Abstract: A method to control an optical receiver implemented with a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) is disclosed. The SOA has a p-n junction operable in a PD mode when it is supplied with a zero or reverse bias. The SOA detects the magnitude of the incoming light and the driving current supplied thereto is adjusted based on thus detected magnitude of the incoming light such that the outgoing light provided to the PD has a magnitude within a preset range.

Abstract: A method of controlling an electronic apparatus and the electronic apparatus using the same are provided. The method includes transmitting signals through a medium, receiving and selecting some of the signals transmitted through the medium, and performing or setting a function according to the selected signals.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for implementing interference cancellation across base stations. Communications information for transmitting to a receiving device is received from a first base station at a second base station. At the second base station, second communications information is generated for transmission to the receiving device from the second base station. The second communications information comprises data to reduce interference with the first communications information.

Abstract: The present disclosure, for example, relates to one or more techniques for linearizing a signal in a communications system. An input signal may be obtained at a beginning of a signal path of a radio frequency (RF) communication device. The RF communication device may estimate subsequent distortion of the input signal due to the signal path. The estimated distortion may include estimated phase distortion and estimated amplitude distortion of the input signal. The RF communication device may adjust phase and amplitude within the signal path to compensate for the estimated phase distortion and the estimated amplitude distortion to produce an adjusted signal. The phase within the signal path of the input signal may be adjusted separately from the amplitude within the signal path of the input signal. The RF communication device may generate a linearized signal at an end of the signal path based at least in part on the adjusted signal.

Abstract: The present invention is generally a movable barrier system that employs a movable barrier operator with a signal translation module, which enhances the quality of communications between wired components of a movable barrier system, including long distance wired communications between controllers and position sensors. In an exemplary embodiment, position sensors comprising encoders are coupled to translation module for reducing electromagnetic interference or noise from various components that may otherwise interfere with the communication; error detection and error correction means may be further implemented to facilitate diagnostic monitoring of the system from a monitoring device.

Abstract: A receiver circuit includes: a local signal generation circuit that generates a local signal; and a test signal generation circuit that generates a test signal having a frequency close to a frequency of the local signal, wherein the test signal generation circuit includes an oscillator that generates the test signal, a mixer that mixes the local signal with an output of the oscillator to generate a low-frequency signal which is a difference signal between the local signal and the output of the oscillator, a phase detector that detects a phase difference between the low-frequency signal output by the mixer and a reference signal, and a filter that extracts a low-frequency component from an output of the phase detector, and controls an oscillation frequency of the oscillator by using an output of the filter.

Abstract: Information associated with a broadcast stream event is encoded within an in-band broadcast. The encoded information in a broadcast stream is detected. The detected information is decoded at least in part to determine content to be injected into the broadcast stream.

Abstract: Provided is a reception device including a first acquisition unit configured to acquire station information regarding a station transmitting a broadcasting wave of broadcasting on an arbitrary segment, a storage unit configured to store the station information, a selection unit configured to select a station transmitting a broadcasting wave that is receivable at a predetermined position as a tunable station to be tuned to using the station information, a specifying unit configured to specify a transmission frequency used at a transmission point of a broadcasting wave of the broadcasting performed by the tunable station using the station information, and a tuning control unit configured to perform tuning control such that a service of the broadcasting performed by the tunable station is tuned to according to the transmission frequency.

Abstract: A system and method for providing emergency broadcast interruption is provided for a vehicle. The system and method include monitoring one or more radio broadcast transmissions, detecting for emergency alert messages on the one or more radio broadcast transmissions, recording the one or more emergency alert messages from the one or more radio broadcast transmissions in which the one or more emergency alert messages are detected, and enabling immediate playing of the one or more emergency alert messages.

Abstract: A pinpoint forecast of the possible impact of a tsunami is created by processing near real-time tsunami data, including seismic data or wave data obtained using underwater pressure sensors, bathymetry data of the body of water in which the tsunami occurs, and topographic data of specific locations. Notifications are provided to subscribers via their mobile devices. The forecast presents the notification in a form that is easily understandable and which allows the subscriber to take any appropriate action. Disaster response personnel responsible for warning the populace can be similarly notified in a further embodiment. Additional assistance can be provided by activating disaster response and notification devices in the specific locations to be impacted. By providing the location-specific notifications and other actionable data, the system and method clarifies precisely where danger due to the tsunami exists on an individual basis and simplifies the evacuation from the affected areas, aiding public safety.

Abstract: A radio tuning method for a vehicle includes sensing that the vehicle is traveling out of a first broadcast range of a first radio station that a radio of the vehicle is currently tuned to. The first radio station broadcasts first content. A second radio station is identified having a second broadcast range that the vehicle will be in when the vehicle is no longer in the first broadcast range. The identifying includes determining that the second radio station broadcasts second content that is substantially similar to the first content broadcasted by the first radio station. A user of the vehicle is provided with an option to switch tuning of the radio from the first radio station to the second radio station.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to generate signatures representative of media are disclosed. An example method includes transforming a block of samples from a time-domain representation to a frequency-domain representation comprising multiple frequency bands, determining a signature function by fitting a curve to at least a subset of the frequency bands, and calculating signature values for the block. Calculating the tuple includes calculating a first angle between a reference line and a first line that is tangent to the signature function at a first index, calculating a second angle between the reference line and a second line that is tangent to the signature function at a second index, calculating a third angle between the reference line and a third line that is tangent to the signature function at a third index, and creating the signature values based on the first angle, the second angle, and the third angle.

Abstract: Provided is a synchronization system comprising a first synchronization device and a second synchronization device which carry out synchronization processing by transmitting and receiving synchronization packets in accordance with a synchronization protocol and which synchronize the times thereof. The first synchronization device, which corresponds to a slave device, notifies an abnormality to the second synchronization device when an abnormality related to time synchronization processing is detected. The second synchronization device, which corresponds to a master device, increases the interval during which synchronization is performed as the length of time during which an abnormality notification is not received increases.

Abstract: A system and method for closely synchronizing the transmission of real-time data streams is described. Synchronization data is transmitted by a cycle master for receipt by one or more cycle slaves. A cycle slave updates an internal state based on synchronization data received from the cycle master. This internal state may govern reproduction of received real-time data streams by the cycle slave. Such synchronization data may be inserted into transmitted media streams. The cycle slave internal state may be more accurately set by calculating timing differences between the cycle master and cycle slave and periodically adjusting that internal state between receipt of the synchronization data from the cycle master.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a clock module and method for distributing a time reference to at least one clock in a packet-switched network. The clock module includes a slave port, a master port and a local clock. The method comprises the steps of receiving a first synchronization packet at the slave port, the first synchronization packet comprising a first master clock timestamp and generating at least one internal signal comprising the first master clock timestamp. The method also includes the steps of transmitting the at least one internal signal to the master port and receiving the at least one internal signal at the master port. Then a method includes determining the internal propagation time of the signal through the clock module and generating a second synchronization packet at the master port comprising a second master clock timestamp, the second master clock timestamp comprising the sum of the first master clock timestamp and the internal propagation time.

Abstract: A colorless, directionless ROADM includes a pair of contentioned add and drop wavelength-selective optical switches, an input wavelength-selective optical switch having one input port, and an output wavelength-selective optical switch having one output port. Unintended input-to-output port couplings, which appear in the “contentioned” add and drop switches, can be mitigated by the input and output wavelength-selective optical switches carrying the through traffic.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the method includes sending a first transfer message to a target optical line terminal (OLT) corresponding to the target passive optical network (PON), the first transfer message including first identifier information of the first ONU; and sending a second transfer message to a source OLT corresponding to the source PON, the second transfer message including second identifier information of the first ONU and wavelength information of the target PON.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a system and method for detecting burst noise. The system and method are described in the exemplary context of a cable modem system and can be used in such a system to specifically detect upstream burst noise. Once detected, the system and method can adjust the upstream receiver that receives data corrupted by the upstream burst noise to reduce the potentially deleterious effects that the burst noise can have on, for example, the packet error rate and/or data rate of the upstream receiver.

Abstract: A method for transmitting and receiving a source data block using hybrid automatic retransmission request protocol. At the transmitting side, the source data block that is not decoded correctly at the receiving side is divided into a plurality of data segments, each of which may be padded with known data to expand the data segments to be a predetermined lengthen. At the receiving side, when each of the received data packets includes a data segment and a redundancy information segment, decoding is performed based on the received data segment and redundancy information segment extracted from buffered data packets, with chances to restore the data segment that is not decoded correctly in previous decoding processing. The additional decoding chances improve the probability of correctly decoding the erroneous data segment.

Abstract: A method for hybrid automatic repeat request HARQ signalling in a communications system is disclosed. The method includes defining, in a communications apparatus, a link-independent HARQ entity for one link direction, wherein the defined entity includes a resource allocation for one or more of forward link and reverse link data, the resource allocation including at least one HARQ process having a process identification, each HARQ process having a unique HARQ identification, a data allocation having a predetermined timing offset with respect to the resource allocation, and a HARQ acknowledgement allocation having a predetermined timing offset with respect to the data allocation, wherein the timing offset of the HARQ acknowledgement with respect to the data allocation is determined in terms of time division duplexing TDD frames and independently of a forward link-reverse link ratio.

Abstract: A method for mapping a physical hybrid automatic repeat request indicator channel (PHICH) is described. The method for mapping a PHICH includes determining an index of a resource element group transmitting a repetitive pattern of the PHICH, according to a ratio of the number of available resource element groups in a symbol in which the PHICH is transmitted and the number of available resource element groups in a first or second OFDM symbol, and mapping the PHICH to the symbol according to the determined index. In transmitting the PHICH, since efficient mapping is performed considering available resource elements varying with OFDM symbols, repetition of the PHICH does not generate interference between neighbor cell IDs and performance is improved.

Abstract: A method for modulating data for transmission within a communication system. The method includes establishing a time-frequency shifting matrix of dimension N×N, wherein N is greater than one. The method further includes combining the time-frequency shifting matrix with a data frame to provide an intermediate data frame. A transformed data matrix is provided by permuting elements of the intermediate data frame. A modulated signal is generated in accordance with elements of the transformed data matrix.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a method for transmitting traffic data over a paging channel, comprising: determining, by a network side, that a user equipment (UE) has a capability of transmitting a paging channel (PCH) beared on a High Speed-Physical Downlink Shared Channel (HS-PDSCH); informing, by the network side, the UE of information of a traffic control information bearer channel through a paging identifier, when the UE is in a PCH state; listening, by the UE, for the traffic control information bearer channel; and receiving, by the UE, the traffic data on a traffic channel indicated by the traffic control information. The disclosure provides a system and a UE for transmitting traffic data over a paging channel. The solution in the disclosure allow the UE to be still able to transmit data with highspeed when in the PCH state, so as to avoid the complex process in the conventional art, to reduce signaling cost and traffic delay and to improve user experience.

Abstract: Systems and methods of enhanced real-time communications between WiFi devices. In one embodiment of the present invention a method for enhanced payload protection in a WiFi system includes transmitting multiple copies of data packets in successive frame body transmissions. In another embodiment, a method for enhanced communications over a WiFi link includes examining a unit ID packet to determine a destination of a data payload when errors are detected in IP and/or MAC headers. If a destination is determined, the packet is corrected and forwarded to the device based on the unit ID determination. In another embodiment, a method for enhanced real-time communications in a WiFi network includes establishing a communications frame that includes an active timeslot, preferably based on U-APSD, for a WiFi device to use for transmission of successive audio data packets transmitted between the WiFi handset and AP.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for enabling a first terminal to communicate with a second terminal. Specifically, the method includes the steps of: receiving from a base station the format information of a first sub-frame for directly communicating with a second terminal; and assigning a signal for direct communication between the terminals to the first sub-frame according to the format information, wherein the format information contains the information concerning the resource region assigned with the signal for the direct communication between the terminals in the first sub-frame if a part of the first sub-frame overlaps a subsequent second sub-frame.

Abstract: A preamble signal is an OFDM signal, and is a real-part signal obtained by removing an imaginary-part signal from a signal in the time domain that is generated by an IFFT process being performed on a signal in the frequency domain obtained by assigning preamble data to subcarriers in accordance with a predetermined arrangement pattern. The predetermined arrangement pattern indicates that preamble data is assigned to any of subcarriers given numbers equal to or less than N/2?1 and the preamble data is not assigned to subcarriers given numbers more than N/2?1, where a plurality of subcarriers are numbered by integers from 0 to N?1 (N is an integer) in ascending order with respect to the center frequency of each subcarrier.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for transmitting/receiving data in a wireless communication system. The method includes: a terminal transmitting a coverage enhancement request or capability information for the terminal; a base station determining a channel setting for the terminal based on the transmitted request or information; and transmitting downlink data and performing random access on the basis of the determined channel setting. Namely, a scheme for adaptively transmitting and receiving data in consideration of the coverage of the terminal is proposed.

Abstract: A method and an arrangement (800) in a user equipment (420) for reporting Channel State Information, CSI, and a method and an arrangement (1000) in a base station (410) for obtaining CSI are provided. The user equipment (420) is in connection with the base station (410) in a cellular communication network (400). After receiving a receiving (702) a grant in a subframe n to be used for CSI reporting, from the base station, the user equipment determines (703) subframe type of a subframe n+p. The user equipment then reports (704) to the base station, CSI reflecting channel conditions in the subframe type of subframe n+p. p is a variable value.

Abstract: A method for generating a channel quality indicator (CQI) in a mobile communication system is presented. The method includes grouping a number of subcarriers to form at least one channel quality indicator subband for generating a channel quality indicator, and generating a channel quality indicator in each channel quality indicator subband, wherein a size of each channel quality indicator subband is dependent on a system bandwidth value and is an integer multiple of a downlink frequency resource unit size, wherein the downlink frequency resource unit size is prescribed according to the system bandwidth value.

Abstract: Adaptive Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) selection is used in many wireless communication systems. The goal of Adaptive MCS selection is to use the most suitable MCS for any particular channel conditions. Often, the MCS selection is based on channel measurements by the client terminal. The relationship between the block error rate (BLER) and the Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (SINR) is not linear. The BLER is often determined by the lowest SINR rather than the average SINR experienced by the set of bits that are part of the block. The Exponential Effective SINR Mapping (EESM) method is often used to compute effective SINR for adaptive MCS selection. However, the complexity of selecting the optimum channel feedback from the client terminal to the base station is typically high. A method and apparatus are disclosed that enable EESM for selecting the most suitable MCS with reduced complexity and reduced power consumption.

Abstract: A wireless communication base station apparatus which is able to prevent deterioration in the throughput of LTE terminals even when LTE terminals and LTE+ terminals coexist. In this apparatus, based on the mapping pattern of the reference signals used only in LTE+ terminals, a setting unit sets, in each subframe, the resource block groups where the reference signals used only by the LTE+ terminals are mapped. For symbols mapped to the antennas, an mapping unit maps, to all the resource blocks within one frame, cell specific reference signals used for both LTE terminals and LTE+ terminals. For the symbols mapped to the antennas, the mapping unit maps, to the plurality of resource blocks, of which part of the resource block groups is comprised, in the same subframe within one frame, the cell specific reference signals used only for LTE+ terminals, based on the setting results inputted from the setting unit.

Abstract: Assignment of component carriers Carrier aggregation, and assignment of component carriers is disclosed. In a method a capability of a communication device for carrier aggregation of a plurality of component carriers is determined. Loading of at least one of the component carriers is determined. The communication device is assigned to one or more of the component carriers on the basis of determining the capability and determining the loading.

Abstract: An uplink channel response matrix is obtained for each terminal and decomposed to obtain a steering vector used by the terminal to transmit on the uplink. An “effective” uplink channel response vector is formed for each terminal based on its steering vector and its channel response matrix. Multiple sets of terminals are evaluated based on their effective channel response vectors to determine the best set (e.g., with highest overall throughput) for uplink transmission. Each selected terminal performs spatial processing on its data symbol stream with its steering vector and transmits its spatially processed data symbol stream to an access point. The multiple selected terminals simultaneously transmit their data symbol streams via their respective MIMO channels to the access point. The access point performs receiver spatial processing on its received symbol streams in accordance with a receiver spatial processing technique to recover the data symbol streams transmitted by the selected terminals.

Abstract: A radio and antenna combination with 4×N MIMO on the downlink path, with antenna arrays spaced 1 wavelength apart, and N×4 MIMO (or SIMO) on the uplink path, with 3 to 10 wavelengths or more separation of the antenna arrays.

Abstract: An active transceiver circuit for transmission of a low bitrate data signal over and reception of a high bitrate data signal from a single ended transmission medium is provided. The active transceiver circuit includes an input port for receiving a low bitrate input data signal, an output port for delivering a high bitrate output data signal, a differential input/output port for launching a low bitrate data signal into the single ended transmission medium and for receiving a high bitrate data signal from the single ended transmission medium, a first and second single ended output driver adapted for each delivering, on their respective output nodes, the shaped low bitrate input data signal, and a high bitrate receiver for receiving the signals at output nodes of the first and second single ended output drivers, and for generating a high bitrate output data signal on the output port.

Abstract: A multivoice radio system allows users to speak and listen, at the same time, to others using multivoice radios without using a base station. Several embodiments of the present invention are directed toward combining a multivoice radio with push-to-talk (PTT), long-range radio. Other embodiments combine two or more multivoice systems and/or use an extender to increase a distance that multivoice radios can communicate with each other. Combining multivoice systems, in some embodiments, creates a voice and/or data mesh network. Switch-to-talk (STT) functionality can be added to systems to increase a number of users and promote radio discipline. Additionally, a combined in-ear microphone and speaker is disclosed. Further embodiments are directed to combining duplex radios, such as mobile phones, to multivoice systems, and/or PTT systems.

Abstract: A system and method for managing estimation and calibration of non-ideality of a Clock and Data Recovery circuit includes phase interpolators (PIs), first and second sets of delay elements, and a clock delay element. A first delay element of the first set of delay elements is programmed using a first digital delay control code (DDCC). The clock delay element is calibrated using a digital external delay control code (DEDCC) till a predetermined criterion is met, and is retained for subsequent use. The remaining delay elements of the first set of delay elements are separately calibrated based on the DEDCC. A first delay element of the second set of delay elements is programmed using a second DDCC. The DEDCC is readjusted for the second set of delay elements. The remaining delay elements of the second set of delay elements are separately calibrated based on the readjusted DEDCC.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to data communication. More specifically, the present invention provides a mechanism for determining an adjustment delay that minimizes skew error due to poor alignment between edge samples and data samples. The adjustment delay is determined by sampling edge samples and data samples using different test delays at a calibration frequency that is different from the sampling frequency. The test delay associated with the least average position between the data samples and edge samples is selected as the adjustment delay. The adjustment delay is used as a parameter when sampling data at the sampling frequency. There are other embodiments as well.

Abstract: Embodiments herein describe techniques for synchronizing LFSRs located on two compute devices. To synchronize the LFSRs, a first one of the compute devices may transmit a first training block that includes a predefined bit sequence. The training block is scrambled by a transmitting (TX) LFSR on the first compute device and then transmitted to the second compute device. The second compute device performs an XOR operation to recover the outputs of the TX LFSR that were used to scramble the data. The second compute device can use the outputs of the TX LFSR to determine future outputs of the TX LFSR. These future outputs are then used to initialize a receiving (RX) LFSR on the second compute device. Now, when subsequent training blocks are received, the second compute device can use the initialized RX LFSR to descramble the scrambled training blocks.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to communication systems. According to embodiments of the present invention, a communication system includes at least two communication lanes and a skew management module. The skew management module generates a control current based on output test patterns of the two communication lanes. The control current is integrated and compared to a reference voltage by a comparator, which generates an analog offset signal. A PLL of one of the communication lanes generates a corrected clock signal that is adjusted using the analog offset signal to remove or adjust the skew between the communication lanes. The corrected clock signal is used for output data. There are other embodiments as well.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and system for accessing digital content stored on a computing device. An agreement between a subscriber and a content provider allows the subscriber to lease the digital content from the content provider, and download the digital content from a content server operated by the content provider. The method retrieves a service ticket for the computing device, and retrieves content rights for the digital content. The service ticket includes authorization data, and a session key, where the authorization data include authorized subscription services for the computing device. The content rights include required subscription services for the digital content and are delivered authenticated with the session key. The method allows access to the digital content when the authorized subscription services included with the authorization data match the required subscription services included with the content rights.

Abstract: An asymmetric-computing type shared key establishing method suitable for cloud computing and IoT has the following advantages. The realization efficiency and the security level are high, and a cryptographic algorithm coprocessor is not needed. The method can be applied to occasions in which the computing capabilities are asymmetric, and attacks from quantum computers can be resisted. Compared with a conventional key exchange protocol such as the Diffie-Hellman key exchange protocol, the method can be more effective between servers and mobile equipment in the security fields as the IoT and cloud computing, and the method can be used in both the electronic environment and the quantum environment. Thus, the asymmetric-computing type shared key establishing method suitable for cloud computing and IoT provided by the invention can be widely applied to the field of information security systems such as network security and e-commerce.

Abstract: A service provider device includes key generation means, which generates a service public key for encrypting data and a secret key, and proxy key generation means, which inputs the service public key and the secret key and generates a proxy key. A data registration device includes encrypted data generation means, which generates encrypted data upon input of the service public key and data, and stores the generated encrypted data in a database. Proxy devices each includes encrypted portion statistical data generation means, which generates encrypted portion statistical data upon input of the proxy key with respect to the encrypted data stored in the database. An integrated data generation device includes encrypted statistical data generation means, which inputs the encrypted portion statistical data from each of the proxy devices, generates encrypted statistical data, and stores the generated encrypted statistical data in an integrated data storage device.

Abstract: This disclosure describes cryptographic secure implementation of a Pseudo Random Number Generator (PRNG) architecture based on existing Fortuna algorithm, but providing improvements thereupon for gathering and measuring entropy. The improvement includes a unique step of initial seeding that is not covered by Fortuna. The solution should be adapted to a variety of computing and communicating devices, including mobile devices.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method or system for unambiguous marking of an object (1), wherein unique features (3) are digitized and signed with a private key (9) and the unique features (3) themselves, in addition to the signature (8) of the digitized features (6), are arranged on the object (1) or a packaging (2) of the object (1), or are formed by at least a part of the object (1) or the packaging (2) thereof, and the authenticity of the object (1) is determined by comparison of the unique features (3) with the decrypted signature (8) of the digitized features (6), which signature is arranged on the object (1) or the packaging (2) thereof and decrypted with a public key (11).

Abstract: A device and method for encoding bits to symbols for a communication system are described. In one embodiment, a method for encoding bits to symbols for a communication system includes receiving a set of N-bit data to be transmitted, where N is an integer, generating side scrambling values using a polynomial, scrambling the set of N-bit data using the side scrambling values to produce scrambled data, mapping the scrambled data to a particular set of M symbols from a plurality of sets of M symbols, where M is an integer and M is smaller than N, and outputting the particular set of M symbols for transmission over a transmission medium. Other embodiments are also described.

Abstract: A token-based method for authenticating a user includes placing a predetermined token (i.e., physical object) at a predetermined location on a touch sensitive device to generate an authentication authorization rather than a traditional text-based, smartcard or biometric method of user authentication. In various embodiments, a plurality of tokens is placed upon the touch sensitive device in a predetermined sequence at predetermined locations to generate an authentication authorization.

Abstract: A data processing and storage apparatus has a hardware security module and a data storage medium storing encrypted data objects and a hierarchical data maintenance structure of encrypted partition tables and hash-nodes forming a rooted tree, where a given partition table comprises a first reference to a given encrypted data object and a first cryptographic key for decryption thereof, where a given hash-node comprises a second reference to a partition tables or hash-node and a second cryptographic key being suitable for decryption thereof, and where the root node is decipherable using a master cryptographic key stored in the hardware security module, the given data object being assigned to the root node via the first and second references of the given partition table and the given hash-nodes forming a set of successive nodes in the rooted tree.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to securely distribute embedded firmware to a module in an industrial control system is disclosed. A security certificate corresponding to the firmware is generated utilizing a proprietary algorithm. The certificate includes an identifier corresponding to the module on which the firmware is to be loaded and an identifier corresponding to a removable medium on which the firmware is distributed. The removable medium is inserted into the module in the industrial control system on which the firmware is to be loaded. The module reads the security certificate and verifies that the firmware is intended for the module and verifies that the security certificate includes the identifier for the removable medium which was inserted into the module. If the firmware is intended for the module and the security certificate includes the identifier for the removable medium, the module loads the firmware from the removable medium.

Abstract: Participants for an in-progress meeting are gathered, preferably by broadcast of instant messaging notifications thereto. Information for people who are invited to a scheduled meeting but are not participating when the meeting begins, as well as for one or more additional people who are mentioned by the current participants of the meeting as desired new invitees to the in-progress meeting, is placed on a participant list. A disambiguation process may be used in cases where it is not clear who was intended in the discussion of a new invitee. Responses to the notifications are collected and used to populate a consolidated joining status window, where this joining status window depicts the joining status of persons on the participant list.