3com Corporation

Carl Ketcham

Allen E Shupe

Nathan M Whitney

Ismail Dalgic

Craig William Payne

Jennifer Baker

John Major

Jack Fijolek

Philip C Garner

Stanford K Acomb

A method and apparatus for improving the scalability of H.323 systems is described. An H.323 gateway can be modified to store call state information associated with a call on at least one of the ports of the modified H.323 gateway. The modified H.323 gateway can send registration, admission, and status requests to a modified H.323 gatekeeper. This relieves the modified H.323 gatekeeper of the need to maintain call status information for that call. If the modified H.323 gatekeeper fails, there is no disruption of the call or the billing information associated with the call. The modified H.323 gateway and the modified H.323 gatekeeper can be embodied in interface cards suitable for IP telephony gateways. Additionally, the modified H.323 gateway can support a standard network address translation protocol and an H.323 proxy service. These features help prevent users of the modified H.323 gateway from bypassing the billing and user authentication systems while also conserving the IP address space.

Method and apparatus for providing a virtual distributed gatekeeper in an H.323 system

A system and method for improving the efficiency of a packet-based network by using aggregate packets are described. One example method involves determining which network devices support aggregate packets. If a first packet is received on a route that supports aggregate packets, it is then held for a short period. During this short period, if an additional packet is received that shares at least one common route element that also supports aggregate packets with the first packet, the first packet and the additional packet are combined into a single larger aggregate packet. This can reduce the transmission time when there are multiple packets being sent to common destinations because the inter-packet time may be reduced. Additionally, in some networks, this technique allows the bandwidth of a common medium to be more fully used because more of the packets will be closer to the maximum size allowed.

Method and apparatus for packet aggregation in packet-based network

New network elements that are installed in a network are automatically configured using an imprinting process. In this process, when they are first installed and turned on they start listening for packets on the network. When a packet is received, the new network element &ldquo;imprints&rdquo; to this packet by adopting configuration information, such as site ID and subnet ID values, that are contained in one or more fields in the first packet. The site ID and subnet ID values allow the new network element to intelligently communicate with other network elements. If the new network element does not receive a packet in a given amount of time, e.g., 30 or 60 minutes, the new network element assumes that it is the first element of the network. It therefore adopts site ID and subnet ID values from another source, such as deriving them from a pre-installed, 48-bit Medium Access Control address that is assigned to the network element.

Imprinting method for automated registration and configuration of network devices

A method and apparatus for improving the playback quality of audio/video streams encoded for transmission using low frame rate motion compensated coding. When a transmitting system sends an audio/video stream encoded using low frame rate motion compensated waveform, a receiving system may decode and then re-encode the stream to perform a more exhaustive search for new motion vectors that were not detected by the transmitting system. The method and system further provides improved motion compensated interpolation processes that the receiving system may use in conjunction with, or separately from re-encoding of an audio/video stream to produce a better quality playback of the stream. The method and system is particularly useful for video conferencing sessions transmitted at low rates using H.263 standard, but may be useful in other scenarios as well.

Method and apparatus for reconstruction of low frame rate video conferencing data

A method for improving the scalability of H.323 systems is described. The method allows a H.323 port to be made busy. This prevents other incoming, or outgoing, calls from using the port. In one embodiment, a virtual port address is provided in response to an address query request. Only later, if the call setup request is made, is an H.323 port made busy. Then, the address of the busy H.323 port is substituted for the virtual port address in the acknowledgement of the call setup request. In some embodiments, the H.323 port is made busy at the time of the address query request. In some embodiments, computer programs implement the virtual gateway functionality and make H.323 ports busy. Thus in both embodiments, the port provided by the H.323 gatekeeper will be available for use by the requesting H.323 device when the call setup request is made. In some embodiments, the H.323 gatekeeper does not need to directly monitor the status of H.323 ports and can poll a smaller number of virtual gateways.

Use of virtual gateway in H.323 system

Methods and system for providing secure emergency access to network devices. The methods and system described herein can be used to provide secure emergency access to network devices such as routers, telephony switching hubs, etc. Secure emergency access helps close security holes for providing access to configuration parameters in a network device by using an encrypted unit-unique password. The secure emergency access includes generating an encrypted emergency unit-specific password for a specific network device using a unique serial number for the specific network device and a global password used for a type of network device that includes the specific network device. The encrypted emergency unit-specific password is valid only on the specific network device with the unique serial number. The encrypted emergency unit-specific password is used to regain access to a specific network device for which an original password has been lost or misplaced. The secure emergency access can also be used for wireless phones to limit access to a network device identifier and telephone number data to prevent &ldquo;cloning.&rdquo;

Method and system for secure emergency access to network devices

A plurality of wireless nodes in a network, such as elements of a residential or office home computer system, security system, HVAC or sprinkler system, or the like, communicate with each other over a radio frequency channel. A node generates a packet and transmits it to all the other nodes within range. All the receiving nodes in turn retransmit the packet to all the nodes within range of them. This process floods the network with packets, insuring that all of the nodes at the site receive the packet. The packet contains a de-looping code that is processed by all the nodes that receive the packet. The de-looping code insures that the packet is broadcast by any given node only once. Collisions resulting from multiple nodes simultaneously trying to gain access to the RF medium is avoided by implementing an exponential backoff algorithm, by which all the nodes wait for a random period of time before attempting transmission on the medium. The nodes may communicate with higher level logical domains by virtue of selected nodes functioning as bridges to higher domains. The higher level domains can include neighborhood, regional, or global networks, including global IP-based cabled networks.

Simple wireless network with store and forward methods incorporating anti-looping codes

The present invention relates to an electrical connector for connecting combination electronic apparatus, which comprise a plurality of internal electronic devices, to networks or other devices. The connector of the present invention comprises a novel switching mechanism which selects between the plurality of internal electronic devices based on the attributes of the mating connector received by the connector. Device selection may be controlled by the physical characteristics of the mating connector, the electrical characteristics of the device or network attached to the mating connector or some other distinct attribute.

Electrical connector with automatic switching between multiple devices

A method and system for automatically determining priority data streams on a computer network. A data traffic signature is calculated for a data stream using one or more of an average packet spacing, average packet size, average packet jitter or variation in packet size parameters calculated for data packets in a data stream. An optimized data signature can also be calculated for a data stream using one or more of an optimized average packet spacing, optimized average packet size, optimized average packet jitter or optimized variation in packet size parameters. A calculated data traffic signature is used to determine whether the calculated data traffic signature matches a known data traffic signature for a known type of data stream. If a calculated data traffic signature matches a known data traffic signature for a known type of data stream, such as a multimedia data stream, resources are allocated on a network device to provide a desired processing priority to data packets in the data stream. Data packets in a higher priority data stream associated with a calculated data traffic signature are sent and received before any other data packets from other data streams with a lower processing priority. The desired processing priority may include a desired Quality-of-Service (&ldquo;QoS&rdquo;). The methods and system described herein provide a way to automatically determine a data stream type and to provide a desired processing priority including Quality-of-Service to multimedia data packets in a determined multimedia data stream. The multimedia data packets given priority can arrive with a lower latency and thus help eliminate audio/video and lip synchronization problems as well as reduce packet jitter.

Method and system for automatic determination of priority data streams on computer networks

The present invention is an apparatus and method of connecting, combining and extending the functionality of adjacently stacked, modular expansion cards in electronic devices through the use of a novel electrical connection between the expansion cards. Preferred embodiments of the present invention are modifications of PC Card Standard expansion cards or other expansion devices which are commonly stacked adjacently and in close proximity in a host of portable computer. Specific embodiments of the present invention allow the use of multiple expansion cards which can communicate directly with each other and allow the use, by a second card, of connectors, antennas, cords, and other items located within a first card.

Inter-card connection between adjacently positioned expansion cards

Software and methods are provided for improving contemporary communications between two or more terminal locations of a packet switched network. In a packet switched network incoming packets are stored in buffers until, as in a video conference, playback of the packets occurs. As described herein, a concerted method between storing packets in buffers and adjusting the playback of the packets at a destination terminal locations is provided. In a preferred embodiment, a jitter time is set that estimates the arrival times between at least two packets at the destination terminal location. The jitter time corresponds to a set of conditions for the buffers receiving the incoming packets and for the playback of the packets on a display device. Thereafter, an actual arrival time between incoming packets is measured and compared against the jitter time estimate. If the measured time is faster than or slower than the jitter time estimate, packets are not being received into buffers as desired and adjustments to the jitter time and set of conditions are made. If the measured time is slower than the jitter time estimate, a rapid alteration to the buffers and playback is made. In one embodiment, the buffers are enlarged to accommodate the slower arriving packets and the playback is slowed down to make the video conference appear more natural. If the measured time is faster than the jitter estimate, gradual alterations are made. Over time, the buffers are adjusted to accommodate for the rapidly arriving incoming packets to prevent stockpiling in the buffers.

Methods and computer executable instructions for improving communications in a packet switching network

An adapter having a housing is configured for removable attachment to a conventional PDA. The adapter is electrically coupled with the PDA and includes a light source configured to selectively emanate a light beam that can be modified into a digital signal. The digital signal can be received by a photo detector on computer for facilitating a download of data from the PDA to the computer. Software loaded in the memory of the PDA corresponds to predetermined remote-controllable devices. By inputting to the PDA the desired remote-controllable device and desired function, the light source emits a pulse signal that signals the remote-controllable devices to perform the desired function.

Personal data assistant with remote control capabilities

A method and apparatus for a connection monitor to concurrently interact with a concurrent diagnostic-capable modem during an open connection controlled by a communication application without terminating the open connection between a host system and the modem. The connection monitor and a communication application operate concurrently to enable a user to interrogate a modem for status information while a connection with the modem remains open and functional with other communication applications. A serial device driver presents two types of entry to the operating system, one for normal communications and one for a collateral or side-door entrance from a connection monitor. The serial device driver multiplexes a packaged diagnostic command into the open channel with the data process by the serial driver and dispatched to a local modem. The local modem performs a demultiplexing function by routing traditional communication data to a traditional COM process and diagnostic information is routed to a diagnostic process. Diagnostic status information is likewise packaged and multiplexed into a data stream with traditional COM data information for dispatch to the serial device driver and demultiplexed therein. The inband diagnostic driver interfaces directly with the connection monitor via the operating system for returning the diagnostic status information as retrieved from the local modem. The present invention also provides a method and apparatus for obtaining remote status information from a remote modem by employing related processes.

Method and apparatus for concurrent interaction with a modem having an

A method and system for authenticating an authorized user of a remote terminal attempting to interconnect with a computer network over a wireless modem is provided. An encrypted wireless communication channel is established between a remote terminal and a network server for facilitating the authentication process. An authorized user presents an authentication card containing credentials including a user identifier and an authentication encryption key to a remote terminal. The remote terminal establishes a wireless communication channel with a network server which provides a firewall between unauthenticated users and a computer network. The network server and the remote terminal then exchange encrypted information thus verifying the authenticity of each party. The remote terminal and the network server each independently generate a data encryption key for use in establishing a secure encrypted wireless communication channel therebetween.

Growing community of inventors

Taylorsville, UT, United States of America

Carl Ketcham