Abstract: Location-based services are provided in a communication system comprising at least a portion of at least one wireless network. In one aspect of the invention, mobile user devices that are candidates for a location-based service are identified and the identified mobile user devices are monitored to determine when one or more of said mobile user devices becomes currently active on a traffic channel of the wireless network. Location information is automatically obtained for the one or more mobile user devices that are currently active on the traffic channel, and delivery of at least one message to a given one of those mobile user devices is controlled based on the location information. Generation of location queries involving respective ones of the mobile user devices is thereby synchronized with the traffic channel activity of those devices.

Abstract: Techniques for designing networks. The techniques utilize network management-based routing (NMS routing) in conjunction with the planning step (design-based routing) of the design process so that an optimal network may be designed. An automated technique for designing a network may comprise the following steps. First, one or more traffic demands are obtained. Then, a network is computed by determining one or more routes for the one or more traffic demands using a design-based routing methodology based on feedback from a network management-based routing methodology.

Abstract: Techniques and systems are disclosed for context-aware migration of a communication network session. For example, a system for migrating a communication session established between a first entity and a second entity in accordance with an application module includes the following elements. A context monitor module supports the application module and is operative to obtain context information associated with at least one of the first entity and the second entity. A migration server module supports the application module and is operative to effectuate a transfer of the communication session from one communication device associated with the first entity to another communication device associated with the first entity. The context monitor module and the migration server module operate in cooperation with the application module to transfer the communication session.

Abstract: Location-based services are provided in a communication system comprising at least a portion of at least one wireless network. In one aspect of the invention, particular ones of a plurality of mobile user devices associated with a wireless network are identified for which sufficient location-indicative information is available from which a general location of said devices can be inferred without performing actual location measurements for said devices. The delivery of location queries to the identified mobile user devices is prevented, such that a number of location queries required for provision of a given location-based service is reduced relative to a number of location queries which would otherwise be required without the delivery prevention.

Abstract: Improved p-cycle restoration techniques using a signaling protocol are disclosed. For example, a technique for use in at least one node of a data communication network for recovering from a failure, wherein the data communication network includes multiple nodes and multiple links for connecting the multiple nodes, comprises the following steps/operations. Notification of the failure is obtained at the at least one node. A determination is made whether the failure is a single link failure or one of a node failure and a multiple link failure. A pre-configured protection cycle (p-cycle) plan is implemented when the failure is a single link failure but not when the failure is one of a node failure and a multiple link failure, such that two independent paths in the network are not connected when implementing the pre-configured protection cycle plan.

Abstract: Location-based services are provided in a communication system comprising at least a portion of at least one wireless network. One aspect of the invention relates to generation of user movement statistics that may be utilized to facilitate the development of targeted marketing campaigns or other types of message delivery. In this aspect, the user movement statistics are generated based on location and profile information for mobile user devices, and delivery of at least one message to a given one of the mobile user devices is controlled based on the user movement statistics. The user movement statistics may comprise, for example, information sufficient to determine approximately how many users having particular designated characteristics are likely to be in a given location at a given time, and may be utilized to determine prices charged for delivery of messages to the mobile user devices.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for designing optical transmission systems that efficiently compute cost-optimal configurations under one or more constraints. For example, in one aspect of the present invention, a technique for designing an optical transmission system comprises the following steps/operations. A set of one or more demands and a set of optical transmission system elements are obtained. Elements may be consecutively coupled via a span. At least one constraint on the design of the optical transmission system is obtained.

Abstract: A fast shared path allocation technique is disclosed. Network nodes are pre-configured such that data from multiple data sources or multiple primary data paths may be sent via a shared secondary data path. Merge nodes merge input from a plurality of input ports onto an output port. The merge nodes implement a blocking function such that upon receipt of a signal from one of the input ports, the signals from the other input ports are blocked from reaching the output port. Upon a triggering event indicating a need to allocate the shared path, the data is first sent to the merge node where it is appropriately merged onto the output link and transmitted towards its destination. Only after the data has been sent does the merge node block the remaining input ports from reaching the output port. This blocking may be performed automatically by the merge node or by conventional network signaling.

Abstract: Virtually-concatenated data traffic is routed in a network comprising a plurality of nodes, the plurality of nodes including one or more nodes that are differential delay enabled and one or more nodes that are not differential delay enabled. For a given traffic demand to be routed from a source node to a destination node in the network, at least one route is determined for routing the demand between an intermediate node that is differential delay enabled and one of the source node and the destination node that is not differential delay enabled. Also, a set of routes is determined for routing the demand between the intermediate node that is differential delay enabled and at least one other node of the network, that may or may not be differential delay enabled, with each of the routes in the set corresponding to a member of a virtually-concatenated group. The given traffic demand is routed from the source node to the destination node, utilizing the at least one route and the set of routes.

Abstract: Multi-path routing techniques using intra-flow splitting are disclosed. For example, a technique for processing traffic flows at a node in a network comprises the following steps/operations. At least one traffic flow is obtained. The at least one traffic flow comprises multiple packets or bytes. The at least one flow is split into at least two sub-flows, wherein each of the at least two sub-flows comprises a portion of the multiple packets or bytes. The packets or bytes of the at least two sub-flows are respectively routed on at least two paths in the network.

Abstract: Location-based services are provided in a communication system comprising at least a portion of at least one wireless network. In one aspect of the invention, one or more interested parties are permitted to bid on available opportunities for delivery of messages to mobile user devices, and delivery of at least one message to a given one of the mobile user devices is controlled based on user profile information and at least one received bid for a corresponding message delivery opportunity. The message delivery opportunities may be specified as combinations of two or more of a message category, a location for message delivery and a time for message delivery. For example, a given message delivery opportunity may be a category-location-time combination.

Abstract: Location-based services are provided in a communication system comprising a wireless network. In one aspect, a mobile user device sends a trigger message to a server over a wireless link of the network. The server in response to the trigger message sends an update message to the mobile user device over the wireless link. The update message is sent within a period of time after the trigger message that is less than a dormancy time of the wireless link. The update message may specify, for example, a defined area around a location identified in the trigger message, one or more stationary fences associated with the mobile user device that overlap with the defined area and that are active or become active within a designated time frame, and a projected time frame within which a proximity-crossing event is likely to occur for at least one user device pair that includes the mobile user device.

Abstract: Techniques and systems for designing a network providing communication and location identification services are described. A solution point comprising parameters for each of a plurality of base stations is generated. A coverage and locatability performance value for the solution point is computed, as well as derivatives of the performance value. The coverage and locatability performance value and its derivatives are used to indicate favorable directions for searching for subsequent solution points, and subsequent solution points are generated and compared against previous solution points until an optimum solution point is found. The coverage and locatability performance value is a weighted sum of coverage and locatability values for each point in the service area of the network, with coverage values representing forward and reverse link quality and locatability values representing the probability that a point will experience an acceptable power level from at least four base stations.

Abstract: A LBS (location-based service) in which users equipped with a localizable mobile communication terminal advantageously receive “alert” messages when they have an opportunity to meet someone located in their geographic vicinity and having a profile matching their own profile. In particular, users, who may be associated with a given group of users, can be alerted via their mobile communication terminal when another user with a matching profile, and who may also be associated with the same group of users, is located in the same predetermined geographical area. The alert message may, for example, include the mobile phone number of the other user located in the same geographical area.

Abstract: A load-balanced network architecture is disclosed in which a traffic flow deliverable from a source node to a destination node via intermediate nodes is split into parts, and the parts are distributed to respective ones of the intermediate nodes. Path delay differences for the parts are substantially equalized by delay adjustment at one or more of the intermediate nodes, and packets of one or more of the parts are scheduled for routing from respective ones of the intermediate nodes to the destination node based on arrival times of the packets at the source node.

Abstract: Personalized location enabled indicators, such as ring backs or ring tones are described. Such capability can be provided by wireless service providers to offer their customers a host of unique location based ring tones and ring backs of both an audio and video nature. By way of example, a first calling party may be provided with a video ring back indicative of location, such as a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge when a second called party is in San Francisco, or a ring tone may indicate a called party is at work and busy, at home and not busy, or the like, with different ring tones for different classes of callers, such as coworkers, family, friends or specified individuals.

Abstract: Techniques for network routing and design are provided. A technique for determining a route for a demand in a network, wherein the network comprises primary paths and secondary paths, and at least two secondary paths may share a given link, comprises the following steps/operations. First, a graph representing the network is transformed. Edges of the graph represent channels associated with paths and nodes of the graph represent nodes of the network. The transformation is performed such that costs associated with the edges reflect costs of using channels in secondary paths. Then, the shortest path between nodes corresponding to the demand is found in the transformed graph. The shortest path represents the least-cost path in the network over which the demand may be routed. When the above route determination steps/operations result in a path with at least one loop, an alternative routing process may be executed so as to determine a loopless path for the demand.

Abstract: A load-balanced network architecture is disclosed in which a traffic flow at a given network node is split into a plurality of parts, and the parts are distributed to respective ones of the plurality of nodes that are designated as participating in a load balancing process for the traffic flow. Each of at least a subset of the participating nodes receiving one of the parts routes at least a portion of its received part to one or more destination nodes.

Abstract: Techniques and systems are disclosed for context-aware migration of a communication network session. For example, a system for migrating a communication session established between a first entity and a second entity in accordance with an application module includes the following elements. A context monitor module supports the application module and is operative to obtain context information associated with at least one of the first entity and the second entity. A migration server module supports the application module and is operative to effectuate a transfer of the communication session from one communication device associated with the first entity to another communication device associated with the first entity. The context monitor module and the migration server module operate in cooperation with the application module to transfer the communication session.

Abstract: Location-based services are provided in a communication system comprising at least a portion of at least one wireless network. In one aspect of the invention, users associated with respective mobile user devices are separated into at least a first group of users of a first benefit class of a location-based service and a second group of users of a second benefit class of the location-based service. Location information is obtained for the mobile user devices, with the location information being obtained more frequently for the mobile user devices of users in the first group than for the mobile user devices of users in the second group. At least one message is controllably delivered to a given one of the mobile user devices based on the location information.