METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING SECURITY USING NETWORK TRAFFIC ADJUSTMENTS

• US 20180048353A1
• Filed: 09/05/2017
• Published: 02/15/2018
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 10,020,845 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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;

identifying a signal received by a first waveguide system via a dielectric coupler, wherein the signal is received at an interface of a transmission medium, wherein the signal is generated by a second waveguide system, wherein the signal is conveyed by first electromagnetic waves guided by the transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path, wherein the first electromagnetic waves at least partially surround an outer surface of the transmission medium, wherein the first electromagnetic waves contain first data, second data, and a tag portion, wherein the first and second data are directed to a recipient device, and wherein the tag portion is generated by the second waveguide system and is associated with the first and second data by the second waveguide system;

facilitating transmission of the first data according to a first network path based on the tag portion; and

facilitating transmission of the second data according to a second network path based on the tag portion.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the facilitating the transmission of the first data comprises facilitating the transmission of the first data along the first network path using second electromagnetic waves that do not utilize the electrical return path, and that are guided by the transmission medium; and

the facilitating the transmission of the second data comprises facilitating the transmission of the second data along the second network path using third electromagnetic waves that do not utilize the electrical return path, and that are guided by the transmission medium.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the tag portion comprises metadata, wherein the first and second data are generated at equipment of a premises, and wherein the second waveguide system is a closest waveguide system in a wired network to the premises.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the metadata identifies the first and second data as being received from the equipment of the premises.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the metadata identifies the first and second data as being received from a geographic area, and wherein the premises is located in the geographic area.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first network path includes a third waveguide system that is different from a fourth waveguide system included in the second network path.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the tag portion comprises first and second metadata, wherein the first metadata is included in a first packet header of the first data, and wherein the second metadata is included in a second packet header of the second data.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal comprises a plurality of signals and wherein the first waveguide system and the second waveguide system are adjacent nodes in a wired network comprising power lines.

9. A machine-readable storage device comprising instructions which, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:

facilitating transmission of first traffic along a network path toward a recipient device; and

facilitating transmission of second traffic along the network path;

wherein the transmission of the first and second traffic comprises using a first waveguide system having a dielectric coupler, wherein the first waveguide system operates by communicating electromagnetic waves via the dielectric coupler at a physical interface of a transmission medium, wherein the electromagnetic waves propagate without requiring an electrical return path, wherein the electromagnetic waves are guided by the transmission medium, and wherein the electromagnetic waves at least partially surround an outer surface of the transmission medium.

10. The machine-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise determining a schedule for the transmission of the first traffic, and wherein:

the transmission of the first traffic along the network path is according to the schedule;

the schedule removes traffic patterns from a combined transmitting of the first and second traffic;

the first traffic is removed from the network path prior to reaching the recipient device; and

the first traffic is removed from the network path by a second waveguide system.

11. The machine-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the schedule provides for a steady state flow of a combined transmitting of the first and second traffic.

12. The machine-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the schedule provides for random intervals between traffic of a combined transmitting of the first and second traffic.

13. The machine-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the second traffic comprises data readings from a data collection device of a premises, and wherein the operations further comprise:

storing the data readings as previous data readings, wherein the facilitating the transmission of the first traffic comprises generating the first traffic, and wherein the generating comprises generating artificial data readings based on the previous data readings.

14. The machine-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the facilitating the transmission of the first traffic comprises generating the first traffic, and wherein the generating comprises generating artificial data readings that are not based on previous data readings.

15. The machine-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

generating metadata indicating that the first traffic includes artificial data readings; and

inserting the metadata in the first traffic, wherein the first traffic is removed from the network path prior to reaching the recipient device responsive to a detection of the metadata by a downstream network device.

16. The machine-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the second traffic comprises data readings from a data collection device of a premises, wherein the data readings comprise power parameters associated with power usage at the premises, and wherein the data collection device comprises a power meter of the premises.

17. A method comprising:

accessing, by a processing system including a processor, a first information source, wherein the accessing utilizes equipment at a premises to increase network traffic associated with the premises, wherein the accessing is responsive to a first determination that network traffic does not satisfy a first threshold, a second determination that a user is not present at the premises, or a combination thereof,

wherein at least a portion of the network traffic is transmitted by a first waveguide system having a dielectric coupler, wherein the first waveguide system operates by communicating electromagnetic waves via the dielectric coupler at a physical interface of a transmission medium, wherein the electromagnetic waves propagate without requiring an electrical return path, wherein the electromagnetic waves are guided by the transmission medium, and wherein the electromagnetic waves at least partially surround an outer surface of the transmission medium.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the increase in the network traffic satisfies a second threshold, wherein the accessing comprises accessing a group of information sources including the first information source and a second information source, wherein the accessing is performed without being initiated by user input at the equipment at the premises, wherein the first information source comprises a first website, and wherein the second information source comprises a second website, and further comprising:

determining, by the processing system, a schedule for accessing the first website and the second website that removes traffic patterns from the network traffic, wherein the accessing of each of the first website and the second website is performed according to the schedule.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

storing, by the processing system, a history of websites accessed based on user input; and

selecting, by the processing system, the first information source according to the history of websites.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the second determination that the user is not present at the premises is based on a monitoring of a presence of the user responsive to the first determination that the network traffic does not satisfy the first threshold, and wherein the accessing of the first information source is performed responsive to the second determination that the user is not present at the premises.