Abstract: It is disclosed a method and system for recognizing coffee capsules used by a capsule coffee machine, wherein a vibration sensor is arranged within the capsule coffee machine to detect vibrations of a machine component (e.g. the pump, or the capsule holder, or the hydraulic circuit connecting the pump with the capsule holder) rigidly connected with the coffee capsule fitted in the machine during the brewing of a coffee beverage. As the brewing is started, the vibration sensor detects the vibrations to which the machine component (and all the other machine components rigidly connected thereto during the brewing, including the variable-mass coffee capsule) is subjected, and generates a vibration signal corresponding thereto. The vibration signal is then processed for determining at least one parameter thereof. The coffee capsule is then recognized based on the value of the determined parameter(s).

Abstract: A method for managing data packets transmitted by a first user equipment to be received by a second user equipment through a radio network includes having the radio network comprising a radio transceiver station receive data packets transmitted by the first user equipment. For each data packet received, checking whether the data packet comprises a request for a data packet tunneling. For each data packet comprising a request for data packet tunneling, providing the data packet to a relay protocol entity at a Radio Link Control protocol layer. The relay protocol entity is configured for generating at least one tunneling data packet, said generating at least one tunneling data packet comprises inserting at least a portion of the transmitted data packet into the at least one tunneling data packet and transmitting the tunneling data packet to the second user equipment.

Abstract: A method for enabling a round-trip packet loss measurement in a packet-switched communication network wherein a first node and a second node exchange packets comprising a packet loss field settable to an idle value or one or more measurement values. The first node performs a generation step whereby first packets having their set to a measurement value are transmitted to the second node. For each received first packet, the second node transmits back a second packet having its set to a measurement value. The first node then performs a reflection step whereby, for each received second packet, it transmits to the second node a respective third packet having its set to a measurement value. The time lapsing between start of the generation step and start of the reflection step has a predefined and substantially constant duration.

Abstract: A method of providing a service to a requesting Infrastructure Element belonging to plurality of Infrastructure Elements interconnected as a data network is proposed. The method includes operating a computing system for receiving a service request requesting a service from the requesting Infrastructure Element. The service request includes an indication of one or more performance requirements. The method also includes converting the service request to a service graph, which includes at least one task to be accomplished by complying with the performance requirements to provide the service. At least one Infrastructure Element currently capable of accomplishing the task complying with the performance requirements is selected, and the selected Infrastructure Element for accomplishing the task is configured. The method further includes causing the selected Infrastructure Element to accomplish the task to provide the service to the requesting Infrastructure Element.

Abstract: A method for managing a full duplex mobile telecommunication network, includes measuring power of uplink and down link transmission from adjacent base stations and a user equipment, respectively. The method also includes comparing the measured powers of the uplink and downlink transmission, and if the power of the uplink transmission is lower than the power of the downlink transmission, the base station allocates dedicated uplink resources to the uplink transmission. The dedicated uplink resources are radio resources reserved only for uplink transmissions and are not usable for downlink transmissions. The dedicated uplink resources are assigned to the user equipment.

Abstract: A method for distributing packets of a data traffic over aggregated radio links connecting a node of a packet-switched wireless communication network to a further node of the packet-switched wireless communication network includes, at an indoor unit of the node, configuring at least one set of distribution rules indicating, for each of a first radio link and a second radio link of the aggregated radio links, an association between the radio link and a subset of values of a priority parameter carried within the packets. The method also includes, upon reception of a packet of the data traffic, distributing the packet over the first radio link or the second radio link on the basis of the priority parameter value carried within the packet and the associations.

Abstract: A method for enabling a round-trip packet loss measurement between two nodes of a packet-switched communication network exchanging packets comprising a packet loss field settable to an idle value or one or more measurement values. The first node transmits to the second node first packets having the packet loss field set to a measurement value. Upon reception of each first packet, the second node transmits back to the first node a respective second packet having the packet loss field set to a measurement value. Upon reception of each second packet, the first node transmits back to the second node a respective third packet having the packet loss field set to a measurement value. A measurement point placed between the two nodes may count the number of first packets and the number of third packets and use them to provide a round-trip packet loss measurement.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for collecting data for evaluating the quality of experience of a service provided to a user over a communications network. The method comprises: providing an agent on a user device; by the agent, collecting rough measurement data indicative of parameters related to an operation of the device during an instance of service fruition, providing derived measurement data from the rough data and sending them to a server; at the server, determining an ending of the instance and checking, based on the derived data, forwarding conditions indicating at least one condition to be satisfied in order for the server to send a questionnaire to the user device, comprising questions related to the instance of service fruition; after the ending of the instance, in case the conditions are satisfied, sending the questionnaire from the server to the device; and collecting by the agent a user feedback.

Abstract: It is disclosed an anti-tampering assembly for the transportation and storage of a package, the anti-tampering assembly being configured to be associated with the package. the anti-tampering assembly comprises: a tampering detection unit comprising a RFID passive tag and a tampering track of a conductive material configured to be connected to said RFID tag upon dispatching the package so as to inhibit the operation of the RFID tag, wherein the tampering track is configured to be interrupted in case of tampering of the package; an actuating unit configured to detect the interruption of the tampering track in case of tampering of the package and, upon detection, actuate an alarm unit; and the alarm unit comprising a radio module configured to, upon actuation, transmit an alarm message over a long range wireless communication network.

Abstract: A method for a wireless network, including a node and a first device covered by the node, the node acting as serving node for the first device, and the first device transmitting first data to the node over a first link, includes determining presence of a second device covered by the node, the second device transmitting second data to a serving node over a second link, determining radio quality of the first link, determining radio quality of the second link, and determining radio quality of a third link between the second device and the first device. If the radio quality of the third link is higher than the radio quality of the second link, the second device transmits the second data to the first device over the third link and the first device retransmits, over the first link, the second data to the node.

Abstract: A method of downloading a multimedia content from a content server to a client through a wireless communication network is provided. The multimedia content is subdivided into a plurality of chunks and for each chunk the content server has at least two corresponding versions thereof encoded with different encoding rates. The method includes having the client send a first request of a first version of a corresponding requested chunk, and having a proxy server intercept the first request to generate a second request of a second version of the requested chunk. The method also includes having the proxy server send the second request to the content server in place of the first request, and having the content server send the second version to the client. The second request is generated based on the amount of information content of the versions of said requested chunk.

Abstract: A meter apparatus is provided for determining parameters of an AC electric signal in first and second wires, the AC signal including an AC electric current and an AC electric voltage, the apparatus including a measurement section to provide first and second measure signals each one indicative of the AC voltage based on a first capacitive coupling with the first wire and on a second capacitive coupling with the second wire, the first and second measure signals depending on capacitance values of the first and second capacitive couplings, and a control unit to determine said capacitance values of the first and second capacitive couplings according to the first and second measure signals, and determining the amplitude of the AC voltage according to the first or second measure signal, and to the capacitance values of the first and second capacitive couplings.

Abstract: A method and system for statistically tracking the dynamics of a population over an area comprising entry points and exit points such that each population member entering through one entry point either exits through one exit point or stations within the area. At each entry point, an entry counter counts the number of entering members and, at each exit point, an exit counter counts the number of exiting members. Based on the counter values, the dynamics of the population are statistically tracked in terms of evolution in time of the number of members stationing in the area. The number of stationing members is retroactively adjusted when during an observation period it is determined that the number of exiting members is higher than the number of entering members, plus the number of members which were stationing within the area at the beginning of the observation period.

Abstract: It is disclosed a method and system for providing a service to a user. The system comprises a module (VAHI) associated with the user and configured to act on her/his behalf and a plurality of modules (VAE) associated with and representing respective physical resources. The system comprises a runtime distributed execution environment for running VAHI and VAEs, such environment being provided with a distributed operating system supporting access by VAHI and VAEs to the physical resources. The VAHI is capable of having an interaction with the VAEs and, as a result of such interaction, providing the user with a proposal for the provision of a service. Upon reception of an approval from the user, the VAHI is capable of instructing at least one of the VAEs to request the associated physical resource to perform an action providing at least part of the service according to the proposal.

Abstract: A method is provided for transmitting encrypted packets from a first node to a second node of a communication network. The first node pads each plaintext packet with a respective padding content. The padded plaintext packets are then encrypted and transmitted to the second node. For each plaintext packet, the first node randomly selects the padding size in a range comprised between a minimum padding size and a maximum padding size. If the size of a plaintext packet is lower than a predefined minimum packet size, the minimum padding size is set equal to the difference between predefined minimum packet size and the plaintext packet size.

Abstract: A method includes predicting the number of users of user terminals gathering in a target area within a region on a first day. The method includes collecting records relating to user terminals positioning data, and partitioning a portion of the region of interest into an intermediate area surrounding the target area and an external area which surrounds the intermediate area. For each observation time slot, a first term indicative of the number of user terminals moving from the external area to the intermediate area are calculated during said observation time slot based, a second term indicative of user terminals which, during a reference day preceding the first day, moved from the external area to the intermediate area is calculated, and the difference between said first term and said second term is calculated. The number of new user terminals which entering the target area is predicted based on the difference.

Abstract: A communication system includes a communication network and a communication system node. The communication system node communicates with the communication network via a first communication link, and establishes a second communication link with at least one user equipment to allow the user equipment to connect to the communication network. The second communication link is an unmanaged communication link. A backhauling provider module associated with the communication network dynamically allocates backhauling resources to the first communication link for data transmission between the node and the communication network based on the user equipment's parameters.

Abstract: A method for managing an Evolved Packet System is provided. The Evolved Packet System comprises a core network including a database configured to store User Identifying Information of user devices attached to the Evolved Packet System, and at least one external server. The method comprises having a user device attached to the Evolved Packet System request IP services to the external server; in response to said requesting IP services, having the external server request the User Identifying Information of said user device to the core network; in response to said requesting the User Identifying Information, having the core network access the database and retrieve the User Identifying Information of said user device; having the core network send the retrieved User Identifying Information to the external server; having the external server provide the requested IP services to the user device by exploiting said retrieved User Identifying Information.

Abstract: A method for performing a performance measurement in a communication network. Each measurement point in the network identifies packets of a multipoint packet flow and selects therefrom a number of samples, based on the value of a sampling signature calculated by applying a hash function to a bit mask in each identified packet. For each sample, a performance parameter and the packet's content are provided to a management server. The management server identifies a cluster of measurement points such that each identified packet of the multipoint packet flow received by a cluster's input measurement point is also received at a cluster's output measurement point. Amongst the performance parameters provided by the cluster's measurement points, the performance parameters relating to samples belonging to a certain packet sub-flow are identified, based on the packet's content. Then, a performance measurement is performed on the packet sub-flow.

Abstract: A method for performing a performance measurement on a multipoint packet flow transmitted in a packet-switched subnetwork. A monitoring network of measurement points is implemented in the subnetwork. All packets have a marking value, which is periodically switched between first and second marking values. Each measurement point receiving a marked packet updates a couple of performance parameters, one per each marking value. Since not all the measurement points receive the same packets of the multipoint packet flow, to provide a performance measurement a cluster of measurement points is firstly identified in the monitoring network, which possesses the following property: each packet received at the input of the cluster is also received at the output of the cluster, if no packet loss occurs. The performance parameters provided by input and output measurement points of the identified cluster are then used for providing the performance measurements.