Abstract: Methods and systems for multifactor authentication and authorization are described. A method includes receiving captured image data of a person with a badge needing access to a secure area, detecting at least two faces from the captured image data, identifying a first name based on matching a face associated with a live human face with a control face in a database, identifying a second name based on matching on another face associated with the badge with a control face in a database, performing character recognition on text associated with the another face, comparing the second name with the character recognized text, comparing the second name with the first name when the second name matches the character recognized text, checking access rights, checking for at least another person in a proximity of the secure area, and granting access when the person is sole person accessing the secure area.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to perform remote monitoring are disclosed. Some example methods include adjusting an image capture rate at which an image sensor captures images based on a difference image containing differences between a first image of a first set of objects and a second image of a second set of objects. Example methods also include reducing a file size of the difference image using an edge detection technique and prioritizing one or more of a set of frames based on an amount of information contained in the frames. The frames are subdivisions of the image. In further example methods, the first image is taken at a first time and the second image is taken at a second, later time, and the method includes subtracting the first image from the second image to generate the difference image.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for monitoring an internet-of-things (IoT) battery device (IBD). An example IBD includes a radio transceiver to communicate with an IoT charging device (ICD), a battery, and a battery monitor to determine a state of charge for the battery. An alerter is included to send an alert message to the ICD, via the radio transceiver, to indicate that the SoCh is less than an alert threshold.

Abstract: A low-power wide area network supports IP communication between a wireless device and an IP application node. The LPWAN server provides the application node's IP address and a compression/decompression protocol to the device, which applies the protocol (i) to generate a compressed uplink IP header for wireless transmission to LPWAN radio gateway(s), where the compressed IP header is subsequently decompressed to form an uplink IP packet for transmission to the application node and (ii) to decompress a compressed downlink IP header received from a radio gateway, where the compressed IP header was generated from an uncompressed downlink IP header from the IP application node. The device can also segment large uplink IP packets and reassemble large downlink IP packets. In a LoRaWAN network, the join server facilitates arriving at a common compression/decompression protocol and assigns an IP address to the device to enable IP communication with an IP application client.

Abstract: A network server selects a gateway, from among a plurality of alternative candidate gateways, to use for downlink wireless communication to an end node (EN) based on additional factors in addition to RSSI. Exemplary additional factors include: SNR, gateway loading, message loading, backhaul network loading, device type, application type, application priority, operator preferences, device/application black-lists, white-lists, and red-lists, number of devices, number of transmitting devices in a given time interval, operator rules and priorities. In some embodiments, the network server calculates a composite weighted metric (CWM) for each of the alternative candidate gateways which may be used for downlink, subject to operator policy rules, and selects to use a gateway based on the results, e.g. selects the gateway with the highest CWM.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for performing authenticated firmware updates of a fog or IoT device, which happens concurrent with a field update of a component coupled to the device, such as a battery.

Abstract: A customer premises parking system including one or more cameras and wireless communications transmission capability is described. The presence of a vehicle with a license plate at an entrance or exit of a parking area is detected and one or more high resolution images are captured and time stamped. A license plate portion of the HD image is captured and stored. The license plate number and corresponding time is determined and communicated using a wide area wireless network. The HD license plate portion of the image is processed to produce a low resolution version of the license plate image which is segmented and processed into fragments which are transmitted via the wide area network using available transmission opportunities. A high resolution version of the license plate portion is stored at the premises where the parking facilitate is located and can be retrieved via a cellular wireless interface in the event of a dispute or discrepancy with regard to the detected and reported license plate number.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for monitoring an internet-of-things (INT) battery device (IBD). An example IBD includes a radio transceiver to communicate with an loT charging device (ICD), a battery, and a battery monitor to determine a state of charge for the battery. An alerter is included to send an alert message to the ICD, via the radio transceiver, to indicate that the SoCh is less than an alert threshold.

Abstract: A system for fall prevention includes a platform for supporting a patient, the platform including rails and rail sensors, an image capturing device for capturing images of the patient, a patient monitor for interactive communication with the patient, a health monitoring station for receiving rail sensor data and communicating with the patient monitor, and an edge network device co-located with the platform and communicating with the station and the image capturing device. The edge network device receives image data from the image capturing device when the rail sensors indicate that the rail is down and the patient is at risk to themselves, anonymizes the image data to generate a skeleton image, determines a posture associated with the skeleton image, triggers alerts at the station when the patient is predicted to be sitting, and triggers escalated alerts at the station when the patient is predicted to be standing.

Abstract: A communications system, e.g. an Internet-of-Things (IoT) communications system, includes satellite gateways in addition to terrestrial gateways. High QoS end point devices utilize communications via satellite gateway to be able to communicate with a network server when communications with the network server via terrestrial gateways are unavailable or unreliable. Low QoS end point devices may communicate with the network server via terrestrial gateways but are restricted from using the satellite gateways. An additional receive window, corresponding to the satellite gateway, is used for communicating downlink signals from the satellite gateway to the high QoS end point device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for monitoring an internet-of-things (IoT) battery device (IBD). An example IBD includes a radio transceiver to communicate with an IoT charging device (ICD), a battery, and a battery monitor to determine a state of charge for the battery. An alerter is included to send an alert message to the ICD, via the radio transceiver, to indicate that the SoCh is less than an alert threshold.

Abstract: A customer premises parking system including one or more cameras and wireless communications transmission capability is described. The presence of a vehicle with a license plate at an entrance or exit of a parking area is detected and one or more high resolution images are captured and time stamped. A license plate portion of the HD image is captured and stored. The license plate number and corresponding time is determined and communicated using a wide area wireless network. The HD license plate portion of the image is processed to produce a low resolution version of the license plate image which is segmented and processed into fragments which are transmitted via the wide area network using available transmission opportunities. A high resolution version of the license plate portion is stored at the premises where the parking facilitate is located and can be retrieved via a cellular wireless interface in the event of a dispute or discrepancy with regard to the detected and reported license plate number.

Abstract: An improved channel access mechanism provides collision avoidance improves throughput. A communications device, e.g. an end node in a long range wireless communications system, determines that data is to be transmitted and performs a channel activity detection operation to determine if a communications channel is busy or idle. In response to determining that the channel is busy, the communications device determines a wait time based on a random number and a number of times a busy channel has been detected since determining that data is to be transmitted. The communications device uses the determined wait time in determining when to transmit.

Abstract: Methods and systems for multifactor authentication and authorization are described. A method includes receiving captured image data of a person with a badge needing access to a secure area, detecting at least two faces from the captured image data, identifying a first name based on matching a face associated with a live human face with a control face in a database, identifying a second name based on matching on another face associated with the badge with a control face in a database, performing character recognition on text associated with the another face, comparing the second name with the character recognized text, comparing the second name with the first name when the second name matches the character recognized text, checking access rights, checking for at least another person in a proximity of the secure area, and granting access when the person is sole person accessing the secure area.

Abstract: A communications system, e.g. an Internet-of-Things (IoT) communications system, includes satellite gateways in addition to terrestrial gateways. High QoS end point devices utilize communications via satellite gateway to be able to communicate with a network server when communications with the network server via terrestrial gateways are unavailable or unreliable. Low QoS end point devices may communicate with the network server via terrestrial gateways but are restricted from using the satellite gateways. An additional receive window, corresponding to the satellite gateway, is used for communicating downlink signals from the satellite gateway to the high QoS end point device.

Abstract: Methods and systems for multifactor authentication and authorization are described. A method includes receiving captured image data of a person with a badge needing access to a secure area, detecting at least two faces from the captured image data, identifying a first name based on matching a face associated with a live human face with a control face in a database, identifying a second name based on matching on another face associated with the badge with a control face in a database, performing character recognition on text associated with the another face, comparing the second name with the character recognized text, comparing the second name with the first name when the second name matches the character recognized text, checking access rights, checking for at least another person in a proximity of the secure area, and granting access when the person is sole person accessing the secure area.

Abstract: A network server selects a gateway, from among a plurality of alternative candidate gateways, to use for downlink wireless communication to an end node (EN) based on additional factors in addition to RSSI. Exemplary additional factors include: SNR, gateway loading, message loading, backhaul network loading, device type, application type, application priority, operator preferences, device/application black-lists, white-lists, and red-lists, number of devices, number of transmitting devices in a given time interval, operator rules and priorities. In some embodiments, the network server calculates a composite weighted metric (CWM) for each of the alternative candidate gateways which may be used for downlink, subject to operator policy rules, and selects to use a gateway based on the results, e.g. selects the gateway with the highest CWM.

Abstract: Methods and systems for real-time detection and reporting of trains is described. A system includes two train detection units (TDUs) for each railroad track intersecting a municipality boundary. Each TDU including a proximity sensor to sense a presence of an object on the railroad track, a camera to capture an image of a detected object when the object is within a detection zone, a radar to measure speed when the detected object is classified as a train, and a processor to classify the detected object, generate a timestamp corresponding to when the train entered and exited the detection zone, and determine a train length from the speed and time delta between entrance timestamp and exit timestamp. A train detection controller to receive at least the train length and a TDU identification from one of the two TDUs, and determine estimated time of arrivals for the train at different municipality locations.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to perform remote monitoring are disclosed. Some example methods include adjusting an image capture rate at which an image sensor captures images based on a difference image containing differences between a first image of a first set of objects and a second image of a second set of objects. Example methods also include reducing a file size of the difference image using an edge detection technique and prioritizing one or more of a set of frames based on an amount of information contained in the frames. The frames are subdivisions of the image. In further example methods, the first image is taken at a first time and the second image is taken at a second, later time, and the method includes subtracting the first image from the second image to generate the difference image.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for controlling device use of available networks, e.g., cellular and WiFi, are described. End devices report key performance indicator and resource utilization information, e.g., on a per application basis, to a configuration server. The configuration server determines, based on the received information, e.g., using machine learning and/or artificial intelligence, sets of configuration profiles, each configuration profile including one or more set of applications for which an end device should use a particular network. An exemplary configuration profile may identify a first set of applications for which a first network is to be used, e.g., a cellular network such as a P-LTE network, and a second set of applications for which a second network, e.g. a WiFi network, is to be used. The configuration server selects a configuration profile that is best suited for a particular end device and communicates that selected profile to the end device.