Abstract: According to some aspects of this disclosure a roadside assistance application programming interface (API) may allow any type of application, internet of things device, voice recognition device, and others to provide roadside assistance functionality. According to some aspects of this disclosure a device may communicate with sensors or an on-board diagnostics system of a vehicle and retrieve vehicle data. The device may recommend a service based on the vehicle data. The device may send a request for roadside assistance. The device may be used to enroll a user as a member of a roadside assistance benefits program. The above mentioned steps may all be performed via a single application running on the device. According to some aspects of this disclosure a device may process a roadside assistance request and determine a roadside assistance service provider to send to a user that requested roadside assistance.

Abstract: A method of preventing a customer programmable device from causing security threats to itself or to a communication system is provided. The method includes establishing one or more thresholds by programming or configuring of the device, detecting whether one or more of the thresholds have been exceeded using one or more detection mechanisms, and taking action in response to each threshold that has been exceeded.

Abstract: Telecommunication networks and methods are disclosed for providing a group session service for a plurality of participants. An application server in the telecommunication network receives a plurality of real-time media streams from the participants of the group session, and identifies voice media in the individual media streams. The voice media represents the spoken voice of the participants, and includes talking intervals separated by idle intervals (i.e., pauses in the spoken voice). The application server inputs the talking intervals as audio media elements into an audio media queue in the order received, and also outputs the audio media elements from the audio media queue in the order in which the audio media elements were inputted (i.e., in a first-in-first-out (FIFO) fashion) to generate a collective media stream for the group session. The collected audio stream is then provided to the participants of the group session.

Abstract: IMS networks and methods are disclosed for providing purchasing sessions to mobile devices that are located proximate to a business. IMS network includes an application server that provides advertisements for the business to mobile devices that are located proximate to the business (i.e., the advertisements are pushed to the mobile devices). Responsive to an advertisement, the user of a mobile device may contact the application server through the mobile device to purchase one or more items from the business. The application server responds to the mobile device with receipt information for the purchase. The user may then request delivery of the purchased item through the mobile device by transmitting some or all of the receipt information to the application server. The application server may then schedule delivery of the item to the user of the mobile device.

Abstract: Telecommunication networks and methods are disclosed for providing a group session service for a plurality of participants. An application server in the telecommunication network receives a plurality of real-time media streams from the participants of the group session, and identifies voice media in the individual media streams. The voice media represents the spoken voice of the participants, and includes talking intervals separated by idle intervals (i.e., pauses in the spoken voice). The application server inputs the talking intervals as audio media elements into an audio media queue in the order received, and also outputs the audio media elements from the audio media queue in the order in which the audio media elements were inputted (i.e., in a first-in-first-out (FIFO) fashion) to generate a collective media stream for the group session. The collected audio stream is then provided to the participants of the group session.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for assigning a tag, such as a short name, to a network address of a web page for ease in subsequent retrieval of the web page. A user of a browser application may enter a tag responsive to which the browser application associates the tag with a network address of a web page. The browser application then transmits the tag and the network address to a tag server that stores the tag as assigned to the network address. At a subsequent time, a user may enter the tag into a browser application to retrieve the network address that is associated with the tag. The browser application transmits the tag to the tag server to retrieve the network address associated with the tag. The browser application may then display the web page that is associated with the retrieved network address.

Abstract: IMS networks and methods are disclosed for providing purchasing sessions to mobile devices that are located proximate to a business. IMS network includes an application server that provides advertisements for the business to mobile devices that are located proximate to the business (i.e., the advertisements are pushed to the mobile devices). Responsive to an advertisement, the user of a mobile device may contact the application server through the mobile device to purchase one or more items from the business. The application server responds to the mobile device with receipt information for the purchase. The user may then request delivery of the purchased item through the mobile device by transmitting some or all of the receipt information to the application server. The application server may then schedule delivery of the item to the user of the mobile device.

Abstract: A method of preventing a customer programmable device from causing security threats to itself or to a communication system is provided. The method includes establishing one or more thresholds by programming or configuring of the device, detecting whether one or more of the thresholds have been exceeded using one or more detection mechanisms, and taking action in response to each threshold that has been exceeded.

Abstract: Communication networks and methods are disclosed that provide an information service that is tailored (or “auto-focused”) to individual customers or subsets of customers based on the location of those customers. The information service is implemented in one embodiment within a communication network (e.g., IMS network or traditional wireless network) having a presence/location server that maintains presence/location information associated with various customers served by the communication network.

Abstract: Communication networks and methods are disclosed that provide a supplemental content service. The supplemental content service provides synchronized supplemental content, such as media clips, to a user over a communication network (e.g., a mobile wireless network). A content provider offering a primary content stream (e.g., a television program) broadcasts the primary content stream to a content receiving device (e.g., a television) of the user. The content provider also generates supplemental content that is an enhancement to the primary content stream. If the user subscribes to the supplemental content service, then the communication network provides the supplemental content to the user through a communication device (e.g., a mobile phone) that is synchronized with the primary content stream. The user can then experience the supplemental content over the communication device at the same time as experiencing the primary content stream over the content receiving device.

Abstract: Communication networks and methods are disclosed that provide a supplemental content service. The supplemental content service provides synchronized supplemental content, such as media clips, to a user over a communication network (e.g., a mobile wireless network). A content provider offering a primary content stream (e.g., a television program) broadcasts the primary content stream to a content receiving device (e.g., a television) of the user. The content provider also generates supplemental content that is an enhancement to the primary content stream. If the user subscribes to the supplemental content service, then the communication network provides the supplemental content to the user through a communication device (e.g., a mobile phone) that is synchronized with the primary content stream. The user can then experience the supplemental content over the communication device at the same time as experiencing the primary content stream over the content receiving device.