Patents Assigned to CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC
  • Patent number: 11910056
    Abstract: Examples of the present disclosure relate to content delivery using distributed ledger and AI-based transcoding technologies. In examples, content is received by a content distribution network (CDN) from a content source. The content may be in a lower-quality or different format than is distributed via the CDN. Accordingly, a transcoding model is identified and used to transcode the content. Multiple transcoding models may be used for different content parts to adapt to changing content types (e.g., a sports subpart, an advertising subpart, etc.). Transcoding may occur at edge nodes, such that the original content is transmitted within the CDN, thereby conserving resources. Additionally, transcoded content may be cached, such that the content need not be transcoded in response to every request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC
    Inventors: Steven M. Casey, Stephen Opferman
  • Patent number: 11909625
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure include systems, methods, computing devices, computer-implemented methods, and the like for modeling and/or simulating performance of a telecommunications network during one or more failure scenarios that reduces computational time and/or power over previous simulation techniques. Modeling and simulating the network may include generating an initial network model from network data information and applying one or more transformations to the initial network model to reduce the size of the model. Following transformation, simulation methods may be applied to the generated network model based on routing characteristics of the components of the network. To reduce the computations utilized to simulate such components and/or routing decisions in the network, one or more simulation algorithms may be applied to the transformed network model to reduce the number of routing decisions simulated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC
    Inventor: Daniel Wilson
  • Publication number: 20240048525
    Abstract: Multiple Anycast regions may be defined, and a separate Anycast address may be used for each region in order to localize client requests. In examples, when one or more Anycast servers in a first Anycast region fail or become overburdened (or are predicted to do so), one or more Anycast server in another, geographically or logically separate Anycast region that has additional capacity to handle client service requests may be dynamically added to the first Anycast region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Applicant: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC
    Inventors: Dean Ballew, John R.B. Woodworth
  • Publication number: 20240048450
    Abstract: This disclosure describes systems, methods, and devices related to staging a universal customer edge gateway device. A universal customer edge gateway device may generate, prior to deployment of the universal customer edge gateway device at a customer location, copies of virtual network function (VNF) operating system (OS) images on the universal customer edge gateway device, the copies including a first copy of a first VNF OS image and a second copy of a second VNF OS image; identify, during a deployment of the universal customer edge gateway device at the customer location, a selection of the first copy from a list of the copies; copy, during the deployment and based on the selection, the first VNF OS image to the universal customer edge gateway device; and instantiate, at the universal customer edge gateway device, the copied first VNF OS image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Applicant: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC
    Inventors: Austin MOALEJI, Pavan RAMPALLI
  • Publication number: 20240048587
    Abstract: Systems and methods for mitigating DNS amplification attacks are provided. In one example, a threat intelligence system collects data about the requests received by a DNS server, and/or responses generated by the DNS server. The threat intelligence system triggers a threat mitigation action upon detecting evidence (in one or more forms) of a DNS amplification attack. The threat mitigation action may include filtering DNS responses generated by the DNS server. The filtering rule may indicate that a DNS response in which the payload size is above a threshold payload size is to be dropped. In examples, the payload threshold size is dynamically set by the threat intelligence system using a machine learning model to minimize the filtering of DNS responses for valid DNS queries, while maximizing filtering of DNS responses for malicious DNS queries.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Applicant: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC
    Inventors: John R.B. Woodworth, Dean Ballew
  • Publication number: 20240036285
    Abstract: Handheld tools are provided for removing a wire from within an optical cable. For example, the handheld tool may be used to remove a copper wire from a fiber optic drop cable in an efficient manner without damaging other components of the fiber optic drop cable. Advantageously, the optical cable may be used immediately after the wire is removed without further steps by the technician, such as re-applying an outer protective sleeve, as is commonly required with known tools.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2023
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Applicant: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC
    Inventor: Nathan Hoffman
  • Publication number: 20240031436
    Abstract: Systems and methods for dynamic storage and forwarding of data are described. When remote storage is unreachable by a device via a wide area network (WAN), the device may negotiate for temporary storage on another device connected to the same local area network (LAN). The temporary storage may have a specified storage amount and a specified storage time. The specified storage amount and/or specified storage time may be renegotiated if more space or time is desired. Temporary storage on multiple devices connected to the LAN may be available. The data in temporary storage may be transferred between different LAN devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2023
    Publication date: January 25, 2024
    Applicant: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC
    Inventors: Dean Ballew, John R.B. Woodworth
  • Publication number: 20240031402
    Abstract: When several devices communicate through a wireless network, a device may, for example, as a result of having been compromised, transmit an unacceptably high level of traffic, which may interfere with the ability of other devices to communicate through the network, and which may burden the processing resources of devices receiving the traffic. As such, a system and method for suppressing transmissions from a wireless device are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2023
    Publication date: January 25, 2024
    Applicant: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC
    Inventors: Dean Ballew, John R.B. Woodworth
  • Publication number: 20240031329
    Abstract: Systems and methods for simplifying the assignment and management of IP addresses are provided. In examples, a DHCP relay agent system receives an IP address request or similar discover message from a client computing device and forwards the request to one or more DHCP servers. In addition to forwarding the request, the DHCP relay agent system may be configured to append and forward information related to the DHCP negotiation process to a DHCP server. For example, the indication of operations may include executable instructions, such as opcodes, that facilitate the offer of an IP address lease. Parameters necessary for executing the operations, such as operands, may also be appended. In examples, the DHCP server may effectively operate as a processor, virtual processor, or virtual machine in the lease negotiation process, where IP address assignment or management decisions are pre-defined by the configuration information of the DHCP relay agent system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2023
    Publication date: January 25, 2024
    Applicant: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC
    Inventors: Dean Ballew, John R.B. Woodworth
  • Patent number: 11881979
    Abstract: Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing error detection in a network, and, more particularly, to methods, systems, and apparatuses for implementing error and/or fault detection in a network and/or media stream and providing options to address the error and/or fault in the network and/or media stream. In various embodiments, a computer might detect an error in a first network and send a notification indicating that the error has occurred. The notification might contain one or more options to address the error in the first network. The computer, a user device, a service provider device, or a content provider device might receive and display the notification containing the one or more options. The computer, the user device, the service provider device, or the content provider device might then select at least one of the one or more options to address the error in the first network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC
    Inventors: Michael D. Sprenger, Steven M. Casey, Katie S. Feiman, Zubin Ingah
  • Publication number: 20240022574
    Abstract: Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing data and source validation for equipment output data and/or for equipment failure predict. In various embodiments, in response to receiving a first request for first data that is output by first equipment, a computing system might retrieve and analyze the first data to determine whether the first data can be trusted. If so, the computing system might send the first data to the requesting device. If not, the computing system might send a second request for identifying a blockchain containing a block containing a copy of the first data. In response to the blockchain system identifying such a blockchain, the computing system might receive the identified blockchain; might abstract the block containing the copy of the first data from the identified blockchain; might abstract the first data from the block; and might send the first data to the requesting device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2023
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Applicant: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC
    Inventors: Steven M. Casey, Kevin M. McBride, William O'Brien, JR., Stephen Opferman
  • Patent number: 11877174
    Abstract: Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing telecommunications equipment health monitoring and management. In various embodiments, a computing system might receive, from a monitoring sensor(s), one or more characteristics of each of at least one of telecommunications equipment, telecommunications equipment batteries, or battery strings, in some cases via a network maintenance tunnel. The computing system might analyze the monitored one or more characteristics to identify each telecommunications equipment, each telecommunications equipment battery, or each battery string having equipment health issues.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC
    Inventors: Ronald A. Lewis, Mark B. Nielsen
  • Patent number: 11868666
    Abstract: Systems and methods for securely and remotely storing data in a remote, distributed redundant array of independent drives (RAID) is provided. RAID storage is accomplished through a series of mapped drives, non-routable Internet protocol (IP) addresses, and routable IP addresses. In addition, authorization to access a RAID controller, network address translation (NAT) system, and domain name system (DNS) system may all be separated, increasing security and allowing storage to be securely distributed among a variety of dispersed storage locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC
    Inventor: Steven A. Spitzer
  • Publication number: 20230421561
    Abstract: Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing customer resource telemetry and use as a service. In various embodiments, a computing system might receive, from a user, a request to access at least one network-accessible resource associated with a customer of a service provider, the user being unassociated and unrelated with the customer; might identify at least one of a user identification, a company, or a class of user associated with the user; might determine whether at least one resource record associated with the customer indicates that the user has permission to access the at least one network-accessible resource, based on the identification. If so, the computing system might provide the user with access to the at least one network-accessible resource associated with the customer. If not, the computing system might deny, to the user, access to the at least one network-accessible resource associated with the customer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2023
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Applicant: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC
    Inventor: Michael K. Bugenhagen
  • Patent number: 11856040
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a system and method for providing dynamic remediation of a pluggable streaming device issue, such as a customer premises equipment (CPE) device. Sometimes, various features of the CPE device to begin to fail. For example, synchronization of the audio and video streams may drift, media rental purchases may time out, or playback may throttle to low quality. Such failures can be caused by device or network issues. The present disclosure describes a CPE remediation system that operates to identify a failure associated with playing media streamed by the CPE device. The CPE remediation system may further determine a solution to remediate an observed CPE device-related failure. In some examples, the CPE remediation process may further provide or perform one or more actions included in the determined solution. In some examples, the solution may include a warm or a cold reboot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC
    Inventors: John R. B. Woodworth, Dean Ballew
  • Publication number: 20230412660
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a system and method for providing dynamic remediation of a pluggable streaming device issue, such as a customer premises equipment (CPE) device. Sometimes, various features of the CPE device to begin to fail. For example, synchronization of the audio and video streams may drift, media rental purchases may time out, or playback may throttle to low quality. Such failures can be caused by device or network issues. The present disclosure describes a CPE remediation system that operates to identify a failure associated with playing media streamed by the CPE device. The CPE remediation system may further determine a solution to remediate an observed CPE device-related failure. In some examples, the CPE remediation process may further provide or perform one or more actions included in the determined solution. In some examples, the solution may include a warm or a cold reboot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2023
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Applicant: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC
    Inventors: John R.B. Woodworth, Dean Ballew
  • Publication number: 20230413079
    Abstract: A wireless testing system is provided that testing transmission speeds associated with a WLAN or other wireless network. In one instance, a network transmission between a device in a telecommunications network and a modem be measured and initiated via an application executed on a mobile device. One or more Wi-Fi speed tests may also be performed to determine a transmission speed between a wireless device associated with the premises and the modem of the WLAN. To conduct the Wi-Fi speed test, a mobile device (such as the mobile device executing the application) may transmit, in some instances in response to an input to the mobile device, an instruction to the test controller to conduct the Wi-Fi speed test. The measured transmission speeds may be controlled by a controller that may store the speed test results in a network repository available to the mobile device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2023
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Applicant: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC
    Inventors: William J. Keaton, Brian E. Bond, David J. Moore
  • Publication number: 20230412471
    Abstract: An edge computing telecommunications network is provided for efficiently generating and updating computing models for use at distributed devices connected to different edge compute sites of the network. A network orchestration system may track devices connected to the network and the edge compute sites to which they are connected. The devices may comprise limited computing power and may include sensors or other data collection mechanisms. Raw data may be provided from connected devices to one or more edge compute sites. Edge compute sites may be instructed, e.g., by the network orchestration system, whether to replicate the raw data, modify the data to make it ready for consumption by a computing model, replicate the modified data, refine the computing model, replicate the refined computing model, and/or share some or all of the raw data, modified data, and/or refined computing model with other edge computing sites and/or connected devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2023
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Applicant: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC
    Inventors: Ronald A. Lewis, Alison Grayson, Carlos Santiago
  • Publication number: 20230409246
    Abstract: Systems and methods for securely and remotely storing data in a remote, distributed redundant array of independent drives (RAID) is provided. RAID storage is accomplished through a series of mapped drives, non-routable Internet protocol (IP) addresses, and routable IP addresses. In addition, authorization to access a RAID controller, network address translation (NAT) system, and domain name system (DNS) system may all be separated, increasing security and allowing storage to be securely distributed among a variety of dispersed storage locations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2022
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Applicant: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC
    Inventor: Steven A. SPITZER
  • Publication number: 20230403557
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes providing a system and method for providing remote servicing of a customer device over a secure short-range wireless communication network connection. The customer device may be configured to securely establish a secure short-range wireless network communication connection between the customer device and a mobile device associated with an authorized user. When the mobile device is communicatively coupled with a customer device, the user may be enabled to access various installation, configuration, troubleshooting, and/or settings changing services on the customer device via the secure short-range wireless communication channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2023
    Publication date: December 14, 2023
    Applicant: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC
    Inventors: Shaun Hawkinson, Kevin Lu