Patents by Inventor Robert J. Hall
Robert J. Hall 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).
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Patent number: 10045088Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a content distribution device that receives a signal stream from a satellite including items of media content. The device selectively stores a first subset of the media content items at a storage device, according to a characteristic of a location proximate to the device. The device selectively stores a second subset of the items according to a history of user requests for content transmitted in proximity to the content distribution device. The device receives a request from a consumer device for an item in the first subset or the second subset, retrieves the item, and transmits the item to the consumer device via a wireless access channel. The transmitting is performed according to a short range wireless protocol without utilizing a long range wireless protocol. Other embodiments are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2014Date of Patent: August 7, 2018Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.Inventor: Robert J. Hall
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Patent number: 10016684Abstract: Security in a geogame is maintained by implementing various security techniques. The various techniques provide specific advantages for different threat modes and attack styles against a geogame implemented via a mobile ad hoc network utilizing a geocast protocol. Jamming is detected by each player device listening for expected retransmissions of its own originated geocasts. If it fails to hear a retransmission, it concludes jamming. Network interdiction is detected by monitoring for received transmissions and/or periodically sending dummy transmissions to support other devices' detections. Location determination attacks are detected by recognizing “impossible” movements. Geogame interruption attacks are detected by detecting unauthorized requests to restart a geogame. Other security measures include utilizing cryptographic keys and/or pass phrases when geocasting. Various penalties within the context of a geogame are levied against a player if a security breach is detected.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2010Date of Patent: July 10, 2018Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.Inventor: Robert J. Hall
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Patent number: 10002039Abstract: An aspect includes identifying a set of components of a storage system and determining dependencies among constituent components in the set of components. At least one of the components' ability to function is dependent on at least one other of the components' ability to function. The set of components includes at least one data storage component and at least one computation component configured to operate within at least one datacenter. An aspect also includes identifying a size, strength, and storage placement scheme of the storage system; simulating operation of the storage system based on the identified size, strength, and storage placement scheme; and determining a mean time between loss event from the simulated operation. The mean time between loss event factors in the dependencies among the constituent components. An aspect further includes assessing reliability of the storage system as a function of the mean time between loss event.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2015Date of Patent: June 19, 2018Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.Inventor: Robert J. Hall
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Patent number: 9977428Abstract: A method may include monitoring location information associated with a drone. The method may also include comparing the location information with an authorized zone. The method may also include, based on the comparison, determining a violation by the drone of a rule associated with the authorized zone. The method may include, in response to the violation, augmenting control of the drone to alter operation of the drone. The location information may include at least one of a current or predicted future location of the drone.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2016Date of Patent: May 22, 2018Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.Inventor: Robert J. Hall
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Patent number: 9973344Abstract: A bridge device at a first tier receives a geographic addressing packet destined for a target region containing a plurality of devices. The bridge device applies a bridging function using the geographic address packet to determine whether to transmit the geographic addressing packet. The bridging function utilizes certain information based on the geographic addressing packet. The bridge device determines to transmit the geographic addressing packet to a second tier based on the bridging function indicating that the geographic addressing packet should be transmitted to the second tier.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2017Date of Patent: May 15, 2018Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.Inventor: Robert J. Hall
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Patent number: 9973881Abstract: Information is acquired from a geographically-distributed sensor network using a scalable wireless geocast protocol. Geographically distributed networks of unattended sensors are placed at desired locations to collect various types of information, such as, for example, environmental parameters, temperature, humidity, rainfall, heat signatures, video, audio, seismic activity, and/or wind conditions. To acquire information, a query is provided to the geographic area at which the sensors are located utilizing the geocast protocol. Delivery of the query is based on a physical location of a region in which a sensor network is located, the type of information being queried, and/or temporal conditions. Each sensor that receives a query determines if all requirements/conditions are satisfied. If so, the query is accepted and processed by the recipient sensor, and responded to accordingly. Responses to queries are provided via the geocast protocol.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2017Date of Patent: May 15, 2018Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.Inventor: Robert J. Hall
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Publication number: 20180124158Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for creating and managing hybrid clouds including both standard compute nodes and edge devices. Edge devices can be enrolled in a hybrid cloud by deploying a lightweight container to the edge device.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 28, 2016Publication date: May 3, 2018Inventors: Brian AMENTO, Robert J. HALL, Kaustubh JOSHI, Kermit Hal PURDY
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Patent number: 9895604Abstract: A method is disclosed for initiating real-time geo-game using geocast messaging according to a scalable tiered geocast protocol. The method includes a first wireless terminal (WT), programmed with a geo-gaming application and the scalable tiered geocast protocol, geocasting a game declaration to a destination geocast region containing potential participants. The method also includes a second WT, of one of the potential participants, and programmed with the geo-gaming application and the scalable tiered geocast protocol, receiving the game declaration in the destination geocast region and responding by geocasting a response message indicating interest in participating in the real-time geo-game.Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 2014Date of Patent: February 20, 2018Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.Inventor: Robert J. Hall
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Patent number: 9802120Abstract: Geographic advertising utilizes a location of a mobile communications device to infer potential interest in a product and/or service. A scalable network protocol is utilized to provide advertisements, coupons, discounts, or the like, to mobile communications devices that are within a select geographic area or areas. A geographically addressed message is formulated based on the location of a potential customer and the content to be provided to potential customer. A message is generated at the time it is sent based on a current location of mobile communications device in the select geographic area. A protocol is utilized that replaces an IP address with a geographic location.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 2015Date of Patent: October 31, 2017Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.Inventor: Robert J Hall
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Publication number: 20170308085Abstract: A method may include monitoring location information associated with a drone. The method may also include comparing the location information with an authorized zone. The method may also include, based on the comparison, determining a violation by the drone of a rule associated with the authorized zone. The method may include, in response to the violation, augmenting control of the drone to alter operation of the drone. The location information may include at least one of a current or predicted future location of the drone.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 26, 2016Publication date: October 26, 2017Inventor: Robert J. Hall
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Publication number: 20170303068Abstract: Information is acquired from a geographically-distributed sensor network using a scalable wireless geocast protocol. Geographically distributed networks of unattended sensors are placed at desired locations to collect various types of information, such as, for example, environmental parameters, temperature, humidity, rainfall, heat signatures, video, audio, seismic activity, and/or wind conditions. To acquire information, a query is provided to the geographic area at which the sensors are located utilizing the geocast protocol. Delivery of the query is based on a physical location of a region in which a sensor network is located, the type of information being queried, and/or temporal conditions. Each sensor that receives a query determines if all requirements/conditions are satisfied. If so, the query is accepted and processed by the recipient sensor, and responded to accordingly. Responses to queries are provided via the geocast protocol.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 28, 2017Publication date: October 19, 2017Inventor: Robert J. Hall
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Patent number: 9794860Abstract: Geocast-based situation awareness utilizing a scalable, distributed ad hoc geocast protocol as a communication primitive, may provide a field common operating picture (FCOP) for providing location tracking, movement history, telemetry, and messaging in near real time to all operators in a scenario. Information may be transferred using a query/response geocast message protocol. Caching on devices may be utilized to gain scalability. A query message may have a payload containing a type indication and a header containing a description of a geocast region of intended reception, which may comprise the monitored region, the location of the monitorer, or any appropriate combination thereof. Response messages may be sent from devices located in the monitored region to an area containing the location of the sender of a query. A response message may contain monitored information, such as current location, telemetry data, and/or recent movement history, or the like.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2016Date of Patent: October 17, 2017Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.Inventor: Robert J. Hall
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Patent number: 9788329Abstract: A system and method for reducing interference between wireless terminals communicating in a mobile ad-hoc network (MANET). Interference is reduced by dividing the MANET into a number of geographical areas having a specific size and shape. Each geographical area is assigned a time slot during which wireless terminals located in the respective geographical area may transmit to other wireless terminals. The time slots are assigned such that geographical areas having the same time slot are far enough away from each other that wireless terminals located in such same time slot geographical areas are outside the interference range of each other.Type: GrantFiled: May 2, 2013Date of Patent: October 10, 2017Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II, L.P.Inventor: Robert J. Hall
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Publication number: 20170257178Abstract: Geocast-based file transfer may be implemented via use of a Geocast File Transfer (GFT) protocol. A sending device may parse a file into multiple chunks. Respective multiple geocast packets comprising the chunks may be geocast. The sending device may geocast all packets sequentially. Upon geocasting all packets, the sending device may wait a predetermined amount of time. During the period of time, any receiving device that did not receive a chunk of the file may geocast a request for the missing chunk. Receiving devices also may wait various respective amounts of time before geocasting requests. Other receiving devices that may have missed a chunk may hear that the chunk it missed is being requested. And that device need not make a request for the chunk. Rather, that device may wait for the sending device to retransmit a geocast packet that contains the missing chunk.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 22, 2017Publication date: September 7, 2017Inventor: Robert J. Hall
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Publication number: 20170230192Abstract: A bridge device at a first tier receives a geographic addressing packet destined for a target region containing a plurality of devices. The bridge device applies a bridging function using the geographic address packet to determine whether to transmit the geographic addressing packet. The bridging function utilizes certain information based on the geographic addressing packet. The bridge device determines to transmit the geographic addressing packet to a second tier based on the bridging function indicating that the geographic addressing packet should be transmitted to the second tier.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 26, 2017Publication date: August 10, 2017Applicant: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.Inventor: Robert J. Hall
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Patent number: 9698996Abstract: Information is acquired from a geographically-distributed sensor network using a scalable wireless geocast protocol. Geographically distributed networks of unattended sensors are placed at desired locations to collect various types of information, such as, for example, environmental parameters, temperature, humidity, rainfall, heat signatures, video, audio, seismic activity, and/or wind conditions. To acquire information, a query is provided to the geographic area at which the sensors are located utilizing the geocast protocol. Delivery of the query is based on a physical location of a region in which a sensor network is located, the type of information being queried, and/or temporal conditions. Each sensor that receives a query determines if all requirements/conditions are satisfied. If so, the query is accepted and processed by the recipient sensor, and responded to accordingly. Responses to queries are provided via the geocast protocol.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 2015Date of Patent: July 4, 2017Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.Inventor: Robert J. Hall
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Patent number: 9697252Abstract: A first iterative Grover Search process is performed by causing at least one quantum computer to perform a first series of Grover Searches according to a characteristic function for varying numbers of iterations to identify a first search target. The characteristic function is modified according to the identified first search target. A second iterative Grover Search process is performed by causing the at least one quantum computer to perform a second series of Grover Searches according to the modified characteristic function beginning with a number of iterations determined based on a number of iterations required for at least one prior iterative Grover Search process to identify a second search target.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2015Date of Patent: July 4, 2017Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.Inventor: Robert J. Hall
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Publication number: 20170171319Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to transfer a data set via parallel communications are disclosed herein. Example methods include controlling the distribution of portions of a field data set to a network access point via a plurality of parallel communication sessions established by respective ones of a plurality of communication devices with the network access point. Example methods also include comparing a first value based on a respective data transfer rate of a first one of the communication sessions to a second value based on a respective data transfer rate of a second one of the communication sessions to determine whether to establish a new communication session with a third one of the plurality of communication devices. In response to determining to establish a new communication session, a processor instructs a third one of the communication devices to establish the new communication session to transmit a respective portion of the field data set to the network access point.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 12, 2015Publication date: June 15, 2017Inventor: Robert J. Hall
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Patent number: 9675882Abstract: Geographic gaming via a scalable, wireless geographic broadcast protocol enables multiplayer gaming between communication devices without relying on traditional network elements. Games can be fully distributed over an ad hoc network of mobile communications devices. The scalable nature of the wireless geographic broadcast protocol enables multiplayer games to function equally well in both remote areas with no or little network service and in crowded areas containing both game players and other users of mobile communications devices. Wireless geographic broadcast messages distributed among multiplayer game participants can be used to control gameplay features and/or game elements of multiplayer games. Embodiments include simulated artillery battles, simulated throw and catch games, and simulated reconnaissance elements.Type: GrantFiled: February 3, 2016Date of Patent: June 13, 2017Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.Inventor: Robert J. Hall
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Patent number: 9667432Abstract: A bridge device at a first tier receives a geographic addressing packet destined for a target region containing a plurality of devices. The bridge device applies a bridging function using the geographic address packet to determine whether to transmit the geographic addressing packet. The bridging function utilizes certain information based on the geographic addressing packet. The bridge device determines to transmit the geographic addressing packet to a second tier based on the bridging function indicating that the geographic addressing packet should be transmitted to the second tier.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 2016Date of Patent: May 30, 2017Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.Inventor: Robert J. Hall