Abstract: Apparatus and methods related to on-boarding software applications on a platform used in a content delivery and/or service provider network. In one embodiment, a centralized platform such as a premises gateway is provided to act as an application portal or store for all consumer devices that connects to a service provider network. In one variant, a software architecture is provided for the gateway which includes at least one of an open-sourced OS (e.g., OpenWrt) and containerization engine (e.g., Docker) which enables a broader range of application compatibility with the gateway itself and end user devices within the premises by abstracting the services and functions above the specific hardware/firmware configurations of each of the end user devices.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods related to software architectures in a multiprocessor-based access device used in a content delivery and/or service provider network. In one embodiment, a software architecture is provided for a cable modem using a first type of digital processor (e.g., RISC core or similar), and a second type of digital processor (e.g., multi-core CPU). In one variant, the RISC processor is used as a cable modem stack processor, and the CPU processor is used as an application processor. A Linux (e.g., OpenWrt)-based software architecture is used wherein software components placed on both processors can communicate to effectuate, e.g., configuration changes to the device (including the cable modem stack). A mechanism to establish communications between the two different processor domains and retrieve the requested information based on existing (e.g., RPC) protocols is also disclosed.

Abstract: At a customer premises equipment (CPE) device in a broadband network, an invocation of a speed test by an auto-configuration server (ACS) is obtained. The invocation includes an activity detection threshold and an activity detection period. Responsive to the invocation, average interface utilization for the customer premises equipment (CPE) device is determined over the activity detection period. Responsive to the determining indicating that the average interface utilization for the customer premises equipment (CPE) device over the activity detection period does not exceed the activity detection threshold, the customer premises equipment (CPE) device cooperates with a speed test server to execute a speed test on the customer premises equipment (CPE) device using a speed test tool.

Abstract: Methods and devices are disclosed for controlling and managing a home network, and expediting service delivery on a communications service provider. The communications service provider may receive information identifying one or more service group selected by a subscriber of the communications service provider. The communications service provider may also identify pre-set configurations associated with each of the one or more selected service group, generate configuration instructions for a micro-domain corresponding to each of the one or more selected service group, and create the micro-domain in the home network for each of the one or more selected service group by applying the generated configuration instructions to network services of the communications service provider.

Abstract: Methods and devices are disclosed for controlling and managing a home network, and expediting service delivery on a communications service provider. The communications service provider may receive information identifying one or more service group selected by a subscriber of the communications service provider. The communications service provider may also identify pre-set configurations associated with each of the one or more selected service group, generate configuration instructions for a micro-domain corresponding to each of the one or more selected service group, and create the micro-domain in the home network for each of the one or more selected service group by applying the generated configuration instructions to network services of the communications service provider.

Abstract: Methods and devices are disclosed for controlling and managing a home network, and expediting service delivery on a communications service provider. The communications service provider may receive information identifying one or more service group selected by a subscriber of the communications service provider. The communications service provider may also identify pre-set configurations associated with each of the one or more selected service group, generate configuration instructions for a micro-domain corresponding to each of the one or more selected service group, and create the micro-domain in the home network for each of the one or more selected service group by applying the generated configuration instructions to network services of the communications service provider.

Abstract: A communication system and method including the steps of receiving a first request to initiate a guaranteed quality of service flow in a network, broadcasting a second request from a Network Coordinator to a plurality of nodes connected to the network and receiving a first response to the second request from at least one ingress node. The method further includes receiving a second response to the second request from at least one egress node indicating whether the at least one egress node has available resources to receive the guaranteed quality of service flow and allocating resources for the guaranteed quality of service flow if the at least one ingress node has available resources to transmit, and the at least one egress node has available resources to receive, the guaranteed quality of service flow.

Abstract: Method and system of secured direct link set-up (DLS) for wireless networks. In accordance with aspects of the method, techniques are disclosed for setting up computationally secure direct links between stations in a wireless network in a manner that is computationally secure. A direct link comprising a new communication session is set up between first and second stations in a wireless local area network (WLAN) hosted by an access point (AP), the direct link comprising a new communication session. The AP generates a unique session key for the new communication session and transfers secured copies of the session key to each of the first and second stations in a manner under which only the first and second stations can obtain the session key. A security mechanism is then implemented on the unsecured direct link to secure the direct link between the first and second stations using a secure session key derived from the session key.

Abstract: At a customer premises equipment (CPE) device in a broadband network, an invocation of a speed test by an auto-configuration server (ACS) is obtained. The invocation includes an activity detection threshold and an activity detection period. Responsive to the invocation, average interface utilization for the customer premises equipment (CPE) device is determined over the activity detection period. Responsive to the determining indicating that the average interface utilization for the customer premises equipment (CPE) device over the activity detection period does not exceed the activity detection threshold, the customer premises equipment (CPE) device cooperates with a speed test server to execute a speed test on the customer premises equipment (CPE) device using a speed test tool.

Abstract: A communication system and method including the steps of receiving a first request to initiate a guaranteed quality of service flow in a network, broadcasting a second request from a Network Coordinator to a plurality of nodes connected to the network and receiving a first response to the second request from at least one ingress node. The method further includes receiving a second response to the second request from at least one egress node indicating whether the at least one egress node has available resources to receive the guaranteed quality of service flow and allocating resources for the guaranteed quality of service flow if the at least one ingress node has available resources to transmit, and the at least one egress node has available resources to receive, the guaranteed quality of service flow.

Abstract: A communication system and method including the steps of receiving a first request to initiate a guaranteed quality of service flow in a network, broadcasting a second request from a Network Coordinator to a plurality of nodes connected to the network and receiving a first response to the second request from at least one ingress node. The method further includes receiving a second response to the second request from at least one egress node indicating whether the at least one egress node has available resources to receive the guaranteed quality of service flow and allocating resources for the guaranteed quality of service flow if the at least one ingress node has available resources to transmit, and the at least one egress node has available resources to receive, the guaranteed quality of service flow.

Abstract: Method and system of secured direct link set-up (DLS) for wireless networks. In accordance with aspects of the method, techniques are disclosed for setting up computationally secure direct links between stations in a wireless network in a manner that is computationally secure. A direct link comprising a new communication session is set up between first and second stations in a wireless local area network (WLAN) hosted by an access point (AP), the direct link comprising a new communication session. The AP generates a unique session key for the new communication session and transfers secured copies of the session key to each of the first and second stations in a manner under which only the first and second stations can obtain the session key. A security mechanism is then implemented on the unsecured direct link to secure the direct link between the first and second stations using a secure session key derived from the session key.

Abstract: Method and system of secured direct link set-up (DLS) for wireless networks. In accordance with aspects of the method, techniques are disclosed for setting up computationally secure direct links between stations in a wireless network in a manner that is computationally secure.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for control and data burst routing in WDM photonic burst-switched network is disclosed. In one embodiment, only the control bursts and network management labels are going through optical-electrical-optical conversion inside the photonic burst switching (PBS) module. The building blocks of the control processing unit inside the PBS module may include input and output buffers, control burst parser, burst scheduler, PBS configuration and control, contention resolution, forwarding engine, network management controller, control burst generator, and queue manager. The contention resolution block may be used to resolve resource contention between multiple data bursts. Such contention resolution may take the form of adding additional delays to one of the data bursts, changing one of the data bursts to an alternate wavelength, or dropping some of the data bursts based on various criteria such as relative priority and wavelength.

Abstract: In one embodiment a communication method comprises the steps of receiving a query at Layer 2 from an entry node by way of a coordinated network, the query requesting data rates of network resources of the coordinated network; transmitting a Layer 2 request for an available data rate to each of a plurality of nodes connected to the coordinated network in response to the query; receiving a first Layer 2 response to said request from one or more of the plurality of nodes, wherein the first response includes a data rate with which each of the one or more nodes is capable of transmitting or receiving data; and transmitting a list of the received data rates to at least the entry node on the coordinated network.

Abstract: A communications system and method comprises the steps of performing at least one Layer 2 transaction comprising a plurality of wave cycles, each Layer 2 transaction including performing a first wave cycle, concatenating the received first responses from each of the one or more nodes, and performing a second wave cycle. The first wave cycle includes broadcasting a first request from a network coordinator to a plurality of nodes connected to a coordinated network, and receiving a first response from one or more of the nodes indicating that the nodes have opted to participate in a next subsequent wave cycle. The second wave cycle includes transmitting a subsequent request from the network coordinator to each of the one or more nodes based upon the concatenated first responses.

Abstract: Method and system of secured direct link set-up (DLS) for wireless networks. In accordance with aspects of the method, techniques are disclosed for setting up computationally secure direct links between stations in a wireless network in a manner that is computationally secure.

Abstract: Method and system of secured direct link set-up (DLS) for wireless networks. In accordance with aspects of the method, techniques are disclosed for setting up computationally secure direct links between stations in a wireless network in a manner that is computationally secure. A direct link comprising a new communication session is set up between first and second stations in a wireless local area network (WLAN) hosted by an access point (AP), the direct link comprising a new communication session. The AP generates a unique session key for the new communication session and transfers secured copies of the session key to each of the first and second stations in a manner under which only the first and second stations can obtain the session key. A security mechanism is then implemented on the unsecured direct link to secure the direct link between the first and second stations using a secure session key derived from the session key.

Abstract: A wavelength-division-multiplexed based photonic burst switched (PBS) network, which includes edge and switching nodes, optically communicate information formatted into PBS control and data burst frames. Each PBS data burst frame is associated with a PBS control burst frame. A PBS burst frame includes a PBS burst header and burst payload having fields to indicate whether: (a) the PBS burst frame is a PBS control burst; (b) the control burst is transmitted on a wavelength different from that of the associated PBS data burst; and (c) the PBS burst frame has a label for use in a generalized multi-protocol label swapping (GMPLS)-based control system. The PBS burst payload frame includes fields to indicate (a) specific PBS payload information; (b) PBS data payload; and (c) an optional PBS payload frame check sequence (FCS) for error detection.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to authenticate base and subscriber stations and secure sessions for broadband wireless networks, such as IEEE P802.16-based networks. The apparatus employs a trusted platform module (TPM) to generate security keys, including attestation identity keys (AIKs). A subscriber station (SS) generates an AIK key pair for a specific authentication server (AS) operated by a broadband wireless network, and sends the public AIK key to the AS during a one-time service signup process. In response to an access request, the SS sends authentication information including a manifest signed with the SS's private AIK key. The SS may then be authenticated by the AS via use of the SS's public AIK key. The AS may be authenticated by the SS using a similar process, thus supporting mutual authentication via AIK keys. The TPM may also be used to verify a current configuration of a subscriber station platform is an authorized configuration.