Methods, apparatus, and systems for the process-efficient generation of data records for data communications involving groups or aggregates of user equipment (UE), such as IoT devices, are described. In one illustrative example, for each one of a plurality of UEs associated with a group or aggregation identifier (ID), a request which includes data indicative of a network resource usage event of the UE is received and the data are stored in association with the group or aggregation ID. In response to identifying a predetermined condition, the data indicative of the network resource usage events associated with the group or aggregation ID are aggregated, and a request for generating a data record based on the aggregated data is sent to a data function for generating the data record. The generated data record (e.g. a CDR) may be stored for subsequent retrieval for reporting, analysis, network/communications management, or billing.

Methods and apparatus for incentivizing device participation within a distributed network. In one exemplary embodiment, devices of a fog network may provide for example, computational, storage, and/or network resources in exchange for fungible tokens. In one such variant, the user contributions are recorded in a blockchain data structure, thereby enabling users to be compensated for their contributions of resources to the network at a later time. Unlike traditional networking techniques which often rely on centralized networks directing and/or commandeering user equipment for network bandwidth, the various aspects of the present disclosure are directed to ensuring that crediting and debiting of participation can be performed at the edge of the network (within the fog) without requiring authentication or trust exchanges. More directly, various aspects of the present disclosure are directed to verification and/or validation of work performed by peer devices.

Mechanisms for implementing a billing process between a first Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN1) and a second Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN2) for a subscriber of the PLMN1 that visits the PLMN2. A method comprises establishing a smart contract between the PLMN1, the PLMN2, and a Data Clearance House (DCH). The method comprises sending a subscriber usage record, represented by a distributed ledger, of the subscriber from the PLMN2 to the DCH using a blockchain upon the subscriber having visited the PLMN2, wherein the blockchain is based on the smart contract. The method comprises sending the subscriber usage record from the DCH to the PLMN1 using the blockchain.

An augmented reality-based lighting design method includes displaying, by an augmented reality device, a real-time image of a target physical area on a display screen. The method further includes displaying, by the augmented reality device, a lighting fixture 3-D model on the display screen in response to a user input, where the lighting fixture 3-D model is overlaid on the real-time image of the target physical area. The method also includes generating, by the augmented reality device, a bill of materials (BOM) that includes a lighting fixture corresponding to the lighting fixture 3-D model.

An augmented reality-based lighting design method includes displaying, by an augmented reality device, a real-time image of a target physical area on a display screen. The method further includes displaying, by the augmented reality device, a lighting fixture 3-D model on the display screen in response to a user input, where the lighting fixture 3-D model is overlaid on the real-time image of the target physical area. The method also includes displaying, by the augmented reality device, a lighting pattern on the display screen overlaid on the real-time image of the target physical area, wherein the lighting pattern is generated based on at least photometric data associated with the lighting fixture 3-D model.

Presented are methods and systems to universally assess composite utility consumption (1) in which a plurality of real-time and batch sensor readings such as from multiple disparate utility sensor data inputs (3) may be acquired and stored such as into a local device (2) or a central data warehouse (6). A composite utility estimated cost generator (9) can generate missing or uncorrelated data and a collected composite utility data information correlator (11) can correlate the data so it can be applied to determine some type of composite utility cost information. For real-time calculation, a disparate utility rate information accessor (8) can obtain multiple items of disparate rate information and this can use with correlated data to create a composite utility consumption and spend so a user can manage and control utility usage for a home, building, facility, plant, specific equipment, or the like. Cost information, such as a rate of spend or spend amount(s) to date or for a period may be presented to user in a variety of visualizations and reporting formats including specific time usage and spend information, specific time range usage and spend, and “time-of-use” billing information for specific real-time data points. The visualization and reporting may be used to answer a plurality of usage questions along with specific characterizations of utility spend across time of day domains and specific equipment usage domains thus affording more effective utility cost management.

An augmented reality-based lighting design method includes displaying, by an augmented reality device, a real-time image of a target physical area on a display screen. The method further includes displaying, by the augmented reality device, a lighting fixture 3-D model on the display screen in response to a user input, where the lighting fixture 3-D model is overlaid on the real-time image of the target physical area. The method also includes displaying, by the augmented reality device, a lighting pattern on the display screen overlaid on the real-time image of the target physical area, wherein the lighting pattern is generated based on at least photometric data associated with the lighting fixture 3-D model.

Methods and apparatus for incentivizing device participation within a distributed network. In one exemplary embodiment, devices of a fog network may provide for example, computational, storage, and/or network resources in exchange for fungible tokens. In one such variant, the user contributions are recorded in a blockchain data structure, thereby enabling users to be compensated for their contributions of resources to the network at a later time. Unlike traditional networking techniques which often rely on centralized networks directing and/or commandeering user equipment for network bandwidth, the various aspects of the present disclosure are directed to ensuring that crediting and debiting of participation can be performed at the edge of the network (within the fog) without requiring authentication or trust exchanges. More directly, various aspects of the present disclosure are directed to verification and/or validation of work performed by peer devices.

Asset management for a shared pool of configurable computing resources is disclosed. For a set of assets which share a resource on a first compute node, a set of asset weight values is identified. The set of asset weight values indicates a set of utilization shares of the resource by the set of assets. A set of asset priority values is identified with respect to the set of assets on the first compute node. The set of asset priority values indicates a relative status arrangement for the set of assets. Using the set of asset weight values and the set of asset priority values, a determination is made to migrate a first asset of the set of assets from the first compute node to a second compute node. Accordingly, the first asset of the set of assets is migrated from the first compute node to the second compute node.

Methods and apparatus for incentivizing device participation within a distributed network. In one exemplary embodiment, devices of a fog network may provide for example, computational, storage, and/or network resources in exchange for fungible tokens. In one such variant, the user contributions are recorded in a blockchain data structure, thereby enabling users to be compensated for their contributions of resources to the network at a later time. Unlike traditional networking techniques which often rely on centralized networks directing and/or commandeering user equipment for network bandwidth, the various aspects of the present disclosure are directed to ensuring that crediting and debiting of participation can be performed at the edge of the network (within the fog) without requiring authentication or trust exchanges. More directly, various aspects of the present disclosure are directed to verification and/or validation of work performed by peer devices.