Abstract: An apparatus is provided for measuring the performance of a mobile communication system. The apparatus includes two measurement mobile interfaces and a measurement probe. The probe is connected to the backhauling interface of a base station of the system. Then, one measurement mobile interface transmits packets to the other measurement mobile interface via the base station. These packets are received at the base station, forwarded to the packet gateway of the system, sent back to the same base station, and finally received at the destination measurement mobile interface. Since the measurement probe belongs to the same apparatus as the mobile interfaces, it may detect the packets as transmitted/received at the backhauling interface. The probe then generates performance parameters relating to the packets as transmitted/received by the mobile interfaces and/or as detected at the backhauling interface. The system performance is then measured based on such parameters.

Abstract: A method of sharing of network resources between at least two access gateways, each of the at least two access gateways providing network connectivity to user equipment, includes assessing whether a first access gateway can to share a portion of available network resources, assessing whether a second access gateway requires additional network resources to provide network connectivity to user equipment, and establishing a wireless connection between the first access gateway and the second access gateway. The first access gateway provides the portion of available network resource as additional network resources for the second access gateway.

Abstract: A method for sharing network resources made accessible by plural access gateways (AG). An AG requester sends a resource request to neighbouring AGs as potential helpers. Each potential helper decides whether to cooperate with the requester based on a reputation score calculated by the potential helper for the requester. The reputation score calculated by each potential helper for the requester is indicative of the requester's behaviour in response to past resource requests received from that potential helper. If the potential helper decides to cooperate, it sends a resource offer to the requester. The requester then selects its helper as the potential helper which sent the best offer, and sets up a resource sharing session with the helper. The requester then updates the reputations scores of a helper and potential helpers based on the disposition to cooperate and reliability they exhibited.

Abstract: A method for selecting routing paths of data packets in a data network including plural communication links and routing apparatuses. The method includes: calculating and assigning to the communication links respective communication links' costs; calculating, for at least two different routing paths, respective routing path overall costs, which depend on the communication links' costs assigned to communication links making up such routing path; selecting, among the at least two different routing paths, the routing path having the lower routing path overall cost; causing a new data packet to be routed in the data network over the selected routing path, and collecting measures indicative of at least one performance parameter indicating a performance of previous transmissions of data packets from origin end points of the data network to destination end points of the data network, and using the collected measures for calculating the communication links' costs.

Abstract: In a method for measurement of a round-trip performance in a packet-switched communication network, a measurement device cooperating with the communication network generates a flow of test packets formatted according to the network protocol supported by the network and comprising the address of the measurement device as destination address. The test packets are then transmitted within a tunnel set up in the network and the measurement device generates one or more transmission parameters. At the end of the tunnel, the test packets are extracted therefrom and sent back to the measurement device by the forwarding function of the network protocol supported by the network. Upon receipt of the test packets, it generates one or more reception parameters, which are then combined with the transmission parameters to provide the round-trip performance measurement.

Abstract: A method of protecting the exchange of privacy-sensitive data in a wireless communication network, the method including generating and providing a public cryptographic key to a first entity, possessing the data to be sent to the network through a wireless connection; generating and providing a private secret cryptographic key to a second entity, being the intended recipient of the data, the private key being bound to the public key and being associated to privacy support context information to identify the network; having the network send to the first entity respective wireless network privacy support context information; having the first entity receive the information and encrypt the data using the public key and the received information to obtain protected, encrypted privacy-sensitive data; having the first entity send to the second entity through the network the encrypted data; and having the second entity decrypt the encrypted data exploiting the private key.

Abstract: A method is provided for resolving a call collision in a communication network. The method comprises, at a network node of the communication network: receiving a first call request message from a first user device to set up a call from the first user device to a second user device; checking whether the second user device has in turn sent a second call request message to set up a call from the second user device to the first user device; and in the affirmative, routing the first call request message to a conference bridge.

Abstract: It is disclosed a method and system for recognizing coffee capsules used by a capsule coffee machine, wherein a vibration sensor is arranged within the capsule coffee machine to detect vibrations of a machine component (e.g. the pump, or the capsule holder, or the hydraulic circuit connecting the pump with the capsule holder) rigidly connected with the coffee capsule fitted in the machine during the brewing of a coffee beverage. As the brewing is started, the vibration sensor detects the vibrations to which the machine component (and all the other machine components rigidly connected thereto during the brewing, including the variable-mass coffee capsule) is subjected, and generates a vibration signal corresponding thereto. The vibration signal is then processed for determining at least one parameter thereof. The coffee capsule is then recognized based on the value of the determined parameter(s).

Abstract: A first user equipment can communicate with a second user equipment in a direct mode or in an infrastructure mode via a base station of a network. To communicate with the second user equipment, the first user equipment generates packets and forwards the packets to a lower protocol layer of a protocol stack. The first user equipment also acts as a buffer protocol entity by storing the packets until acknowledgement of receipt is received from the second user equipment. If the first user equipment switches from the direct mode to the infrastructure mode, or vice versa, the first user equipment forwards each of the stored packets to the lower protocol layer for transmission to the second user equipment using the current mode.

Abstract: A method for managing personal data of a user of a user device is provided. The user device is adapted to have installed thereon an application (APP). The APP is configured to require access to the personal data when running on the user device. The method comprises creating a certification for the APP, the certification being based on a corresponding statement providing information regarding the relationship between the APP and personal data; associating the certification to the APP for certifying the APP; allowing the user to provide user-defined policies about exploiting the user personal data; checking whether the user-defined policies provided by the user are compatible with requirements of the APP defined in the corresponding statement. If the user-defined policies are compatible with the requirements of the APP defined in the statement, the method executes operations when the APP running on the user device requires to access personal data.

Abstract: It is disclosed a method for re-distributing subscriber sessions originated from one or more access nodes of a communication network to a number of service nodes of the communication network. The method comprises: monitoring at least one performance parameter of the service nodes; comparing a value of the at least one performance parameter with a threshold; and, in case the value exceeds the threshold at a given service node, determining a number of subscriber sessions to be moved from the given service node; selecting at least one further service node to re-establish the number of subscriber sessions; and re-configuring the communication network to move the number of subscriber sessions from the given service node to the at least one further service node.

Abstract: A docking system and method for charging a mobile robot at a docking station. The system includes a first module for the robot, including a first communication unit and a first control unit, and a second module for the station, including a second communication unit, one or more docking sensors, and a second control unit. When the robot enters a docking region around the station, the first communication unit sends to the second communication unit a status message indicating that the robot needs charging; upon reception of the status message, the second control unit uses the sensors to derive a traction command to drive the robot towards the station; and the second communication unit sends to the first communication unit a command message containing the traction command. The first control unit processes the traction command and uses it to operate traction motors of the robot.

Abstract: A method scheduling allocation of radio resources in a cellular network, including: selecting at least one first user equipment for performing a first type data exchange based on Coordinated Multi-Point technique and a second type data exchange not based on Coordinated Multi-Point technique, and selecting at least one second user equipment for performing only the second type data exchange; selecting at least one network node for performing the first type data exchange with the at least one first user equipment and the second type data exchange with at least one among the first and second user equipment; determining, for the at least one network node, a radio resource parameter indicative of a number of radio resources to be allocated for the first type data exchange and a number of radio resources to be allocated for the second type data exchange; allocating the radio resources based on the radio resource parameter.

Abstract: A method for allocating resource blocks on a cellular network including transceiver stations to provide cell coverage for allowing user equipment within the cell to exchange data via uplink or downlink. The method includes, at a cell, reiterating operations at each or a group of transmission time intervals. The operations include listing user equipment requiring resource blocks in a priority list; b) for the user equipment listed in the priority list, executing operations b1) and b2) or b1) and b3): b1) selecting a set of resource blocks including at least one resource block; b2) if the selected set of resource blocks has not been assigned to other user equipment, assigning to the user equipment the selected set of resource blocks; b3) if the selected set of resource blocks has been assigned to other user equipment, replacing the user equipment from the priority list with user equipment in a collision list.

Abstract: A method of counting individuals reaching or leaving a transport hub includes defining at least two categories of individuals, each corresponding to a respective purpose to reach or leave the transport hub, and for each category, defining at least one respective category pattern associated with the category. Each category pattern is a sequence of events of interaction between a User Equipment and a communication station. The method also includes acquiring event records associated with User Equipment from the mobile telecommunication network, searching the event records associated with each User Equipment to identify sequences of events of interaction matching a category pattern, and upon finding a match, increasing a number of individuals belonging to the category associated with the category pattern.

Abstract: A meter apparatus is provided for determining parameters of an AC electric signal in first and second wires, the AC signal including an AC electric current and an AC electric voltage, the apparatus including a measurement section to provide first and second measure signals each one indicative of the AC voltage based on a first capacitive coupling with the first wire and on a second capacitive coupling with the second wire, the first and second measure signals depending on capacitance values of the first and second capacitive couplings, and a control unit to determine said capacitance values of the first and second capacitive couplings according to the first and second measure signals, and determining the amplitude of the AC voltage according to the first or second measure signal, and to the capacitance values of the first and second capacitive couplings.

Abstract: An iterative receiver receives a signal including useful and interfering signal components, and detects information carried thereon. The receiver includes at least one estimating unit receiving the signal and providing an estimate of each signal component, and at least two decoding and regenerating units, at each iteration, each decoding and regenerating unit decoding a respective one among the estimates and for regenerating the respective decoded estimate into a respective regenerated estimate. At each receiver iteration, the at least one estimating unit provides estimates based on regenerated estimates provided at a previous iteration.

Abstract: A method positioning user equipment including a camera for acquiring digital images, including: defining a three-dimensional model of an environment through points defined by a set of coordinates and a color information; the user equipment acquiring a query image by capturing, by the camera, a portion of the environment; estimating an initial camera parameters configuration of the camera; evaluating a similarity between the query image and an initial three-dimensional image obtained from the three-dimensional model of the environment as seen by a virtual camera having the initial camera parameters configuration; modifying a camera parameters configuration of the virtual camera to increase similarity between the initial three-dimensional image and the query image up to a predetermined value; and generating an additional three-dimensional image based on the three-dimensional model of the environment, obtained from the three-dimensional model of the environment as seen by a modified virtual camera having the mod

Abstract: A method for estimating the electric field strength associated to a radio wave emitted by an electromagnetic source of a cellular radio communication network within an area. The method includes: identifying a set of obstacles; determining at least one of: a direct visibility polygon of points in line of sight with the source; a reflection visibility polygon of points reachable by the wave after reflection by the obstacles; a diffraction visibility polygon of points reachable by the wave after diffraction by the obstacles. The visibility polygons are associated to respective values of the electric field computed therein. The method further includes: subdividing the area into pixels; for each pixel, determining if it belongs to at least one of the visibility polygons; and in the affirmative, determining the electric field strength at the pixel as a value proportional to the electric field computed at the at least one visibility polygon.

Abstract: A method for managing a cellular network. The cellular network includes a plurality of base stations each one configured to exchange data with user equipment located in a corresponding cell by exploiting a downlink data channel and an uplink data channel according to a frequency division duplexing scheme. The method includes: having a first base station exchanging coordination information with a second base station, the coordination information being related to at least one among channel state condition and resources allocation to user equipment, the having the first base station exchanging coordination information with the second base station including: transmitting the coordination information from the first base station to the second base station exploiting a portion of the downlink data channel.