Method and apparatus for providing security using network traffic adjustments

• US 10,382,095 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2019
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gross, David, Lackey, Joshua, Levy, Donald E., Piqueras Jover, Roger, Ramachandran, Jayaraman, Serban, Cristina
• Primary Examiner(s): Kassa, Zewdu A
• Application Number:
  US16/273,901
• Publication Number:
  US 20190181913A1
• Time in Patent Office: 182 Days
• Field of Search: 375257, 375256, 375295, 375316, 375219
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/00 Waveguides; Transmission lines of the waveguide type
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/52 Systems for transmission between fixed stations via waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/24 Multipath
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, generating first traffic for transmitting along a network path toward a recipient device, determining a schedule for transmitting the first traffic, and facilitating transmission of the first traffic along the network path using a first waveguide system. The first waveguide system has a dielectric coupler, and operates by communicating electromagnetic waves via the dielectric coupler at a physical interface of a transmission medium that propagate without utilizing an electrical return path. The electromagnetic waves are guided by the transmission medium, wherein the electromagnetic waves at least partially surround an outer surface of the transmission medium, and wherein the electromagnetic waves have a non-optical frequency range. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processing system including a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising;

generating a data tag associated with first data and second data, wherein the first data and the second data are directed to a recipient device; and

providing a signal including the first data, the second data and the data tag to a network device that causes the network device to transmit the first data via a first network path according to the data tag and that causes the network device to transmit the second data via a second network path according to the data tag, wherein the first network path comprises a first waveguide system that facilitates first electromagnetic waves propagating along a transmission medium, wherein the first electromagnetic waves propagate along the transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path, and wherein the first electromagnetic waves convey the first data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the second network path comprises a second waveguide system that facilitates second electromagnetic waves propagating along the transmission medium, wherein the second electromagnetic waves propagate along the transmission medium without requiring the electrical return path, and wherein the second electromagnetic waves convey the second data.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first waveguide system and the second waveguide system are nodes in a wired network comprising power lines.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first electromagnetic waves at least partially surround an outer surface of the transmission medium, and wherein the first electromagnetic waves have a non-optical frequency range.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first electromagnetic waves are partially in the transmission medium and partially out of the transmission medium.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmission medium comprises a non-flat surface.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the data tag comprises metadata that specifies distinct network paths, wherein a number of the distinct network paths is based on an expected amount of network traffic.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first data and the second data are received from equipment at a premises, and wherein the data tag includes an identifier of the premises.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first data and the second data comprise data from a single source device at the premises.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the first data and the second data comprise data of a same type from a plurality of source devices at the premises.

11. A method comprising:

generating, by a processing system including a processor, a data tag associated with first data and second data, wherein the first data and the second data are directed to a recipient device; and

providing, by the processing system, a signal including the first data, the second data and the data tag to a network device that causes the network device to transmit the first data via a first network path according to the data tag and that causes the network device to transmit the second data via a second network path according to the data tag, wherein the first network path comprises a first waveguide system that facilitates first electromagnetic waves propagating along a transmission medium, wherein the first electromagnetic waves propagate along the transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path, and wherein the first electromagnetic waves convey the first data.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the second network path comprises a wireless communication path.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the second network path comprises a second waveguide system that facilitates second electromagnetic waves propagating along the transmission medium, wherein the second electromagnetic waves propagate along the transmission medium without requiring the electrical return path, and wherein the second electromagnetic waves convey the second data.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first waveguide system and the second waveguide system are nodes in a wired network comprising power lines.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the first electromagnetic waves at least partially surround an outer surface of the transmission medium, and wherein the first electromagnetic waves have a non-optical frequency range.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the first electromagnetic waves are partially in the transmission medium and partially out of the transmission medium, and wherein the transmission medium comprises a non-flat surface.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the first data and the second data are received from equipment at a premises.

18. A non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium that stores executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system of a network device, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:

receiving, from a transmitting device, a signal including first data, second data and a data tag, wherein the first data and the second data are directed to a recipient device, and wherein the data tag was generated by the transmitting device;

transmitting the first data via a first network path according to the data tag;

transmitting the second data via a second network path according to the data tag, wherein the first network path comprises a first waveguide system that facilitates first electromagnetic waves propagating along a transmission medium, wherein the first electromagnetic waves propagate along the transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path, and wherein the first electromagnetic waves convey the first data.

19. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the first data and the second data originate from equipment at a premises, wherein the first electromagnetic waves at least partially surround an outer surface of the transmission medium, and wherein the first electromagnetic waves have a non-optical frequency range.

20. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the second network path comprises a second waveguide system that facilitates second electromagnetic waves propagating along the transmission medium, wherein the second electromagnetic waves propagate along the transmission medium without requiring the electrical return path, and wherein the second electromagnetic waves convey the second data.