British Telecommunications Public Limited Company

British Telecommunications Corporation

Trevor Burbridge

Andrea Soppera

Philip L Eardley

Alan P Smith

Robert J Briscoe

Andrea Soperra

Arnaud Jacquet

Maziar Nekovee

Anargyros Garyfalos

Vivekanand Korgaonkar

Chritian Tutsch

Philip Eardley

Mazier Nekovee

Christian Tutsch

Robert John Home Farm Briscoe

Diagnostic test results are obtained in respect of local area networks (LANs), the LANs having user-devices located therein having interfaces and being operable to communicate via those interfaces and via a LAN gateway device with remote devices in a communications network outside their respective LANs. A method comprises comparing performance measures obtained in respect of communication flows with a performance threshold whereby to identify communication flows whose performance measures are indicative of performance below a predetermined level, and for any such communication flows, obtaining a diagnosis in respect of the LAN in question in dependence on a comparison of the performance measure obtained in respect of the identified communication flow and performance measures obtained in respect of other communication flows, the diagnosis being obtained in dependence on respective portability levels and network interface types determined in respect of the user-devices involved in said communication flows.

Obtaining local area network diagnostic test results

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for obtaining diagnostic test results in respect of network elements in a network, the test results being obtained from a population of probes associated with network elements. The method comprises receiving a first-stage set of probe reports comprising, in respect of probes in an initial subset, a test result and metadata, each test result indicating a state of the network element associated with the probe; identifying a specific subset of probes in the initial subset wherein the test results from the probes in the specific subset satisfy a predefined condition; determining a subsequent subset based on the metadata of the probes in the specific subset; and triggering the probes in the subsequent subset to provide a second-stage set of probe reports comprising test results indicating states of network elements associated with probes in the subsequent subset.

Diagnostic testing in networks

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for diagnostic testing, and in particular to methods and apparatus for obtaining diagnostic test results in respect of network-reliant applications used by one or more devices (') in a local user network (), the one or more user-devices (&#x2032;) being operable to communicate with a digital communications access network () via a network gateway device () having a control module associated therewith, and being operable to communicate with remote networked devices () involved in said network-reliant applications via the access network. Preferred embodiments relate to methods and apparatus for triggering diagnostic testing procedures and obtaining test results indicative of the actual Quality of Experience (QoE) of one or more users of the applications being run on the user-devices (&#x2032;) in the user network ().

Diagnostic testing

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for processing data items received at a network element in a communications network. In particular, methods and apparatus are disclosed for processing data items such as packets received at a network element such as a router or other such packet-forwarding network element () from a source (') and which are intended to be forwarded towards an intended receiver (&#x2032;) in a communications network such as a network operating according to the Internet Protocol.

Processing data items in a communications network

Methods, apparatus and systems for processing digital content service requests from user devices in a user network are disclosed. The method, performed by a control device, comprises receiving policy indications in respect of the user devices indicating desired control policies to be implemented in respect of the user devices, and associating user device source identifiers with the user devices indicating a network location to which responses should be directed, the user device source identifier associated with a particular user device depending on the policy indication for that user device. On receiving digital content service requests containing indications of domain names associated with content providers from which digital content is desired, the control device submits server location requests to a domain name system server comprising (i) the domain name from the digital content service request and (ii) the user device source identifier for the user device in question.

Methods, apparatus and systems for processing service requests

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for analyzing network performance of a network comprising a plurality of network nodes. The method may comprise: obtaining a plurality of probe measurements in respect of a target node, the probe measurements resulting from probe test-messages being sent via different network paths to said target node and relating to a network performance characteristic in respect of the paths taken by the respective probe test-messages and probe response-messages associated therewith and being dependent also on local processing of the respective probe test-messages at said target node; determining respective measures of unexpectedness in respect of the probe measurements; comparing said respective measures of unexpectedness and in dependence on the comparison, assigning a weighting in respect of said target node; and determining a network performance analysis measure in dependence on at least one probe measurement and on the weighting.

Analysis of network performance

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for analyzing network performance of a network comprising network nodes. The method may comprise: obtaining probe measurements by sending probe test-messages via a path from a testing node to a first target node, and also by sending probe test-messages via a path from the testing node via the first target node to a subsequent target node, the probe measurements relating to a network performance characteristic in respect of the paths taken by the probe test-messages and probe response-messages associated therewith and being dependent also on local processing of the probe test-messages at the respective target nodes; comparing the probe measurements; in dependence on the comparison, assigning a weighting in respect of the first target node indicative of whether it is deemed likely to be providing reliable or unreliable results; and determining a network performance analysis measure dependent on the probe measurements and on the weighting.

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for monitoring network performance in respect of a digital communications network comprising a user-network () having at least one user-device () therein that is able to submit requests for data to and receive data from one or more remote servers () via an intermediate control module (), and an access network () via which data may be delivered to the user-network () via the control module (). In particular, methods and apparatus are disclosed that allow a network service provider providing network services via an access network to its customers' home networks to have visibility on the performance of its customers' home networks and/or on the performance of one or more networked devices within those customers' home networks.

Monitoring network performance

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for analyzing performance of a network. The method may comprise: obtaining first and second probe measurements resulting respectively from a test-message being sent from a first node and having a second node as the target thereof, and from a test-message being sent from the second node and having the first node as the target thereof, associated probe response-messages triggered by receipt and local processing of the test-messages at the target nodes thereof being sent back to the senders of the test-messages, the measurements relating to a network performance characteristic in respect of the paths taken by the test-messages and response-messages, and being dependent also on the local processing of the test-messages at the respective target nodes; comparing the measurements, assigning a weighting in respect of at least one of the nodes dependent on the comparison; and determining a network performance analysis measure according to a function dependent on at least one of the probe measurements and on the weighting.

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for analyzing network performance in relation to a network portion comprising a group of nodes. The method may comprise: obtaining probe measurements in respect of a plurality of target nodes in the group, respective probe measurements each resulting from a probe test-message being sent via a network path from a testing node to a target node and an associated probe response-message triggered by receipt and local processing at the respective target node of the probe test-message being received via a path from the respective target node by the testing node, the respective probe measurements relating to a network performance characteristic in respect of the paths taken by the respective probe test-messages and the probe response-messages associated therewith and being dependent also on the local processing of the respective probe test-messages at the respective target nodes; comparing probe measurements obtained in respect of different target nodes in the group, and in dependence on the comparison, assigning a weighting in respect of at least one of the nodes; and determining a network performance analysis measure in relation to the network portion according to a predetermined function dependent on the probe measurements and on the weighting.

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for operating a data network (), the data network comprising a plurality of network ingestion points () via which data traffic () may be received from another data network, and a plurality of network attachment points () via which data traffic may be forwarded. The method comprises receiving data traffic () via said network ingestion points (), assigning ingestion point indications indicative of a characteristic of the network ingestion points (); forwarding the traffic via said network attachment points (); and in respect of data traffic being forwarded via said network attachment points (), determining traffic information indicative of a characteristic of the data traffic; and selecting a traffic management policy in dependence on said traffic information and the characteristic of the network ingestion point via which the data traffic was received.

Operation of a data network

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for enabling selection of a remote service node from a plurality of possible nodes, each capable of providing a service, and each associated with a service node control entity. The method comprises: receiving a user request in respect of a service required by a user, the request containing a first user device routing identifier relating to the location in the network of the user device, and a service indication indicative of an appropriate service provider; identifying from the service indication a service node control entity associated with the service provider; sending to the service node control entity a service node request containing a second user device routing identifier differing from the first user device routing identifier but selected at least partly in dependence thereon; receiving from the service node control entity an indication of a remote service node capable of providing the required service; and providing an indication of the remote service node to the user device.

Selection of service nodes for provision of services

An RFID device such as an RFID tag () and method comprising: storing a current read key and a current ownership key; receiving, from the RFID reader system (), a change read key command and an indication that the RFID reader system () holds the current ownership key; and in response, replacing the current read key with a new current read key enabling the RFID device () to be read by an RFID reader system () holding the new current read key. Also, an RFID reader system () and method for an RFID reader system () to process an RFID device (), comprising: issuing a take ownership command to an RFID device (); receiving a new ownership key from the RFID device (); applying for authorization of the new ownership key; and receiving from the authorization apparatus () the new ownership key and an acknowledgement that may be communicated to the tag as evidence of authorization.

Radio frequency identification devices and reader systems

Methods and devices for enabling a user to obtain item information relating to an item (), the item having associated therewith an item identification means () and an RFID response means () arranged to provide a predetermined response on being subjected to a currently applicable trigger signal; the method comprising steps of: establishing from the item identification means () item identification information; using the item identification information to determine from an item information source () a currently applicable trigger signal for the RFID response means (); subjecting the RFID response means () to the currently applicable trigger signal; receiving a predetermined response from the RFID response means (); and using the predetermined response to obtain item information from the item information source (); wherein the RFID response means () is arranged to generate a new currently applicable trigger signal and a new predetermined response associated therewith following subjecting of the RFID response means () to the currently applicable trigger signal.

Method and device for obtaining item information using RFID tags

Control apparatus (), systems and methods for enabling access to one or more information systems () by one or more entities () on a path across a supply network to be controlled, access to the or each information system () being policed by means of an access-policer (), the network comprising: at least one token-issuer () operable to issue an access pre-authorization token, the access pre-authorization token having associated therewith an information identifier and a digital signature, and to forward the access pre-authorization token towards one or more entities () on a path across the network; and at least one receiver entity () operable to receive an access pre-authorization token issued by the at least one token-issuer ().

Growing community of inventors

London, United Kingdom

Trevor Burbridge