Author: claimsbot

1. A flow control system in a square-grid expanded switch having an array of output buffer modules having a plurality of rows and columns, wherein one output part is associated with a plurality of output buffers each belonging to different rows and same column, the system comprising:
a backpressure controller provided in each of the output buffer modules, for generating a backpressure control signal when an amount of data stored in an output buffer included in a corresponding output buffer module exceeds a predetermined threshold, to avoid an overflow of the output buffer; and
a common backpressure generator provided in each of the output buffer modules, for generating a common backpressure control signal when a backpressure control signal is generated by at least one of backpressure controllers provided in output buffer modules belonging to a corresponding column and outputs the common backpressure control signal to a plurality of input buffers storing data to be forwarded to an output port associated with the output buffer.
2. A flow control system in a square-grid expanded switch comprising:
MN input ports, where M and N are integers;
MN output ports,
MN input modules corresponding to respective ones of the MN input ports, each of the input modules including MN input buffers corresponding to respective ones of the MN output ports;
an MM array of output buffer modules, wherein M rows of the array are associated with respective ones of M input port groups obtained by dividing the MN input ports by N,
M columns of the array are associated with respective ones of M output port groups obtained by dividing the MN output ports by N, and
each of the output buffer modules includes N output buffers, wherein each of the MN output ports is associated with a corresponding output buffer included in each of M output buffer modules on a corresponding column, wherein each of the N output buffers is associated with N corresponding input buffers included in respective ones of N input modules of a corresponding input port group,
the system comprising:
a backpressure controller provided in each of the output buffer modules, wherein the backpressure controller generates a backpressure control signal when an amount of data stored in each output buffer included in a corresponding output buffer module exceeds a predetermined threshold, to avoid an overflow of the output buffer; and
a common backpressure generator provided in each of the output buffer modules, wherein the common backpressure generator generates a common backpressure control signal when a backpressure control signal is generated by at least one of backpressure controllers provided in output buffer modules belonging to a corresponding column and outputs the common backpressure control signal to MN input buffers associated with the output buffer and (M1) corresponding output buffers included in respective ones of (M1) output buffer modules belonging to the corresponding column.
3. The flow control system according to claim 2, wherein the common backpressure generator comprises:
an array of OR gates connected to the backpressure controller, wherein each of the OR gates combines the backpressure control signal generated by the backpressure controller and another backpressure control signal generated by another backpressure controller belonging in the corresponding column to produce the common backpressure control signal and outputs it to the N input buffers associated with the output buffer and a corresponding OR gate of another array of OR gates connected to another backpressure controller belonging in the corresponding column.
4. The flow control system according to claim 2, wherein the common backpressure generator comprises;
an array of maximum value detectors connected to the backpressure controller, wherein each of the maximum value detectors detects a maximum backpressure control signal among backpressure control signals generated by the backpressure controller and other backpressure controllers belonging in the corresponding column to output the maximum backpressure control signal as the common backpressure control signal to the N input buffers associated with the output buffer and a corresponding maximum value detector of another array of maximum value detectors connected to another backpressure controller belonging in the corresponding column.
5. A flow control method for use in a square-grid expanded switch having an array of output buffer modules having a plurality of rows and columns, wherein one output port is associated with a plurality of output buffers each belonging to different rows and same column, the method comprising the steps of:
determining whether an amount of data stored in an output buffer included in a corresponding output buffer module exceeds a predetermined threshold;
when an amount of data stored in the output buffer exceeds the predetermined threshold, generating a backpressure control signal to avoid an overflow of the output buffer;
generating a common backpressure control signal when a backpressure control signal is generated in at least one of output buffer modules belonging to a corresponding column; and
supplying the common backpressure control signal to a plurality of input buffers storing data to be forwarded to an output port associated with the output buffer.
6. In a square-grid expanded switch comprising:
MN input ports, where M and N are integers;
MN output ports;
MN input modules corresponding to respective ones of the MN input ports, each of the input modules including MN input buffers corresponding to respective ones of the MN output ports;
an MM array of output buffer modules, wherein M rows of the array are associated with respective ones of M input port groups obtained by dividing the MN input ports by N,
M columns of the array are associated with respective ones of M output port groups obtained by dividing the MN output ports by N, and
each of the output buffer modules includes N output buffers, wherein each of the MN output ports is associated with a corresponding output buffer included in each of M output buffer modules on a corresponding column, wherein each of the N output buffers is associated with N corresponding input buffers included in respective ones of N input modules of a corresponding input port group, a flow control method comprising the steps of:
a) generating a backpressure control signal when an amount of data stored in each output buffer included in a corresponding output buffer module exceeds a predetermined threshold, to avoid an overflow of the output buffer; and
b) generating a common backpressure control signal when a backpressure control signal is generated in at least one output buffer modules belonging to a corresponding column; and
c) outputting the common backpressure control signal to MN input buffers associated with the output buffer and (M1) corresponding output buffers included in respective ones of (M1) output buffer modules belonging to the corresponding column.
7. The flow control method according to claim 6, wherein the step (c) comprises the step of:
combining the backpressure control signal and another backpressure control signal generated by another output buffer module belonging in the corresponding column to produce the common backpressure control signal.
8. The flow control method according to claim 6, wherein the step (c) comprises the step of:
detecting a maximum backpressure control signal among backpressure control signals generated by at least one output buffer modules belonging in the corresponding column to produce the common backpressure control signal.

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 for computing dummy signals to reduce interference in a communications system comprising:
specifying a frequency range within the communications system to hold the dummy signals;
setting a clipping function;
incorporating a least squares solution for the dummy signals into the clipping function; and
iterating the clipping function with the incorporated least squares solution until a terminating condition is reached, wherein interference in the communications system is reduced.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the clipping function is c\u03b1x(x), wherein x represents the dummy signals, and wherein the clipping function constrains x to \xb1\u03b1x.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the clipping function specifies a maximum value for the dummy signals.
4. The method of claim 2, wherein the clipping function specifies a maximum and a minimum value for the dummy signals.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the incorporating comprises adding a zero to the clipping function, and wherein the clipping function can then be expressed as: xi+1=c\u03b1x(xi+m(AH Axi\u2212AHb)), where xi and xi+1 represent iterations of the dummy signals, c\u03b1x(x) is the clipping function, m is a scalar constant, A is a expressible as:
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AH is a Hermetian transpose of A, b is expressible as
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ak(fl) is the magnitude of the k-th sidelobe of frequency range l, a0 is the magnitude of the 0-th sidelobe of frequency range l, sn is a signal on frequency range n, and s0 is the 0-th signal on frequency range n.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the terminating condition is a specified number of iterations.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the terminating condition is that the signal in a band to be notched is sufficiently small.
8. A method for reducing interference comprising:
determining a first frequency range of interference;
specifying a second frequency range to hold dummy signals;
computing the dummy signals, wherein the computing comprises
setting a clipping function;
incorporating a least squares solution for the dummy signals into the clipping function;
iterating the clipping function with the incorporated least squares solution until a terminating condition is reached;

the method further comprising
inserting the dummy signals and data into a transmission unit; and
transmitting the transmission unit.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining comprises:
receiving interference information; and
parsing the interference information to determine the first frequency range of interference.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the interference information is provided in the form of a list.
11. The method of claim 8, wherein the second frequency range encompasses the first frequency range and a predetermined amount of bandwidth.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the predetermined amount of bandwidth is used to carry the dummy signals.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein a portion of the predetermined amount of bandwidth is located at a start and a stop end of the second frequency range, and wherein the dummy signals are placed at both the start and the stop end.
14. The method of claim 8, wherein the second frequency range spans a portion of the transmission unit, and the method further comprising after the inserting, placing data into portions of the transmission unit outside of the second frequency range.
15. The method of claim 8, wherein the transmitting occurs over a wired communications channel.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the wired communications channel is a digital subscriber line (DSL).
17. The method of claim 8, wherein the transmitting occurs over a wireless communications channel.
18. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining and specifying are performed once, and wherein the computing, inserting, and transmitting are performed for each transmission unit.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the dummy signals are stored in a memory after the computing, and wherein the dummy signals are read from the memory prior to the inserting.
20. A transmitter comprising:
a data unit coupled to a data source, the data unit containing circuitry to insert data and dummy signals into subchannels as a part of a transmission unit;
a compute unit coupled to the data unit, the compute unit to compute the dummy signals, wherein a least squares optimization is used to iteratively compute the dummy signals, and wherein a constraint is directly imposed on a power of the dummy signals during each iteration using a clipping function;
a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) coupled to the data unit, the DAC to convert the transmission unit into an analog transmission unit; and
a data port coupled to the DAC, the data port to inject the analog transmission unit onto a communications channel.
21. The transmitter of claim 20, wherein a portion of the computations performed by the compute unit can be performed during a training period and saved to a memory for later use.
22. The transmitter of claim 21, wherein there are a plurality of transmission units, and wherein the compute unit computes the dummy signals for each transmission unit.
23. The transmitter of claim 20, wherein the transmitter is used in a digital subscriber line communications system, and the transmitter further comprising an inverse Fourier transform unit coupled to the data unit, the inverse Fourier transform unit to convert the transmission unit into a time domain representation.
24. The transmitter of claim 20, wherein the communications channel is an asymmetric digital subscriber line.
25. The transmitter of claim 20, wherein the transmitter transmits wirelessly, and wherein the data port is an antenna.
26. An electronic device comprising:
a data port for transmitting and receiving data;
a receiver coupled to the data port, the receiver containing circuitry to convert data received from the data port into digital data; and
a transmitter coupled to the data port, the transmitter comprising
a data unit coupled to a data source, the data unit containing circuitry to insert data and dummy signals into subchannels as a part of a transmission unit;
a compute unit coupled to the data unit, the compute unit to compute the dummy signals, wherein a least squares optimization is used to iteratively compute the dummy signals, and wherein a constraint is directly imposed on a power of the dummy signals during each iteration using a clipping function; and
a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) coupled to the data unit, the DAC to convert the transmission unit into an analog transmission unit and to provide the analog transmission unit to the data port to be transmitted.
27. The electronic device of claim 26, wherein the data port is coupled to a communications channel, and wherein the communications channel is a digital subscriber line (DSL).
28. The electronic device of claim 27, wherein the communications channel is an asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL).
29. The electronic device of claim 26, wherein the data port is coupled to a communications channel, and wherein the communications channel is a wireless link.

1. An enhancement of the speech recognition system described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,047,192.
2. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein a telephone call automatic transcription or indexing system specifically using Poirier’s U.S. Pat. No. 7,047,192 using VoIP telephone systems.
3. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein A network based transcription or indexing system specifically using Poirier’s U.S. Pat. No. 7,047,192 using personal computers as input and output devices where the audio and relative text transcripts are provided to all user locations or a central location.
4. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein a single user telephone dictation system specifically using Poirier’s U.S. Pat. No. 7,047,192 and a telephone connection that calls a computer system running software that executes code to perform the tasks taught in Poirier’s U.S. Pat. No. 7,047,192.
5. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein a hosted business model specifically using Poirier’s U.S. Pat. No. 7,047,192 for a remote dictation or indexing service where users pay a per-call, per-minute, or monthly fee for service usage.
6. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein a hosted business model system specifically using Poirier’s U.S. Pat. No. 7,047,192 for a telephone call transcription or indexing services where users pay a per-call, per minute, or monthly fee for service usage.
7. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein a conference room product specifically using Poirier’s U.S. Pat. No. 7,047,192 where the product is provided to companies that use the product for the purposes of providing on site transcription or indexing services.
8. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein a text messaging service specifically using Poirier’s U.S. Pat. No. 7,047,192 where spoken audio is used as the input to a device and the text events are used to take specific actions including sending SMS messages and inserting specific text, graphics, or numbers to a target cell phone or hand held computer.
9. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein a text messaging service specifically using Poirier’s U.S. Pat. No. 7,047,192 where spoken audio is sent to a target user’s voice mail.
10. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein a voice mail to text product or service specifically using Poirier’s U.S. Pat. No. 7,047,192 where the output of the system from a person leaving voice mail, is to provide text in the form of an electronic document, printed document, or SMS text message.
11. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein a telephone call monitoring server specifically using Poirier’s U.S. Pat. No. 7,047,192 where telephone calls are recorded using a passive network RTP listening method resulting with the audio-text event information that can be search him ed and reviewed.
12. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein a search, index, and cataloging method specifically using Poirier’s U.S. Pat. No. 7,047,192 where each event is indexed and cataloged for searching, sorting, filtered, edit, printed, audio playback, exporting, and events presented using an MVL Browsing tool.
13. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein a Multi-user Voice Log that is an unalterable single file that is digitally encrypted and signed using MD5, DES, or other method to ensure that the specifically a Multi-user Voice Log file has not been changed from its original state.
14. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein a method of adding sound alike words and rhymes to indexes for the purpose of increasing audio search accuracy specifically using Poirier’s U.S. Pat. No. 7,047,192 where each event is indexed and cataloged for searching, sorting, filtered, edit, printed, audio playback, exporting, and events presented using an MVL Browsing tool.
15. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein a method of editing audio files by event specifically using the event format as taught in Poirier’s U.S. Pat. No. 7,047,192 where an audio event can be added, deleted, copied, imported, exported, or modified.
16. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein a data analysis tool based specifically based on Poirier’s U.S. Pat. No. 7,047,192 where statistics can be gathered on a library or collection of events and displayed in the form of charts, graphs, counts of specific information for the purpose of illustrating trends or patterns of behaviors.
17. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein an audio search method using speech recognition to locate keywords or phrases in audio file(s), then converting audio files that contain the target keywords to events specifically using Poirier’s teachings in U.S. Pat. No. 7,047,192, and then displaying the relative text-audio events as the
search results.

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. An apparatus comprising;
a speaker;
a microphone;
a wireless network interface;
a processor; and
computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed on the processor, cause the processor to perform acts comprising:
causing the speaker to output a request for a password associated with a wireless network;
receiving audio captured by the microphone after the speaker outputs the request;
decoding the audio at least in part to identify alternative candidate passwords from the audio; and
submitting, one at a time, at least one of the alternative candidate passwords to a component of the wireless network until the wireless network interface successfully connects to the wireless network or until each of the alternative candidate passwords has been submitted;
wherein the decoding utilizes a language model, the acts further comprising:
identifying a candidate password of the alternative candidate passwords that, upon submittal to the component of the wireless network, results in the wireless network interface successfully connecting to the wireless network; and
sending the candidate password of the alternative candidate passwords over the wireless network and to an entity to allow the entity to train the language model or another language model using the candidate password of the alternative candidate passwords.
2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the request instructs a user to spell the password associated with the wireless network.
3. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the submitting comprises submitting the alternative candidate passwords in accordance with a ranked list of the alternative candidate passwords.
4. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein:
each of the alternative candidate passwords is associated with at least one of: a probability or confidence level that the audio includes a sequence of sounds representing the respective candidate password, or a probability or confidence level that the audio includes a sequence of sounds representing a sequence of graphemes forming the respective candidate password; and
the submitting comprises submitting, one at a time, the alternative candidate passwords based at least in part on the respective probabilities or confidence levels of the alternative candidate passwords.
5. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, the acts further comprising causing the speaker to output an indication that a connection to the wireless network has been established.
6. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, the acts further comprising:
causing the speaker to output a request for an identifier of a wireless network;
receiving audio captured by the microphone after the speaker outputs the request for the identifier; and
identifying the wireless network at least partly based on the audio captured by the microphone after the speaker outputs the request for the identifier.
7. A method implemented at least in part by an electronic device coupled to a microphone, the method comprising:
determining, at least partly from audio captured by the microphone, a first candidate string of characters represented by an utterance from a user and a second candidate string of characters represented by the utterance from the user;
submitting the first candidate string of characters to a component of a network;
determining whether a connection has been established with the network after submitting the first candidate string of characters; and
submitting the second candidate string of characters to the component of the network at least partly in response to determining that the connection with the network has not been established after submitting the first candidate string of characters.
8. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the first candidate string of characters is a most likely string of characters represented by the utterance of the user and the second candidate string of characters is a next most likely string of characters represented by the utterance of the user.
9. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the submitting of the first candidate string of characters and the submitting of the second candidate string of characters comprises submitting each of the respective strings as a password for connecting with the network.
10. A method as recited in claim 7, further comprising instructing a user to spell a password for connecting to the network prior to determining the first candidate string of characters and the second candidate string of characters from the audio.
11. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the determining further determines a predefined number of additional candidate strings of characters at least partly from the utterance from the user, and further comprising:
determining whether the connection has been established with the network after submitting the second candidate string of characters; and
submitting, one at a time, at least one of the additional candidate strings of characters to the component of the network.
12. Non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed on a processor, cause the processor to perform acts comprising:
decoding audio at least in part to determine a number of alternative character strings from the audio; and
submitting, one at a time, the alternative character strings as a password until the earlier of authentication or until each of the number of alternative character strings has been submitted;
wherein the decoding utilizes a language model, the acts further comprising:
identifying a candidate character string of the alternative character strings that, upon submittal, results in authentication; and
sending the candidate character string of the alternative character strings over a wireless network and to an entity to allow the entity to train the language model or another language model using the candidate character string of the alternative character strings.
13. Non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 12, wherein each of the alternative character strings is determined with reference to a probability or confidence level that the audio includes a series of sounds representing the respective character string.
14. Non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 12, wherein each of the alternative character strings is determined with reference to a probability or confidence level that the audio includes a series of sounds representing a series of graphemes forming the respective character string.
15. Non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 12, wherein the submitting comprises submitting the alternative character strings, one at a time, in an order based at least in part on respective probabilities or confidence levels that the audio includes respective series of sounds representing the respective character strings.
16. Non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 12, wherein the submitting comprises submitting the alternative character strings, one at a time, in an order based at least in part on respective probabilities or confidence levels that the audio includes respective series of sounds representing respective series of graphemes forming the respective character strings.
17. Non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 12, wherein the submitting comprises submitting the alternative character strings, one at a time, beginning with a character string corresponding to a series of sounds that is most likely to be included in the audio.
18. Non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 12, wherein the submitting comprises submitting the alternative character strings, one at a time, beginning with a character string corresponding to a series of graphemes corresponding to a series of sounds that is most likely to be included in the audio.
19. Non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 12, wherein the authentication is effective to grant access to an online account, a wireless network account, a wired network account, a computing device, an application, or a content item.
20. Non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 12, the acts further comprising ranking the alternative character strings, and wherein the submitting of the alternative character strings comprises submitting the alternative character strings, one at a time, in accordance with the ranking.
21. Non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 12, the acts further comprising outputting an indication of whether or not access to an account has been received.
22. Non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 12, the acts further comprising outputting a request that a user utter the password for an account.
23. Non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 12, the acts further comprising outputting a request that a user spell the password for an account.