Abstract: There is provided a method of controlling a rate at which content data is received at a receiver over a network, wherein the receiver has caused a first strew of real-time communication event data to be received at the receiver, and a second stream of content data to be received at the receiver, the method comprising steps of: dynamically measuring network conditions of the network based on the real-time communication event data; and limiting the rate at which the content data is received at the receiver based on the dynamically measured network conditions.

Abstract: Methods and systems for selecting access networks are disclosed. In one aspects, a mobile terminal includes one or more transceivers configured to selectively connect to the plurality of wireless access networks, and hardware processing circuitry configured to perform operations including obtaining, via one of the plurality of wireless access networks, motion information for one or more other access networks of the plurality of access networks, the motion information indicating motion of one or more connection points; and controlling activation of the one or more transceivers to scan for availability of one or more of the other access networks in dependence on the motion information of the other access networks, wherein the scanning for availability comprises powering up at least one of the one or more transceivers to determine which access networks are present within a proximity of the mobile terminal.

Abstract: Methods and systems for selective scanning of connection points are disclosed. In one aspect, a non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprises instructions that configure hardware processing circuitry to perform operations. The operations include determining a location of a mobile terminal, storing network capability information associated with one or more connection points within a defined proximity of the location of the mobile terminal, comparing network capabilities of an existing network connection of the mobile terminal to the stored network capabilities associated with the one or more connection points, selectively scanning for the one or more connection points based on the comparison to determine whether the one or more connection points are available; and switching from the existing network connection to one of the one or more connection points based on the availability of the one or more connection points.

Abstract: Methods and systems for use in a wireless communications system are disclosed. In some aspects, a method includes determining motion information for a first connection point of one of the plurality of wireless access networks, the motion information indicating motion of the first connection point, causing to be stored, in a data repository, the determined motion information, the database accessible by device via one of the plurality of wireless access networks, obtaining second motion information for a second connection point for a second of the plurality of wireless access networks from the data repository, the second motion information indicating motion of the second connection point; and determining whether to connect to the second connection point based on the second motion information.

Abstract: Methods and systems for selecting access networks are disclosed. In one aspect, a method includes receiving, from a first plurality of mobile terminals, a corresponding plurality of motion information for a corresponding plurality of connection points for one or more corresponding wireless access networks, storing the plurality of motion information in a data repository, receiving from a second plurality of mobile terminals non-overlapping with the first plurality of mobile terminals, requests for different subsets of the plurality of motion information, reading the requested motion information from the data repository in response to the requests, and transmitting the requested motion information to the requesting mobile terminals.

Abstract: Observation assisted bandwidth management techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a request is received at a terminal to initiate a call with another terminal. Responsive to the request, a communication is formed to be communicated to a service provider for bandwidth parameters, the request including network parameters associated with the terminal. The bandwidth parameters, received form the service provider, are used as part of a model to estimate an amount of bandwidth that is available for the call. The call with the other terminal is initiated, the call configured to at least initially consume the estimated amount of bandwidth.

Abstract: Methods and systems for use in a wireless communications system are disclosed. In some aspects, a method includes determining motion information for a first connection point of one of the plurality of wireless access networks, the motion information indicating motion of the first connection point causing to be stored in a data repository, the determined motion information, the database accessible by device via one of the plurality of wireless access networks, obtaining second motion information for a second connection point for a second of the plurality of wireless access networks from the data repository, the second motion information indicating motion of the second connection point; and determining whether to connect to the second connection point based on the second motion information.

Abstract: Observation assisted bandwidth management techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a request is received at a terminal to initiate a call with another terminal. Responsive to the request, a communication is formed to be communicated to a service provider for bandwidth parameters, the request including network parameters associated with the terminal. The bandwidth parameters, received form the service provider, are used as part of a model to estimate an amount of bandwidth that is available for the call. The call with the other terminal is initiated, the call configured to at least initially consume the estimated amount of bandwidth.

Abstract: Methods and systems for selective scanning of connection points are disclosed. In one aspect, a non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprises instructions that configure hardware processing circuitry to perform operations. The operations include determining a location of a mobile terminal, storing network capability information associated with one or more connection points within a defined proximity of the location of the mobile terminal, comparing network capabilities of an existing network connection of the mobile terminal to the stored network capabilities associated with the one or more connection points, selectively scanning for the one or more connection points based on the comparison to determine whether the one or more connection points are available; and switching from the existing network connection to one of the one or more connection points based on the availability of the one or more connection points.

Abstract: Methods and systems for selecting access networks are disclosed. In one aspect, a method includes receiving, from a first plurality of mobile terminals, a corresponding plurality of motion information for a corresponding plurality of connection points for one or more corresponding wireless access networks, storing the plurality of motion information in a data repository, receiving from a second plurality of mobile terminals non-overlapping with the first plurality of mobile terminals, requests for different subsets of the plurality of motion information, reading the requested motion information from the data repository in response to the requests, and transmitting the requested motion information to the requesting mobile terminals.

Abstract: Methods and systems for selecting access networks are disclosed. In one aspects, a mobile terminal includes one or more transceivers configured to selectively connect to the plurality of wireless access networks, and hardware processing circuitry configured to perform operations including obtaining, via one of the plurality of wireless access networks, motion information for one or more other access networks of the plurality of access networks, the motion information indicating motion of one or more connection points; and controlling activation of the one or more transceivers to scan for availability of one or more of the other access networks in dependence on the motion information of the other access networks, wherein the scanning for availability comprises powering up at least one of the one or more transceivers to determine which access networks are present within a proximity of the mobile terminal.

Abstract: A mobile terminal for use in a communication system comprising a first, packet-based network and a plurality of wireless access networks providing access to the first network. The mobile terminal comprises: one or more transceivers for connecting to the wireless access networks; and processing apparatus coupled to the one or more transceivers, operable to communicate with the first network by forming connections with the access networks using the one or more transceivers. The processing apparatus is configured to access a database recording motion information relating to motion of connection points of the wireless access networks; and the processing apparatus is further configured to determine one of the wireless access networks for use in accessing the first network, in dependence on the motion information accessed from the database relating to one or more of the wireless access networks.

Abstract: Observation assisted bandwidth management techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a request is received at a terminal to initiate a call with another terminal. Responsive to the request, a communication is formed to be communicated to a service provider for bandwidth parameters, the request including network parameters associated with the terminal. The bandwidth parameters, received form the service provider, are used as part of a model to estimate an amount of bandwidth that is available for the call. The call with the other terminal is initiated, the call configured to at least initially consume the estimated amount of bandwidth.

Abstract: A method comprising: conducting a communication session between a first terminal and a second terminal, the session comprising transmitting an encoded bitstream from an encoder of the first terminal over a channel to the second terminal; measuring a bandwidth capacity experienced over the channel at multiple different times, thereby collecting a history of bandwidth measurements for the channel; based on the history of bandwidth measurements, obtaining at least a selected upper bandwidth constraint for the encoded bitstream; and during the session, dynamically adapting an encoded bandwidth with which to encode the bitstream, by dynamically selecting the encoded bandwidth based on one or more current conditions of the channel, but constrained by at least said upper bandwidth constraint.

Abstract: There is provided a method of controlling a rate at which content data is received at a receiver over a network, wherein the receiver has caused a first strew of real-time communication event data to be received at the receiver, and a second stream of content data to be received at the receiver, the method comprising steps of: dynamically measuring network conditions of the network based on the real-time communication event data; and limiting the rate at which the content data is received at the receiver based on the dynamically measured network conditions.

Abstract: A method comprising: collecting respective observations of end-end bandwidth experienced on different occasions by multiple past communications occurring over different respective observed paths over a network, each path comprising a respective plurality of network components; modelling each of the respective network components with a bandwidth probability function characterized by one or more parameters; and estimating a component bandwidth or component bandwidth probability density for each of the network components based on the modelling, by determining respective values for said parameters such that a combination of the component bandwidths or bandwidth probability densities for the network components in the observed paths approximately matches, according to an optimization process, the observations of the end-to-end bandwidth experienced by the past communications over the observed paths.

Abstract: There is provided a method of controlling a rate at which content data is received at a receiver over a network, wherein the receiver has caused a first stream of real-time communication event data to be received at the receiver, and a second stream of content data to be received at the receiver, the method comprising steps of: dynamically measuring network conditions of the network based on the real-time communication event data; and limiting the rate at which the content data is received at the receiver based on the dynamically measured network conditions.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a method of controlling transmission of data from a wireless device to a receiver connected via a communication channel includes an application executing on the wireless device providing an estimate of end-to-end bandwidth of the communication channel; supplying to the application from wireless access circuitry in the wireless device at least on communication-related parameter and modifying in the application the estimate of end-to-end bandwidth using the at least one communication-related parameter.

Abstract: A mobile terminal comprising: a positioning module arranged to determine a geographical location of the mobile terminal; a local transceiver for connecting to local wireless access networks; and processing apparatus for communicating with a first, packet-based network by forming connections with the wireless local area networks using the local transceiver. The processing apparatus is configured to determine measures of connection quality experienced by the mobile terminal on ones of the connections, and to record the determined measures in a database associating measures of connection quality with geographical locations.

Abstract: A method comprising: collecting respective observations of end-end bandwidth experienced on different occasions by multiple past communications occurring over different respective observed paths over a network, each path comprising a respective plurality of network components; modelling each of the respective network components with a bandwidth probability function characterized by one or more parameters; and estimating a component bandwidth or component bandwidth probability density for each of the network components based on the modelling, by determining respective values for said parameters such that a combination of the component bandwidths or bandwidth probability densities for the network components in the observed paths approximately matches, according to an optimization process, the observations of the end-to-end bandwidth experienced by the past communications over the observed paths.