Method and apparatus for communications management in a neighborhood network

• US 9,960,809 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2017
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2015
• 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): Huang, David S
• Application Number:
  US15/646,556
• Publication Number:
  US 20170310364A1
• Time in Patent Office: 294 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5445 Local network
• 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 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 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, receiving data from an external network device positioned outside of a neighborhood network, wherein the first waveguide system is a first network node of the neighborhood network. Electromagnetic waves are sent to a second waveguide system via a transmission medium, wherein the electromagnetic waves are guided by the transmission medium without utilizing an electrical return path, wherein the electromagnetic waves convey the data. The second waveguide system is determined according to a neighborhood routing scheme that limits delivery of the data to a group of recipient devices within a service area of the neighborhood network and the second waveguide system is a second network node of the neighborhood network. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A first waveguide 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;

receiving data from an external network device positioned outside of a neighborhood network, wherein the first waveguide system is a first network node of the neighborhood network; and

transmitting, to a second waveguide system, electromagnetic waves via a transmission medium, wherein the electromagnetic waves are guided by the transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path,

wherein the electromagnetic waves have a non-optical frequency range, wherein the electromagnetic waves convey the data, wherein the second waveguide system is selected according to a neighborhood routing scheme that limits delivery of the data to a group of recipient devices within a service area of the neighborhood network, and wherein the second waveguide system is a second network node of the neighborhood network.

2. The first waveguide system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving metadata from the external network device; and

determining that delivery of the data is limited to the group of recipient devices within the service area of the neighborhood network by analyzing the metadata.

3. The first waveguide system of claim 2, wherein the metadata indicates that the data is neighborhood-wide information, and wherein the operations further comprise selecting the neighborhood routing scheme, according to the metadata, from among a plurality of routing schemes, and wherein the neighborhood routing scheme causes the data to be transmitted towards all premises positioned in the service area of the neighborhood network that have authorized receiving of the data.

4. The first waveguide system of claim 2, wherein the transmitting of the electromagnetic waves to the second waveguide system is performed without retaining a copy of the data at the first waveguide system.

5. The first waveguide system of claim 1, wherein the data comprises video content or targeted advertising, wherein the group of recipient devices is associated with a first subset of premises positioned in the service area of the neighborhood network, and wherein the neighborhood routing scheme causes the data to be delivered to the group of recipient devices and prevents the data from being delivered to a second subset of premises positioned in the service area of the neighborhood network.

6. The first waveguide system of claim 1, wherein the transmitting of the electromagnetic waves to the second waveguide system causes the second waveguide system to transmit the data to a subset of the group of recipient devices, and wherein the second waveguide system is a closest waveguide system to the subset of the group of recipient devices.

7. The first waveguide system of claim 1, wherein the neighborhood routing scheme prevents the data from being delivered to a premises positioned in the service area of the neighborhood network responsive to user input at equipment of the premises opting out of receiving the data.

8. The first waveguide system of claim 1, wherein the first waveguide system and the second waveguide system are adjacent nodes in a wired network comprising power lines, and wherein the first waveguide system operates as an edge node for the neighborhood network.

9. A method comprising:

obtaining, by a first waveguide system, data of an external network device positioned outside of a neighborhood network, wherein the first waveguide system is a first network node of the neighborhood network; and

transmitting, by the first waveguide system, electromagnetic waves that propagate along a transmission medium, wherein the electromagnetic waves are guided by the transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path, wherein the electromagnetic waves are directed to a second waveguide system,

wherein the electromagnetic waves convey the data, wherein the second waveguide system is identified according to a neighborhood routing scheme that limits delivery of the data to a group of recipient devices within a service area of the neighborhood network, and wherein the second waveguide system is a second network node of the neighborhood network.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, by the first waveguide system, metadata from the external network device; and

determining, by the first waveguide system, that delivery of the data is limited to the group of recipient devices within the service area of the neighborhood network by analyzing the metadata.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the metadata indicates that the data is neighborhood-wide information, and further comprising selecting, by the first waveguide system, the neighborhood routing scheme, according to the metadata, from among a plurality of routing schemes, and wherein the neighborhood routing scheme facilitates transmission of the data towards all premises positioned in the service area of the neighborhood network that have authorized receiving of the data.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the transmitting of the electromagnetic waves to the second waveguide system is performed without retaining a copy of the data at the first waveguide system.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the data comprises video content or targeted advertising, wherein the group of recipient devices is associated with a first subset of premises positioned in the service area of the neighborhood network, and wherein the neighborhood routing scheme facilitates delivery of the data to the group of recipient devices and prevents the data from being delivered to a second subset of premises positioned in the service area of the neighborhood network.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the transmitting of the electromagnetic waves to the second waveguide system causes the second waveguide system to transmit the data to a subset of the group of recipient devices, and wherein the second waveguide system is a closest waveguide system to the subset of the group of recipient devices.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the neighborhood routing scheme prevents the data from being delivered to a premises positioned in the service area of the neighborhood network responsive to user input at equipment of the premises opting out of receiving the data.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the electromagnetic waves have a non-optical frequency range, wherein the first waveguide system and the second waveguide system are adjacent nodes in a wired network comprising power lines, and wherein the first waveguide system operates as an edge node for the neighborhood network.

17. A non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions, which when executed by a processing system, including a processor, of a first waveguide system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:

receiving data from an external network device positioned outside of a neighborhood network, wherein the first waveguide system is a first network node of the neighborhood network; and

initiating a transmission of electromagnetic waves via a transmission medium, wherein the electromagnetic waves are guided by the transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path, wherein the electromagnetic waves are directed to a second waveguide system,

wherein the electromagnetic waves convey the data, wherein the second waveguide system is determined according to a neighborhood routing scheme that limits delivery of the data to a group of recipient devices within a service area of the neighborhood network, and wherein the second waveguide system is a second network node of the neighborhood network.

18. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving metadata from the external network device; and

determining that delivery of the data is limited to the group of recipient devices within the service area of the neighborhood network by analyzing the metadata.

19. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the metadata indicates that the data is neighborhood-wide information, wherein the operations further comprise selecting the neighborhood routing scheme, according to the metadata, from among a plurality of routing schemes, and wherein the neighborhood routing scheme causes the data to be transmitted towards all premises positioned in the service area of the neighborhood network that have authorized receiving of the data.

20. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the initiating the transmission of the electromagnetic waves to the second waveguide system is performed without retaining a copy of the data at the first waveguide system, and wherein the electromagnetic waves have a non-optical frequency range.