Abstract: A system for generating approximately coordinated region maps (RM), the system comprising a processing resource configured to: provide a data repository comprising one or more RMs, each mapping a corresponding region, and each including information of a relative location of synchronization objects (SOs) located within the corresponding region with respect to a coordinate-system (CS) origin of a CS of the corresponding RM; obtain a given RM including information of relative locations of given SOs located within the given region with respect to a given CS origin of a given CS of the given RM; retrieve, from the data repository, reference RMs that meet a criteria; identify the reference RMs associated with at least one SO that match at least one of the given SO, giving rise to optimization RMs; and determine, utilizing an optimization scheme, an approximate transformation between the given CS and the CSs of the optimization RMs.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes systems and methods for escorting small unmanned aircraft (herein drones). An escorting drone approaches the escorted drone and transmits to it an escort signal. In an embodiment, the escort signal is a GNSS signal fashioned to be the same as the GNSS signal that would be received by the escorted drone, other than being slightly stronger in signal strength and having slightly altered component delays. In another embodiment, the escort signal is a radio frequency control channel signal. Escorting may be utilized to guide a drone from a preprogrammed point to a docking zone in a droneport; to guide a drone though an urban canyon or inside a building where GNSS signals are not reliably received; to retrieve a drone with which communications has been lost; or to escort a drone to safety out of a no-flight zone such as around an airport.

Abstract: Provided herein is a method for a router to process time-sensitive packets, the method comprising: receiving a time-sensitive packet comprising a stack containing at least one local deadline, the stack being comprised within a header of the time-sensitive packet; retrieving a local deadline from the at least one local deadline comprised within the header; and scheduling transmission of the time-sensitive packet based on the local deadline. Also provided is a method for a router to process time-sensitive packets, the method comprising: receiving a time-sensitive packet comprising a stack containing at least one entry, each entry of the at least one entry respectively comprising, as sub-entries, a forwarding instruction and a local deadline; retrieving an entry from the stack; forwarding the time-sensitive packet according to the forwarding instruction comprised in the retrieved entry; and scheduling transmission of the time-sensitive packet based on the local deadline comprised in the retrieved entry.

Abstract: A system for determining an approximate transformation between a first coordinate system and a second coordinate system, the system comprising a processing resource configured to: obtain an image captured by an image acquisition device of a mobile device; identify one or more synchronization objects within the image; determine first spatial dispositions of the synchronization objects with respect to a first coordinate-system origin of the first coordinate-system, the first coordinate system being a coordinate system of the mobile device; obtain information of second spatial dispositions of the synchronization objects with respect to a second coordinate-system origin of the second coordinate system; and determine, by employing an optimization scheme, utilizing the first spatial dispositions and the second spatial dispositions, the approximate transformation between the first coordinate-system and the second coordinate-system, the approximate transformation being usable by the mobile device for placing virtual

Abstract: A system for generating approximately coordinated region maps (RM), the system comprising a processing resource configured to: provide a data repository comprising one or more RMs, each mapping a corresponding region, and each including information of a relative location of synchronization objects (SOs) located within the corresponding region with respect to a coordinate-system (CS) origin of a CS of the corresponding RM; obtain a given RM including information of relative locations of given SOs located within the given region with respect to a given CS origin of a given CS of the given RM; retrieve, from the data repository, reference RMs that meet a criteria; identify the reference RMs associated with at least one SO that match at least one of the given SO, giving rise to optimization RMs; and determine, utilizing an optimization scheme, an approximate transformation between the given CS and the CSs of the optimization RMs.

Abstract: A system for determining an approximate transformation between a first coordinate system and a second coordinate system, the system comprising a processing resource configured to: obtain an image captured by an image acquisition device of a mobile device; identify one or more synchronization objects within the image; determine first spatial dispositions of the synchronization objects with respect to a first coordinate-system origin of the first coordinate-system, the first coordinate system being a coordinate system of the mobile device; obtain information of second spatial dispositions of the synchronization objects with respect to a second coordinate-system origin of the second coordinate system; and determine, by employing an optimization scheme, utilizing the first spatial dispositions and the second spatial dispositions, the approximate transformation between the first coordinate-system and the second coordinate-system, the approximate transformation being usable by the mobile device for placing virtual

Abstract: The present disclosure describes methods and apparatuses for text entry that exploit mathematical mappings of symbol strings of arbitrary length onto finite-sized geometric regions. Embodiments of the invention enable input of text into devices with pan/zoom capabilities. An embodiment enables text entry for small hand-held devices such as smart-phones and tablets, comprising multi-touch capabilities.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes systems and methods for escorting small unmanned aircraft (herein drones). An escorting drone approaches the escorted drone and transmits to it an escort signal. In an embodiment, the escort signal is a GNSS signal fashioned to be the same as the GNSS signal that would be received by the escorted drone, other than being slightly stronger in signal strength and having slightly altered component delays. In another embodiment, the escort signal is a radio frequency control channel signal. Escorting may be utilized to guide a drone from a preprogrammed point to a docking zone in a droneport; to guide a drone though an urban canyon or inside a building where GNSS signals are not reliably received; to retrieve a drone with which communications has been lost; or to escort a drone to safety out of a no-flight zone such as around an airport.

Abstract: A method for an ingress node to send packets to an egress node, the method comprising: sending a plurality of service packets over a first network path; and sending a supplemental packet comprising a plurality of hash values over a second network path, wherein the plurality of packet hash values are computed respectively from the plurality of service packets. A method for an egress node to receive packets from an ingress node, the method comprising: extracting a plurality of packet hashes from a supplemental packet received from a second network path; computing a plurality of packet hash values, each hash value computed from a corresponding service packet comprised in a plurality of service packets received over a first network path; and recovering a lost service packet that is identified by comparing the plurality of computed packet hash values with the plurality of extracted packet hash values.

Abstract: A method for an ingress node to send packets to an egress node, the method comprising: sending a plurality of service packets over a first network path; and sending a supplemental packet comprising a plurality of hash values over a second network path, wherein the plurality of packet hash values are computed respectively from the plurality of service packets. A method for an egress node to receive packets from an ingress node, the method comprising: extracting a plurality of packet hashes from a supplemental packet received from a second network path; computing a plurality of packet hash values, each hash value computed from a corresponding service packet comprised in a plurality of service packets received over a first network path; and recovering a lost service packet that is identified by comparing the plurality of computed packet hash values with the plurality of extracted packet hash values.

Abstract: A device comprising: at least one partially reconfigurable FPGA; a Network-on-Chip (NoC) comprised in the FPGA; and at least one area on the at least one FPGA operable to house a hardware micro-service (HMS); wherein an HMS image may be loaded onto the area of the at least one FPGA via partial reconfiguration to form a new HMS, and the NoC is operable to forward information to and from the new HMS without the NoC being reloaded.

Abstract: A method for measuring one-way delays in a communications network, the method comprising: maintaining, at a third node having a reference clock, a first virtual clock state emulating a first node clock located at a first node and a second virtual clock state emulating a second node clock located at a second node; registering a timeset comprising transmission and reception times at the first node and the second node, respectively, for each packet of a plurality of packets that are transmitted from the first node to the second node and reflected from the second node back to the first node; converting times in the timeset, responsive to the first and/or second virtual clocks, into times in accordance with the reference clock; calculating, for each packet of the plurality of packets, a forward one-way delay (FOWD) and a reverse one-way delay (ROWD), responsive to the converted timeset.

Abstract: A method of determining packet loss ratio between two communications nodes, the method comprising: transmitting at least one loopback packet configured to be propagated from a first node through a second and third nodes back to the first node; upon traversal of the second node inserting into the loopback packet a first counter for a number of packets sent from the second node to the third node prior to receiving the loopback packet; upon traversal of the third node inserting into the loopback packet a second counter for a number of packets received by the third node from the second node prior to receiving the loopback packet; upon return of the loopback packet to the first node, determining a packet loss ratio between the second and third nodes responsive to the first counter number and the second counter number inserted into the loopback packet.

Abstract: A method for measuring one-way delays in a communications network, the method comprising: maintaining, at a third node having a reference clock, a first virtual clock state emulating a first node clock located at a first node and a second virtual clock state emulating a second node clock located at a second node; registering a timeset comprising transmission and reception times at the first node and the second node, respectively, for each packet of a plurality of packets that are transmitted from the first node to the second node and reflected from the second node back to the first node; converting times in the timeset, responsive to the first and/or second virtual clocks, into times in accordance with the reference clock; calculating, for each packet of the plurality of packets, a forward one-way delay (FOWD) and a reverse one-way delay (ROWD), responsive to the converted timeset.

Abstract: A method for measuring one-way delays in a communications network, the method comprising: maintaining a virtual clock state comprising information for converting times measured with respect to remote clocks into times as would be measured with respect to a local reference clock; registering, for each packet of the plurality of packets in a communications session between the first and second nodes, a timeset comprising transmission and reception times at the first and second nodes; converting, responsive to the virtual clock, times in the timeset measured with respect to the first node clock or the second node clock, into times as would be measured with respect to the reference clock; calculating, for each packet of the series of packets, a forward one-way delay (FOWD) from the first node to the second node and a reverse one-way delay (ROWD) from the second node to the first node, responsive to the converted timeset.

Abstract: Apparatus for synchronizing a local clock to a master clock, the apparatus comprising: at least one port for receiving and transmitting packets; a local clock; and a packet inspector that uses time from the local clock to timestamp packets received at a port of the at least one port, copies timing information from the received packets if the packets are timing distribution packets that are transmitted between a master clock and a slave clock in order to synchronize the slave clock to the master clock, and forwards the received packets for transmission from a port of the at least one port towards a packet destination that is not a packet source from where the packets originate, wherein the local clock uses the copied timing information and timestamps to synchronize the local clock to the master clock.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes methods and apparatuses for text entry that exploit mathematical mappings of symbol strings of arbitrary length onto finite-sized geometric regions. Embodiments of the invention enable input of text into devices with pan/zoom capabilities. An embodiment enables text entry for small hand-held devices such as smart-phones and tablets, comprising multi-touch capabilities.

Abstract: A method of determining packet loss ratio between two communications nodes, the method comprising: transmitting at least one loopback packet configured to be propagated from a first node through a second and third nodes back to the first node; upon traversal of the second node inserting into the loopback packet a first counter for a number of packets sent from the second node to the third node prior to receiving the loopback packet; upon traversal of the third node inserting into the loopback packet a second counter for a number of packets received by the third node from the second node prior to receiving the loopback packet; upon return of the loopback packet to the first node, determining a packet loss ratio between the second and third nodes responsive to the first counter number and the second counter number inserted into the loopback packet.

Abstract: A method of characterizing a communications channel between two communications nodes, the method comprising: determining at least one feature of a communications path between a first communications node and a second communications node; determining at least one feature of a communications path between the first communications node and a third communications node; transmitting at least one packet from the first node to propagate through the second and third nodes and return to the first node; and determining at least one feature of the communications channel between the second and third nodes responsive to receiving the packet at the first node, the at least one determined feature of the first node and the second node, and/or information comprised in the packet.

Abstract: Apparatus for providing timing information, the apparatus comprising: a primary reference time clock (PRTC) that provides a reference time of day (ToD) and a reference frequency; a packet master clock that receives the ToD and reference frequency and is configured to distribute timing to a slave clock in accordance with a timing over packet procedure responsive to the ToD and the reference frequency; and a housing that houses the PRTC and packet master clock which may be plugged into a conventional small form factor (SFP) compliant cage to connect the packet master clock to a packet switched network (PSN).