Patents by Inventor Robert M. Ephraim

Robert M. Ephraim 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: 10033880
    Abstract: A system includes a wireless access network, a gateway that controls communications between the wireless access network and a packet data network, and a policy-charging-and-rule-function (PCRF). The PCRF includes a routing agent in communication with the gateway and a group of multi-media processing engines (MPEs) that are associated with the routing agent. The routing agent receives from the gateway a request to establish a session for a piece of user equipment, and selects one of the MPEs to handle the session based on an IMSI of the piece of user equipment. The routing agent maintains a table indexed by IP address, and makes an entry therein that points to the selected MPE.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Cellco Partnership
    Inventors: Paul H. Siedelhofer, Robert M. Ephraim, Ho Yin Cheuk
  • Patent number: 9544939
    Abstract: A first device associated with an evolved packet core network receives a first update request from a second device associated with the evolved packet core network. The first update request is associated with a communication session previously provided between the first device and the second device, and the first update request is generated based on a voice/video request. The first device generates an update answer in response to the first update request, where the update answer includes a code requesting that the communication session be restored between the first device and the second device. The first device receives, based on the code, a second update request from the second device, where the second update request includes session information associated with the communication session. The first device restores, based on the session information, the communication session between the first device and the second device to create a restored communication session.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignees: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc., Cellco Partnership
    Inventors: Niranjan B. Avula, Imtiyaz Shaikh, Priscilla Lau, Ho Yin Cheuk, Robert M. Ephraim
  • Publication number: 20160316069
    Abstract: A system includes a wireless access network, a gateway that controls communications between the wireless access network and a packet data network, and a policy-charging-and-rule-function (PCRF). The PCRF includes a routing agent in communication with the gateway and a group of multi-media processing engines (MPEs) that are associated with the routing agent. The routing agent receives from the gateway a request to establish a session for a piece of user equipment, and selects one of the MPEs to handle the session based on an IMSI of the piece of user equipment. The routing agent maintains a table indexed by IP address, and makes an entry therein that points to the selected MPE.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2016
    Publication date: October 27, 2016
    Inventors: Paul H. Siedelhofer, Robert M. Ephraim, Ho Y. Cheuk
  • Publication number: 20160286598
    Abstract: A first device associated with an evolved packet core network receives a first update request from a second device associated with the evolved packet core network. The first update request is associated with a communication session previously provided between the first device and the second device, and the first update request is generated based on a voice/video request. The first device generates an update answer in response to the first update request, where the update answer includes a code requesting that the communication session be restored between the first device and the second device. The first device receives, based on the code, a second update request from the second device, where the second update request includes session information associated with the communication session. The first device restores, based on the session information, the communication session between the first device and the second device to create a restored communication session.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2016
    Publication date: September 29, 2016
    Inventors: Niranjan B. AVULA, Imtiaz Shaikh, Priscilla Lau, Ho Yin Cheuk, Robert M. Ephraim
  • Patent number: 9397891
    Abstract: A system includes a wireless access network, a gateway that controls communications between the wireless access network and a packet data network, and a policy-charging-and-rule-function (PCRF). The PCRF includes a routing agent in communication with the gateway and a group of multi-media processing engines (MPEs) that are associated with the routing agent. The routing agent receives from the gateway a request to establish a session for a piece of user equipment, and selects one of the MPEs to handle the session based on an IMSI of the piece of user equipment. The routing agent maintains a table indexed by IP address, and makes an entry therein that points to the selected MPE.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Cellco Partnership
    Inventors: Paul H. Siedelhofer, Robert M. Ephraim, Ho Yin Cheuk
  • Patent number: 9370037
    Abstract: A first device associated with an evolved packet core network receives a first update request from a second device associated with the evolved packet core network. The first update request is associated with a communication session previously provided between the first device and the second device, and the first update request is generated based on a voice/video request. The first device generates an update answer in response to the first update request, where the update answer includes a code requesting that the communication session be restored between the first device and the second device. The first device receives, based on the code, a second update request from the second device, where the second update request includes session information associated with the communication session. The first device restores, based on the session information, the communication session between the first device and the second device to create a restored communication session.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignees: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc., Cellco Partnership
    Inventors: Niranjan B. Avula, Imtiyaz Shaikh, Priscilla Lau, Ho Yin Cheuk, Robert M. Ephraim
  • Publication number: 20150312101
    Abstract: A system includes a wireless access network, a gateway that controls communications between the wireless access network and a packet data network, and a policy-charging-and-rule-function (PCRF). The PCRF includes a routing agent in communication with the gateway and a group of multi-media processing engines (MPEs) that are associated with the routing agent. The routing agent receives from the gateway a request to establish a session for a piece of user equipment, and selects one of the MPEs to handle the session based on an IMSI of the piece of user equipment. The routing agent maintains a table indexed by IP address, and makes an entry therein that points to the selected MPE.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2014
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Applicant: Cellco Partnership (d/b/a Verizon Wireless)
    Inventors: Paul H. Siedelhofer, Robert M. Ephraim, Ho Yin Cheuk
  • Publication number: 20150055446
    Abstract: A first device associated with an evolved packet core network receives a first update request from a second device associated with the evolved packet core network. The first update request is associated with a communication session previously provided between the first device and the second device, and the first update request is generated based on a voice/video request. The first device generates an update answer in response to the first update request, where the update answer includes a code requesting that the communication session be restored between the first device and the second device. The first device receives, based on the code, a second update request from the second device, where the second update request includes session information associated with the communication session. The first device restores, based on the session information, the communication session between the first device and the second device to create a restored communication session.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2013
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Applicants: Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless, Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventors: Niranjan B. AVULA, Imtiyaz SHAIKH, Priscilla LAU, Ho Yin CHEUK, Robert M. EPHRAIM
  • Patent number: 8964633
    Abstract: An apparatus for authenticating subscriber communications at a network server includes a determining element and an identification element in communication with the determining element. The determining element may be configured to receive an incoming message. The identification extractor may be configured to extract a device identifier and an address identifier from the incoming message. The determining element may be further configured to determine whether the device identifier and the address identifier of the incoming message match both a registered device identifier and a registered address identifier associated with the registered device identifier, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Cellco Partnership
    Inventors: Robert M. Ephraim, Fangqiu Tu, Rohit Satish Kalbag
  • Patent number: 8897749
    Abstract: A policy and charging rules function node of a network may receive from the network an indication of an element of user equipment connecting to the network, query a subscription profile repository to receive a subscriber profile associated with the user equipment, the subscriber profile including indicators used in the selection of subscriber policies associated with the subscriber, and create a spending limit session based on the subscriber profile without waiting to receive a request from the user equipment for data services. The node may receive the request for data services from the element of user equipment, identify the spending limit session specifically corresponding to the user equipment, and respond to the request according to spending limit rules of the spending limit session associated with the element of user equipment. The node may also respond to the request according to default spending limit rules without waiting for creation of the spending limit session.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Cellco Partnership
    Inventors: Robert M. Ephraim, Ho Y. Cheuk, Violeta Cakulev
  • Publication number: 20140335815
    Abstract: A policy and charging rules function node of a network may receive from the network an indication of an element of user equipment connecting to the network, query a subscription profile repository to receive a subscriber profile associated with the user equipment, the subscriber profile including indicators used in the selection of subscriber policies associated with the subscriber, and create a spending limit session based on the subscriber profile without waiting to receive a request from the user equipment for data services. The node may receive the request for data services from the element of user equipment, identify the spending limit session specifically corresponding to the user equipment, and respond to the request according to spending limit rules of the spending limit session associated with the element of user equipment. The node may also respond to the request according to default spending limit rules without waiting for creation of the spending limit session.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2013
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Applicant: Cellco Partnership (d/b/a Verizon Wireless)
    Inventors: Robert M. Ephraim, Ho Yin Cheuk, Violeta Cakulev
  • Patent number: 8885522
    Abstract: An integrated cellular/Voice over IP (VoIP) telephone system including a flexible alerting system, which in response to an inbound call placed to a pilot telephone number, routes a first call leg to a cellular telephone assigned to the pilot telephone number and a second call leg to a telephone number. The telephone system includes a VoIP server configured to establish an inbound call to a VoIP client and establish an outbound call setting caller identification data corresponding to the pilot telephone number, responsive to an outbound call by the VoIP client. An outbound call from the VoIP client to the pilot telephone number is automatically routed to a voice mail system unless otherwise indicated. Based on an indication to not use a pilot telephone number for caller identification, an outbound call is established from the VoIP client to the cellular telephone, without being automatically directed to the voice mail system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Cellco Partnership
    Inventors: Robert M. Ephraim, Ben-Ren Chen
  • Publication number: 20080209522
    Abstract: An apparatus for authenticating subscriber communications at a network server includes a determining element and an identification element in communication with the determining element. The determining element may be configured to receive an incoming message. The identification extractor may be configured to extract a device identifier and an address identifier from the incoming message. The determining element may be further configured to determine whether the device identifier and the address identifier of the incoming message match both a registered device identifier and a registered address identifier associated with the registered device identifier, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2007
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Inventors: Robert M. Ephraim, Fangqiu Tu, Rohit Satish Kalbag
  • Patent number: 4998274
    Abstract: Several ISDN telephone terminals in a passive bus configuration are enabled to be used to share a single voice communication in the familiar extension phone arrangement by means of a second bus connecting the analog sides of the terminal circuits. Once an incoming or outgoing voice call has been established at one of the number of ISDN terminals located on the premises, any others of such terminals may join the conversation by simply completing an off-hook connection by way of the analog bus. In conversion of premises to ISDN systems, the abandoned conventional telephone wiring may be employed as the analog bus. Conventional analog phones may also be utilized with ISDN voice terminals via the analog bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 5, 1991
    Assignee: Bell Communications Research, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert M. Ephraim