Patents Assigned to BCE Inc.
  • Patent number: 9430517
    Abstract: Methods and systems for presenting online content elements based on information known to a service provider. One of the methods is a method for presenting online content at a communication apparatus, the communication apparatus being assigned an identifier. The method comprises: obtaining information that pertains to a profile associated with the identifier and provided by a service provider involved in assigning the identifier to the communication apparatus; determining an online content element to be presented at the communication apparatus based on the information; and causing the communication apparatus to present the online content element. Another one of the methods is a method for facilitating determination of online content to be presented at a communication apparatus. Servers for implementing the methods are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: BCE INC.
    Inventors: Sean MacLean Murray, Stéphane Maxime François Fortier, Jean Bouchard
  • Patent number: 9350713
    Abstract: According to embodiments of the present invention a system and method for encrypting traffic on a network is disclosed. Encrypted data is transmitted between a first network element and a second network element by: acquiring an encryption seed at the first network element, the encryption seed being substantially similar to a decryption seed at the second network element; generating at least one encryption key from the encryption seed; receiving data; encrypting the data using the encryption key to generate encrypted data; transmitting the encrypted data from the first network element to the second network element via a network; and updating the encryption seed at the first network element in response to an event trigger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: BCE INC.
    Inventor: Doughan Turk
  • Patent number: 9332379
    Abstract: A method for execution by at least one entity in a wireless communication environment, comprising: receiving a request for location information pertaining to a subscriber device; obtaining contextual information regarding the request; and formulating a positioning request for transmission to the device, wherein depending on the contextual information, the positioning request is formulated to instruct the device to retrieve location information from a first or a second type of location establishment entity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: BCE INC.
    Inventors: Edward Siddeley, Francis Fernandes
  • Patent number: 9319644
    Abstract: A communications system and method involving a set top box (STB) and a channel stacking switch (CSS). The STB comprises a communications interface configured to issue a request for a user band, the request identifying the STB and further configured to receive a message identifying an assigned user band; and a tuning element configured to tune to the assigned user band in response to receipt of the message. The CSS comprises a communications interface configured to receive the request for a user band identifying the STB; a memory; and a processing entity configured to access the memory to identify a particular user band that is available for the STB and to assign the particular user band to the STB; wherein the communications interface is further configured to issue to the STB a message identifying the particular user band assigned to the STB.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: BCE Inc.
    Inventors: Ovidiu Octavian Popa, Wayne Scrivens, Alexander Ishankov, Alan Dagenais, Tim Dinesen, Peter Marusich
  • Patent number: 9319518
    Abstract: A method implemented by a network entity. The method comprises identifying a previously-originated call involving a party. The method also comprises receiving information regarding processing of a potential future call related to the previously-originated call. The method further comprises using the information regarding processing of a potential future call related to the previously-originated call to cause configuration of call processing information associated with the party. Also provided is a configuration entity for implementing the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: BCE INC.
    Inventors: David William Clark, Jonathan Allan Arsenault, Jeffrey William Dawson, Eric John Wolf
  • Patent number: 9305282
    Abstract: An arrangement of goods, comprising: a plurality of units of an article, the units equipped with respective contactlessly readable tags; each of said tags comprising a respective memory configured to store a respective signature; the signatures stored in the memories of said tags appearing scrambled relative to one another when read by a reader. Also, a method, comprising: contactlessly reading a first signature from a first tag affixed to a first unit of an article; contactlessly reading a second signature from a second tag affixed to a second unit of the same article, the second signature appearing scrambled relative to the first signature; decrypting the first signature with a key to reveal (I) an identifier associated with the article and (II) a first scrambling code; and decrypting the second signature with the same key to reveal the same identifier and a second scrambling code different from the first scrambling code.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: BCE INC.
    Inventors: William G. O'Brien, Tet Hin Yeap, Sean MacLean Murray
  • Patent number: 9294436
    Abstract: According to embodiments of the present invention, there are provided a method, system and apparatus for determining validity of location information in a packet-switched network. A method for determining if location information associated with an endpoint in a packet-switched network is valid, the location information having been stored in a memory, comprises obtaining an access device identifier associated with an access device responsible for handling a communication session between the endpoint and the packet-switched network. The access device identifier is then compared with a last known access device identifier associated with the endpoint to enable determining if the location information is valid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: BCE INC.
    Inventors: Guy Caron, Jerome Grenier, Stephane Maxime Francois Fortier, Martin Langlois, William Barry Crago
  • Patent number: 9288444
    Abstract: A system for delivering a video signal associated with an access request, wherein the system includes: a trigger module configured to detect a trigger event associated with the access request; a video module configured to access a video signal related to the trigger event; and a control module configured to control the video module to access the video signal based on the trigger event and for outputting the accessed video signal. A corresponding method for delivering a video signal associated with an access request, wherein the method includes: detecting a trigger event associated with the access request at a video device; accessing a video signal related to the trigger event; and displaying the video signal via the video device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: BCE Inc.
    Inventors: Terry Shannon, Alan Doherty, David Gill, Jacques Desroches
  • Patent number: 9270622
    Abstract: A method comprising: providing a first client of an instant messaging service, the first client enabling a data service; receiving a request for the data service from a second client of the instant messaging service; and rendering client-controlled information regarding the first client available for persistent conveyance to the second client, the client-controlled information regarding the first client including data related to the data service. This allows a user associated with the second client to become aware of the data in a non-intrusive manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: BCE Inc.
    Inventors: Stephane Maxime Francois Fortier, Sean Maclean Murray
  • Patent number: 9247037
    Abstract: Methods and systems to enable touch-free call origination using a communication device equipped with a microphone. The method comprises processing a first microphone signal at the device in an attempt to detect a spoken activation command potentially contained therein. Responsive to detection of a spoken activation command in the first microphone signal, the method continues by establishing a communication path between the device and a network entity to convey to the network entity a second microphone signal. Finally, the method comprises processing the second microphone signal at the network entity in an attempt to detect a call origination command potentially contained therein; and, responsive to detection of a call origination command in the second microphone signal, attempting establishment of a call in accordance with the detected call origination command. Thus, a call can be established without tactile interaction with the device and, moreover, with minimal computational load on the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: BCE INC.
    Inventors: David William Clark, Andrew James Weber
  • Patent number: 9231928
    Abstract: A method involving a communication device, which comprises sending a request to a communication device; receiving a response from the communication device over a local communication path; deriving a received data set from said response; determining at least one data set that had been previously transmitted to the communication device over a wireless portion of a second communication path different from the local communication path; and validating the response based on the received data set and the at least one previously transmitted data set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: BCE Inc.
    Inventors: Tet Hin Yeap, William G. O'Brien, Sean MacLean Murray
  • Patent number: 9210273
    Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for provisioning a communication client. The method comprises receiving via a communication network a request from the communication client. The method further comprises determining a positioning object associated with the communication client. The method further comprises, based on the positioning object, determining a subscription profile associated with the communication client. The method further comprises, based on the subscription profile, compiling a configuration file, which is released. The configuration file comprises data for enabling said communication client to log into a communication service provided by a network element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: BCE Inc.
    Inventors: David William Clark, Nathan Gerald Archer, Matthew Rose, William Barry Crago, Yannick Lessard
  • Patent number: 9203871
    Abstract: A network entity comprising an input for receiving from a given IP device, a session initiation message for initiating a communication session over a packet based network via a session initiation message generated according to a particular session initiation protocol and a processing entity. The processing entity is operative for detecting a characteristic associated with the given IP device, determining, at least in part on the basis of the characteristic associated with the given device, a given interface module from a plurality of interface modules for processing the session initiation message generated according to the particular session initiation protocol and causing the first session initiation message generated according to the particular session initiation protocol to be processed by the given interface module for converting the first session initiation message into a second session initiation message generated according to a pre-determined session initiation protocol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: BCE INC.
    Inventors: David William Clark, Jonathan Allan Arsenault, Nathan Gerald Archer
  • Patent number: 9203967
    Abstract: A system and a method for processing calls. The system comprises a database including: a plurality of telephony identifiers; and for each telephony identifier, information regarding a group of persons that is associated with the telephony identifier, each person of the group of persons being reachable by placing a call to the telephony identifier, the information comprising, for each person of the group of persons, information related to processing of calls involving the person. The system also comprises a processing element having access to the database and being operative for: determining that a given call involves a particular person of the group of persons that is associated with a given one of the telephony identifiers; and processing the given call based on the information related to processing of calls involving the particular person.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: BCE Inc.
    Inventors: David William Clark, Eric John Wolf, Yannick Lessard, Danica Rogers, Nathan Gerald Archer, Jonathan Allan Arsenault, Luan Cao Tuong Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9116930
    Abstract: A method implemented by a network entity that comprises identifying contact information associated with a previously-originated call, receiving from a user information indicative of a desired modification to a database associated with the user, wherein the desired modification involves the contact information associated with the previously-originated call. The method further comprises configuring the database associated with the user at least in part on the basis of the desired modification and the contact information associated with the previously-originated call.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: BCE Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan Allan Arsenault, Nathan Gerald Archer, Eric John Wolf
  • Patent number: 9118702
    Abstract: A method of refining cyber threat intelligence data, comprising: sending a first version of a threat list to a first cyber threat intelligence source and to a second cyber threat intelligence source; obtaining original first cyber threat intelligence data from the first source; obtaining original second cyber threat intelligence data from the second source; creating a second version of the threat list based on at least the original first cyber threat intelligence data and the original second cyber threat intelligence data; sending the second version of the threat list to the first source and to the second source; obtaining new first cyber threat intelligence data from the first source; obtaining new second cyber threat intelligence data from the second source; and creating a third version of the threat list based on at least the new first cyber threat intelligence data and the new second cyber threat intelligence data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: BCE Inc.
    Inventor: Tyson MaCaulay
  • Patent number: 9113226
    Abstract: A method implemented by a set top box that encrypts communications for a channel stacking switch (CS) using a public key of the CSS, the method comprising: obtaining a message from a head end; extracting electronic counter measure (ECM) data from the message; sending the ECM data to the CSS; receiving, in response to the sending, a new public key of the CSS; encrypting communications for the CSS using the new public key of the CSS. Also, a method for implementation by a CSS, comprising: maintaining a private key and a public key; obtaining ECM data sent by a set top box in communication with the CSS; obtaining an identifier of the CSS; formulating a new public key based on the private key, the identifier and the ECM; rendering the new public key available to the set top box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: BCE INC.
    Inventors: Ovidiu Octavian Popa, Alexander Ishankov, Alan Dagenais, Louie Andriano, Bratislav Becic, Tim Dinesen
  • Patent number: 9065864
    Abstract: A method for execution by a network element of a communications network. The method comprises receiving from a first network entity a first communication that includes at least (i) a network-initiated message generated by a server-side portion of an application that also has a corresponding client-side portion and (ii) a first application identifier associated with the application. The method further comprises consulting a database based at least on the first application identifier in an attempt to identify a second application identifier associated with the application; and releasing to a second network entity a second communication that includes at least (i) the network-initiated message and (ii) either the second application identifier, if the attempt was successful, or the first application identifier, if the attempt was unsuccessful.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: BCE Inc.
    Inventor: Glen Bryan
  • Patent number: 9060067
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a method, system and apparatus for providing customized calling identification. A method for providing customized calling identification comprises receiving a request for initiating an outgoing call from a communication client, the communication client being registered in association with a network address and being associated with a communication client identifier. The method further comprises, based on the communication client identifier, determining an auxiliary identifier associated with the communication client. The method further comprises augmenting the request for initiating an outgoing call with the auxiliary identifier to generate an augmented request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: BCE Inc.
    Inventors: David William Clark, Jonathan Allan Arsenault, Jeffrey William Dawson, Eric John Wolf
  • Patent number: 9059991
    Abstract: A system for unlocking a mobile device including: an input module configured to receive voice information; an output module configured to output an unlock signal; a processor connected to the input module and output module and configured to: receive the voice information from the input module; analyze the voice information; determine if the analyzed voice information matches with a predetermined voice profile; and if there is a match, send an unlock signal to the mobile device via an output module. A method for unlocking a mobile device including: receiving voice information from the mobile device; analyzing the voice information; determining if the analyzed voice information matches with a predetermined voice profile; and if there is a match, sending an unlock signal to the mobile device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: BCE Inc.
    Inventors: David Clark, Jonathan Arsenault, Stephane Fortier