AT&T Intellectual Property I, LP

Constance Jean Coty

Lusheng Ji

Harry R Worstell

Robert Miller

Hossein Eslambolchi

Robert Raymond Miller, Ii

Rittwik Jana

Mostafa Tofighbakhsh

John F Murray

Arthur L Zaifman

Behzad Nadji

A material medium, such as an optical fiber or electrical cable, is used to carry services. The material medium is monitored with at least one diagnostic sensor. The diagnostic sensor may measure the operational health of the material medium, or may measure local environmental conditions around the material medium.

Method and apparatus for monitoring a material medium

A method and system for monitoring one or more wireless channels of an Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) network are disclosed. For example, the method reads one or more RFID reference tags periodically to obtain RFID reference tag reading results for each time interval. The method then processes the RFID reference tag reading results for monitoring the one or more wireless channels of the RFID network.

Method and apparatus for monitoring a radio frequency identification network

Disclosed are systems, methods and computer-readable media for providing a pass to access multimedia services in a limited geographical area serviced by a fiber-fed, star-topology network (FFSTN). The method comprises receiving pre-registration information from a user to authorize one or more computing devices to obtain access to the fiber-fed, star-topology network covering a limited geographical area for a limited time, presenting the user with a plurality of customizable services each associated with capabilities of the respective one or more computing devices to access the FFSTN, and upon authorization, granting access to requested customized services for each of the one or more computing devices. Mechanisms are provided for handing off one or more devices as they travel from a first FFSTN to a second FFSTN.

Method and apparatus for providing a pass to access multimedia services in a limited geographical area

A material medium, such as an optical fiber or electrical cable, is commonly used to carry services, such as telecommunications or energy service. The current invention identifies the following problems which may be encountered when monitoring a material medium. They are: (1) requiring a time and labor intensive investigation to find a fault, (2) needing a significant change in a current material medium infrastructure to support a monitoring effort, or (3) reducing available bandwidth in a material medium due to a monitoring device intruding into the material medium to send data. These problems are solved, in accordance with a feature of the current invention, by monitoring a material medium with at least one diagnostic sensor, and using an electromagnetic (EM) signal, such as radio frequency (RF), signal to wirelessly transmit the sensor data. The diagnostic sensor may measure the operational health of the material medium, or may measure local environmental conditions around the material medium. Using an EM signal, such as RF, to wirelessly transmit sensor data allows for a fast, low labor monitoring approach. Additionally, it avoids a need to either; (1) transfer the data by intruding into the monitored material medium, or (2) set up an independent material medium system to transfer the data.

An integrated communications network includes a free space optics network and a radio frequency network. A first method provides Classes of Service (CoS) to a subscriber located among regions defined by respective transmission bandwidth capabilities. The first method involves monitoring in which region the subscriber is located, and determining at least one possible CoS that can be provided using at least one of the FSO and RF networks, based on a transmission bandwidth capability of the region in which the subscriber is located. Another method involves comparing projected costs of possible CoSs, and selecting a CoS to provide to the subscriber. A load balancing and resource sharing method involves determining whether or not to provide additional bandwidth capacity in, or to re allocate bandwidth capacity among, transceivers in FSO and RF networks, in clusters of the transceivers, or in aggregates of the clusters of the transceivers.

Growing community of inventors

Whitehouse Station, NJ, United States of America

Constance Jean Coty