Author: claimsbot

1. A method for testing an image based occupant classification system, the method comprising:
identifying a plurality of disturbances for an image based occupant classification system;
identifying a plurality of test occupants for a vehicle;
randomly selecting at least one disturbance from the plurality of disturbances;
randomly selecting a test occupant from the plurality of test occupants;
introducing said randomly selected disturbance and randomly selected test occupant to the image based occupant classification system; and
evaluating whether the image based occupant classification system properly determines a characteristic of the test occupant.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the plurality of disturbances comprises identifying a driving condition, and wherein introducing said randomly selected disturbance comprises introducing the driving condition to the image based occupant classification system.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein introducing the driving condition comprises operating a vehicle according to the driving condition, wherein the vehicle includes the image based occupant classification system.
4. The method of claim 2 wherein identifying the plurality of disturbances further comprises identifying a plurality of malfunction events for the image based occupant classification system, wherein randomly selecting at least one disturbance from the plurality of disturbances comprises randomly selecting a malfunction event from the plurality of malfunction events, and wherein introducing said randomly selected disturbance further comprises introducing the randomly selected malfunction event to the image based occupant classification system.
5. The method of claim 2 wherein identifying the plurality of disturbances further comprises identifying a plurality of lighting conditions for an image based occupant classification system, wherein randomly selecting at least one disturbance from the plurality of disturbances comprises randomly selecting a lighting condition from the plurality of lighting conditions, and wherein introducing said randomly selected disturbance further comprises introducing the randomly selected lighting condition to the image based occupant classification system.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein evaluating whether the image based occupant classification system properly determines a characteristic of the test occupant comprises calculating a failure rate.
7. The method of claim 4 wherein identifying the plurality of malfunction events further comprises analyzing a fault tree.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the plurality of disturbances comprises compiling a list of the plurality of disturbances.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the plurality of test occupants comprises compiling a list of the plurality of test occupants.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein randomly selecting said disturbance and randomly selecting a test occupant comprises employment of a randomizer.
11. A method for testing an image based occupant classification system, the method comprising:
identifying a plurality of disturbances for the image based occupant classification system;
identifying a plurality of test occupants for a vehicle; and
employing a randomizer to randomly select from among the plurality of disturbances, to randomly select from among the plurality of test occupants, and to associate each of the randomly selected disturbances with at least one of the randomly selected test occupants.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein identifying the plurality of disturbances comprises identifying a driving condition, and wherein the method further comprises employing the randomizer to further associate each of the randomly selected disturbances with the driving condition.
13. The method of claim 11 wherein identifying the plurality of disturbances further comprises identifying a plurality of malfunction events for an image based occupant classification system, and wherein employing a randomizer to associate each of the randomly selected disturbances with at least one of the randomly selected test occupants comprises employing the randomizer to associate each of the randomly selected malfunction events with at least one of the randomly selected test occupants.
14. The method of claim 11 wherein identifying a plurality of disturbances comprises identifying a plurality of lighting conditions for an image based occupant classification system, and wherein the method further comprises employing the randomizer to associate each of the randomly selected lighting conditions with at least one of the randomly selected test occupants.
15. The method of claim 12 further comprising:
operating a vehicle according to the driving condition;
introducing one of the disturbances to the image based occupant classification system; and
evaluating whether the image based occupant classification system properly determines a characteristic of at least one of the test occupants.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein evaluating whether the image based occupant classification system properly determines a characteristic of at least one of the test occupants further comprises calculating a failure rate.
17. The method of claim 13 wherein the plurality of malfunction events include vehicular conditions that impair the image based occupant classification system from properly identifying the test occupant.
18. The method of claim 13 wherein identifying the plurality of malfunction events further comprises analyzing a fault tree.
19. The method of claim 11 wherein identifying the plurality of disturbances further comprises compiling a list of the plurality of disturbances.
20. The method of claim 11 wherein identifying the plurality of test occupants further comprises compiling a list of the plurality of test occupants.
21. A method for testing an image based occupant classification system, the method comprising:
generating a plurality of test cases, each test case comprising a randomly selected disturbance and a randomly selected test occupant;
for each test case, introducing the randomly selected test occupants into a passenger compartment of a vehicle and performing the disturbance; and
calculating a failure rate of an algorithm associated with the image based occupant classification system in determining a characteristic of the test occupant.
23. The method of claim 21 wherein the randomly selected disturbance comprises a malfunction event.
24. The method of claim 21 wherein the randomly selected disturbance comprises a driving condition.
25. The method of claim 21 wherein the randomly selected disturbance comprises a lighting condition.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A communications system for placing a plurality of calls with a common message to a plurality of subscribers via a public switched telephone network, the system comprising:
a plurality of end offices;
a plurality of end office switches, each disposed in one of the plurality of end offices and in communication with the public switched telephone network;
a plurality of auto-dialers, each disposed in one of the plurality of end offices and interconnected with one of the plurality of end office switches for placing the plurality of calls to the plurality of subscribers via the one of the plurality of end office switches; and
an auto-dialer controller in communication with each of the plurality of auto-dialers,
wherein the auto-dialer controller receives an instruction to place the plurality of calls, transmits the instruction to each of the plurality of auto-dialers, and transmits call information to each of the plurality of auto-dialers that corresponds to the plurality of calls to be placed to the plurality of subscribers, and
wherein the plurality of auto-dialers place the plurality of calls to the plurality of subscribers based on the call information transmitted from the auto-dialer controller.
2. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of auto-dialers is interconnected with one of the plurality of end office switches via a trunk group.
3. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of end office switches is interconnected with the plurality of subscribers via local loop lines.
4. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of auto-dialers includes an instruction receiver for receiving the instruction to place the plurality of calls to the plurality of subscribers.
5. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of auto-dialers includes switch concentrator circuit information of a switch concentrator circuit of one of the plurality of end office switches for determining an order for placing the plurality of calls.
6. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of auto-dialers includes an instruction receiver for receiving the instruction to place the plurality of calls, and wherein a single instruction is transmitted to the instruction receiver of each of the plurality of auto-dialers.
7. A method for placing a plurality of calls with a common message to a plurality of subscribers via a public switched telephone network, the method comprising:
receiving, by an auto-dialer controller, an instruction to place the plurality of calls and call information corresponding to the plurality of calls to be placed to the plurality of subscribers;
transmitting the instruction to place the plurality of calls from the auto-dialer controller to a plurality of auto-dialers, each of the plurality of auto-dialers being disposed in one of a plurality of end offices;
transmitting the call information from the auto-dialer controller to the plurality of auto-dialers;
initiating, based on the call information transmitted from the auto-dialer controller, the plurality of calls with the plurality of auto-dialers; and
placing the plurality of calls to the plurality of subscribers via a plurality of end office switches, each of the plurality of end office switches being disposed in one of the plurality of end offices and in communication with the public switched telephone network and interconnected with one of the plurality of auto-dialers.
8. The method as set forth in claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of auto-dialers is interconnected with one of the plurality of end office switches via a trunk group.
9. The method as set forth in claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of end office switches is interconnected with the plurality of subscribers via local loop lines.
10. The method as set forth in claim 7, further comprising:
receiving, by the plurality of auto-dialers, the instruction to place the plurality of calls to the plurality of subscribers,
wherein each of the plurality of auto-dialers initiates the plurality of calls in response to receiving the instruction.
11. The method as set forth in claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of auto-dialers includes switch concentrator circuit information of a switch concentrator circuit of one of the plurality of end office switches, and wherein each of the plurality of auto-dialers initiates the plurality of calls based on the switch concentrator circuit information of the switch concentrator circuit of one of the plurality of end office switches.
12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with an executable computer program for placing a plurality of calls with a common message to a plurality of subscribers via a public switched telephone network, the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:
a receiving code segment that receives an instruction to place the plurality of calls and call information corresponding to the plurality of calls to be placed to the plurality of subscribers;
a first transmitting code segment that transmits the instruction to place the plurality of calls to a plurality of auto-dialers, each of the plurality of auto-dialers being disposed in one of a plurality of end offices;
a second transmitting code segment that transmits the call information to the plurality of auto-dialers;
an initiating code segment that initiates, based on the call information, the plurality of calls with the plurality of auto-dialers; and
a placing code segment that places the plurality of calls to the plurality subscribers via a plurality of end office switches, each of the plurality of end office switches being disposed in one of the plurality of end offices and in communication with the public switched telephone network and interconnected with one of the plurality of auto-dialers.
13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of auto-dialers is interconnected with one of the plurality of end office switches via a trunk group.
14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 12, further comprising:
a second receiving code segment that receives, at the plurality of auto-dialers, the instruction to place the plurality of calls to the plurality of subscribers,
wherein the initiating code segment initiates the plurality of calls in response to the second receiving code segment receiving the instruction.
15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of auto-dialers includes switch concentrator circuit information of a switch concentrator circuit of one of the plurality of end office switches, and wherein the initiating code segment initiates the plurality of calls based on the switch concentrator circuit information of the switch concentrator circuit of one of the plurality of end office switches.

1. A method for frequency channel selection over wireless communications in a satellite communication system, the satellite communications system comprising at least a gateway and at least a first communications satellite, said satellite using a satellite frequency band, said satellite frequency band comprising a series of frequency channels, a radio terminal having a transceiver including at least a receiver and at least a transmitter, said transmitter capable of communicating through said gateway by way of the satellite using a portion of the satellite frequency band, said radio terminal selectively communicating via a wireless terrestrial link using a part of said portion of the satellite frequency band so as to terrestrially reuse that part of said portion of the satellite frequency band (the \u201creused frequency band\u201d);
the method comprising the steps of measuring a characteristic of each frequency channel in said portion of said satellite frequency band, received at said gateway, and selecting for said transmitter either a frequency channel in said reused frequency band or outside of said reused frequency band, where said selected frequency channel is selected based on said measured characteristic which comprises power, and said frequency channel selected is within said reused frequency band when said power in each frequency channel in said portion of said satellite frequency band that is outside said reused frequency band, exceeds a predetermined level.
2. A method for frequency channel selection over wireless communications in a satellite communication system, the satellite communications system comprising at least a gateway and at least a first communications satellite, said satellite communicates using a satellite frequency band, said satellite frequency band comprising a series of frequency channels, a radio terminal having a transceiver including at least a receiver and at least a transmitter, said transmitter capable of communicating through said gateway by way of the satellite using a portion of the satellite frequency band, said radio terminal selectively communicating via a wireless terrestrial link using a part of said portion of the satellite frequency band so as to terrestrially reuse that part of said portion of the satellite frequency band (the \u201creused frequency band\u201d);
the method comprising the steps of measuring a characteristic of each frequency channel in said portion of said satellite communication band received at said terminal, transmitting said measured characteristics to a controller associated with said gateway, said controller selecting for said transmitter either a frequency channel in said reused frequency band or outside of said reused frequency band, where said selected frequency channel is selected based on said measured characteristic which comprises power and said frequency channel selected is within said reused frequency band when said power in said portion of satellite frequency band that is outside said reused frequency band, exceeds a predetermined level.
3. A method for frequency channel selection over wireless communications in a satellite communication system, the satellite communications system comprising at least a gateway and at least a first communications satellite, said satellite using a satellite frequency band, said satellite frequency band comprising a series of frequency channels, a radio terminal having a transceiver including at least a receiver and at least a transmitter, said transmitter capable of communicating through said gateway by way of the satellite using a portion of the satellite frequency band, said radio terminal selectively communicating via a wireless terrestrial link using a part of said portion of the satellite frequency band so as to terrestrially reuse that part of said portion of the satellite frequency band (the \u201creused frequency band\u201d);
the method comprising the steps of measuring a characteristic of each frequency channel in said portion of said satellite frequency band, received at said gateway, and selecting for said transmitter either a frequency channel in said reused frequency band or outside of said reused frequency band, where said selected frequency channel is selected based on said measured characteristic which comprises power, and said frequency channel selected is outside said reused frequency band when said power in each frequency channel in said portion of said satellite frequency band that is within said reused frequency band exceeds a predetermined level.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein said characteristic is measured at said gateway.
5. The method of claim 3 wherein said measured characteristic is associated with return link uplink frequencies in said satellite frequency band.
6. The method of claim 3 wherein said communications system further includes a controller associated with said gateway and said selection is made by said controller.
7. The method of claim 3 wherein said selection is made at a location of said transceiver.
8. The method of claim 6 further including the step of transmitting said selected frequency channel to said transceiver through said gateway.
9. The method of claim 3 wherein said measured characteristic comprises power, and said frequency channel selected has the lowest power level of said frequency channels in said portion of said frequency band.
10. The method of claim 3 wherein said gateway communicates with a plurality of transceivers.
11. A method for frequency channel selection over wireless communications in a satellite communication system, the satellite communications system comprising at least a gateway and at least a first communications satellite, said satellite communicates using a satellite frequency band, said satellite frequency band comprising a series of frequency channels, a radio terminal having a transceiver including at least a receiver and at least a transmitter, said transmitter capable of communicating through said gateway by way of the satellite using a portion of the satellite frequency band, said radio terminal selectively communicating via a wireless terrestrial link using a part of said portion of the satellite frequency band so as to terrestrially reuse that part of said portion of the satellite frequency band (the \u201creused frequency band\u201d);
the method comprising the steps of measuring a characteristic of each frequency channel in said portion of said satellite communication band received at said terminal, transmitting said measured characteristics to a controller associated with said gateway, said controller selecting for said transmitter either a frequency channel in said reused frequency band or outside of said reused frequency band, where said selected frequency channel is selected based on said measured characteristic which comprises power, and said frequency channel selected is outside said reused frequency band when said power in said portion of satellite frequency band that is within said reused frequency band exceeds a predetermined level.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein said measured characteristic are associated with return link uplink frequencies in said satellite frequency band.
13. The method of claim 11 wherein said selection is made at a location of said transceiver.
14. The method of claim 11 wherein said measured characteristic comprises power, and said frequency channel selected has the lowest power level of said frequency channels in said portion of said frequency band.
15. The method of claim 11 wherein said gateway communicates with a plurality of transceivers.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A method of recovering from a communications link failure in a network comprising one or more bridge devices and configured as a spanning tree having a root bridge device and an alternate port associated with the root bridge device and capable of restoring connectivity to the root bridge device after the communications link failure, the method comprising:
automatically identifying a ring containing the root bridge device and the alternate port;
notifying the one or more bridge devices within the ring of the alternate port;
after the communications link failure occurs, sending a pre-computed message to a bridge device having the alternate port;
unblocking the alternate port based on the message; and
prior to unblocking the alternate port, reconfiguring a port on at least one of the bridge devices in the ring to be a new root port in response to the pre-computed message.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein reconfiguring the port comprises clearing a Content-Addressable Memory (CAM) table.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein notifying the one or more bridge devices within the ring of the alternate port comprises transmitting alternate bridge protocol data units (BPDUs) from the alternate port or a root port of a first bridge device to a designated port of a second bridge device.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically identifying a ring containing the root bridge device and the alternate port comprises:
sending information received on a root port of a bridge device having the alternate port from the alternate port of said bridge device to another bridge device coupled to the alternate port; and
sending information with a lowest priority number received on the alternate port or at least one designated port from a root port of the one or more bridge devices to a bridge device coupled to the root port.
5. A method of configuring a network comprising one or more bridge devices, the method comprising:
providing a first type of bridge communication flowing in a first direction;
selecting a root bridge device based on information contained in the first type of bridge communication;
during a configuration of the network and prior to a communications link failure, automatically providing a second type of bridge communication flowing in a second direction different from the first direction, wherein the second direction is from an alternate port or a root port of a first one of the bridge devices to a designated port of a second one of the bridge devices;
storing information for a failure message in memory of the first and second bridge devices based on information contained in the second type of bridge communications;
after the communications link failure, sending the failure message to a bridge device having the alternate port;
unblocking the alternate port based on the failure message; and
prior to unblocking the alternate port, reconfiguring a port on at least one of the one or more bridge devices to be a new root port in response to the failure message.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first type of bridge communication comprises bridge protocol data units (BPDUs).
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second type of bridge communication comprises alternate BPDUs advertising a secondary route to the root bridge device.
8. The method of claim 5, wherein the first direction is from the designated port of the second one of the bridge devices to the root port of the first one of the bridge devices.
9. The method of claim 5, wherein the failure message designates an alternate port of one of the bridge devices to unblock.
10. A method of configuring a network comprising one or more bridge devices and configured as a spanning tree having a root bridge device and an alternate port associated with the root bridge device and recovering from a communications link failure in the network, the method comprising:
transmitting a first type of bridge communication flowing from the alternate port or a root port on each of the one or more bridge devices to a designated port on a coupled bridge device to automatically identify a ring associated with the root bridge device;
after the communications link failure, sending at least one message to a bridge device having the alternate port capable of restoring connectivity to the root bridge device;
unblocking the alternate port based on the at least one message; and
prior to unblocking the alternate port, updating a port on at least one of the bridge devices that lost connectivity to the root bridge device due to the link failure to be a new root port.
11. The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting a second type of bridge communication flowing from the designated port on each of the one or more bridge devices to the root port on the coupled bridge device.
12. The method of claim 10, wherein updating the port comprises clearing a Content-Addressable Memory (CAM) table on each of the one or more bridge devices that lost connectivity to the root bridge device.
13. A network bridge device supporting an alternate spanning tree protocol, comprising:
hardware configured to send and receive a first and a second type of bridge protocol data units (BPDUs) traveling in opposite directions during a configuration of a network, wherein the second type of BPDUs travels from a root port of the network bridge device to a designated port of another network bridge device; and
memory configured to store a message based on a location of the alternate port in the network, wherein the hardware is further configured to detect a communications link failure or receive a failure message, to update, prior to unblocking an alternate port on a separate network bridge device, a port of the network bridge device to be a new root port in response to detecting the communications link failure or receiving the failure message, and to transmit the stored message or the received failure message, respectively.
14. The network bridge device of claim 13, wherein the location of the alternate port is learned from the second type of BPDUs.
15. The network bridge device of claim 13, wherein the hardware is further configured to unblock the alternate port upon detecting the communications link failure or receiving the failure message.
16. The network bridge device of claim 13, wherein the hardware is configured to update the port to be the new root port by clearing a Content-Addressable Memory (CAM) table.
17. A system for network communication, comprising:
at least two network bridge devices supporting an alternate spanning tree protocol, each network bridge device comprising:
hardware configured to send and receive a first and a second type of bridge protocol data units (BPDUs) traveling in opposite directions during a configuration of the system, wherein the second type of BPDUs travels from a root port of the network bridge device to a designated port of another network bridge device; and
memory configured to store a message based on a location of the alternate port in the system learned from the second type of BPDUs, wherein the hardware is further configured to detect a communications link failure in the system or receive a failure message, to update, prior to unblocking an alternate port on a separate network bridge device, a port of the network bridge device to be a new root port in response to detecting the communications link failure or receiving the failure message, and to transmit the stored message or the received failure message, respectively.
18. A network bridge device supporting an alternate spanning tree protocol, comprising:
means for sending and receiving a first and a second type of bridge protocol data units (BPDUs) traveling in opposite directions during a configuration of a network, wherein the second type of BPDUs travels from a root port of the network bridge device to a designated port of another network bridge device;
means for storing a message based on a location of the alternate port in the network;
means for detecting a communications link failure or receiving a failure message;
means for updating, prior to unblocking an alternate port on a separate network bridge device, a port of the network bridge device to be a new root port in response to detecting the communications link failure or receiving the failure message; and
means for transmitting the stored message or the received failure message, respectively.
19. The network bridge device of claim 18, wherein the means for updating the port is configured to update the port to be the new root port by clearing a Content-Addressable Memory (CAM) table.