Location sharing and tracking using mobile phones or other wireless devices

The present invention provides a method and system for providing media services in Voice over IP telephony. A switch is coupled between one or more audio sources and a network interface controller. The switch can be a packet switch or a cell switch (304). The present invention further provides a method and system for distributed conference bridge processing in Voice over IP telephony. A distributed conference bridge multi-casts mixed audio content of a conference call in a way that reduces replication work at the mixing device. The present invention also provides a method and system for noiselessly switching between independent audio streams. Such noiseless switching preserves valid RTP information at the time of switch over.

Method and system for providing media services

System and method for strategic routing in a peer-to-peer environment

The invention relates to a method for managing a packet switched, centralized conference call between a plurality of terminals (13). In order to enable an enhancement of the user comfort, it is proposed that the method comprises at a conference call server (12) receiving data packets from all terminals (13). Based on these data packets, then at least one terminal (13) currently providing voice data is determined. In a next step, the data received in the data packets is mixed, and the mixed data is inserted into new data packets together with at least one identifier associated to one of the terminals (13) which were determined to provide voice data, such that the at least one identifier can be distinguished from any other information in the data packets. Finally, the new data packets are transmitted to terminals (13) participating in the conference call. The invention relates equally to a corresponding server and to a corresponding terminal.

Managing a packet switched conference call

Dynamic and current information is provided regarding a wireless device's entry into or exit from a geographically defined “watched” area. An area watcher application monitors preconfigured wireless devices entry/exit into preconfigured watched areas. The watched areas may watch for any/all subscribers, or for select, preconfigured subscribers listed in an appropriate table or database. Provision of location information is triggered by a wireless subscriber's entry, exit or changing between designated ‘watched’ areas or locations. Continuous polling may be used, or the mobile device itself or network element may be triggered to push its own location upon notification of its entry into or out of watched areas from an area watcher. A third party may be notified when a wireless user enters an area surrounding their retail store, and be sent a message such as “sale inside”, or “Your rentals are overdue”, on their wireless device.

Area watcher for wireless network

The performance of a voice conference using a packet-based conference bridge can be improved with a number of modifications. In one modification, the conference bridge receives speech indication signals from the individual packet-based terminals within the voice conference, these speech indication signals then being used by the conference bridge to select the talkers within the voice conference. This removes the need for speech detection techniques within the conference bridge, hence decreasing the required processing power and the latency within the conference bridge. In another modification, the conference bridge sends addressing control signals to the individual packet-based terminals selected as talkers, these addressing control signals directing the terminals selected as talkers to directly transmit their voice data packets to the other terminals within the voice conference. This direct transmission of voice data packets can reduce transcoding and latency within the network. These two modifications could further be combined, resulting in a conference bridge that receives speech indication signals, selects the talkers for the voice conference and outputs addressing control signal to the talkers. In this case, the advantages of the two modifications are gained as well as additional capacity advantages resulting from no voice signals actually traversing the conference bridge.

Apparatus and method for packet-based media communications

The present invention relates to a variable clamp equalization method and apparatus, the method includes measuring optical signal to noise ratio (OSNR) values for each wavelength, computing a raw power adjustment value for each wavelength, computing a raw power adjustment correction factor for each computed raw power adjustment value based on a computed OSNR range value in accordance with a pre-defined variable clamp value schedule, wherein a larger clamp is scheduled for use when the computed OSNR range value is larger, and a smaller clamp is scheduled for use when the computed OSNR range value is smaller. The method further includes determining a clamped power adjustment value for each wavelength, applying the corresponding determined clamped power adjustment value to each wavelength, and iterating the aforementioned until the computed OSNR range value is within pre-defined boundaries, whereby the signal is considered equalized.

Variable clamp equalization method and apparatus

In method of controlling an optical amplifier dynamically adapts to both configuration and performance changes of a communications system. An error vector is calculated to indicate a difference between respective detected values and target values of a parameter of a light beam downstream of the optical amplifier. A sensitivity matrix indicative of a sensitivity of the detected parameter value to incremental changes in a control variable of the optical amplifier is calculated. A predicted optimum value of the control variable is then calculated using the error vector and the sensitivity matrix. Calculation of the predicted optimum control variable value can be iterative, with the sensitivity matrix calculated either during each iteration, or at the beginning of each optimization run. As a result, optimization of the amplifier control variables is performed based on a sensitivity matrix that accurately reflects the performance of the amplifier.

Adaptive optical amplifier control

Numerous packet-based terminals coupled within a packet-based network can establish a voice conference without the use of a conference bridge if the packet-based terminals can support specific operations. These specific operations include receiving voice data packets from each of the other packet-based terminals within the voice conference, determining a set of talkers within the voice conference and processing the received media data packets appropriately for the selected set of talkers so as to output uncompressed voice signals corresponding to the talkers to a speaker coupled to the packet-based terminal. the removal of the conference bridge can allow the packet-based apparatus to become independent from the packet-based network administration. Further, the removal of the conference bridge allows a reduction in transcoding and hence, allows a better quality signal to be received at the individual apparatus.

Frederic F. Simard

Papers

Apparatus and method for packet-based media communications

Variable clamp equalization method and apparatus

Adaptive optical amplifier control

Packet-based conferencing