Lucent Technologies Inc.

Agere Systems Guardian Corp.

At+t Corp.

Agere Systems Inc.

At&t Bell Laboratories

Colin Alan Warwick

Ping-Wen Ong

Michael Julian Joyce

Abbas Ourmazd

Dan Avidor

John E Cunningham

Sanjay Kasturia

William Y Jan

Chu Ng

Joseph L Ciccone

David C Nall

Jay E Padgett

John A Rentschler

A digital audio broadcast channel is used in accordance with the principles of the present invention to broadcast local content information signals included with an associated geographically identifying code (e.g., a zip code) for reception only by those receivers associated with the geographically identifying code. Preferably, local content broadcasts containing audible information are preferably compressed for transmission to increase the capacity of the channel. A disclosed receiver monitors received signals for active local broadcasting relating to that particular locality, and switches to the reception of that local content information signal instead of the normal mode of reception of a general broadcast information signal for the duration of the local content information signal. Preferably, the unique local broadcast identifier code is contained in a header of the transmitted data packets. General broadcast content information and local content information can be received substantially simultaneously such that the audio signals relating to the general broadcast content and the local content are superimposed on one another, or reception of the local information may preempt reception of general broadcast information.

Digital audio broadcast system with local information

A frequency and phase estimator simultaneously estimates the frequency and phase of an MPSK modulated signal with a frequency uncertainty range on the order of the symbol rate. The estimator defines a plurality of contiguous bands within the frequency uncertainty range of the signal, estimates the frequency to one of the bands, and utilizes the frequency estimate to derive a phase estimate. In a preferred embodiment, a plurality of signal samples of the frequency shifted signal in each of said bands are accumulated to produce a vector for each band, and the frequency estimate is selected in one of said bands, based upon the magnitude of the corresponding vector. The phase is estimated from the argument of the corresponding vector. The present invention is particularly suited for burst modems or TDMA systems, where frequency and phase estimates must be derived reliably from a limited number of incoming symbols at the beginning of each burst.

Frequency and phase estimation for MPSK signals

The invention includes a semiconductor device, comprising a silicon carbide substrate comprising micropipes, wherein the micropipes are filled with a dielectric, and a method of making such a device.

Mitigation of deleterious effects of micropipes in silicon carbide devices

An automated message system sends a message of the calling party to the called party in response to a control signal. The automated message system includes a telephone network, a first telephone station, a second telephone station used by the called party and an automated message unit coupled to the first and second telephone stations through the network. A controller of the automated message unit that receives the control signal from the calling party selects a database from a memory device and retrieves a message from the database based on information included in the control signal. If an answering machine answers the calling party's call, the controller waits for the answering machine message to complete and sends the message retrieved from the database to the second telephone station of the called party.

Automated message system for a calling party

A more robust error correction capability is provided for the control data passed between a remote handset and its base unit in a DECT digital cordless telephone. According to the DECT standard as implemented in digital cordless telephones, one communication channel is used for control data and another is used for the voice data. While the DECT standard allows proprietary formats to be transmitted in the voice data channel, it fixes the information transmitted in the control data to ensure interoperability. In accordance with the principles of the present invention, the data rate of the voice data is reduced from a conventional 32 kb/s to provide bandwidth for error protection information. The error protection information may include, e.g., a redundant copy of the control data to provide the basis for a diversity scheme to improve the reliability of the control data transmission. Additionally, or alternatively, the error protection information may include error correction information, e.g., forward error correction information, relating to the control data and/or to the voice data to improve the reliability of the control data and/or voice data being transmitted. The error protection information may be combined with the voice data in the single communication channel time slot by, e.g., multiplexing, or apportioning of the time slot.

Method, apparatus, and communication protocol for transmitting control data with an improved error correction capability in a digital cordless telephone system

A cordless telephone is arranged for operation in a frequency hopping system includes an arrangement which achieves optimum utilization of multiple cordless telephone portable units by permitting these units to simultaneously access a common base unit. A physical layer of an air interface is provided by a two channel time division multiple access protocol for supporting a two channel multiple access system for the portable units. These two channels are considered as virtual channels and not dedicated to any particular telephone line, as in the case of two line telephone products. Nor are these two channels dedicated to any particular portable unit, but rather they are available for use by any portable unit in the telephone. A signaling layer of the air interface is provided for supporting the two channel multiple access system. Two types of subframes, acquisition and traffic, are illustratively provided in the air interface for the cordless telephone. The acquisition subframe is a synchronization frame that is configured for fast and reliable symbol and frame timing recovery. Single frame acquisition even in an extreme user hostile environment is achievable. Traffic subframes are used after a communication link has been built and full voice and/or data is interchanged. Signaling between the base unit and portable units is supported during both the traffic mode and the acquisition mode.

Cordless telephone arranged for operating with multiple portable units

A method and system for remotely controlling an interactive voice response (IVR) system. At least one command for controlling the IVR system is displayed using a graphical user interface based on locally stored information relating to a command menu for the IVR. When a command is selected from the display, a command sequence, that includes at least one DTMF tone, is generated that is related to each selected command. The command sequence also includes at least one DTMF tone that controls the IVR system to return to a higher level within the command menu when the command menu is hierarchical.

Method and system for remotely controlling an interactive voice response

The specification describes techniques for isolating noisy subcircuits in integrated analog/digital devices. The isolating means are trenches formed in the backside of the chip, and extending through, or partially through, the chip substrate. The isolating trenches are configured to be discontinuous so that the structural integrity of the chip, and the wafer as the chips are processed, is preserved.

Substrate isolation for analog/digital IC chips

A system and method that identify the location of a wireless terminal. An illustrative embodiment of the present invention comprises a wireless communication system with a plurality of base stations. The system associates a location identification signal with each base station, such as an area code and an exchange of a telephone number in the geographic area of the base station. When a call is connected through a base station, the system modifies the caller-ID signal for the wireless terminal with the location identification signal of the base station. Thus, the system identifies the location of a wireless terminal.

System and method for identifying the location of a wireless terminal

A manufacturing method which includes forming a metallic, aluminum-containing layer adherent to a surface of a body. The method includes the steps of depositing aluminum on the surface from an aluminum-containing vapor, and during the aluminum-depositing step, the further step of depositing arsenic, phosphorus, or antimony on the surface from the vapor.

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Holmdel, NJ, United States of America

Colin Alan Warwick