Lucent Technologies Inc.

American Telephone & Telegraph Co., At&t Bell Laboratories

Alcatel Lucent

Alcatel-lucent USA Inc.

Albert Joseph Sawyer

Robin Jeffrey Thompson

James Joseph Sowa

Yang Yang

Carl Robert Posthuma

Stinson Samuel Mathai

Alex Lawrence Wierzbicki

E-Ling Lou

Chokri Trabelsi

Kenneth Wayne Shelhamer

Elbert Lee Sneed, Jr

Jason T Kuo

Binshi Cao

Zoe S Quan

Mahmood Ahmad

Wayne L Schreiner

Bhupesh J Desai

Teh-Li Hsi

William Robert Davis

Michael R Ordun

Ronald Frank Larson

Kalwant S Grewal

Larry Phillip Stoa

Gerald H Thomas

Robert Dennis Schweickert

The present invention provides a method that may be used for billing for quality of service applications. The method includes determining at least one parameter indicative of resource usage of at least one first quality of service application by comparing at least one resource used by the first quality of service application(s) to at least one resource used by a second quality of service application. The method also includes providing information indicative of at least one cost associated with the first quality of service application(s) based on the comparison and at least one cost associated with the second quality of service application.

Billing based on equivalent quality of service units

A method and apparatus for transmitting signaling messages over the communication channel to a CDMA mobile station. If a one-half, one-quarter, or one-eighth frame voice packet is to be transmitted, augmenting that packet with signaling information to form, essentially, a full rate frame; if no more than N consecutive full rate frames are detected, deferring transmission of the signaling message, and thereafter, if another full frame voice frame is detected, substituting a frame of signaling information for the full frame voice frame. Advantageously, using this arrangement, most short signaling messages can be transmitted to a CDMA mobile station with minimal voice impairment.

Sending signaling messages to CDMA cellular mobile stations

An apparatus, method and system are provided for a hand-off of a communication session in a wireless data network system, in which the communication session has been established previously with a mobile unit through a first base station, a first serving routing node and a gateway routing node utilizing a first addressing context. The preferred method embodiment includes, when a second base station has been selected for hand-off, first establishing a second addressing context, for the mobile unit, between the gateway routing node and a second serving routing node. The gateway routing node then concurrently routes incoming data packets for the mobile unit to the first serving routing node utilizing the first addressing context and to the second serving routing node utilizing the second addressing context. When the mobile unit has retuned to the second base station, the second base station transmits to the mobile unit current voice communication from the incoming data packets with the second addressing context, and receives any outgoing voice communication from the mobile unit. Following such retuning, the gateway routing node may then cease to route incoming data packets for the mobile unit to the first serving routing node utilizing the first addressing context while continuing to route incoming data packets for the mobile unit to the second serving routing node utilizing the second addressing context.

Apparatus, method and system for voice communication hand-off in a mobile packet data network environment

Methods and apparatus for transmitting packets from a source of such packets to one or more radio station sites so that the radio station sites can transmit the packets at the correct real time. Each radio site has an independent source of exact time based on the reception of signals derived from satellite inputs. Using the real time calculated by a base station, the base station calculates an offset between the time of arrival of a signal with a specified time marker, and the time that a signal with that specified time marker should have arrived in order to be transmitted in a timely fashion. The offset is sent back to the source of packets, and used by the source of packets to advance, or retard, the transmission of future packets. Advantageously, packets can be transmitted from each base station at the correct time, and if packets are being transmitted for a given call from several base stations, can be transmitted simultaneously, by these base stations.

Time synchronization of packetized radio signals to base stations

A system for expanding a parameter encoding field in a new communications protocol that is compatible with an old protocol. An unused command parameter in an old protocol is used to indicate an expanded parameter encoding field in a new protocol. Parameter encodings from the old protocol are unchanged in the new protocol. A system communicating using the old protocol recognizes all parameters from the old protocol and ignores parameters from the new protocol. A system communicating using the new protocol recognizes parameters from both the old and new protocols.

System for expanding a parameter encoding field in a message to allow additional parameters to be added while maintaining compatibility with existing parameter encodings

The sharing of trunk groups is accomplished by performing incoming call routing analysis on the incoming call to determine if the call is intended for wireless applications on the network or for wireline applications on the network. The results of the incoming call routing analysis form the basis for determining those actions necessary to process the call. If the incoming call is wireless, executing the wireless related application code, notify the mobile switching center of the incoming call, and wait for directions. If the incoming call in wireline, attempting to deliver the call to a particular wireline, fire an advanced intelligent network (AIN) terminating trigger, and tandem the call through to another switch. Outgoing calls are simply allowed to hunt across shared trunk groups rather than being limited to trunk groups specified for the application.

Method and apparatus for tracking truck groups between wireless and wireline applications

A method that uses a test system at one end of a communication link to test the communication link for high speed service by coupling the test system to the communication link, placing a telephonic call to telephonic equipment located at an other end of the communication link and testing the communication link with the test system after the call has been terminated at the telephonic equipment.

Method to pre-qualify copper loops for ADSL service

An improved ergonomic computer mouse provides comfortable and efficient usage by maintaining the hand of a user at a large acute angle to the horizontal. This is accomplished by a device that includes a base having an upstanding pedestal structure about which the palm and hands of the user extends in a more natural handshake manner at a large acute angle to the horizontal whereby the users wrist remains straight while grasping the mouse. Control means in the base and upstanding structure within easy reach of the users fingers allow the user to efficiently and comfortably control the computer operations. Indentations and an enlarged upper head portion provide for comfortable grasping and easy lifting of the mouse. The pedestal may be rotated 180 degrees to accommodate both right and left handed use. Add-on OEM, and custom fitted embodiments are also disclosed.

Ergonomic computer mouse

The system of the invention has particular application to a wide area network (WAN) where call routing information often changes in one local area network (LAN) (e.g. a switching system) while other LANs (e.g. cellular communication systems) are unaware of the changes. Because of the heavy flow of traffic in such networks, the minimization of administrative traffic data is desirable. The invention solves the need for constant updating and auditing of the LANs in the WAN. One LAN is considered the master LAN for a given parameter and contains an accurate directory of administrative data for that parameter. Each of the other LANs operate on the assumption that the administrative or directory information it contains is correct. If this assumption is wrong for a particular parameter and a LAN contains incorrect information, in response to a communication to or from the LAN, the system: 1) recognizes that the information relating to the parameter is incorrect; 2) determines the correct information and completes the communication based upon the correct information; and 3) updates the LAN with the correct information from the master LAN such that the next time the same communication is attempted the LAN has the correct information. In this manner, the LANs are updated on a need to know basis only after an actual communication is attempted thereby eliminating the constant transmission of administrative information between the LANs that exists in the prior art systems.

Method and apparatus for exchanging administrative information between

A distributed control switching system where multi-port hunt groups are controlled by hunting for idle group members in a sequential fashion starting with the members on one of the switching modules of the system and continuing through a predetermined sequence of modules until an idle group member is found. The busy/idle hunt data is distributed across the modules so that each module maintains the hunt data for only the group members on that module. Therefore, no inter-module control communication is devoted to updating the hunt data of other modules.

Controlling multi-port hunt groups in a distributed control switching

A distributed control switching system where the system control units cooperatively perform the terminating port determination function. The control unit associated with the terminating port stores sequence call data defining whether calls are to be completed to that terminating port or are to be forwarded to another directory number. Upon determining that a given call is a sequence call, the control unit associated with the original terminating port determines the terminating port defined by the second directory number and effects a reduction of the sequence call to a simple call between the originating port and the second terminating port. This is done either by transmitting a control message defining the originating and terminating ports to the control unit associated with the second terminating port or by returning the setup sequence to the control unit associated with the originating port which then frees any switching system resources previously allocated to the call and transmits the control message. In either case, the control unit associated with the second terminating port completes the call without knowing whether the call is a sequence call or a simple call completed to the original terminating port.

Growing community of inventors

Wheaton, IL, United States of America

Albert Joseph Sawyer