Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.

Verizon Laboratories Inc.

Other

Bell Atlantic Network Services, Inc.

Edward M Eggerl

William David Goodman

Michael Alan Weintraub

Robert Edward Opaluch

Robert A Virzi

Gregory Wayne Cermak

William E Garrett, Jr

Allison Jaynes

Timothy Wayne Schmidt

Rebecca S Burd

Gregory Keith Evans

James Francis Sorce

Robert Thomas Baum, Jr

Douglas Reynold Jones

William R Burton

Margaret Malagon

Leo Cloutier

William S Downey

Brian M McSweeney

Gary C Trotter

David L Tingley

An exemplary method of monitoring operational statuses of network services includes a monitoring probe that is deployed in a media service network accessing test configuration data from a control server, testing the network services based on the test configuration data, determining operational statuses of the network services based on the testing, and reporting the operational statuses of the network service to the control server. In certain examples, the test configuration data indicates a media resource locator ('MRL') network service to be tested, and the monitoring probe accesses MRL data from the MRL network service and parses the MRL data to identify one or more additional network services to be tested. The monitoring probe tests the additional network services and reports the operational statuses of the additional network services to the control server.

Systems and methods for monitoring operational statuses of network services

A selection of a television program through a set-top box (STB) may be detected, and a counter value associated with the program may be incremented after the STB presents the program for a certain amount of time. The incremented counter value may be evaluated to determine whether the incremented counter value satisfies a threshold. When the incremented counter value satisfies the threshold, another broadcast associated with the program, such as another episode in a related series, may be identified. The identified broadcast is presented on a particular channel at a particular time, and the STB may automatically tune to the particular channel at the particular time to cause the STB to provide the broadcast without receiving an input from the user.

Automatic channel selection and control

Groups of consenting users such as families can track where other members of the same group are under agreed upon access arrangements. The locating system can operate in a passive mode. Users do not have to actively sign-in or check-in to the locating system for the locating system to obtain individual location determination estimates. The locating system collects communications device usage information from a plurality of communications networks, e.g., landline, cellular, Wi-Fi, DSL. The locations of communication devices and infrastructure are known. Members of locating groups are associated with various communication devices detected are being used. Approximate locations of an individual member or members of a locating group are inferred from detected device usage information. A location report is generated, e.g., in a map, table, or audio format, indicating the determined location of individuals, and optionally including time tags. The report is provided to authorized members of the locating group.

Passive individual locator method

Various exemplary illustrations are provided of systems and methods for simulating a communication network. An exemplary system may include a communication router rack in communication with an external network. The rack may include a structure supporting a plurality of network router cards, each including a plurality of communication ports configured to allow selective communication between communication devices connected to the router cards and the external network. The router rack may further include a switching circuit enclosed by the rack structure that is in physical communication with the plurality of network router cards. The switching circuit may be configured to determine a unique network identifier for each of the plurality of network router cards to the external network. The rack may further include an external communication port configured to be selectively connected to the external network to allow communication between the plurality of network router cards and the external network.

Network simulation rack and system

In one of many possible embodiments, a system includes a monitoring portal configured to receive state information descriptive of usage of a plurality of communication services provided on a plurality of communication networks of different types and to make the state information available to a subscriber of the plurality of communication services, in substantially real time.

Monitoring portal systems and methods

There is provided a protocol separator having a processor with an input port and output ports, and data links connected to the input port and to the output ports, with the data link to the input port carrying packetized data including packets of different protocols, the data link to one of the output ports carrying packets of a first protocol removed from the stream by the processor, and with the data link connected to the other output port carrying the remainder of the packets which were delivered to the input port. The protocol separator operates by determining at least part of a byte in the selected protocol packets which characterizes that protocol, monitoring the stream to detect the occurrence of that part of a byte, and diverting packets containing the part of a byte from the stream to one of the outputs. The remainder of the stream is fed to the second output.

Protocol separation in packet communication

A system and method for conducting a voice communication through a hybrid network which includes a packet internetwork, such as the Internet, connected to a circuit switched telephone network. The packet internetwork is connected to the switched telephone network through a static filter device, a packet switch, and a telephone network controlled gateway. A control processor is connected to the packet switch and to the filter device. The filter device generates a real time copy of call set up signaling dialog between the party requesting connection and the gateway which passes through or to the filter device. This duplicate of set up signaling is delivered from the filter device through the packet switch to the control processor. The control processor generates therefrom a filter device control signal which specifies the filter parameters derived from the set-up signaling dialog. This filter device control signal is delivered to the filter device and reconfigures the filter device to set filter parameters which are customized to the specific communication. The filter device thereupon filters the conversation stream of packetized voice.

Real time firewall security

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Catonsville, MD, United States of America

Edward M Eggerl