Patents Assigned to Embarq Holdings Company LLC
  • Patent number: 8010101
    Abstract: A system and method for diagnosing RF attributes of signals communicated over a communication footprint including at least one base station configured to provide wireless communications to subscribers of a wireless carrier. Antennas may be fixedly positioned throughout a communications footprint of the base station(s), where the antennas are configured to receive signals from base station(s). At least one receiver may be in communication with the antennas configured to receive the signals from the base station(s) via the antennas. A computer system may be in communication with the receiver(s), where the computing system may be configured to receive RF attributes of signals received at respective antennas and measured by the receiver(s). A data repository may be in communication with the computing system and be configured to store data associated with each of the antennas and representative of RF attributes of the signals received by respective antennas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company, LLC
    Inventor: Michael K. Bugenhagen
  • Patent number: 8001474
    Abstract: A system for creating and distributing asynchronous bi-directional channel based multimedia content including means for creating a selectable list of channels, each channel to contain multimedia content related to each of the list channel; means for recording the multimedia content by a content author relating to the channels; means for uploading and storing the recorded multimedia content to its particular channel on a multimedia server; means for displaying the selectable list of channels to users; and responsive to selecting one of the channel by at least one of the users, means for displaying the multimedia content on a computing device to at least one of the users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company, LLC
    Inventors: Rich Hake, Marc McConathy, Adil Berdai, Mickey DeHook
  • Patent number: 8000270
    Abstract: A telecommunications device and method for downloading content using Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) includes receiving a request for content to be downloaded using TDM. The content may be communicated in response to receiving the content request. In response to receiving a call request for use of a telephone line, a download status of the telephone line may be determined. If the download status of the telephone line is indicative of content being downloaded, the content may be suspended from being communicated to enable a call associated with the call request to be connected with the telephone line. Otherwise, if the download status of the telephone line is not indicative of content being downloaded, a call associated with the call request may be connected with the telephone line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company, LLC
    Inventors: Shekhar Gupta, Johnny Hawkins, Rich Schermerhorn, Victoria M. Toner, Mike A. Roberts
  • Patent number: 8000318
    Abstract: A system and method that establishes a phone call over a packet network. The process may include receiving a call request from an originating call device on a packet network to call a terminating call device. A first transmission path may be determined between the originating and terminating call devices. Status of a terminating segment at a first terminating trunk may be determined and, if the status of the terminating segment at the first terminating trunk is within a first range, a call between the originating and terminating call device may be established via the first terminating call trunk. Otherwise, if the status of the terminating segment at the first terminating trunk is within a second range, a second transmission path via a second terminating trunk between the originating and terminating call devices may be made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company, LLC
    Inventors: William L. Wiley, Michael K. Bugenhagen, Robert J. Morrill
  • Patent number: 7983189
    Abstract: A system and method for measuring compliance with a service level agreement for communications. A threshold is set for a core information rate and a user network interface core information rate operable to avoid contention. Frame loss is measured on a core network and legs of the network. A determination is made that the service loss agreement is noncompliant in response to determining there is frame loss and a user network interface core information rate has not been exceeded or the core committed information rate has not been exceeded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company, LLC
    Inventor: Michael K. Bugenhagen
  • Patent number: 7978628
    Abstract: A system and method of determining bandwidth thresholds dynamically. Frames per second are measured at an interface. An effective throughput is measured at the interface. An average packet size is determined for a plurality of frames received at the interface. The average packet size being determined in response to the measured frames per second and the measured effective throughput. A threshold is determined for the effective throughput in response to the determined average packet size. A determination is made whether the effective throughput at the interface exceeds the threshold for the interface. A throughput rate communicated to the interface is adjusted in response to determining the effective throughput at the interface exceeds the threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company, LLC
    Inventor: Michael K. Bugenhagen
  • Patent number: 7979063
    Abstract: A system and method for changing area boundaries that encompass customers serviced by a telecommunications carrier may include an electronic display configured to display graphical images and a storage unit configured to store information associated with the customers serviced by a telecommunications carrier and area boundaries. A processing unit may be in communication with the electronic display and storage unit, and be configured to execute software. The software may display indicia representative of a geographic area of the customers serviced by the telecommunications carrier. Adjacent area boundaries may be displayed on the geographic area, where at least two of the area boundaries share at least one common point along the boundaries. The processing unit may further enable a user to selectively reposition a common point along at least two area boundaries of different types and reshape the area boundaries based on the repositioned common point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company, LLC
    Inventors: Michael H. Fleenor, Beverly D. Vines
  • Patent number: 7957299
    Abstract: A system and method for locating failures in a metro Ethernet network. Packets are communicated from a maintenance end point through a plurality of maintenance entities. An alarm is generated at a maintenance entity in response to determining the packets are not communicated through a next ME. The alarm indicates the location of the next ME. The alarm is sent back through the one or more of the plurality of maintenance entities to a sending MEP in response to detecting the alarm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company, LLC
    Inventor: Michael Bugenhagen
  • Patent number: 7948909
    Abstract: A system and method for collecting network performance information from network communications devices may include requesting, from a network communications device operating on a packet network, a counter value generated from counting a network performance information parameter. The request may cause the counter value to be reset prior to overflowing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company, LLC
    Inventors: Michael K. Bugenhagen, Robert J. Morrill, William L. Wiley
  • Patent number: 7945292
    Abstract: A system and method for extending alerts for a wireless device. A wireless ringer and a wireless device are linked through a wireless connection. User input selecting an alert for the wireless ringer is received. The wireless ringer is alerted in response to receiving an incoming communication on the wireless device in order for a user to access the wireless device to respond to the incoming communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company, LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey Michael Sweeney, Michael Clayton Robinson
  • Patent number: 7940735
    Abstract: A system for selecting an access point for a wireless device on a wireless network including a first wireless router in communication with the wireless device for transmitting and receiving RF signals between said first wireless router and the wireless device; a second wireless router in communication with the wireless device for transmitting and receiving RF signals between the first wireless router and the wireless device; a packet network switch in communication with the first and second wireless routers for routing the data packets between the first and second wireless routers and the packet network switch; and a network management device in communication with the packet network switch for instructing the packet network switch to route the data packets to one of the first and second wireless routers based on the network performance information to provide an access point for the wireless device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company, LLC
    Inventors: Steven E. Kozisek, Carl M. Coppage, Robert J. Morrill
  • Patent number: 7940912
    Abstract: A system and method is provided for call routing from a wired telephone switch. A virtual number may be registered with a database of the wired telephone switch for call routing. Outgoing calls are routed from a standard telephone utilizing the virtual number. The virtual number is unregistered to disable the call routing from the standard telephone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company, LLC
    Inventor: Michael K. Bugenhagen
  • Patent number: 7940773
    Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus for network service provisioning includes receiving a network address request from a subscriber device. The network address request includes at least one data cell including a channel identifier associated with the subscriber device. The channel identifier identifies the subscriber device for a cell-switched network The method further includes determining the channel identifier from the network address request, and generating a customer tag using the channel identifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company, LLC
    Inventors: Jade Kerr, Steve Robertson, Clinton J. Smoyer, Chad Collins
  • Patent number: 7937433
    Abstract: A system for delivering messages to a business component is provided. A Java Message Service (JMS) enabled connector from a first JMS enabled queue, and from a second queue, a file based queue using a polling notification type of architecture, which will act as a JMS enabled queue with a publication/subscription notification type of architecture through the use of a JMS enabled wrapper which acts on the second queue. The JMS enabled connector serves as the interface to the business component, and is operable to transform the message, and further operable to record, in a standard format, information about messages delivered from the first queue and from the second queue. A method for delivering messages to a business component is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company, LLC
    Inventor: Nandhu Kumar
  • Patent number: 7925423
    Abstract: A system and method for detecting traffic conditions. Communications are performed wirelessly with a traffic detector. A determination is made whether a vehicle is approaching a traffic condition within safe parameters. A driver is alerted of the traffic condition in response to determining the vehicle is not approaching the traffic condition within the safe parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company, LLC
    Inventors: Jamie C. Howarter, Richard G. Bradford
  • Patent number: 7917396
    Abstract: A method, system, and medium are provided for processing customer orders associated with providing telephony services via a telecommunications network and with services provided via a cable network. In one embodiment, the method includes providing a service-order-entry (SOE) system associated with a set of legacy components, the SOE system being operable to receive a first type of customer order that is associated with providing services via a telecommunications network, the telecommunications network not including a cable television (CATV) network; supplementing the SOE system with a secondary order-reception system operable to receive a second type of customer order that is associated with providing telephony services over a CATV network and further operable to receive the second type of customer order without substantially modifying the legacy components; receiving the second type of customer order; and fulfilling the second type of customer order without substantially modifying the legacy components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company, LLC
    Inventors: Peter J. Drake, Lisa K. McLellan, George E. Metz
  • Patent number: 7903589
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosed invention include a method performed by a conference server for providing caller identification information for a TDM conference call. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving a request from a host to set up a TDM conference call. The method further includes receiving host configuration parameters for providing the host with caller ID information of callers participating in the conference call. The method provides the host with a calling number for enabling callers participating in the conference call to call in. In response to receiving a call and caller ID information associated with a caller calling the calling number, the method connects the call to the conference call and provides the caller ID information to the host based on the host configuration parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company LLC
    Inventor: Shekhar Gupta
  • Patent number: 7893818
    Abstract: A system and method for communicating vehicular information with remote locations may include communicating data from a wireless interface of a vehicle with a locally positioned wireless device. The wireless device may be configured to enable a user to communicate with other users of wireless devices. Receipt of the internal signal may cause the wireless device to communicate the data to a remote location. The remote location may be a service provider or public safety organization located on a network, such as the public switched telephone network or wireless communications network (e.g., mobile telephone network).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company, LLC
    Inventors: Clinton J. Smoyer, Shane M. Smith
  • Patent number: 7889660
    Abstract: A system and method for monitoring performance of an asynchronous network may include communicating a first network performance data packet including a first indicia over an asynchronous network from a first network node to a second network node. A second network performance data packet including a second indicia may be communicated from the first network node to the second network node. At least one communications data packet may be communicated from the first network node to the second network node between communicating the first and second network performance data packets. At least one performance manager counter at the second network node may be incremented in response to receiving each communications data packet between the first and second network performance data packets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company, LLC
    Inventor: Michael K. Bugenhagen
  • Patent number: 7890111
    Abstract: A system and method is provided for call routing from a wired telephone switch. A wireless device is registered with a database of the wired telephone switch. Incoming wireless calls destined for the wireless device are routed to a standard telephone. The wireless device is unregistered to disable the call routing to the standard telephone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company, LLC
    Inventor: Michael K. Bugenhagen