Patents by Inventor Christopher W. Rice

Christopher W. Rice has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11658843
    Abstract: Full-duplex communications are provided by modifying the Media Access Control sub-layer of communication node protocols. The modification allows communication nodes to communicate with one another in full-duplex, where each node transmits and receives data simultaneously with other nodes in a single frequency. A timing of the simultaneous data transmissions, acknowledgments, and short-interframe-space waiting periods can be determined based on network-allocation-vector data transmitted in association with request-to-send or clear-to-send signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
    Inventors: Vaneet Aggarwal, Rittwik Jana, Christopher W. Rice, Nemmara K. Shankaranarayanan
  • Publication number: 20220294847
    Abstract: Devices, computer-readable media and methods are disclosed for establishing a peer-to-peer network for rerouting network traffic of a telecommunication network during a network disruption. For example, a processing system may detect a network disruption between a first device and a second device of the telecommunication network. The processing system may identify a first peering device having a connection to the first device of the telecommunication network, identify a second peering device having a connection to the second device of the telecommunication network, and establish a peer-to-peer network via at least the first peering device and the second peering device, wherein at least one of the first peering device or the second peering device is a mobile endpoint device configured to operate as a virtual network function. The processing system may then route network traffic between the first device and the second device via the peer-to-peer network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2022
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Inventors: Christopher W. Rice, Mazin Gilbert
  • Publication number: 20220224601
    Abstract: Methods, computer-readable media, and devices for instantiating a service provider application of a network service on a customer premises-based device are disclosed. For example, a processing system of a telecommunication network having at least one processor may receive a request for a network service, identify a set of resources for the network service, the set of resources for the network service including at least a first service provider application, and determine that a current configuration of the telecommunication network does not provide the set of resources. The processing system may further reconfigure the telecommunication network to provide the set of resources, the reconfiguring including instantiating the at least the first service provider application of the network service on a customer premises-based device, and deploying the network service to the telecommunication network that is reconfigured.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2022
    Publication date: July 14, 2022
    Inventors: Christopher W. Rice, Mazin Gilbert, Igal Elbaz
  • Patent number: 11349913
    Abstract: Devices, computer-readable media and methods are disclosed for establishing a peer-to-peer network for rerouting network traffic of a telecommunication network during a network disruption. For example, a processing system may detect a network disruption between a first device and a second device of the telecommunication network. The processing system may identify a first peering device having a connection to the first device of the telecommunication network, identify a second peering device having a connection to the second device of the telecommunication network, and establish a peer-to-peer network via at least the first peering device and the second peering device, wherein at least one of the first peering device or the second peering device is a mobile endpoint device configured to operate as a virtual network function. The processing system may then route network traffic between the first device and the second device via the peer-to-peer network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Christopher W. Rice, Mazin Gilbert
  • Patent number: 11296939
    Abstract: Methods, computer-readable media, and devices for instantiating a service provider application of a network service on a customer premises-based device are disclosed. For example, a processing system of a telecommunication network having at least one processor may receive a request for a network service, identify a set of resources for the network service, the set of resources for the network service including at least a first service provider application, and determine that a current configuration of the telecommunication network does not provide the set of resources. The processing system may further reconfigure the telecommunication network to provide the set of resources, the reconfiguring including instantiating the at least the first service provider application of the network service on a customer premises-based device, and deploying the network service to the telecommunication network that is reconfigured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Christopher W. Rice, Mazin Gilbert, Igal Elbaz
  • Publication number: 20220084063
    Abstract: A method for determining a condition under which a sign has been viewed includes receiving a uniform resource locator from a user endpoint device, where the uniform resource locator is embedded in a machine-readable code displayed on the sign, and extracting information from the uniform resource locator, where the information describes the condition under which the sign was viewed by a user of the user endpoint device. A method for transmitting information describing a condition under which a sign is currently viewable includes generating the information describing the condition under which the sign is currently viewable and inserting the information in a uniform resource locator, where the uniform resource locator is embedded in a machine-readable code displayed on the sign.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2021
    Publication date: March 17, 2022
    Inventors: Thomas Kirk, Thomas J. Killian, Christopher W. Rice
  • Publication number: 20210385107
    Abstract: Full-duplex communications are provided by modifying the Media Access Control sub-layer of communication node protocols. The modification allows communication nodes to communicate with one another in full-duplex, where each node transmits and receives data simultaneously with other nodes in a single frequency. A timing of the simultaneous data transmissions, acknowledgments, and short-interframe-space waiting periods can be determined based on network-allocation-vector data transmitted in association with request-to-send or clear-to-send signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2021
    Publication date: December 9, 2021
    Inventors: Vaneet AGGARWAL, Rittwik JANA, Christopher W. RICE, Nemmara K. SHANKARANARAYANAN
  • Patent number: 11188938
    Abstract: A method for determining a condition under which a sign has been viewed includes receiving a uniform resource locator from a user endpoint device, where the uniform resource locator is embedded in a machine-readable code displayed on the sign, and extracting information from the uniform resource locator, where the information describes the condition under which the sign was viewed by a user of the user endpoint device. A method for transmitting information describing a condition under which a sign is currently viewable includes generating the information describing the condition under which the sign is currently viewable and inserting the information in a uniform resource locator, where the uniform resource locator is embedded in a machine-readable code displayed on the sign.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
    Inventors: Thomas Kirk, Thomas J. Killian, Christopher W. Rice
  • Patent number: 11128488
    Abstract: A system and method for full-duplex communications provided by modifying the Media Access Control sub-layer of communication node protocols. The modification allows communication nodes to communicate with one another in full-duplex, where each node transmits and receives data simultaneously with other nodes in a single frequency. A timing of the simultaneous data transmissions, acknowledgments, and short-interframe-space waiting periods can be determined based on network-allocation-vector data transmitted in association with request-to-send or clear-to-send signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
    Inventors: Vaneet Aggarwal, Rittwik Jana, Christopher W. Rice, Nemmara K. Shankaranarayanan
  • Patent number: 10979205
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer-readable storage devices for reducing inter-cellsite interference during full-duplex communication. A system receives a channel amplitude and a phase estimate between a first station and a second station, the first station and the second station creating inter-cellsite interference on a channel during full-duplex communications. The system calculates a level of the inter-cellsite interference between the first station and the second station based on the channel amplitude and the phase estimate and generates a cancellation signal based on the inter-cellsite interference. The system then communicates the cancellation signal to the first station for transmission with additional data during additional full-duplex communications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
    Inventors: Rittwik Jana, Vaneet Aggarwal, Lusheng Ji, Rajesh Krishna Panta, Kadangode K. Ramakrishnan, Christopher W. Rice, Nemmara K. Shankaranarayanan, Vinay Anant Vaishampayan
  • Patent number: 10798431
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a server operably coupled to an internet protocol multimedia subsystem network and an interactive television system, where the server receives a session transfer request from a first communication device, where the session transfer request includes identification information associated with a second communication device, and where the server transmits a message to the second communication device and transmits a media adjustment message to a media resource server of the internet protocol multimedia subsystem network. The media content is adjusted and transmitted to the second communication device responsive to the media adjustment message, where the adjusted media content is generated by the media resource server based on the identification information associated with the second communication device. Other embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
    Inventors: Rittwik Jana, John F. Murray, Christopher W. Rice
  • Publication number: 20200177354
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer-readable storage devices for reducing inter-cellsite interference during full-duplex communication. A system receives a channel amplitude and a phase estimate between a first station and a second station, the first station and the second station creating inter-cellsite interference on a channel during full-duplex communications. The system calculates a level of the inter-cellsite interference between the first station and the second station based on the channel amplitude and the phase estimate and generates a cancellation signal based on the inter-cellsite interference. The system then communicates the cancellation signal to the first station for transmission with additional data during additional full-duplex communications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2020
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Inventors: Rittwik JANA, Vaneet AGGARWAL, Lusheng JI, Rajesh Krishna PANTA, Kadangode K. RAMAKRISHNAN, Christopher W. RICE, Nemmara K. SHANKARANARAYANAN, Vinay Anant VAISHAMPAYAN
  • Patent number: 10560244
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer-readable storage devices for reducing inter-cellsite interference during full-duplex communication. A system receives a channel amplitude and a phase estimate between a first station and a second station, the first station and the second station creating inter-cellsite interference on a channel during full-duplex communications. The system calculates a level of the inter-cellsite interference between the first station and the second station based on the channel amplitude and the phase estimate and generates a cancellation signal based on the inter-cellsite interference. The system then communicates the cancellation signal to the first station for transmission with additional data during additional full-duplex communications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
    Inventors: Rittwik Jana, Vaneet Aggarwal, Lusheng Ji, Rajesh Krishna Panta, Kadangode K. Ramakrishnan, Christopher W. Rice, Nemmara K. Shankaranarayanan, Vinay Anant Vaishampayan
  • Publication number: 20200044891
    Abstract: A system and method for full-duplex communications provided by modifying the Media Access Control sub-layer of communication node protocols. The modification allows communication nodes to communicate with one another in full-duplex, where each node transmits and receives data simultaneously with other nodes in a single frequency. A timing of the simultaneous data transmissions, acknowledgments, and short-interframe-space waiting periods can be determined based on network-allocation-vector data transmitted in association with request-to-send or clear-to-send signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2019
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Inventors: Vaneet AGGARWAL, Rittwik JANA, Christopher W. RICE, Nemmara K. SHANKARANARAYANAN
  • Publication number: 20200028744
    Abstract: Methods, computer-readable media, and devices for instantiating a service provider application of a network service on a customer premises-based device are disclosed. For example, a processing system of a telecommunication network having at least one processor may receive a request for a network service, identify a set of resources for the network service, the set of resources for the network service including at least a first service provider application, and determine that a current configuration of the telecommunication network does not provide the set of resources. The processing system may further reconfigure the telecommunication network to provide the set of resources, the reconfiguring including instantiating the at least the first service provider application of the network service on a customer premises-based device, and deploying the network service to the telecommunication network that is reconfigured.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2018
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Inventors: Christopher W. Rice, Mazin Gilbert, Igal Elbaz
  • Publication number: 20200028900
    Abstract: Devices, computer-readable media and methods are disclosed for establishing a peer-to-peer network for rerouting network traffic of a telecommunication network during a network disruption. For example, a processing system may detect a network disruption between a first device and a second device of the telecommunication network. The processing system may identify a first peering device having a connection to the first device of the telecommunication network, identify a second peering device having a connection to the second device of the telecommunication network, and establish a peer-to-peer network via at least the first peering device and the second peering device, wherein at least one of the first peering device or the second peering device is a mobile endpoint device configured to operate as a virtual network function. The processing system may then route network traffic between the first device and the second device via the peer-to-peer network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2018
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Inventors: Christopher W. Rice, Mazin Gilbert
  • Patent number: 10473472
    Abstract: Disclosed are method and apparatus for processing of highway toll payments by a mobile telecommunications service provider. A mobile telecommunications device communicates with a mobile telecommunications service provider. The mobile telecommunications service provider receives a request to calculate a route to a destination. The mobile telecommunications service provider determines the location of the mobile telecommunications device from a global navigation satellite system or from a mobile telecommunications network and calculates a route. The mobile telecommunications service provider then identifies toll booths along the calculated route. The mobile telecommunications service provider pre-pays the tolls. The mobile telecommunications service provider sends turn-by-turn instructions to the mobile telecommunications device and tracks the location of the mobile telecommunications device and records the date and time at which the mobile telecommunications device passes through a toll booth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Christopher W. Rice, Rittwik Jana, John F. Murray
  • Patent number: 10477583
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for a modified MAC protocol which can facilitate communications with both full-duplex and half-duplex devices. A system configured according to the disclosed method can enable communications between an Access Point (AP) and a client in either full duplex or half duplex. The system can similarly enable peer-to-peer communications in both full duplex and half duplex communication modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
    Inventors: Vaneet Aggarwal, Rittwik Jana, Christopher W. Rice, Nemmara K. Shankaranarayanan
  • Patent number: 10447495
    Abstract: A system and method for full-duplex communications provided by modifying the Media Access Control sub-layer of communication node protocols. The modification allows communication nodes to communicate with one another in full-duplex, where each node transmits and receives data simultaneously with other nodes in a single frequency. A timing of the simultaneous data transmissions, acknowledgments, and short-interframe-space waiting periods can be determined based on network-allocation-vector data transmitted in association with request-to-send or clear-to-send signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
    Inventors: Vaneet Aggarwal, Rittwik Jana, Christopher W. Rice, Nemmara K. Shankaranarayanan
  • Publication number: 20190303966
    Abstract: A method for determining a condition under which a sign has been viewed includes receiving a uniform resource locator from a user endpoint device, where the uniform resource locator is embedded in a machine-readable code displayed on the sign, and extracting information from the uniform resource locator, where the information describes the condition under which the sign was viewed by a user of the user endpoint device. A method for transmitting information describing a condition under which a sign is currently viewable includes generating the information describing the condition under which the sign is currently viewable and inserting the information in a uniform resource locator, where the uniform resource locator is embedded in a machine-readable code displayed on the sign.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Inventors: Thomas Kirk, Thomas J. Killian, Christopher W. Rice