Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and systems for determining during call setup whether or not to introduce an Access Transfer Gateway into a call path between devices based on a geographical indication of the position of one of the devices.

Abstract: The present invention relates to communications methods, apparatus and systems for determining and using Software Defined Networking (SDN) communications link and path status information. An exemplary embodiment of a method of operating a Session Border Controller (SBC) in a software defined network (SDN) includes: determining application level metrics at a SBC for a data communications flow and transmitting the application level metrics to a SDN controller. An exemplary embodiment of a method of operating a software defined networking (SDN) controller in a software defined network includes the steps of receiving, at a receiver of the SDN controller via the software defined network, application level metrics corresponding to a data communications session flow; and determining, by the SDN controller, the status of a communications path between two Internet Protocol addresses based on the received application level metrics.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for deriving and/or generating, user presence information from communication signals monitored by a SBC or PRI Gateway and aggregating and/or distributing the user presence information. An exemplary method embodiment includes the steps of storing a plurality of user profile records, each of the user profile records mapping contact information for a user to one or more user identifiers corresponding to the user; receiving first signaling information; determining a first user corresponding to the first signaling information by comparing at least a first portion of the information contained in the first signaling information to at least a first portion of the information contained in the plurality of user profiles; and generating presence status information for the first user and communicating the first presence status information to a presence server as presence status information corresponding to a first user identifier, said first user identifier corresponding to said first user.

Abstract: The present invention includes various novel systems and methods for communication in a network. A System Environment Monitor is employed in some embodiments to extract from the network both real-time and historical Network Metrics at the Infrastructure Layer, as well as Application Metadata at the Application Layer. Network analytics facilitate decisions based upon the differing characteristics of Application Components and lower-level hardware components across multiple DTTs. In response, an SDN Controller generates modified sets of SDN Flows, and implements them in real time across a mixed technology (multi-DTT) network in a manner that avoids disrupting existing SDN Flows and other real-time network traffic.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media are disclosed which provide improved performance for packet switched (PS)-to-PS handovers. Embodiments provide for improved handover operations by utilizing registration refreshing techniques to reduce the time required to complete signaling and registration of a UE over a target access in connection with a handover of a communication session from a serving access to the target access. Embodiments further provide improved handover operations that eliminate the exchange of signaling information with a remote UE in connection with a handover of a communication session from a serving access to the target access. Further, handover operations are processed by a network node that is closer to the UE requesting the handover (e.g., the network node may be an Access-SBC/P-CSCF that operates between a core network and the UE).