Abstract:
It is desirable in communications networks to be able to offer a variety of services to the customer, and to be able to add or modify the portfolio of services available. A service delivery infrastructure (21) is provided, which would sit in the Service Control Point of an intelligent network architecture, and which delivers services using an array of service independent features (20). In the arrangement described, the service delivery infrastructure (21) has an object oriented architecture and interacts with systems, such as billing (22) and network management (40), in the communications network by means of objects within the infrastructure (21). An aspect of the infrastructure (21) is the provision of selected sets of services to users of the communications network, which selected sets effectively provide dedicated service networks (30) to each customer.
Abstract:
In a method of recognising an optically encoded binary word, the word is chosen from a subset of binary words for which W &cir& T=0 if W=T, W &cir& T=1 if W NOTEQUAL T is true, where T is the target word, W is the word to be compared and &cir& is the operation formula (I). The word is recognised by carrying out in the optical domain a bit-wise Boolean AND operation. The operation is carried out on the word to be recognised and the complement of the target word. The AND operation may be carried out by introducing the word to be recognised and the target word into a nonlinear crystal and detecting the second harmonic output from the crystal. The complement of the target word may be generated by a fixed word-forming network. The method may be applied to recognising the address of a packet on an optical network.
Abstract:
A non-linear semiconductor optical device (3) comprises an active waveguide with a multiple quantum well construction in the active region. The device (3) is supplied with a drive current at the material transparency current with respect to an optical pump. An optical non-linearity appears with respect to input radiation having a wavelength below that of the bandgap equivalent wavelength of the active region ((lambda)
Abstract:
The guiding layers of optical waveguides are formed of arsenosilicate glass (ASG). By varying the arsenic content from 2 to 13 mole per cent it is possible to vary the refractive index in the range 1.45 to 1.53. Pure silica or less heavily doped ASG can be used for the cladding layers. The ASG is preferably formed as the result of a heterogeneous reaction between silane and oxygen in the presence of arsine. Such a reaction can be carried out at temperatures down to 390oC, allowing the ASG to be used on substrates of III-V compounds.
Abstract:
A method of replicating on a second computer an object present on a first computer said object including pointers to program code within the memory space of said first computer, the method comprising the steps of: storing data elements of said object in a message; transmitting said message from said first computer to said second computer; receiving said message at said second computer; creating a dummy object which is named and dimensioned to correspond to said object, but does not include said data values on said second computer; and reading the data values from said received message into said dummy object on said second computer.
Abstract:
A remote database (110) is accessed from user terminals. A communication channel is established over the World Wide Web (101) and commands defining a user interface are returned from the database system to the user terminals. The database system supplies an indication of quantifiable values to the user terminals inviting a user to select one of said values. An indication of a selected value is supplied to the database system resulting in an indication being returned of available data mappings. A data mapping is selected by a user and an indication of a selected mapping is supplied to the database. In response to this indication, an enquiry is made by activating database-specific instructions defined by Standard Query Language.
Abstract:
An assembly (10) for use in connecting optical fibres to an optical fibre device having input and output tails comprises a plurality of housings (12) for housing optical fibre connections. Each housing (12) is typically mounted to, and supported by a respective routing member (14). The routing members are rigidly connected one to another such that the housings are arranged in an aligned bank. Each housing is pivotable for providing access thereto from the stowed position out of alignment with the other housings.
Abstract:
Modems 1, 2 undertake a start-up sequence in which modem 1 transmits a first multi-frequency test signal; modem 2 measures the SNR of the first test signal; modem 2 transmits a time reference to modem 1; modem 1 responds by switching from the first test signal to a second such signal having a different power from the first; modem 2 measures the SNR of the second test signal and also recognises the timing of the power transition to determine the duration of the delay between the time reference and the transition.
Abstract:
A node of an optical transmission network, for example a local area network, has a combined by-pass switch and optical modulator. The by-pass switch and modulator (45) comprises an optical switching matrix with two non-intersecting waveguides (W1, W2) connected by a further waveguide (W3). The junctions between the non-intersecting waveguides and the further waveguide perform both modulation of an optical carrier signal and re-routeing of the transmission path along the network.