Abstract:
A method and apparatus for determining the state, at any time in the past, relative to a present state, of a linear feedback shift register comprises determining an inverse transition matrix which, if multiplied by the current state in modulo-2 arithmetic, yields the state one step into the past; and multiplying in modulo-2 arithmetic the present state of the linear feedback shift register by the inverse transition matrix N times to obtain the state N steps into the past.
Abstract:
Multi-media networks will require that a data flow be given certain quality-of-service (QOS) for a network connection but pre-negotiation of this sort is foreign to the current data networking model. The real time traffic flow in the data network requires distinct limits on the tolerance to delay, and the variations in that delay. Interactive voice and video demand that the total delay does not exceed the threshold beyond which human interaction is unacceptably impaired. The present invention allows the network to discover the nature of the service for each traffic flow, classifies it dynamically, and exercises traffic conditioning by means of such techniques as admission control and scheduling when delivering the traffic downstream to support the service appropriately.
Abstract:
Communicative services are transported over a TDMA or TDM access network by packetising the services into minicells which minicells are transported within minislots created by subdivision of the TDM time slots. For low bit rate communicative services only, minislots are allocated periodically rather than in the blocks that are allocated to high bit rate services. The packetisation delay inherent within the transport layer can be significantly reduced for these low bit rate services.
Abstract:
A telephone line interface circuit with d.c. amplifiers (12) coupled to tip and ring paths is protected against transient voltages by a crowbar-type protection device (52) coupled via a diode bridge (28, 30) to the tip and ring paths, positive and negative terminals of the diode bridge being connected respectively to ground and via a diode (54) to a negative supply voltage line for the amplifiers. The diode prevents discharge of a capacitor (26), coupled between the negative supply voltage line and ground, through the protection device when it conducts. A locked up state, in which the amplifiers maintain holding current to the protection device after a transient voltage, is avoided by further diodes (56, 58) coupled from the negative terminal of the diode bridge to inputs of the amplifiers, or by controlling a current limiter (34) to interrupt current to the capacitor when the diode is reverse biased, so that the capacitor discharges. The current limiter includes a resistance (38) and inductance (40) in series for sensing current, whereby initial charging current for the capacitor is reduced on closing of relay contacts (K1, K2) in series with the current limiter, and relay contact deterioration is avoided.
Abstract:
To reduce the effects of cross-talk in, principally, a wireline communication system (10), idle cells usually required for rate adaptation (32) are substituted by null cells (36) and sequence scrambling (40) required for data protection and associated with traffic is abandoned in relation to the null cell. Subsequent modulation (48) of each null cell is further restricted in the sense that a transmitted power associated with the null cell is, preferably, minimised. In this latter respect, minimum power is achieved within a modulation scheme through a two-stage process. First, a zero level state is selected within a symbol constellation of the modulation scheme (100), and then a confidence level associated with recovery of the zero level state is enhanced by always sending zero values as at least pairs of associated symbols. A receiver (14) then only interprets incoming data as a null cell or the zero level state when all associated symbols are recovered as the zero value. Hence, a metric distance (146) between the zero level state (140) and any other symbol state (102-132) in the constellation (100) is increased to unity by a multidimensional presence of the zero level state.
Abstract:
A method is provided that allows data access service provider subscribers to manage their telephone service through a data connection. The subscriber is enabled to obtain call data information and is provided real-time control. During a data call, a visual incoming call indicator informs the subscriber, through a pop-up window, connected to the data access service provider that there is a call attempt. A visual message waiting indicator allows a subscriber, connected to the data access service provider to be notified of a pending message on the voice message system. A visual call disposition allows the subscriber, through the data connection, to dispose of calls. The call disposition options include forwarding a call to voice mail, playing an announcement to the calling party, forwarding the call to another line, sending a text message which could be converted to speech using text to speech technology, answering the call using voice over data call or terminating the data connection in order to accept the call.
Abstract:
An apparatus and method for maintaining records in a telephone directory involves maintaining a personal directory of at least one record associated with at least one party with which a telephone call is conducted. The record has a field for identifying the party and a frequency of use field for storing a number representing the number of times a call is conducted with the party. In response to a call conducted with a party, the personal directory is searched for a record associated with the party and upon finding such a record, the contents of the frequency of use field of the record are incremented and the records of the personal directory are sorted in an order dependent upon the contents of the frequency of use fields.
Abstract:
A system and method for providing improved bookmarking of remotely provided user-interactive information such as WWW page content are provided. When a bookmark of a page is created, in addition to storing a remote file access pointer such as a universal resource locator, a locator element is stored which identifies a particular subset of the page. When the bookmark is subsequently accessed, only the updated particular subset is displayed, thereby eliminating the need for users to repeatedly scroll through material in which they are not interested. A super-bookmarking option is provided which provides for a bookmark which results in the display of a collage of previously created bookmarked material.