Abstract: A method for signal transmission and reception by a bidirectional bus system in which plural devices performing the communication of a command and a request are interconnected over a bidirectional bus includes the steps of providing a frame of a transmission signal on the bidirectional bus the frame including an address field for designating addresses of communicating devices and a data field for designating the command or request to be transmitted, and inserting the discrimination information for discriminating between the command and the request at a pre-set position in the data field. The transmission signal including the discrimination information is transmitted over the bidirectional bus to other devices. A communication system employing such a bidirectional bus system is also provided.

Abstract: A method dynamically changes the bit rate or bandwidth of constant bit rate data structures in an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) communications environment. The method defines within a data channel a Change indicator (CI) indicative of an end user's request for a bit rate change within said data structures. The Change Indicator is continuously transmitted from a source side to a destination side in the ATM environment, along with the data structures on said data channel. Upon receipt at the destination side of a user's request of a bit rate change, the destination side modifies the value of said Change Indicator. The source side, acknowledges the modification of the value of the Change Indicator, whereby the transmission of data structures continues on the data channel with a new constant bit rate.

Abstract: An alarm masking system is provided which is capable of implementing alarm priority processing or alarm inhibit processing in ATM transmission equipment. In ATM transmission equipment, a received virtual path or virtual channel is switched by means of a switching unit and then sent to an interface unit. In doing this, if a higher priority alarm is detected or received at a reception side interface unit, an intra-office tag is added to the alarm cell and then it is output, so that by detecting this intra-office tag it is possible to inhibit generation of lower priority alarms in response to the higher order alarm.

Abstract: A personal communications system enables the operator to simultaneously transmit voice and data communication to a remote site. The personal communications system is equipped with two telephone line interfaces to allow connection between two remote sites. The connection between the first remote site and the local site may operate in a voice over data communications mode to simultaneously send compressed voice and data. A digital transmission protocol which is consistent with current packet standards is used to create an independent channel through use of a modified supervisory packet for negotiating communication parameters, including the speech compression algorithm, the speech compression ratio, the communication multiplex scheme, and other operations needed for control of remote hardware interfaces.

Abstract: A Broadband Intelligent Network employs an ATM fast-packet switch to route signaling cells from a calling party to a switch port directly connected to a network controller. The signaling cells carry a service request for download of a program module or data from a network resource unit to the calling party, or for download of a program module or data from the calling party apparatus to a network host resource unit, or for service circuit service to the calling party or in a connection path between the calling party and a called party, or for a message broadcast. The network controller responds to the information in the signaling cells and establishes the necessary switched virtual connections in the ATM switch to provide the requested services. A service creation program may be downloaded to the customer from the network, and used by the customer to create a new service script which is subsequently downloaded to the network for execution.

Abstract: The present invention aims at realizing a real-time call process by performing a timesaving operation in retrieving personal information in a personal communications system for establishing communications based on a unique personal number assigned to each subscriber. In addition to a unique personal number, each subscriber can be assigned a group number identifying a group to which the subscriber belongs and a local number of the group. For example, if a source subscriber specifies as a destination number the group number+local number of subscriber B, a service control point 11 broadcasts over a network a packet addressed with the group number+local number of subscriber B. Each of the service control points in the network determines whether or not a data base connected to it stores a group number which matches the destination address of the packet. If yes, the packet is received.

Abstract: A D channel packet communication system and a method of D channel packet communication in a private branch exchange allows connection control information conversion for a D channel packet which passes through a network, without call processor processing. The connection control information of D channel packet, such as a TEI, a LCGN and LCN, independently allocated for a communication between a packet terminal and a PBX (line side), and for a communication between the PBX and a network (network side) is adequately converted by the conversion control unit. The conversion control unit has first conversion information based on conditions of the connection control information to be used at the line side and at the network side, and derives second conversion information corresponding to each packet communication based on the first conversion information and connection control information contained in a packet of each packet communication.

Abstract: An intelligent network, such as might provide telephone services or the like, comprises local communication links, one or more trunk circuits and a number of separately located central office switching systems. The network selectively provides switched call connections between at least two of the local communication links. The switching systems also exchange signaling messages via an interoffice signaling network, as part of the procedures for establishing call connections. The interoffice signaling network includes an Intelligent Signaling Transfer Point (ISTP) which communicates with the switching offices via signaling links that are separate from the local communication links and the trunk circuit(s). In accord with the present invention, the ISTP includes a database storing call processing data associated with a plurality of the local communication links for control of call processing through one or more of the central office switching systems. The ISTP also includes a program controlled processor.