Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, receiving, by a feed point of a dielectric antenna, electromagnetic waves from a dielectric core coupled to the feed point without an electrical return path, where at least a portion of the dielectric antenna comprises a conductive surface, directing, by the feed point, the electromagnetic waves to a proximal portion of the dielectric antenna, and radiating, via an aperture of the dielectric antenna, a wireless signal responsive to the electromagnetic waves being received at the aperture. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Method and apparatus for coupling an antenna to a device

A distributed antenna and backhaul system provide network connectivity for a small cell deployment. Rather than building new structures, and installing additional fiber and cable, embodiments described herein disclose using high-bandwidth, millimeter-wave communications and existing power line infrastructure. Above ground backhaul connections via power lines and line-of-sight millimeter-wave band signals as well as underground backhaul connections via buried electrical conduits can provide connectivity to the distributed base stations. An overhead millimeter-wave system can also be used to provide backhaul connectivity. Modules can be placed onto existing infrastructure, such as streetlights and utility poles, and the modules can contain base stations and antennas to transmit the millimeter-waves to and from other modules.

Backhaul link for distributed antenna system

A distributed antenna system is provided that frequency shifts the output of one or more microcells to a 60 GHz or higher frequency range for transmission to a set of distributed antennas. The cellular band outputs of these microcell base station devices are used to modulate a 60 GHz (or higher) carrier wave, yielding a group of subcarriers on the 60 GHz carrier wave. This group will then be transmitted in the air via analog microwave RF unit, after which it can be repeated or radiated to the surrounding area. The repeaters amplify the signal and resend it on the air again toward the next repeater. In places where a microcell is required, the 60 GHz signal is shifted in frequency back to its original frequency (e.g., the 1.9 GHz cellular band) and radiated locally to nearby mobile devices.

Remote distributed antenna system

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a device that facilitates transmitting electromagnetic waves along a surface of a wire that facilitates delivery of electric energy to devices, and sensing a condition that is adverse to the electromagnetic waves propagating along the surface of the wire. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Method and apparatus for sensing a condition in a transmission medium of electromagnetic waves

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a system for detecting a fault in a first wire of a power grid that affects a transmission or reception of electromagnetic waves that transport data and that propagate along a surface of the first wire, selecting a backup communication medium from one or more backup communication mediums according to one or more selection criteria, and redirecting the data to the backup communication medium to circumvent the fault. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Method and apparatus that provides fault tolerance in a communication network

An apparatus and method for steering and load-balancing mobile network traffic with user session awareness from multiple control and user plane protocols while understanding the load on the corresponding physical or virtual servers in cloud and virtual deployments is disclosed. This traffic could be monitored traffic, such as from optical taps, or network probes of mobile network interfaces, or port mirrors from network devices, or inline traffic when the load-balancer is logically placed inline in the network before the Virtual Network Functions, such as Virtual SGW (vSGW), Virtual SGSN (vSGSN), Virtual PGW (vPGW), Virtual MME (vMME), or Virtual Performance Enhancing proxy(vPEP). The apparatus and methods identified herein allow additional capabilities, such as ensuring that both directions of a protocol flow target the same physical or virtual server, or both control plane and user plane protocols of a flow are forwarded to the same server.

Multi-Interface, Multi-Layer State-full Load Balancer For RAN-Analytics Deployments In Multi-Chassis, Cloud And Virtual Server Environments

An application mobility-management entity (“AME”) in a radio-access network detects movement of a mobile device and routes application data for already-active application streams associated with the mobile device to the device's new location by establishing a connection to a second AME in the radio-access network. The second AME merges forwarded application data from/to the first AME for previously active application streams with the new application streams (e.g., new TCP connections) locally and forwards to/from the mobile device through the radio access network elements.

Session handover in mobile-network content-delivery devices

Methods for steering the access technology selection by a mobile device in an overlay Small-Cell and Macro Network, such as UMTS, LTE, CDMA, or WIFI are disclosed. This selection determination is based on the observed, real-time correlated and estimated network congestion, content-awareness, application/service expectations, and other criteria. Methods and procedures to influence network selection or control currently selected networks by propagating real-time correlated and consolidated information on a plurality of Radio Access Technologies to Access Points, or modifying the list of alternative Radio Access Technologies available at a location using standards defined mechanisms and parameters are identified. Additionally, steering content access and delivery through alternative access technologies, based on anticipated network usage by user's service activation, and the knowledge of the type, state and resource usage of a plurality of access networks when a mobile device connects to multiple access technologies through in-band or out-of-band mechanisms is identified.

Content and RAN aware network selection in multiple wireless access and small-cell overlay wireless access networks

The current invention is applicable to a RAN-cache or proxy operating in a wireless mobile network that is functioning as a transparent inline device intercepting wireless mobile protocols such as UMTS, LTE, WIMAX, CDMA etc.), or a traffic off-load device connected to multiple interfaces towards the Core/Internet. The current invention identifies methods for pre-fetching content by emulating portions of a mobile client for gaining connectivity through the mobile-core network, or to use session contexts of other mobile clients in a way not to significantly effect charging and billing for the preloaded content. The pre-load decision of what to pre-load and when to pre-load may be locally derived within the RAN-cache/Proxy device, or in-coordination with a locally connected CDN (Content Delivery Network) device. Other embodiments of the current invention include the RAN-cache/Proxy providing interconnectivity from the locally connected CDN device to other CDN devices through the Mobile Core Network (SGSN/GGSN in UMTS, S-GW/P-GW in LTE etc.).

Content pre-fetching and cdn assist methods in a wireless mobile network

The present invention identifies methods and procedures for correlating control plane and user plane data, consolidating and abstracting the learned and correlated data in a form convenient for minimizing and exporting to other network devices, such as those in the Core Network and the Access Network, or the origin server, CDN devices or client device. These correlation methods may use Control Plane information from a plurality of interfaces in the RAN, and User plane information from other interfaces in the RAN or CN. IF the device is deployed as an inline proxy, this information may be exported using in-band communication, such as HTTP extension headers in HTTP Request or Response packets, or another protocol header, such as the IP or GTP-U header field. Alternatively, this information can be exported out-of-band using a separate protocol between the RAN Transit Network Device (RTND) and the receiving device.

Charles W. Boyle

Papers

Multi-Interface, Multi-Layer State-full Load Balancer For RAN-Analytics Deployments In Multi-Chassis, Cloud And Virtual Server Environments

Session handover in mobile-network content-delivery devices

Content and RAN aware network selection in multiple wireless access and small-cell overlay wireless access networks

Content pre-fetching and cdn assist methods in a wireless mobile network

RAN Analytics, Control And Tuning Via Multi-Protocol, Multi-Domain, And Multi-RAT Analysis