AT&T Intellectual Property I, LP

Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.p.

At&t Knowledge Ventures, LP

Henry Towster

Nikhil Shreerang Marathe

Wayne Robert Heinmiller

Bruce Barnes

Shadi Khoshaba

Dolores J Mallian

Charles M Stahulak

Juan A Nunez

Chuck Stahulak

A method includes receiving, from a first user of a media distribution system, first wish list data identifying a program and a first program option associated with the program. When the first wish list data is received, the program is not scheduled for transmission via the media distribution system based on a published program guide available to the first user. The method also includes receiving, from a second user of the media distribution system, second wish list data identifying the program and a second program option associated with the program. The method further includes determining interest in the program based on the first program option and the second program option.

Systems and methods of processing programming wish list data

Systems and methods to process program wish list data are provided. A system includes a media receiver adapted to receive media content from a media distribution system and a recording module responsive to the media receiver. The system also includes a program guide module to receive a published program guide identifying media content available to be distributed via the media distribution system. The system further includes a wish list module to generate wish list data including identifying information associated with at least one program. The at least one program is not listed in the published program guide when the wish list data is generated. The system also includes a reporting module to report information related to the wish list data to a remote network element.

Methods and apparatus to control traffic in a packet-switched network are disclosed. An example circuit manager includes a usage analyzer to estimate a utilization of a network for a future time interval based on data associated with actual utilization of the network, a rebalancer to detect a trigger event based on the estimated utilization, and to identify a future virtual circuit path through the network for the future time interval based on the estimated utilization when the trigger event is detected, the usage analyzer and the rebalancer to repetitively change mapping of virtual circuit paths including the future virtual circuit path to physical resources to adapt the network to expected usage conditions, a rerouter to identify the future virtual circuit path based on a first predicted weighted cost for a first communication link and a second predicted weighted cost for a second communication link, and a capacity manager to determine whether the identified future virtual circuit path is expected to reduce a future utilization of a communication path below a first threshold, and to determine where additional transmission capacity should be added to the network when the predicted future utilization of the communication path exceeds the first threshold.

Methods and apparatus to control traffic in a packet-switched network

Methods and apparatus to control traffic in a packet-switched network are disclosed. An example circuit manager comprises a probe interface to collect data representative of actual utilization of a network, a usage analyzer to estimate a utilization of the network for a future time interval based on the collected data, and a rebalancer to detect a trigger event based on the estimated utilization, and to automatically identify a future virtual circuit path through the network for the future time interval based on the estimated utilization when the trigger event is detected; wherein the probe interface, the usage analyzer and the rebalancer operate repetitively to route data in the network in response to actual data transmissions.

Optical fiber cable from a Central Office (CO) to a Service Area Interface (SAI) Optical Line Terminal (OLT) box may have a plurality of optical fibers, each fiber having at least one conductive sheath to can propagate an identifying signal. Optical fibers that emit a signal with identifying information, or other useful information, may be advantageous when, for example, the fiber optic cable holds fibers owned by more than one content or service provider. A further advantage may be that a signal may be designated to a particular address, thereby facilitating the installation of fiber optic service to a customer.

Electronic cable signature

An optical fiber for information transmission contains a glass tube core wrapped in a sheath of conductive material attachable to a power source such as a battery or generator to transmit power via the conductive sheath of the fiber. Methods to transmit power via an optical fiber, together with fiber optic networks are described.

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Barrington, IL, United States of America

Henry Towster