Abstract: A system for enhancing telephone call awareness, including, a call awareness device with a connection to an incoming telephone line and optionally a connection to the Internet. The call awareness device is adapted to record details from incoming calls and provide the details in one or more forms to one or more recipients over the connections available on the call awareness device.

Abstract: A VoIP telephone call is seamlessly routed via an IP network between a dual mode, dual protocol source telephone and a dual mode, dual protocol target telephone both having two communication ports having respective first and second addresses for connecting to a non-IP network and an IP network, respectively. Upon dialing the first address of the target telephone, the first address of the source telephone is retrieved without requiring manual intervention and then used to retrieve the second address of the target telephone without requiring manual intervention. The call is then seamlessly directed over the IP network between the source telephone and the target telephone using their respective second addresses. The second address of the source telephone is retrieved by the target telephone in symmetrical manner.

Abstract: A source telephone terminal connected to the PSTN conveys an instant message to a target telephone terminal during voice communication. The source telephone may be equipped with a Central Office Call Waiting Caller ID (COCWCID) protocol emulator for conveying an alert signal to the target telephone terminal to inform the target telephone terminal that the source telephone terminal wishes to convey an instant message; and for conveying the instant message to the target telephone terminal in response to an acknowledge signal received from the target telephone terminal. The target telephone may be a regular telephone having a Customer Premises Equipment CWCID protocol support and may optionally have a COCWCID protocol emulator so that instant messages can be conveyed bi-directionally. In a hybrid telephone network containing PSTN, VoIP and cellular telephones, the telephone terminals may be appropriate gateways equipped with CWCID protocol transmission and reception capability.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for regulating a switching circuit of a voltage converter for supplying power to a pulsed load having a known upcoming magnitude. The voltage converter includes a switching circuit receiving a switching signal with duty cycle that is adjusted by a voltage controller. The voltage controller is responsive to a known upcoming cycle phase and a corresponding magnitude of the pulsed load for forward-correcting the duty cycle of the switching signal. In order to compensate for variations in load consumption owing, for example, to varying ambient conditions, circuit aging, battery discharge and other slow changes, or for imprecise foreknowledge thereof, the voltage controller may also monitor an output voltage of the voltage converter during successive cycles and apply feedback correction based on a predicted value of compensation required for the respective phase of a subsequent cycle.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for regulating a switching circuit of a voltage converter for supplying power to a pulsed load having a known upcoming magnitude. The voltage converter includes a switching circuit receiving a switching signal with duty cycle that is adjusted by a voltage controller. The voltage controller is responsive to a known upcoming cycle phase and a corresponding magnitude of the pulsed load for forward-correcting the duty cycle of the switching signal. In order to compensate for variations in load consumption owing, for example, to varying ambient conditions, circuit aging, battery discharge and other slow changes, or for imprecise foreknowledge thereof, the voltage controller may also monitor an output voltage of the voltage converter during successive cycles and apply feedback correction based on a predicted value of compensation required for the respective phase of a subsequent cycle.

Abstract: An integrated circuit architecture having a common circuit including a system controller and a data bus coupled to a plurality of redundant processing units, or clusters, each adapted to perform self-diagnosis and to report a status thereof to the system controller via a status line. The system controller is adapted to disconnect a faulty or unresponsive cluster from the common circuit in order to allow normal operation of remaining operative components. By such means yield of the integrated circuit is increased as well as the reliability of a device containing the integrated circuit.

Abstract: An integrated circuit architecture having a common circuit including a system controller and a data bus coupled to a plurality of redundant processing units, or clusters, each adapted to perform self-diagnosis and to report a status thereof to the system controller via a status line. The system controller is adapted to disconnect a faulty or unresponsive cluster from the common circuit in order to allow normal operation of remaining operative components. By such means yield of the integrated circuit is increased as well as the reliability of a device containing the integrated circuit.

Abstract: A method and circuit for distinguishing between a first voltage signal having a high amplitude and a second voltage signal having a low amplitude, the first and second voltage signals comprising respective AC components superimposed on a DC level. The DC level of the first and second voltage signals is blocked and the respective AC components of the first and second signals are attenuated by an attenuation factor which is voltage dependent and substantially frequency independent, so that the respective AC components of the first and second voltage signals after attenuation have similar amplitudes. The respective attenuated AC components of the first and second voltage signals are then processed so as to distinguish between the first and second voltage signals according to their respective frequencies.