Abstract: The subject disclosure provides systems and methods for enhancing a purchasing experience by enabling a purchaser to receive a variety of real-time updates or recommendations regarding products that the purchaser, such as a user, may need or intend to purchase. A recommendation provided by the system may be based upon comparing the product with a plurality of sources. The recommendation may include a recommendation that a product may near depletion and thus may need to be replaced, a recommendation that the user may already have a sufficient amount or number of the product, a recommendation that the product may or may not match an existing item owned by the user, or a recommendation not to purchase a product. A virtual closet may also be created according the systems and methods of the subject disclosure, allowing users and contacts selected by the user to collaborate on products.

Abstract: A method, non-transitory computer readable medium and apparatus for processing a request from a server of a machine-to-machine service provider are provided. For example, the method receives the request from the server of the machine-to-machine service provider to communicate with a machine-to-machine device, determines whether to authorize the request based upon a policy in a privacy database, and enables communications between the server of the machine-to-machine service provider and the machine-to-machine device if the request is authorized based upon the policy.

Abstract: The subject disclosure provides systems and methods for recommending optimal consumption of a variety of resources that may be consumed by a consumer. A recommendation provided by the system may be based upon resource-consumption statistics gathered by a plurality of sensors, consumer's resource-consumption behavior, consumer-defined criteria, resource availability, and a cost of consumption. The recommendation may include a recommendation on how the consumer may lower resource consumption costs. The recommendation may further include optimal consumption considering consumption trends of a plurality of consumers living in a geographical proximity. The recommendation may include optimal usage of a consumer's vehicle such that the vehicle may consume the least amount of energy. The recommendation may further include offer(s) of credit/incentives by resource providers to consumers in exchange for less consumption of resource, alternative consumption of resources, and any combination thereof.

Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods are disclosed for tracking financial transactions at their source, generating transaction records, categorizing and storing the records, and providing services related to the records. Transactions performed between a mobile device and a point-of-sale may automatically generate transaction records including electronic receipts that may be categorized and stored on a database. More traditional transactions such as those involving cash, paper receipts, etc. may be captured via a scanner on the mobile device for inclusion within a transaction record and subsequent categorization and storage. Notifications such as alerts, offers, and recommendations may be provided in real-time or close-in-time to the transaction being performed, thereby enabling services such as budgeting, inventory management, rewards, offers, etc.

Abstract: A system, method and apparatus for protecting privacy when a mobile device is located in a defined privacy zone are described herein. The available features that a user of a mobile device may use are controlled while the mobile device is located in a define privacy zone. Once a mobile device is detected in the define privacy zone, a database is accessed to determine if the mobile device has the features available that are to be disabled. If the features are available, a disable signal is sent via the communications network to the mobile device and the feature is disabled. Once the mobile device is detected to be outside of the defined privacy zone, the previously disabled mobile device feature is enabled.

Abstract: Mitigating service interruptions within a mobile core network by dynamically managing communication sessions using a policy based network mechanism is presented herein. A method can include receiving policy information associated with redirection of an active communication session from a first device to a second device; receiving status information representing a characteristic of the active communication session; and in response to determining, based on the status information, that the characteristic satisfies a defined condition of the policy information, redirecting the active communication session from the first device to the second device. In an example, the method can further include redirecting the established communication session from the source device to the destination device in response to determining, based on the data session migration policy, that the established communication session is not associated with a dedicated bearer communication channel.

Abstract: A policy application server and methods for use are described. The policy application server is a logical element of a policy-based control and charging system for a mobile data service network. The policy application server is configured to manage policies including creating, revising, formatting, and provisioning of policies. The policy application server is configured to assemble policy rules from policies and context data. Context data includes subscriber and service information needed to make a particular policy rule. The policy application server gathers context data from one or more network databases. The policy application server is configured to send policy rules to select ones of a plurality of policy decision engines. The policy application server manages the storing of policies, policy rules and formatted context data in select ones of a plurality of policy repositories.

Abstract: Aspects describe using a Policy Access Gateway that can facilitate scalability within a communication network and that can provide a solution to deploy an enhanced policy gateway. The Policy Access Gateway can enhance standard defined Diameter Routing Agent (DRA) functions with session binding mechanisms. Further, the Policy Access Gateway is scalable and can be deployed in a very large network that supports hundreds of millions of users. Further, the Policy Access Gateway can provide additional policy information to enable policy information consolidation and caching capabilities.

Abstract: A system that incorporates the subject disclosure may perform, for example, operations including monitoring events relating to activities by a plurality of communication devices, content sources supplying content to the plurality of communication devices, and network conditions during content exchanges between the plurality of communication devices and the content sources, tagging the events to generate tagged events, detecting an event initiated by a communication device of the plurality of communication devices, obtaining tagged event information from the tagged events according to the event detected, generating a policy according to the tagged event information, and transmitting the policy to a policy enforcement function system to facilitate a communication session between the communication device and the content source according to the policy. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A cache server disposed in a motor vehicle receives and caches content from a content distribution network when a load of a cellular link to the content distribution network is low. The cache server determines that the motor vehicle is turned off, broadcasts a wireless signal as part of a wireless network when the motor vehicle is turned off, and provides a device access to the content cached in the cache server via the wireless network.

Abstract: A system, method and apparatus for protecting privacy when a mobile device is located in a defined privacy zone are described herein. The available features that a user of a mobile device may use are controlled while the mobile device is located in a define privacy zone. Once a mobile device is detected in the define privacy zone, a database is accessed to determine if the mobile device has the features available that are to be disabled. If the features are available, a disable signal is sent via the communications network to the mobile device and the feature is disabled. Once the mobile device is detected to be outside of the defined privacy zone, the previously disabled mobile device feature is enabled.

Abstract: A downstream device in a network may monitor and collect data on its condition, including detecting overload conditions, and transmit such data to an upstream network device. The upstream network device may select a best downstream device for a particular traffic flow based on condition data received from downstream devices and transmit the traffic flow to the selected downstream device. A network management server may be configured to perform similar functions, instructing network devices on how to transport data through a network based on condition data received from such devices.

Abstract: A system that incorporates the subject disclosure may perform, for example, operations including monitoring events relating to activities by a plurality of communication devices, content sources supplying content to the plurality of communication devices, and network conditions during content exchanges between the plurality of communication devices and the content sources, tagging the events to generate tagged events, detecting an event initiated by a communication device of the plurality of communication devices, obtaining tagged event information from the tagged events according to the event detected, generating a policy according to the tagged event information, and transmitting the policy to a policy enforcement function system to facilitate a communication session between the communication device and the content source according to the policy. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: Aspects describe using a Policy Access Gateway to facilitate scalability within a communication network and to provide a solution to deploy an enhanced policy gateway. The Policy Access Gateway can enhance standard defined Diameter Routing Agent (DRA) functions with session binding mechanisms. Further, the Policy Access Gateway is scalable and can be deployed in a very large network that supports hundreds of millions of users. Further, the Policy Access Gateway can provide additional policy information to enable policy information consolidation and caching capabilities.

Abstract: A cache server disposed in a motor vehicle receives and caches content from a content distribution network when a load of a cellular link to the content distribution network is low. The cache server determines that the motor vehicle is turned off, broadcasts a wireless signal as part of a wireless network when the motor vehicle is turned off, and provides a device access to the content cached in the cache server via the wireless network.

Abstract: Provided herein is a method including the steps of: establishing at least one policy in a centralized policy management framework (PMF), wherein the policy includes at least one policy condition; monitoring data traffic; determining if the data traffic at least substantially meets one of the policy conditions; sending a trigger to the PMF, if at least one of the policy conditions is at least substantially met; generating an enforcement decision at the PMF, wherein the enforcement decision includes at least one enforcement action; sending the enforcement decision to an enforcement function; and enforcing the enforcement decision. A system for realizing this method is also provided.

Abstract: Aspects describe using a network element to facilitate scalability within a communication network and to provide policy as a network service in a mobile core network. The network element can be scalable and can be a primary policy access gateway for a first geographic region and can be a secondary policy access gateway for at least a second geographic region. The first geographic region and the second geographic region can have portions that overlap. Further, the network element can hide topology of the home network from roaming partners.

Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods are provided for managing personal information by providing a centralized source or database for a user's information and enabling the user to regulate privacy levels for each information item or category of information. Templates are provided as a table of hierarchies or an onion layers model. Private information may be stored in an inner layer while public information may be stored in an outer layer, and multiple layers and categories can be defined and customized within the template. A requesting entity requests information via a disseminating server that acts as a gateway for authenticating, authorizing, and providing access to the requesting entity. The user may therefore control and regulate their online presence simply by monitoring who requests their information and adjusting privacy levels accordingly.

Abstract: A method, computer readable medium and apparatus for transmitting signaling information within payload traffic. For example, the method parses a certificate received from a service provider to obtain service imprint information associated with a mobile service, inserts a service control parameter derived from the service imprint information into a packet header, and forwards the packet header within payload traffic to a policy charging and enforcing function.

Abstract: A policy application server and methods for use are described. The policy application server is a logical element of a policy-based control and charging system for a mobile data service network. The policy application server is configured to manage policies including creating, revising, formatting, and provisioning of policies. The policy application server is configured to assemble policy rules from policies and context data. Context data includes subscriber and service information needed to make a particular policy rule. The policy application server gathers context data from one or more network databases. The policy application server is configured to send policy rules to select ones of a plurality of policy decision engines. The policy application server manages the storing of policies, policy rules and formatted context data in select ones of a plurality of policy repositories.