station housing; a hub station controller disposed within the hub station housing, wherein the hub station is configured for: communicating, bi-directionally over a short range network during an active alarm condition, with a plurality of client stations that are distributed in a plurality of zones, the plurality of client stations each including a housing and located therein a power transformer, a speaker, a microphone, and one of a plurality of controllers; obtaining, from the communicating during the active alarm condition, intrusion sound data indicative of sounds received by one or more of the plurality of client stations; and determining, from the intrusion sound data, intrusion location data indicative of a location and movement of an intrusion among the architectural zones; and forwarding, over a long range telecommunications network, the intrusion location data to a central station.

Abstract: Disclosed is a client station of an alarm system, including a housing and having, within the housing: a client station power transformer; a client station speaker; a client station microphone; a client station controller, wherein the client station is configured for: communicating, bidirectionally, with a hub station controller of a hub station over a short range telecommunications network; and communicating, bidirectionally, with a central station controller of a central station through the hub station.

Abstract: Disclosed is a hub station of an alarm system, having: a hub station housing; a hub station controller disposed within the hub station housing, wherein the hub station is configured for: monitoring, over a short range telecommunications network, a plurality of client stations that are distributed in a plurality of architectural zones, the plurality of client stations each including a client station housing and located therein a client station power transformer, a client station speaker, a client station microphone, and one of a plurality of client station controllers; determining, from the monitoring, that an alert condition exists in the one of the architectural zones; and establishing a first bidirectional communication concurrently with two or more of the plurality of client stations distributed in the plurality of architectural zones.

Abstract: The present invention concerns new methods of fabricating a silicon material comprising phosphorus. The methods allow high levels of phosphorus to be combined with the silicon. In one aspect of the invention a sample of phosphorus is surrounded with a sample of silicon. At least some of the phosphorus is then vaporised and caused to interact with the silicon.

Abstract: A data acquisition circuit for receiving an analog input signal having a magnitude representing light intensity detected by a sequentially accessed, linear array of photocells of a line scan camera and providing digital data signals for use by a computer, the circuit including an analog-to-digital converter to convert said analog input signal to a stream of digital intensity signals, an offset memory storing offset correction values for respective photocells, a gain memory storing gain correction values for respective photocells, an adder connected to add or subtract the digital intensity signal for a given photocell to the offset correction value for that photocell and provide an offset-corrected digital signal, a multiplier connected to multiply the offset-corrected digital signal for a given photocell times the gain correction value for that photocell to provide a calibrated digital signal. Also disclosed are: comparing, on a photocell-by-photocell (i.e.

Abstract: A data acquisition circuit is disclosed which provides sampled input voltage signals generated in a hostile environment to an input device, for example, the input circuitry of a computer. The data acquisition circuit provides electrical isolation to prevent damage to the input circuitry caused by electrical transients and short circuits occurring in the hostile environment and is particularly useful for sampling input data from thermocouples because it eliminates the need for an isolated power supply normally used to detect broken thermocouples.