Alcatel Lucent

Interactive response systems ( 1 ) of call centers for giving users access to information comprise means ( 11, 31 ) for receiving activation signals via audio or video or audio/video calls from the users and means ( 12, 32 ) for transmitting menu signals to the users and means ( 13, 21, 33 ) for receiving selection signals from the users are provided with means ( 22, 34 ) for transmitting video signals to the users for providing video to the user. This video may have entertaining, explaining, supporting and/or commercial functions and makes the interactive response systems more-sided and user friendly. The users either use two different devices ( 4, 5 ) or use one device ( 6 ) for exchanging audio and for receiving video. The interactive response systems ( 1 ) further comprise means ( 14, 35 ) for receiving link signals that provide direct or indirect links from the interactive response systems ( 1 ) to the devices ( 5 ) or to video or audio/video calls with the devices ( 6 ). The devices ( 4 - 6 ) comprise means ( 43, 52, 65 ) for transmitting selection signals to the interactive response systems ( 1 ) for making selections within menus.

A network interfaced unit includes a first data processing device, a second data processing device coupled to the first data processing device, memory coupled to the first data processing device, and instructions accessible from the memory by the first data processing device. The instructions are configured for causing the first data processing device to carry out operations for causing a copy of a frame received by the second data processing device to be received by the first data processing device in response to a destination address of the frame failing to be found in an address lookup table accessibly by the second data processing device and for causing the first data processing device to query other network interface units after receiving the copy of the frame for determining if the destination address of the frame has been learned on any one of the other network interface units.

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to providing a method and system for call admission control and preemption of multiple bit-rate applications in a digital communication system. Multiple bit-rate applications such as streaming video can specify a Quality of Service (QoS) profile having multiple levels. When there are insufficient resources in the network to support an incoming multiple bit-rate call, the system determines whether, by reducing the bit-rate of the incoming call or by preemption of lower priority components of existing calls, enough resources can be recovered to support the incoming call.

Protection systems and methods for electronic devices including at least one communication line interface are disclosed. A switch connected to each interface and a working communication path in an electronic device is adapted for connection to a protection communication path and controllable to connect each interface to either the working communication path or the protection communication path. Inter-device messaging provides for switch control by a protection device connected to the protection communication path, monitoring of devices in a protection group, protection communication path monitoring, and automatic configuration of a protection group.

Method that includes providing plurality of test sites each having first and second layers respectively including inorganic first and second surface sites forming parts of interior of a well, the surface sites having positions and thicknesses being configured for locating thereon portions of unidentified amino acid-containing molecules; exposing each of a first plurality of the test sites to a fluid containing a different one of plurality of pre-identified amino acid-containing molecules and determining bonding signatures onto each of first plurality of test sites; exposing each of second plurality of test sites to another fluid containing unidentified amino acid-containing molecule and determining bonding signatures onto second plurality of test sites; and comparing bonding signatures to determine or exclude identity of unidentified amino acid-containing molecule.

The invention provides a method and apparatus for controlling, in a policy and charging rules function entity, quality of service of a user equipment. The method includes the steps of: obtaining charging-related information of the user equipment ( 210 ); and determining the quality of service corresponding to the user equipment according to the charging-related information ( 220 ). With the introduction of the charging-related information, the policy and charging rules function entity can control quality of service according to the existing system resources and the contribution and demand of the user equipment to thereby balance reasonably demands of different user equipments and to utilize effectively the limited resources of the system.

Storing subscriber state information is disclosed. It is determined whether a subscriber state information associated with a DHCP lease communication is stored in a persistent storage. If the subscriber state information is not stored in the persistent storage, a shortened time that is shorter than a normal DHCP lease time is included in the DHCP lease communication.

IMS networks and methods are disclosed for selectively blocking advertisement content on a per user identifier (ID) basis. A subscriber database in the IMS network, such as a Home Subscriber Server (HSS), stores service profiles for IMS users. The service profiles of the IMS users are also provisioned with advertisement blocking indicators that are associated with a user ID of the IMS users. When a request is received in the subscriber database for a service profile associated with a user ID, the subscriber database checks the advertisement blocking indicator associated with the user ID to see if advertisement content should be blocked for this user ID. If so, the subscriber database modifies initial filter criteria (iFC) associated with the user ID, which in essence blocks the advertisement content from being sent to the IMS user.

A payment system for accessing Internet content is located within an Internet service providers network. The system includes an access controller ( 106 ) and a payment authority ( 108 ). When an end-user makes a request for a URL, the access controller terminates the request and determines whether the requested URL is one for which a charge for accessing the content referenced by that URL is required. That determination is made by comparing the requested URL with a set of rules that are supplied by all the content providers for which the service provider supports payment. If no match is found, the request is forwarded to the content provider. If a rule is found that matches the requested URL, the end-user is identified and the request is forwarded to the payment authority where a payment policy associated with the matched rule is applied. If the end-user fulfills the requirements of this payment policy, then access to the content is granted. The end-user may fulfill the requirements of the payment policy, for example, through a current subscription to a content provider's site, through an auto-payment agreement in which all charges of less than an agreed upon amount are automatically accepted, or by specifically accepting and agreeing to pay an indicated charge for accessing the requested content. In accepting any such payment arrangement, the end-user's account with the service provider is debited for the appropriate charge and the content provider's account is credited for the end-user's access.

In a communication system, a plurality of communication entities can establish a plurality of communication links that can potentially interfere with each other. A control of the communication system involves repetitively carrying out a probabilistic parameter setting step for respective communication links. In such a probabilistic parameter setting step, a parameter setting to be applied to a communication link is randomly determined according to a probability distribution. This probability distribution is such that a probability that a particular parameter setting is applied decreases with, on the one hand, a relative level of interference that the communication link is expected to experience from other communication links if the particular parameter setting is applied and, on the other hand, a relative level of interference that other communication links are expected to experience if the particular parameter setting is applied.