Abstract: A method for enabling a performance measurement on packet flow transmitted through a communication network. A marking value is periodically switched in the packets with a marking period Tm. The packet flow is then divided into blocks of duration Ts (synchronization period). Each synchronization period comprises an integer number of marking periods. Two or more measurement points on the path of the packet flow may provide a performance parameter for each marking period and associate thereto a synchronization information generated based on their local clocks and relating to the synchronization period containing the marking period to which the performance parameter relates; and a sequence information indicating the marking period's position within the synchronization period. A management server may identify performance parameters provided by different measurement points and relating to a same marking period based on the synchronization information and the sequence information.

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 for delivering to a user a dedicated service restricted to a predefined service area includes, performing an access request to a dedicated service. The dedicated service is delivered from a server through a data network between a user device and the server. The method also includes determining a service profile associated with the user, and assigning to the user device a dedicated communication channel for the dedicated service. The method further includes starting a communication session with the server through the data network according to the assigned dedicated communication channel, and performing an authentication request to the server. If the service authenticates the user successfully, the position of the user is obtained, and the dedicated service is delivered to the user device.

Abstract: It is disclosed a theft-detection assembly for detecting the theft of an item, the theft-detection assembly comprising: a wireless power transmitter configured to broadcast electromagnetic waves within a given area; a locator device configured to be associated with the item and comprising a wireless power receiver configured to receive the electromagnetic waves. The locator device further comprises an actuating unit and an alarm unit, wherein: the actuating unit is connected to the wireless power receiver and is configured to, in the absence of the electromagnetic waves, actuate the alarm unit; and the alarm unit comprises a radio module configured to, upon actuation, transmit an alarm message over a wireless communication network.

Abstract: In a method for processing messages exchanged on a social network, a data processing apparatus gathers from the social network a reference set of messages pertaining to a user-selected reference context. The data processing apparatus then applies a multidimensional aggregation to the reference set of messages, whereby the messages of the reference set are grouped in an multidimensional array of groups having at least two dimensions. In each dimension, the array comprises a number of groups that correspond to a number of values of a certain message feature. Each group in a dimension corresponding to a certain message feature aggregates all the messages of the reference set whose message feature has a same value. Then, a user interface is displayed, which shows the reference set of messages as aggregated in at least two dimensions of the array.

Abstract: A method of downloading video contents from a content server to a client through a base station of a wireless communication network is provided. Each video content includes a sequence of encoded video frames. The method includes having the content server send a video content in a sequence of data packets, each data packet including data corresponding to at least one portion of an encoded video frame, and having a proxy server at the base station classify each data packet according to the type of video frame it correspond to. The method also includes having a scheduler at the base station assign radio resources for the transmission of the data packets to the client based on the classification carried out by the proxy server, and transmitting the data packets to the client by exploiting the radio resource assignment carried out by the scheduler.

Abstract: It is disclosed a method for performing a performance measurement on a packet flow transmitted along a path through a packet switched communication network. Two or more measurement points are implemented on the path. Each measurement point calculates a sampling signature for each received packet by applying a hash function to a mask of bits of the packet. Then, it selects a number of measurement samples amongst the received packets, the measurement samples being selected as those packets whose sampling signatures comprise a portion of length S equal to a predefined sampling value. While performing the selection, the measurement point counts the number of selected measurement samples and retroactively adjusts the length based on this number. Then, the measurement point provides measurement parameters relating to the selected measurement samples.

Abstract: A method is provided for estimating the quality of experience of a service provided over a communication network from activities performed by a user in the fruition of the service. The method comprises: subdividing a user session of the service into a number of time intervals; determining a number of events indicative of the activities performed by the user during a time interval of the number of time intervals; and on the basis of the events, calculating an index indicative of the quality of experience of the service in the time interval.

Abstract: A method for managing a full duplex mobile telecommunication network includes providing a coordination unit of a set of base stations, and having the coordination unit group a plurality of user equipment served by said base stations to form corresponding user groups. Each user group includes a group of user equipment which are close to each other by an extent such to cause potential user equipment to user equipment interference. The method also includes having the coordination unit allocate radio resources for at least one between transmissions from user equipment to base stations, and transmissions from base stations to user equipment. The method further includes having each base station carrying out at least receiving transmissions from at least one served user equipment, and sending transmissions to at least one served user equipment by exploiting the allocated radio resources.

Abstract: It is disclosed a method for performing a performance measurement on a packet flow transmitted through a packet-switched communication network. In the packet flow, first blocks of packets having a first packet feature and second blocks of packets having a second packet feature are provided by periodically switching a packet feature in the packet flow, so that the first blocks of packets alternate in time with the second blocks of packets. Two or more measurement points on the path of the packet flow provide performance parameters relating to the first and second blocks of packets, and alternately provide their values to a network controller, which the controller uses to perform the performance measurement. The periodic switching of the packet feature and the alternate provision of the performance parameter values are in response to remote commands received from the controller.

Abstract: A mobile telecommunication network including plural network elements, divided into at least two clusters. Each cluster includes: plural remote units corresponding to network elements, arranged for exchanging radiofrequency signals with user equipment located within at least one respective served area; a central unit corresponding to a network element arranged for managing the exchange of radiofrequency signals with the user equipment located within the served areas of each remote unit of the cluster, and plural connections, each for operatively connecting a remote unit with the central unit of the same cluster. At least one remote unit of a first cluster is further connected to a central unit of the second cluster, at least one respective served area of the at least one remote unit of the first cluster being adjacent to at least one further respective served area of a further remote unit of the second cluster.

Abstract: A method for performance measurement in packet switched communication networks includes generating a flow of artificial packets having predefined packets lengths, which is then aggregated to the packet flow to be measured by an aggregator. The artificial packets are configured to follow the packet flow to be measured, starting from the point where aggregation is performed. Two measurement points are then provided after the aggregator, which identify the artificial packets based on their packet lengths and provide respective raw performance measurements indicative of the actual positions of the artificial packets in the aggregated packet flow. The raw performance measurements are then used for providing the performance measurements. Since the artificial packets are identified based on their packet lengths, no inspection of the packets' content is needed for identification purposes. The artificial packets may therefore be identified even if their content is uninspectable.

Abstract: It is disclosed a method for enabling a performance measurement in a packet-switched communication network. A first node and a second node exchange packets comprising a marking value, which they alternately switch between two alternative marking values. The second node in particular switches the marking value applicable to the packets addressed to the other node depending on the marking value comprised in packets received therefrom. The first node writes a sampling value in one packet addressed to the second node for each marking period. Upon reception of each packet comprising the sampling value, the second node copies the sampling value in a packet addressed to the first node. One or more measurement points may be provided between the two nodes, which provide performance parameters for the packets comprising the sampling value in both directions. Such performance parameters may be used for providing round trip time measurements.

Abstract: A method for authorizing automatic login of a user to a reserved area of an information resource includes, at a first user device, connecting to a web server for retrieving the information resource, and sending to an authentication server an identifier of the information resource and an identifier of the user. At the authentication server, based on the identifiers of the information resource and of the user, an authorization request is sent to a second user device associated with the user, and which stores access credentials for logging in the reserved area. At the second user device, the user is notified of the authorization request, and upon confirmation of the authorization request by the user on the second user device, access credentials are made available to the web server. At the web server, automatic login to the reserved area is performed based on the access credentials.

Abstract: In method of protecting signaling messages in a hop-by-hop network communication link between a source node and a destination node, a source node public digital signature verification key and a respective source node private digital signature key associated with said public digital signature verification key are provided to the source node. The source node public digital signature verification key associated with the source node private digital signature key is also provided to the destination node. The source node builds a message including a sequence of Information Elements, and calculates, for each Information Element, an Information Element hash value. The source node also calculates a sequence hash value of a concatenation of the calculated Information Element hash values, and generates a source node digital signature by digitally signing the calculated sequence hash value. An intermediate node receives and forwards the signaling message to the destination node.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for performing a performance measurement on a packet flow transmitted along a path through a packet switched communication network. At least two measurement points implemented on the path calculate a sampling signature for each packet of the flow by applying a hash function to a mask of bits of the packet, and identify a sub-flow of measurement samples as those packets whose sampling signatures are equal to a certain value H*. The measurement points then provide measurement parameters for the measurement samples, which are used for providing performance measurement for the whole packet flow. Tailoring the length of the sampling signature allows the sampling rate to be statistically controlled so as to balance the risk of reception sequence errors between measurement samples and the computational effort on one hand, and the accuracy of the measurements provided on the other hand.

Abstract: A method for determining a Quality of Experience associated with a real-time communication session between user devices includes monitoring the real-time communication session and determining at least one quality indicator of the Quality of Experience, at least one first performance indicator of a Quality of Service, and at least one second performance indicator of the Quality of Service. Based on the quality indicator and the first performance indicator, the method determines, among a family of correlation functions indicative of the correlation between the Quality of Experience and a Quality of Service in respect of a generic real-time communication session, a correlation function which is indicative of the correlation between the Quality of Experience and the Quality of Service in respect of the monitored real-time communication session. Then the method applies the first performance indicator and the second performance indicator to the correlation function to determine said Quality of Experience.

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: It is disclosed a method for supporting a machine-to-machine communication over a mobile communication network. The communication involves machine-to-machine devices that connect to the mobile communication network through a gateway including a transceiver module to connect to the mobile communication network over a radio link. The method includes determining whether a radio carrier is present over the radio link, and in the absence of the radio carrier, switching off the transceiver module for a first time period. After the first time period elapsed, the transceiver module is switched on for a second time period. The method further includes, after the second time period elapsed, repeating steps above. The first time period and the second time period are determined on the basis of a number of parameters whose value depend on at least one set of values provided to the gateway by the mobile communication network.

Abstract: An electric energy supply management method includes having a certifier system define a reference electric power profile for an electric apparatus, and having the certifier system provide a device coupled to the electric apparats and to a socket that delivers electric energy provided by an electric energy supplier. The device is associated only to the electric apparatus through the reference electric power profile. The method also includes having a user of the electric apparatus couple the electric apparatus to the socket through the device, and having the device check that the electric apparatus is coupled to the socket by comparing a measured electric power profile of the electric apparatus to the reference electric power profile. If the check has a positive outcome, the method has the device collect measurements about the electric power used by the electric apparatus and certify them as energy consumptions of the electric apparatus.