Patents by Inventor Austin D. Ritchie

Austin D. Ritchie has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11616687
    Abstract: A dynamic controller to automatically generate layer 3 network connections between devices and/or networks associated with a virtual computing environment in response to a request for such connections is provided such that communications associated with the computing environment may be transmitted between the endpoints. For example, the dynamic controller may connect one or more cloud service provider networks, one or more customer-controlled data centers, one or more customer networks, and the like, based on information provided in a connection request. A layer 3 communication controller may also be instantiated within a core network that manages the flow of communications between the connected networks, such as by translating messages between the connected networks so that messages intended for a connected network may match the supported communication protocols of that network and/or providing one or more security features to the transmitted communications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventor: Austin D. Ritchie
  • Publication number: 20220255800
    Abstract: A dynamic controller to automatically generate layer 3 network connections between devices and/or networks associated with a virtual computing environment in response to a request for such connections is provided such that communications associated with the computing environment may be transmitted between the endpoints. For example, the dynamic controller may connect one or more cloud service provider networks, one or more customer-controlled data centers, one or more customer networks, and the like, based on information provided in a connection request. A layer 3 communication controller may also be instantiated within a core network that manages the flow of communications between the connected networks, such as by translating messages between the connected networks so that messages intended for a connected network may match the supported communication protocols of that network and/or providing one or more security features to the transmitted communications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2022
    Publication date: August 11, 2022
    Applicant: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventor: Austin D. Ritchie
  • Publication number: 20220255773
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure involve systems and methods for utilizing Virtual Local Area Network separation in a connection, which may be a single connection, between a customer to a telecommunications network and a cloud environment to allow the customer to access multiple instances within the cloud through the connection. A customer may purchase multiple cloud resource instances from a public cloud environment and, utilizing the telecommunications network, connect to the multiple instances through a communication port or connection to the cloud environment. To utilize the single connection or port, communication packets intended for the cloud environment may be tagged with a VLAN tag that indicates to which cloud instance the packet is intended. The telecommunications network may route the packet to the intended cloud environment and configure one or more aspects of the cloud environment to analyze the attached VLAN tag to transmit the packet to the intended instance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2022
    Publication date: August 11, 2022
    Applicant: Level 3 Communication, LLC
    Inventor: Austin D. Ritchie
  • Patent number: 11323292
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure involve systems and methods for utilizing Virtual Local Area Network separation in a connection, which may be a single connection, between a customer to a telecommunications network and a cloud environment to allow the customer to access multiple instances within the cloud through the connection. A customer may purchase multiple cloud resource instances from a public cloud environment and, utilizing the telecommunications network, connect to the multiple instances through a communication port or connection to the cloud environment. To utilize the single connection or port, communication packets intended for the cloud environment may be tagged with a VLAN tag that indicates to which cloud instance the packet is intended. The telecommunications network may route the packet to the intended cloud environment and configure one or more aspects of the cloud environment to analyze the attached VLAN tag to transmit the packet to the intended instance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventor: Austin D. Ritchie
  • Patent number: 11323319
    Abstract: A dynamic controller to automatically generate layer 3 network connections between devices and/or networks associated with a virtual computing environment in response to a request for such connections is provided such that communications associated with the computing environment may be transmitted between the endpoints. For example, the dynamic controller may connect one or more cloud service provider networks, one or more customer-controlled data centers, one or more customer networks, and the like, based on information provided in a connection request. A layer 3 communication controller may also be instantiated within a core network that manages the flow of communications between the connected networks, such as by translating messages between the connected networks so that messages intended for a connected network may match the supported communication protocols of that network and/or providing one or more security features to the transmitted communications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventor: Austin D. Ritchie
  • Publication number: 20210058290
    Abstract: A dynamic controller to automatically generate layer 3 network connections between devices and/or networks associated with a virtual computing environment in response to a request for such connections is provided such that communications associated with the computing environment may be transmitted between the endpoints. For example, the dynamic controller may connect one or more cloud service provider networks, one or more customer-controlled data centers, one or more customer networks, and the like, based on information provided in a connection request. A layer 3 communication controller may also be instantiated within a core network that manages the flow of communications between the connected networks, such as by translating messages between the connected networks so that messages intended for a connected network may match the supported communication protocols of that network and/or providing one or more security features to the transmitted communications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Applicant: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventor: Austin D. Ritchie
  • Publication number: 20200366528
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure involve systems and methods for utilizing Virtual Local Area Network separation in a connection, which may be a single connection, between a customer to a telecommunications network and a cloud environment to allow the customer to access multiple instances within the cloud through the connection. A customer may purchase multiple cloud resource instances from a public cloud environment and, utilizing the telecommunications network, connect to the multiple instances through a communication port or connection to the cloud environment. To utilize the single connection or port, communication packets intended for the cloud environment may be tagged with a VLAN tag that indicates to which cloud instance the packet is intended. The telecommunications network may route the packet to the intended cloud environment and configure one or more aspects of the cloud environment to analyze the attached VLAN tag to transmit the packet to the intended instance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Applicant: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventor: Austin D. Ritchie
  • Patent number: 10742447
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure involve systems and methods for utilizing Virtual Local Area Network separation in a connection, which may be a single connection, between a customer to a telecommunications network and a cloud environment to allow the customer to access multiple instances within the cloud through the connection. A customer may purchase multiple cloud resource instances from a public cloud environment and, utilizing the telecommunications network, connect to the multiple instances through a communication port or connection to the cloud environment. To utilize the single connection or port, communication packets intended for the cloud environment may be tagged with a VLAN tag that indicates to which cloud instance the packet is intended. The telecommunications network may route the packet to the intended cloud environment and configure one or more aspects of the cloud environment to analyze the attached VLAN tag to transmit the packet to the intended instance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventor: Austin D. Ritchie
  • Publication number: 20200244486
    Abstract: A method for transmitting data over networks includes associating Customer Edge Virtual Local Area Network (CE-VLAN) identifiers with an Ethernet Virtual Connection (EVC). Each of the CE-VLAN identifiers is assigned to a respective Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) of a cloud computing environment and the EVC extends between a first network and the cloud computing environment through a second network. The EVC is also configured to transmit packets including any of the CE-VLAN identifiers to the cloud computing environment. The method further includes transmitting a packet received from the first network and including one of the CE-VLAN identifiers to the cloud computing environment using the EVC.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2020
    Publication date: July 30, 2020
    Applicant: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Jin-Gen Wang, Michael L. Nyhus, Austin D. Ritchie
  • Publication number: 20200228373
    Abstract: Methods and systems for facilitating communication between two or more autonomous system instances include the instantiation of a bridge between the autonomous system (AS) instances. The bridge includes multiple virtual routers each of which is connected using a Layer 2 and a Layer 3 connection to a respective one of the AS instances. For example, each router may be connected to a respective AS instance by each of a virtual local area network (VLAN) connection and a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) session. To facilitate the BGP session, the bridge may be assigned an AS number (ASN) different than that of each of the AS instances and that is exchanged between the routers and the AS instances. Routing within the bridge may be facilitated by the exchange of interior gateway protocol (IGP) information between the virtual routers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Publication date: July 16, 2020
    Applicant: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Michael E. Feldpusch, Jin-Gen Wang, Austin D. Ritchie
  • Patent number: 10630508
    Abstract: A method for transmitting data over networks includes associating Customer Edge Virtual Local Area Network (CE-VLAN) identifiers with an Ethernet Virtual Connection (EVC). Each of the CE-VLAN identifiers is assigned to a respective Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) of a cloud computing environment and the EVC extends between a first network and the cloud computing environment through a second network. The EVC is also configured to transmit packets including any of the CE-VLAN identifiers to the cloud computing environment. The method further includes transmitting a packet received from the first network and including one of the CE-VLAN identifiers to the cloud computing environment using the EVC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Jin-Gen Wang, Michael L. Nyhus, Austin D. Ritchie
  • Patent number: 10608841
    Abstract: Methods and systems for facilitating communication between two or more autonomous system instances include the instantiation of a bridge between the autonomous system (AS) instances. The bridge includes multiple virtual routers each of which is connected using a Layer 2 and a Layer 3 connection to a respective one of the AS instances. For example, each router may be connected to a respective AS instance by each of a virtual local area network (VLAN) connection and a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) session. To facilitate the BGP session, the bridge may be assigned an AS number (ASN) different than that of each of the AS instances and that is exchanged between the routers and the AS instances. Routing within the bridge may be facilitated by the exchange of interior gateway protocol (IGP) information between the virtual routers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Michael E. Feldpusch, Jin-Gen Wang, Austin D. Ritchie
  • Publication number: 20190132152
    Abstract: A method for transmitting data over networks includes associating Customer Edge Virtual Local Area Network (CE-VLAN) identifiers with an Ethernet Virtual Connection (EVC). Each of the CE-VLAN identifiers is assigned to a respective Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) of a cloud computing environment and the EVC extends between a first network and the cloud computing environment through a second network. The EVC is also configured to transmit packets including any of the CE-VLAN identifiers to the cloud computing environment. The method further includes transmitting a packet received from the first network and including one of the CE-VLAN identifiers to the cloud computing environment using the EVC.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2018
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Applicant: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Jin-Gen Wang, Michael L. Nyhus, Austin D. Ritchie
  • Publication number: 20190036733
    Abstract: Methods and systems for facilitating communication between two or more autonomous system instances include the instantiation of a bridge between the autonomous system (AS) instances. The bridge includes multiple virtual routers each of which is connected using a Layer 2 and a Layer 3 connection to a respective one of the AS instances. For example, each router may be connected to a respective AS instance by each of a virtual local area network (VLAN) connection and a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) session. To facilitate the BGP session, the bridge may be assigned an AS number (ASN) different than that of each of the AS instances and that is exchanged between the routers and the AS instances. Routing within the bridge may be facilitated by the exchange of interior gateway protocol (IGP) information between the virtual routers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Applicant: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Michael E. Feldpusch, Jin-Gen Wang, Austin D. Ritchie
  • Publication number: 20190014038
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure involve systems and methods for utilizing Virtual Local Area Network separation in a connection, which may be a single connection, between a customer to a telecommunications network and a cloud environment to allow the customer to access multiple instances within the cloud through the connection. A customer may purchase multiple cloud resource instances from a public cloud environment and, utilizing the telecommunications network, connect to the multiple instances through a communication port or connection to the cloud environment. To utilize the single connection or port, communication packets intended for the cloud environment may be tagged with a VLAN tag that indicates to which cloud instance the packet is intended. The telecommunications network may route the packet to the intended cloud environment and configure one or more aspects of the cloud environment to analyze the attached VLAN tag to transmit the packet to the intended instance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2018
    Publication date: January 10, 2019
    Inventor: Austin D. Ritchie