Abstract: A method and system of managing QoS for a plurality of video capture devices coupled to a common communication link. A CU coupled between the video capture devices and the communication link may provide each video capture device a respective level of QoS over the communication link. The CU may then receive a video stream from a given video capture device. Thereafter, the CU may detect a predefined minimum threshold rate of intraframes in the video stream and responsively adjust QoS over the communication link to increase a respective level of QoS provided to the given video capture device. In turn, the CU may send the video stream over the communication link with the increased respective level of QoS. Subsequently, the CU may adjust QoS over the communication link to decrease a respective level of QoS provided to the given video capture device.

Abstract: An instant message delivery system includes a network node with a packet queue. The packet queue stores packets containing instant messages. When the system detects network congestion, it merges two or more packets where possible to make a single packet. In particular, when two or more data packets contain instant messages with the same recipient, the system merges the data packets into a single data packet with multiple instant messages. When two or more data packets have instant messages with the same recipient and the same sender, the system merges the data packets into a single data packet and further merges the instant messages into a single instant message containing more than one message body.

Abstract: Methods and systems for a mesh-network takeover are provided. In one embodiment, a first controller having a first attribute and a first group of nodes in its network receives a message from a node in the first group. The message indicates that the node in the first group received a signal from a node that is in a second group and associated with a second controller having a second attribute. Further, the message includes the second attribute. Responsive to receiving the message, the first controller compares the first attribute with the second attribute. As a result of comparing the first attribute with the second attribute, the first controller makes a determination that it has a lower priority than the second controller. Responsive to making the determination, the first controller no longer communicates with the first group, resulting in at least one node in the first group joining the second network.

Abstract: A method and system for setting up a communication with a given mobile station served by a RAN that defines one or more coverage areas. The RAN may receive an indication of a location of the given mobile station. The RAN may then use the location of the given mobile station to identify one or more wireless coverage areas associated with the given mobile station. The RAN may also receive a request to set up a communication with the given mobile station. In response, the RAN may assign a channel for the communication to the given mobile station in each identified wireless coverage area without first paging the given mobile station.

Abstract: To provide high-data-rate wireless communication in both directions between a pair of nodes, the present invention provides for operating at least two asymmetric wireless connections in parallel but in reverse directions between the nodes. One of the asymmetric wireless connections will provide a high-data-rate forward link in one direction between the nodes, while the other asymmetric wireless connection will concurrently provide a high-data-rate forward link in the other direction between the nodes. The lower-data-rate reverse links provided by the asymmetric wireless connections can then be used to carry overhead control data or can be used to supplement the primary high-data-rate communication provided by the forward links. Preferably, 1xEV-DO will be used for both asymmetric wireless data links, but other asymmetric air interface protocols could be used instead.

Abstract: A method and system for establishing an application contact list is provided. A user will establish a master contact list on a client station. In response to execution of an application using a contact entry from the master contact list, the client station will then designate the contact entry as a member that is associated with the executed application. In this manner, the client station will mark contacts based on the applications that used the contacts. In addition, the client station generates application contact lists by filtering the master contact list to identify contact entries that are associated with an initiated or executed application. The client station then generates an application contact list including the contact entries that are associated with the application. The user may then select a contact entry from the application contact list for use in execution of the application.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for implementing quality of service (QoS) by using Hybrid ARQ (HARQ) response for triggering the EV-DO reverse activity bit (RAB). In an embodiment, an access node provides service to a plurality of access terminals, the plurality including a select group of one or more access terminals. The access node detects that it has, over a time period, sent more than a threshold number of HARQ negative acknowledgements (NACKs) with respect to reverse-link communication of the select group, and responsively (1) sets the RAB for the first wireless coverage area and (2) instructs the select group of access terminals to ignore the RAB. The select group ignores the RAB, while the rest of the access terminals obey the RAB.

Abstract: Methods and systems for reducing the frequency of handoffs to non-preferred wireless coverage areas are presented. In particular, a RAN may determine that a WCD is likely to begin roaming. The WCD may be served by a preferred wireless coverage area and may be likely to roam to a non-preferred wireless coverage area. In order to avoid drawbacks associated with letting the WCD roam, the RAN may grant the WCD one or more forms of increased service quality. For example, the RAN may use a roaming-likelihood value as a basis for determining a page-concatenation level for the page, concatenate the page according to the determined page-concatenation level, and then transmit the page.

Abstract: A method and system is disclosed for dynamic adjustment of auxiliary pilot triggering based on latency. In an example embodiment, an AT that engages in a data communication that requires low latency will transmit its auxiliary pilot unconditionally and without regard to the payload sizes of the packets it transmits. Thus, the AT will not use a comparison of payload packet size with a threshold packet size when determining whether to transmit its auxiliary pilot. Rather, the AT will begin transmitting its auxiliary pilot upon a determination that it is engaged or will engage or has begun to engage in a communication that requires low latency. At the same time, an AT that engages in data communication that does not require low latency will advantageously trigger its auxiliary pilot less aggressively in response to an instruction from the base station to do so.

Abstract: Methods and systems for reducing the latency of instant communication session establishment are presented. According to various preferred embodiments, a RAN, may receive a setup request message via a packet-switched network. The RAN may determine, from a quality of service (QOS) indication contained in the setup request message, that the setup request message is requesting establishment of a instant communication session. The RAN may further determine an intended destination wireless communication device (WCD) for the setup request message. Based on the QOS indication and/or a profile indicating the destination WCD's capabilities, the RAN may pre-allocate resources for the instant communication session in parallel to paging the destination WCD. In this way, the latencies associated with these procedures are overlapped, thus reducing the overall latency of instant communication session establishment.

Abstract: A game server stores data pertaining game players prematurely dropping out from games during the occurrence of the games, either voluntarily, involuntarily, or both. The games involve use of the wireless devices, such as cell phones, PDAs, or other types of devices. The game server includes a processor and machine instructions executable by the processor making available the data, or a ranking for each game player derived from the data, to the game players. Thus, the game players can access the data and make an informed decision as to whether to include a particular game player in a future game, based on their past history of prematurely dropping out of games.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and system to help reduce the extent of roaming or use of lower priority coverage areas in a wireless communication system, by selectively managing the level of noise in a preferred coverage area. A network entity will detect that a particular coverage area has a high rate or roaming or that another coverage area (e.g., a collocated or adjacent coverage area) has a high rate of use, and the network entity will responsively reduce a noise threshold in the particular coverage area so as to then tolerate less noise in the coverage area before taking affirmative action to reduce the level of noise, and thus optimally to reduce the extent of roaming or use of less preferred coverage.

Abstract: A customized list of real-time conference participants are obtained by selecting a conference group and then selecting members of the group to be excluded using an exclusion list feature. In alternative embodiments, one or more logical operators such as AND or OR are selected and applied to conference groups the user has selected. The logical operators and selected conference groups are sent to a conference server, which applies the operator to the selected groups to arrive at a shortlist of conference participants. The invention is particularly useful for cellular telephones initiating a real-time conference using the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and a SIP server resident on a network.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for setting up a conference communication between a remote party and a plurality of local parties. A base unit may engage in communication with a remote party. Thereafter, the base unit may apply a floor control process with respect to the local parties to limit the number local parties that can have dedicated channels at any give time. More particularly, the base unit may receive from a local party a request for a new dedicated channel to transmit conference bearer data and responsively establish the new dedicated channel with the local party only if a present number of established dedicated channels with local parties is less than a predetermined threshold. The base unit may then receive conference bearer data and responsively transmit the conference bearer data over a broadcast channel for receipt by the plurality of local parties.

Abstract: A method and system for providing advanced notice of cost to access web content, where the cost is computed based on the size of the web content. During transmission of web content over a communication path between a content server and a client station, an intermediation system may add into the web content, in conjunction with a hyperlink to referenced web content, an indication of size-based cost to access the referenced web content. Further, during transmission of a request for web content over a communication path from a client station to a content server, and/or during transmission of the web content over a communication path from a content server to a client station, the intermediation system may engage in interstitial communication with a user of the client station to obtain the user's agreement to pay the size-based cost.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for ranked presentation of user-interface display elements is disclosed. A device will hold data that indicates a priority order for selecting user-interface display elements, such as buttons, labels, etc., to present. When a user-interface skin is loaded onto the device and the skin has a limited number of slots (i.e., segments, spaces, places, etc.) for presenting user-interface display elements, the priority order will be used as a basis to select which elements to present in the available slots. For example, if the skin has only five slots for presentation of user-interface display elements, just the top five elements in the priority list will be presented. Those top five elements can then be presented in any order, such as in priority order, alphabetical order, or randomly.

Abstract: A method and system for certified publication of content. A content-supplier provides content and supplies an access-server with a content-description and digital signature. A content-certifier obtains an access-token from the access-server and submits the access-token to the content-supplier with a request to obtain the content to be certified. The content-supplier works with the access-server to validate the token and then provides the content to the content-certifier. After validating the digital signature, the content-certifier certifies the content and provides a certification-flag to the access-server, and the access-server updates a content-catalog entry for the content to indicate that the content is certified. An analogous process can be carried out to thereafter deliver the content to a third party. The invention is particularly useful to facilitate certification of test scripts, but the invention can be used in other contexts as well, such as to certify media in a peer-to-peer distribution system.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for dynamically adjusting a search-window size. An active-call state is entered into, and a mobile station is responsively initially operated according to a default-search-window mode. The preferred-signal strength as received at the mobile station, the preferred-signal fading of the mobile station, and the number of sectors in an active set for the mobile station are monitored to: compare the preferred-signal strength to a signal-strength threshold, compare the preferred-signal fading to at least one of a lower-fading threshold and an upper-fading threshold, and determine whether the number of sectors in the active set is exactly one sector or more than one sector. The mobile station is selectively operated in one of the default-search-window mode, a reduced-search-window mode, and an increased-search-window mode in response to the monitored preferred-signal strength, preferred-signal fading, and number of sectors in the active set.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods that enable a sending entity and a receiving entity, operating in a wireless communication network, to adjust transmission power at the sending entity according to one of two power control modes. One method provides for a continuous power control mode in which the sending entity begins transmission of a particular data flow at a power level responsive to a most recently received power adjustment command. Another method provides for a per-flow power control mode in which the sending entity begins transmission of a particular data flow at a power level responsive to the most recent transmission power level of the different particular data flow. Further methods provide for the receiving entity to dynamically instruct the sending entity in which power control mode to operate.

Abstract: A prepaid service platform monitors a prepaid balance for a mobile station that operates in accordance with a prepaid wireless service plan. When the prepaid balance reaches a predetermined value, such as zero, the prepaid service platform signals to the mobile station's home location register (HLR). In response, the HLR changes at least one call authorization in an HLR profile for the mobile station and also signals to the serving system currently serving the mobile station. The serving system responsively changes at least one call authorization in a serving-system profile for the mobile station. As a result of these changes to the mobile station's call authorizations, the mobile station may be prevented from making and/or receiving chargeable calls.