Systems and methods for wireless transmission of packet-based data to one or more residential gateways

• US 8,730,870 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2009
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Walter, Edward, Augustine, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Brian D
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TOAN D
• Application Number:
  US12/608,320
• Publication Number:
  US 20110103298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,664 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370/328, 370/338, 370/352, 370/390, 370/401, 455/414.2, 709/226, 398/71, 726/7
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/04 using association of physical positions and logical data in a dedicated environment, e.g. buildings or vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed that include receiving packet-based data at residential gateway from a service provider unit. In one embodiment, a location of a residential gateway is determined and at least a portion of the packet-based data is transmitted wirelessly to the residential gateway when the residential gateway is at an approved location.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory accessible to the processor, the memory including instructions, that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving positioning data for a particular residential gateway device of a plurality of residential gateway devices from the particular residential gateway, wherein the particular residential gateway device is configured to send packet-based data to a user device when the particular residential gateway device is located in an approved area;

determining whether the particular residential gateway device is located in the approved area by comparing the positioning data to approved location data for the particular residential gateway device; and

blocking a portion of the packet-based data from being transmitted to the particular residential gateway device in response to determining that the particular residential gateway device is located outside of the approved area;

wherein the approved area is a first area during a first time period, wherein the first time period begins at installation of the particular residential gateway device;

wherein the approved area is a second area after the first time period, wherein the second area is smaller than the first area; and

wherein blocking the packet-based data prevents the particular residential gateway device from sending the portion of the packet-based data to the user device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the packet-based data includes voice over Internet protocol data, Internet protocol television data, Internet data, or a combination thereof.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise encrypting the packet-based data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the packet-based data is received from an Internet protocol television network over an optical link, a twisted pair coaxial link, or both.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein blocking the portion of the packet-based data comprises blocking internet protocol television data.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein blocking the portion of the packet-based data comprises blocking internet protocol television data while allowing voice over Internet protocol data to be transmitted to the particular residential gateway device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein blocking the portion of the packet-based data comprises blocking internet protocol television data while allowing Internet data to be transmitted to the particular residential gateway device.

8. A residential gateway device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory accessible to the processor, the memory including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

determining a location of the residential gateway device;

determining whether the residential gateway device is located in an approved area based on a comparison of approved location data to the location of the residential gateway device;

preventing packet-based data from being received from a service provider unit in response to determining that the residential gateway device is located outside of the approved area;

receiving the packet-based data from a plurality of particular residential gateway devices, wherein the packet-based data is routed over a plurality of network paths via selected routes, and wherein the selected routes distribute a transmission burden among the plurality of network paths, wherein the packet-based data is received at the residential gateway device in response to determining that the residential gateway device is located in the approved area; and

causing received packet-based data to be transmitted to a user device.

9. The residential gateway device of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise receiving satellite positioning data, wherein the location of the residential gateway device is determined based at least in part on the satellite positioning data.

10. The residential gateway device of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise receiving positioning data associated with two service provider units, wherein the location of the residential gateway device is determined based on the positioning data.

11. The residential gateway device of claim 8, wherein the memory includes the approved location data, and wherein the approved location data includes information that indicates the approved area for the residential gateway device.

12. The residential gateway device of claim 8, wherein the user device is a set-top box, a home appliance, a gaming console, or a combination thereof

13. The residential gateway device claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise selectively requesting the packet-based data from a first service provider unit of a plurality of service provider units based on a property associated with each service provider unit of the plurality of service provider units, wherein the property includes a signal strength associated with each service provider unit of the plurality of service provider units, a maximum bandwidth of each service provider unit of the plurality of service provider units, an average bandwidth of each service provider unit of the plurality of service provider units, a number of open connections at each service provider unit of the plurality of service provider units, a proximity of each service provider unit of the plurality of service provider units, or a combination thereof, to the residential gateway device.

14. The residential gateway device claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise selectively requesting the packet-based data from a second residential gateway device in response to determining that a connection between the residential gateway device and the first service provider unit has terminated, and wherein the second residential gateway device is in communication with the residential gateway device.

15. The residential gateway of claim 8, wherein the packet-based data includes voice over Internet protocol data, Internet protocol television data, Internet data, or a combination thereof.

16. A method comprising:

receiving, at a service provider unit configured to transmit packet-based data to a plurality of residential gateway devices, positioning data from the plurality of residential gateway devices, wherein first positioning data received from a particular residential gateway device includes information indicating a distance between the particular residential gateway and another residential gateway device of the plurality of residential gateway devices; and

discontinuing transmission of at least a portion of the packet-based data to the particular residential gateway device in response to determining that the particular residential gateway device is located outside of an approved area based on a comparison of the first positioning data to approved location data for the particular residential gateway device;

wherein the particular residential gateway device is configured to transmit received packet-based data to a user device when the particular gateway device is located in the approved area, and wherein the packet-based data is transmitted to the particular residential gateway device in response to determining that the particular residential gateway device is located in the approved area; and

wherein the approved area of the particular residential gateway device is a first area during a first time period, wherein the first time period begins at installation of the particular residential gateway, wherein the approved area of the particular residential gateway device is a second area after the first time period, and wherein the second area is smaller than the first area.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the positioning data received from the particular residential gateway device further includes information indicating a global positioning system location of the particular residential gateway device.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining a gateway location map based on the positioning data received from the plurality of residential gateway devices, wherein the gateway location map includes information to determine a particular location of the particular residential gateway device.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising automatically receiving updated positioning data from the particular residential gateway device when the particular location of the particular residential gateway has changed.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the positioning data received from the particular residential gateway device is included in an emergency services voice over Internet protocol telephone call sent via the particular residential gateway device.