Cisco Technology, Inc.

Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Skype Limited

Manrique Brenes

Allen Huotari

Yen Teresa Nguyen

Matthew Blake McRae

Kendra S Harrington

Craig Zimmerman

Derek MacDonald

Rachel C Neal

Calvin Y Liu

Marek Laasik

Dmytro Izotov

Mark Alastair Gillett

Luan Dang

Gareth O'Loughlin

Helen Blackburn

Duncan Lamb

Edward Dean Willis

Andrew M Gutman

Daniel Winston

Piu Piu Ong

Ray Chang

Yutai Koh

Ellyse Brause

Theo Short

James E Collinge

Jay Price

James E Colinge

Simon Wilson

There is provided a packet-based communication system for conducting voice or video calls over a packet-based network. A client application on a first terminal is configured to determine an availability of one or more other, second user terminals installed with other instances of the client application, and to present a near-end user with an option to select one of said second user terminals for use by the near-end user in conjunction with the first user terminal when conducting a voice or video call with a far-end user via the client instances and packet-based communication system; thereby enabling the voice or video call to be conducted using the second terminal to consume or generate at least one stream of the call whilst the first user terminal concurrently generates or consumes at least another stream of the call or controls the call.

Communication system and method

There is provided an instance of a client application enabling a first user terminal to access a packet-based communication system to conduct voice or video calls over a packet-based network. The client application is configured to receive an input from one or more audio and/or video input transducers of the first terminal, and to operate in conjunction with one or more other instances of the client application executed on one or more respective second terminals so as to participate in an analysis of the one or more inputs in relation to an input from one or more audio and/or video input transducers of the one or more second terminals; thereby enabling selection of one of the first and second terminals for use by a near-end user in conducting a call with a far-end user of a third user terminal via the respective client instance and packet-based communication system.

A first near-end terminal is able to conduct voice or video calls with at least one far-end terminal via a packet-based communication system, the first near-end terminal being a mobile user terminal of a near-end user. The first near-end terminal is enabled to discover proximity of at least one second near-end terminal available to provide a resource for use by the near-end user in conjunction with the first near-end terminal when conducting one of said calls, the resource being for use in conducting at least part of the call or in conjunction with the call. The first near-end terminal is also arranged, based on discovering said proximity, to present the near-end user with a message indicating the availability of the second near-end terminal to provide the resource when conducting the call.

Providing notifications of call-related services

A communications module comprising a network interface for connecting to a packet data network, a memory storing communication client code, a connection interface that is arranged to connect to a consumer device to establish a set of connections between the communications module and the consumer device, wherein the connection interface comprises at least one connection for exchanging analogue call signals with the consumer device; and at least one data connector; and processing means configured to convert analogue call signals received from the consumer device into packet data and supply the packet data to the network interface, the processing means further configured to execute the communication client code stored in the memory and send user interface data for display at the consumer device via the data connector.

Communications module

Method and communication system for processing media streams. A plurality of synchronized media streams are provided to a respective plurality of communication clients at a respective plurality of end points of a communication system. The communication clients output the media streams at the end points, wherein the amount of time required for said providing and outputting of the media streams is different for the plurality of end points. At least one of said providing and said outputting of at least one of the media streams is controlled so that the outputting of the plurality of media streams is synchronized at the plurality of end points.

Processing media streams

In one embodiment, a network device is provided that includes a DHCP server; a NAT/NAPT facility; and a logic engine configured to detect a presence of an upstream NAT/NAPT service, the logic engine being further configured to disable the DHCP server and the NAT/NAPT facility in response to detecting the presence of the upstream NAT/NAPT service.

Automatic reconfiguration of layer 3 device to layer 2 device upon detection of upstream NAT/NAPT device

A device for use in a communication system the device comprising processing means arranged to execute first and second applications, and first and second interface means, the first application for detecting a communication event, the second application comprising means for controlling the second interface to allow a user to use the second application; wherein the first application is arranged to control first interface means to indicate to a user of the device that the communication event has occurred, when the second application is running.

User interface for a communication device

A method for communicating a key to a wireless device includes communicating the key to a cellular telephone system which subsequently communicates the key to the wireless device. Thus, the need to manually enter a key into a wireless device to facilitate communication with a local area network is avoided.

Key distribution for wireless devices

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a provisioning method for establishing a telecommunications service including the operations of sending a resynchronization message to a user terminal unit, redirecting the resynchronization message to a customer premises equipment (CPE) unit, acquiring the configuration server network address from the resynchronization message, connecting the CPE unit through the network to a configuration server specified in the configuration server network address, receiving subscriber configuration data from the configuration server; and initializing the CPE unit with the received subscriber configuration data to establish service between the CPE unit and the telecommunications service provider.

Generic provisioning of voice over internet protocol (VoIP)

A method and system for remotely managing a bridge device, such as a modem, are disclosed. Management traffic from a service provider can be communicated to a bridge device which lacks a public IP address by sending the management traffic through the bridge device to a router of a LAN. The router then sends the management traffic back to the bridge device. Thus, the service provider can perform management tasks such as troubleshooting, health monitoring, accounting, provisioning, security and firmware upgrades in a manner that is transparent to the user.

Remote management of a bridge device

According to one embodiment, an Ethernet switch includes a plurality of ports operable to receive and transmit Ethernet traffic. The Ethernet switch also includes system monitoring software operable to receive an indication from a user of a plurality of fault conditions for which generation of an alarm is desired. The system monitoring software is also operable to monitor the Ethernet switch for the plurality of fault conditions and generate a signal indicating a particular one of the plurality of fault conditions has occurred. The Ethernet switch further includes at least one relay responsive to the generated signal that is operable to turn on a respective alarm indicating a particular fault condition has occurred.

Ethernet switch with configurable alarms

According to one embodiment of the invention a rugged Ethernet switch includes a housing and a passive cooling system associated with the housing and being devoid of fans as operable to cool the Ethernet switch. Ethernet switch also includes software operable to perform at least one of the functions selected from the group consisting of multiple spanning, rapid spanning, cluster management and IGMP snooping and querying. According to another embodiment, a rugged Ethernet switch includes a housing having a plurality of perforations formed therein for cooling the Ethernet switch. The switch also includes a passive cooling system be devoid of fans and that is operable to cool the Ethernet switch. A temperature sensor is operable to measure a temperature of the Ethernet switch is included as is an alarm software responsive to the temperature sensor and operable to initiate an alarm when a measured temperature of the Ethernet switch exceeds a particular limit.

Industrial ethernet switch

In one embodiment, a VoIP-integrated router operable to interface with analog telephones and digital devices is provided. The VoIP-integrated router is configured to perform a method of estimating the upstream data rate of a modem, comprising transmitting packets at a known rate from the VoIP-integrated router through an upstream path for the modem to a node; during the transmission of the packets, transmitting Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) PING messages to the node; and based upon an examination of the PING messages and the known rate, estimating the upstream data rate of the modem.

Upstream data rate estimation

A method and system for authenticating a mobile station, such as a dual mode cellular telephone, for access to a wireless local area network is disclosed. The mobile station can be authenticated by registering, and thus pre-authenticating, it with the wireless area network. Registration can comprise providing identifying information regarding the mobile station to the local area network. Access to the local area network facilitates the use of the local area network for communications by the mobile station, such as using VoIP over the Internet.

Authentication of mobile stations

A network device and a method of configuring a network device are provided. The method includes: receiving an e-mail message at the network device; parsing the e-mail message to retrieve configuration instructions; and executing a configuration action according to the configuration instructions contained in the e-mail message. The network device includes: a first upstream network interface; control logic configured to: receive an e-mail message; parse the e-mail message to retrieve configuration instructions; and execute a configuration action according to the configuration instructions contained in the e-mail message.

Growing community of inventors

Corona Del Mar, CA, United States of America

Manrique Brenes