Abstract: A cloud controller for requesting statistical data about a network when at least one network device is unable to respond to the request. The cloud controller sends a command to network devices requesting statistical data be gathered. The cloud controller determines that a network device experiences a problem with obtaining the requested statistical data and identifies a network device as an efficient network device. The cloud controller configures the efficient network device to obtain the requested statistical data from other network devices in the network. The cloud controller determines that the problem with the network device has been resolved, and begins communicating with the network device having the problem resolved to request statistical data concerning the network.

Abstract: A network controller device initiates coordinated power control for a mesh network and implement a power conservation mode using the coordinated power control. A performance characteristic. such as received signal strength indicator (RSSI) and throughput, associated with a network device in the mesh network is measured. A power output of the network device is lowered until the performance characteristic associated with the network device is at a selected minimum performance threshold.

Abstract: An electronic device included in a network enhances the configuring of other electronic devices in the network. The electronic device includes a network interface, a non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon, and a hardware processor. The hardware processor is configured to execute the instructions to transmit a first set of configuration data to another electronic device in the network, receive a message that the other electronic device was successfully configured using the first set of configuration data, and in response to the message transmit one or more next sets of configuration data to the other electronic device. Moreover, the hardware processor is configured to execute the instructions to receive a message that the other electronic device was not successfully configured using the first set of configuration data or the one or more next sets of configuration data and implement remedial action to address the unsuccessful configuration.

Abstract: Wireless devices connect to different access points (AP) in a wireless network. The wireless network may determine that based on, for example, congestion of certain APs that a wireless device should be steered away from a current AP. The steering may be conducted utilizing blacklist steering where one or more APs blacklist the wireless device from being connected thereto. Alternatively, BSS transition management (BTM) steering may be utilized to provide the wireless device with a list of one or more network-preferred APs it should transition to. BTM steering is preferable but not all wireless devices support it so blacklist steering is utilized unless it is known that the wireless device supports BTM steering. Wireless devices do not always indicate they support BTM steering in same manner. BTM steering primer messages are utilized when a wireless device is in line for steering to determine whether BTM steering is supported.

Abstract: A network device using machine learning to develop client device test points and identifying a new position for an access point (AP). As client device changes position within location, signal quality measurements, such as RSSI and dwell times for the client device, are collected at identified coordinates. The collected signal quality measurements and the coordinates of the client device are provided to the machine learning classifier. Test point data for the AP are generated by the machine learning classifier, and based on the test point data, coordinates for the modification of the position of the AP are generated. The coordinates for the modification of the position of the AP are provided to the client device so the user may move the AP to the new position.

Abstract: A system, such as a gateway, is provided for use with a first access point device and a second access point device to scan channels within a spectrum of channels.

Abstract: Automatic configuration of network devices improves the control, management and configuration of a network environment. However, a network environment can include management software running on an access point device that is not compatible with or recognized by all network devices. The access point device using a network management software can obtain one or more configuration parameters associated with a network device that is not compatible, for example, uses a different protocol, and can send these configuration parameters to a network resource to obtain one or more configuration values necessary to configure a network device. The network resource, whether local to or remote from the access point device, can provide the one or more configuration values to the access point device as any type of data including a webform. The one or more configuration values allow the access point device to automatically configure any network devices.

Abstract: A user environment is controlled and altered based on one or more user conditions received from a biometric tracking services associated with a biometric device of a user. A user can set up a user profile that includes one or more user preferences including a biometric parameter, an asset parameter, a biometric service parameter and/or a location parameter. Based on the user preferences a user device and/or an access point device can control the user environment by altering one or more assets of one or more network devices specified by any one or more user preferences. The asset state of an asset can be altered based on one or more user conditions associated with a biometric parameter such that the user environment is automatically altered based on monitoring the one or more user conditions so as to provide the user an enhanced user environment experience.

Abstract: It is common for device coupled to a primary network to have preferential access to network resources compared to a device coupled to a guest network. However, the quality of experience (QoE) is enhanced by providing automatic switching of a client device on a guest network to a primary network. The dynamic approach switches the network connection of a client device used by a guest user/client device from a guest network to a primary network based on one or more network conditions that are associated with the guest network, the primary network, or both. Seamlessly switching the client device to the primary network, when such does not impact existing users of the primary network, enhances the network experience of the client devices initially associated with the guest network.

Abstract: Methods and systems of providing alternative targeted advertising (TAD) content are shown and disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes outputting a first TAD content during a TAD window, and receiving at least one user input requesting different TAD content during the TAD window. The method additionally includes outputting the different TAD content instead of the first TAD content during the TAD window after at least one predetermined amount of time from start of the TAD window in response to the at least one user input. In some embodiments, the method may further include re-outputting the first TAD content instead of the different TAD content during the TAD window in response to receiving user input requesting different TAD content when the predetermined amount of time associated with each of the different TAD content already has elapsed before receiving the user input.

Abstract: Methods and systems of preventing skipping of advertising content are shown and disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes providing one or more multimedia streams to an Internet protocol (IP) client and receiving a HTTP range request or time seek associated with the one or more multimedia streams from the IP client. The method additionally includes determining proximity of an upcoming targeted advertising (TAD) boundary in the one or more multimedia streams when the HTTP range request or time seek is received and/or determining whether the HTTP range request or time seek is for multimedia content that is after an upcoming targeted advertising (TAD) region. The method further includes responding to the HTTP range request or time seek based on the above determination.

Abstract: Methods and systems of managing advertising content are shown and disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes outputting first multimedia content from a first channel, and outputting TAD content from a TAD channel instead of the first multimedia content during a TAD window of the first multimedia content. The method additionally includes receiving a first user input requesting multimedia content of a content channel different from the TAD channel during the TAD window, and outputting the multimedia content of the content channel instead of the TAD content in response to the first user input.

Abstract: An electronic apparatus, method, and computer-readable medium implement a dynamic channel selection function at an access point device so as to establish a backhaul connection between the access point device and an extender access point device. Once initiated either by the access point device or an application, the dynamic channel selection function iterates or loops through channels based on one or more factors to select a channel for establishment of the backhaul connection. The dynamic channel selection function provides ease of installation of configuration of devices on a network without requiring relocation of the device to establish the backhaul connection.

Abstract: Wireless devices (clients) connect to different access points (AP) in a wireless network. The wireless network may determine that based on, for example, congestion of certain APs that a client should be steered away from a current AP. Steering may be conducted utilizing BSS transition management (BTM) messages to provide the client with a list of network-preferred APs for a transition. Clients may also have one or more preferred APs and may reject the BTM steering message if it does not include at least one client-preferred AP. To prevent rejection of the BTM message, at least one client-preferred AP may be added to the BTM message. To ensure the client is steered to a network-preferred AP, the client is blacklisted from connecting to the client-preferred AP until the client has been steered to a network-preferred AP.

Abstract: A video player for playing a video stream that receives a master playlist identifying at least one variant playlist identifying a video file encoded as a series of video frames that when decoded provide the video stream. The video player based upon a configuration tag in the master playlist selectively determining whether the video file is to be processed in a trusted execution environment. The trusted execution environment of the video player selectively includes at least one of (i) hack one, only hack one; (ii) output and link protection; (iii) hardware root of trust; and (iv) forensic watermarking, and decrypts and/or decodes the video stream in such an environment.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system for modifying a video stream includes a video player receiving a video stream encoded as a series of non-predictive video frames and predictive video frames. The video player decodes the frames and is repositioned at a playback time from a current time to a different time in the video stream. In one embodiment, the video player uses a time reference table to identify a position in a variant of the video stream corresponding to the different time that is encoded as a non-predictive video frame. The video player receives the variant of the video stream in response to identifying the position. In another embodiment, a system for modifying a video stream includes a video player receiving a video stream encoded as a series of non-predictive video frames and predictive video frames. The video player decodes the frame of the video stream and provides the decoded video stream to a display.

Abstract: An electronic apparatus, method, and computer-readable medium implement smart channel selection to track client devices that connect with a LAN over time, store a historical number of client devices that connect with the LAN and a channel number on which the apparatus operated each connection with the client devices, and determine whether a number of probes/association requests on a current channel in the 5 GHz band on which the apparatus is operating is less than a predefined threshold value. When the number of probes/association requests on the current channel in the 5 GHz band on which the apparatus is operating is less than a predefined threshold value, smart channel selection is performed to select a new channel in the 5 GHz band, and the 5 GHz SSID of the apparatus is broadcasted on the new channel.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, method, and computer-readable recording medium monitor and detect connection issues in a wireless network. The wireless network communicatively interconnects a gateway device including a network controller, wireless extenders, and client devices. The gateway device receives probe requests from the client devices and the wireless extenders, and the network controller periodically monitors at least one of: i) frame parameters or ii) signal strength information based on the probe requests, and identifies a connection issue with respect to at least one of the wireless extenders. The gateway device transmits a report or alert regarding the connection issue to at least one client device, and the report or alert is used to prompt re-installation of the wireless extender having the connection issue.

Abstract: An apparatus, method, and computer-readable recording medium perform optimized data collection in a wireless network. The wireless network communicatively interconnects a gateway device having a network controller, one or more wireless extenders, and one or more client devices. The gateway device receives polling responses from the one or more wireless extenders and periodically monitors station metrics data for the one or more client devices based on the polling responses. The gateway device determines which of the one or more client devices is an immobile device based on the station metrics data, and transmits an instruction to at least one wireless extender for modifying collection or reporting of the station metrics data for any client device determined to be an immobile device.

Abstract: A method of configuring a client device at a customer premises is provided. An electronic message is received from a vendor of a client device with customer premise equipment (CPE) at the customer premises or a portable communication device. The electronic message provides configuration information for the client device. The configuration information includes a password and an access name of a service for use in configuring the client device via communications with a remote configuration server. The service is made available at the customer premises via the CPE or the communication device so that the client device automatically pairs to the service and is authenticated with the password to the configuration server via Internet connectivity capability of the CPE or portable communication device so that the client device may be configured. The client device has firmware preprogramed to automatically and securely access the service, when detected, at the customer premises.