Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing multimedia content over a wireless network are disclosed. For example, the method receives a request from a customer via a data enabled cellular phone for accessing one or more multimedia content from a multimedia content server of the customer, and performs an authentication for obtaining the one or more multimedia content from the multimedia content server. The method obtains the one or more multimedia content from the multimedia content server, and transmits the one or more multimedia content to the data enabled cellular phone.

Abstract: A device combining a gun and target for facilitating a game of tag using infrared light communications and augmented reality with one or more players is provided. The device includes infrared transmitters and infrared receivers to facilitate omni-directional two-way communication between two or more devices and a shaped housing facilitating handling of the device by a user. The housing includes a grip portion with a finger-operable trigger and a barrel portion. A mobile electronic device is used as an accessory to provide single player and multiplayer augmented reality game play and a user-interface including a display and a touch screen for programming the device and controlling various game and device functions.

Abstract: A device for forming a beam of an antenna array, the device including: an antenna array having a plurality of spatially distributed elements; a processor for selectively switching said elements between first and second states wherein, in said first state, said elements are configured to receive an incoming signal; and a receiver operatively associated with said antenna array and said processor for generating a reference signal, mixing said incoming signal with a modified reference signal to generate a mixed signal and summing the mixed signal over a predetermined period to generate an accumulated signal, wherein said reference signal is modified prior to being mixed with said received signal such that said accumulated signal is indicative of the direction and magnitude of the beam of the antenna array.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing multimedia content over a wireless network are disclosed. For example, the method receives a request from a customer via a data enabled cellular phone for accessing one or more multimedia content from a multimedia content server of the customer, and performs an authentication for obtaining the one or more multimedia content from the multimedia content server. The method obtains the one or more multimedia content from the multimedia content server, and transmits the one or more multimedia content to the data enabled cellular phone.

Abstract: A method includes receiving an indication relating to an invocation of an application by a mobile device; determining, in response to the indication, a quality of service based on a provisioning parameter; and instructing a network element of a communications network to manage traffic relating to the application based on the quality of service and a loading condition in the communications network.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to implement a partial mesh virtual private local area network service are disclosed. An example method to implement a partial mesh virtual private local area network service (VPLS) network disclosed herein comprises identifying a desired partial mesh topology of connections for interconnecting a plurality of provider edge devices comprising the VPLS network, and decomposing the partial mesh topology into a plurality of cliques, wherein each clique comprises a respective full mesh topology of connections for interconnecting a respective subset of the plurality of provider edge devices, and wherein a union of the plurality of cliques implements the desired partial mesh topology.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for detecting alarm conditions, the method involving receiving at a first time a trigger notification describing a monitored occurrence on a network; setting a redundancy window to begin at the first time and to end at an expiration time; designating a first alarm condition to represent the trigger notification; receiving a second notification at a second time after the first time, the second notification describing the monitored occurrence; and determining whether a second alarm condition exists by testing whether the second time is within the redundancy window.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for detecting alarm conditions, the method involving receiving at a first time a trigger notification describing a monitored occurrence on a network; setting a redundancy window to begin at the first time and to end at an expiration time; designating a first alarm condition to represent the trigger notification; receiving a second notification at a second time after the first time, the second notification describing the monitored occurrence; and determining whether a second alarm condition exists by testing whether the second time is within the redundancy window.

Abstract: A device and method are provided for forming a beam of a transmit antenna array in the direction of a positioning receiver. Since the beam of the transmit antenna array is formed remotely by the positioning receiver, the received gain of the incoming positioning signal is maximised while signals from other directions are attenuated, thereby mitigating any unwanted effects of multipath. Depending on the number of elements in the transmit antenna array and their physical distribution, the width of the beam can be made finer such that the positioning receiver only requires a simple omni-directional antenna to achieve an accurate positioning solution.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for monitoring data packet traffic in a communication network for at least two of a plurality of subscriber devices associated with a subscriber; developing a holistic subscriber profile for the subscriber based on the monitored data packet traffic; selecting advertisement data for a current one of the plurality of subscriber devices based on the holistic subscriber profile and sending the selected advertising data to the current subscriber device. A system is disclosed for performing the method. A data structure is disclosed for use in performing the method.

Abstract: A device combining a gun and target for facilitating a game of tag using infrared light communications and augmented reality with one or more players is provided. The device includes infrared transmitters and infrared receivers to facilitate omni-directional two-way communication between two or more devices and a shaped housing facilitating handling of the device by a user. The housing includes a grip portion with a finger-operable trigger and a barrel portion. A mobile electronic device is used as an accessory to provide single player and multiplayer augmented reality game play and a user-interface including a display and a touch screen for programming the device and controlling various game and device functions.

Abstract: The network fault manager described herein may include one or more processors configured to detect alarms. For example, the one or more processors may periodically sample rates at which similar events that relate to occurrences on a network arrive, compare the periodically sampled rates to a first threshold, and determine whether a preexisting alarm exists. In response to a number of the periodically sampled rates that exceeded the first threshold within a preceding time window exceeding a second threshold and the preexisting alarm not existing, the one or more processors may assert a first alarm. Otherwise, if the number of periodically sampled rates that exceeded the first threshold within the preceding time window exceeds the second threshold but the preexisting alarm does exist, the one or more processors may maintain the preexisting alarm for a predetermined time period.

Abstract: A device combining a gun and target for facilitating a game of tag using infrared light communications between a two or more players is provided. The device includes two infrared transmitters and two infrared receivers and a shaped housing facilitating handling of the device by a user. The housing includes a grip portion with a finger-operable trigger, a barrel portion and a user-interface including a display and a keypad for programming the device and controlling various game and device functions. A first infrared transmitter transmits a directional infrared signal to another game participant and a first infrared receiver receives an acknowledgment signal therefrom in response to the transmitted directional signal. A second infrared transmitter and second infrared receiver facilitate omni-directional two-way communications between two or more devices before, during, and after a game of infrared electronic tag allowing functions such as game setup, player identification and gameplay analysis.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for improving network performance in a communication system. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a server having a controller to group a plurality of wireless base terminals (WBTs) into first and second groups that share at least one common WBT and select a resultant communication path for the at least one common WBT to a mobile telephone switching office based on differential delays associated with alternative communication paths for combinations of WBTs in at least one of the first and second groups. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A device for forming a beam of an antenna array, the device including: an antenna array having a plurality of spatially distributed elements; a processor for selectively switching said elements between first and second states wherein, in said first state, said elements are configured to receive an incoming signal; and a receiver operatively associated with said antenna array and said processor for generating a reference signal, mixing said incoming signal with a modified reference signal to generate a mixed signal and summing the mixed signal over a predetermined period to generate an accumulated signal, wherein said reference signal is modified prior to being mixed with said received signal such that said accumulated signal is indicative of the direction and magnitude of the beam of the antenna array.

Abstract: The network fault manager described herein may include one or more processors configured to detect alarms. For example, the one or more processors may periodically sample rates at which similar events that relate to occurrences on a network arrive, compare the periodically sampled rates to a first threshold, and determine whether a preexisting alarm exists. In response to a number of the periodically sampled rates that exceeded the first threshold within a preceding time window exceeding a second threshold and the preexisting alarm not existing, the one or more processors may assert a first alarm. Otherwise, if the number of periodically sampled rates that exceeded the first threshold within the preceding time window exceeds the second threshold but the preexisting alarm does exist, the one or more processors may maintain the preexisting alarm for a predetermined time period.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for method and apparatus for maintaining network performance in a communication system. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a network management server (NMS) that manages operations of a communication system including an access office (AO) coupled to a plurality of base terminals (BTs) by way of a corresponding plurality of network elements.

Abstract: The network fault manager described herein may generate an alarm data table having various columns and rows respectively corresponding to different alarm data fields and different alarms. The alarm data table may be associated with a primary key that includes a subset of the different data fields in the multiple columns to uniquely represent the different alarms in the multiple rows. In response to removing one or more of the different alarm data fields in the subset from the primary key, the primary key may non-uniquely represent the different alarms in a plurality of the multiple rows. Thus, the alarm data table may be collapsed to combine the different alarms non-uniquely represented in the plurality of the multiple rows into one combined row uniquely representing the different alarms, whereby the collapsed alarm data table may replace the plurality of the multiple rows with the combined row.

Abstract: A system for managing a communication system is disclosed. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a network management system having a network configuration element that identifies for each of a plurality of wireless base terminals (WBTs) a resultant communication path to a mobile telephone switching office (MTSO) according to a plurality of performance characteristics and a delay injected into at least one of a plurality of alternative communication paths connecting combinations of the WBTs to the MTSO. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: An attitude system that includes a radiating means which moves predeterminately through three-dimensional space, such that a cyclic Doppler is superimposed upon a transmitted signal; receiving this transmitted signal through a receiving means which moves predeterminately through three-dimensional space, such that a cyclic Doppler is superimposed upon the received signal; analyzing the movement of the receive means in relation to the radiating means by interpreting the received cyclic Doppler; and determining attitude based on the interpreted Doppler. Or alternatively, adjusting the movement of the receive means in three-dimensional space so the superimposed cyclic Doppler is minimized on the received signal and; determining attitude based on the adjustment required to bring the receive means and radiating means into an alignment.