Abstract: Utilizing a voice capturing device (e.g., smart phone, tablet, smart speaker) to capture voice commands and send the voice commands to a cloud based voice recognition/processing engine to convert the commands to text commands. Processing the text commands at an access point for a WiFi network. The voice commands may include search queries about particular wireless devices that are associated with the WiFi network. The access point may search the configuration and connectivity data for the WiFi network to determine what access point the wireless device is connected to and a location for the access point. The result of the search may be announced to the user via the voice capturing device. The voice activated search may be to find wireless devices that have misplaced or for inventory management. The voice activated commands may also include voice WiFi network configuration commands.

Abstract: A method of granting access to a wireless network is provided allowing approval by a trusted authenticator. The method includes receiving a request to join a wireless network at a gateway from a client device, determining with the gateway whether the client device is within a predefined trusted zone, sending a notification of a potential new connection with the client device from the gateway to the trusted authenticator. The trusted authenticator then provides a response regarding the potential new connection, wherein the gateway denies network access to the client device when the gateway determines that the client device is outside the trusted zone or when the response from the trusted authenticator rejects the potential new connection, and wherein the gateway grants network access to the client device when the gateway determines that the client device is inside the trusted zone and when the response from the trusted authenticator approves the potential new connection.

Abstract: Utilizing a voice capturing device (e.g., smart phone, tablet, smart speaker) to capture voice commands and send the voice commands to a cloud based voice recognition/processing engine to convert the commands to text commands. Processing the text commands at an access point for a WiFi network. The voice commands may include search queries about particular wireless devices that are associated with the WiFi network. The access point may search the configuration and connectivity data for the WiFi network to determine what access point the wireless device is connected to and a location for the access point. The result of the search may be announced to the user via the voice capturing device. The voice activated search may be to find wireless devices that have misplaced or for inventory management. The voice activated commands may also include voice WiFi network configuration commands.

Abstract: A method of granting access to a wireless network is provided allowing approval by a trusted authenticator. The method includes receiving a request to join a wireless network at a gateway from a client device, determining with the gateway whether the client device is within a predefined trusted zone, sending a notification of a potential new connection with the client device from the gateway to the trusted authenticator. The trusted authenticator then provides a response regarding the potential new connection, wherein the gateway denies network access to the client device when the gateway determines that the client device is outside the trusted zone or when the response from the trusted authenticator rejects the potential new connection, and wherein the gateway grants network access to the client device when the gateway determines that the client device is inside the trusted zone and when the response from the trusted authenticator approves the potential new connection.

Abstract: A method is provided to presenting contextual information during adaptive bitrate streaming to allow play of an audio-only variant. The method includes receiving an audio-only variant of a video stream, calculating bandwidth headroom, receiving contextual information that provides descriptive information about visual components of the video stream that has a bitrate less than the bandwidth headroom, and presenting the contextual information to users while playing the audio-only variant.