Patents by Inventor CRAIG WESLEY HOWARD

CRAIG WESLEY HOWARD 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: 11902258
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described to enable delivery of streaming content while inhibiting or preventing removal, blocking, or skipping of portions within that streaming content. A content delivery system can generate a manifest indicating content portions that form the streaming content. Each content portion can be identified in the manifest using a concealed identifier, which conceals the actual identifier of the content portion from the client to inhibit or prevent the client from automatically removing or modifying the content portion. On receiving a request for a content portion, the content delivery system can convert the concealed identifier into the actual identifier, and return the appropriate content portion to the client. In some instances, the specific identifiers included within a concealed manifest may be modified or adapted based on monitoring information of the client device, to ensure clients view given portions of streaming content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan F. Watson, Craig Wesley Howard, Gregory Kenneth Truax, Alex Xiaoye Zhang
  • Patent number: 11895212
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for read-only data store replication to edge locations are disclosed. A read-only data store is replicated to an edge server. A request for content is received at the edge server from a client device. The content is sought from a content cache at the edge server or from an origin server coupled to the edge server. Processing of the request is initiated, comprising encountering an event. The event is associated with a function specified by a customer, and the function specifies the read-only data store as input. The function associated with the event is executed at the edge server, including retrieval of data from the data store. The content is generated based at least in part on execution of the function. The content is sent from the edge server to the client device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Manigandan Radhakrishnan, Oleksii Zakharenko, Craig Wesley Howard, Venkatesh Vijayaraghavan, Shubham Katiyar
  • Patent number: 11863417
    Abstract: Systems and methods for sloppy routing are provided. A client transmits a DNS query corresponding to a requested resource to a content delivery network (CDN) service provider. In some embodiments, the CDN service provider processes the DNS query to determine whether a threshold content delivery bandwidth has been exceeded by data links at cache servers. In other embodiments, additionally or alternatively, the CDN service provider determines whether a content provider has exceeded a threshold network usage that indicates a price at which the CDN service provider to provide content on behalf of the content provider. Using both or either of these thresholds, the CDN service provider can further process the DNS query by providing an alternative resource identifier or a cache IP address, both associated with an alternative POP. In some embodiments, the CDN service provider determines a routing mode for the response to the DNS query.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Craig Wesley Howard, Hardeep Singh Uppal
  • Patent number: 11809404
    Abstract: Techniques are described for enabling a database service to provide a zonal consistency model for read and write operations involving database tables replicated across a plurality of availability zones of a cloud provider network according to some embodiments. A database service routes zonally consistent operations to request routers and storage nodes that are located in a same availability zone as the client device from which the request originates. For example, in contrast to standard write operations and strongly consistent read operations, which are processed by a leader storage node that may be located in a different availability zone than the originating request, zonally consistent operations can be processed by any storage node and, in particular, by a storage node in a same availability zone as the originating client device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Akhilesh Mritunjai, Akshat Vig, Craig Wesley Howard, Hao He
  • Patent number: 11762703
    Abstract: An on-demand code execution environment present in points of presence (POPs) and in regions serviced by the POPs is provided herein. For example, a POP may receive a request to execute a task associated with user-defined code. If the POP determines that the computing resources necessary to execute a received task are not available or that the POP should not execute the received task for another reason (e.g., the task is not commonly received and the computing resources needed to execute the task are therefore best allocated for other requests), the POP can forward the task to a region that the POP services for execution by an on-demand code execution environment present in the region. The on-demand code execution environment present in the region can execute the task and forward the results of the execution to the POP for distribution back to a user device that requested the task execution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Manigandan Radhakrishnan, Marc John Brooker, Yilmaz Can Cecen, David Alexander Dunlap, Craig Wesley Howard, Shubham Katiyar, Ajay Nair, Venkatesh Vijayaraghavan, Vo Vuong, Meenakshi Vembusubramanian
  • Patent number: 11604809
    Abstract: A distributed database management system comprises database nodes located in a plurality of availability zones. The system receives a request to store a table, and determines to store a number of replicas of the table in one or more availability zones. The system obtains information indicating that one of the availability zones has been designated as preferred. The system identifies a set of database nodes in the preferred availability zone, where the number of database nodes in the subset is sufficient to determine quorum among the replicas. The replicas are stored on the identified set of database nodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Akshat Vig, Rashmi Krishnaiah Setty, Craig Wesley Howard
  • Patent number: 11457088
    Abstract: An edge system receives requests from user devices to retrieves files from an origin server. Instead of retrieving the files as fast as possible, the edge system throttles the retrieval of files to a rate that just exceeds the speed at which the file is played by a browser or media player. The edge system determines an appropriate retrieval rate based on the contents of the file itself. For example, a manifest file associated with the file can indicate a time it takes to play back content and a bitrate of the content. Thus, the edge server can use this information to retrieve a file from an origin server at a rate that is just fast enough to minimize playback interruption. The retrieval rate determined by the edge server therefore does not rely on how fast or slow the user device retrieves the file from the edge server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan F. Watson, Craig Wesley Howard, Chaitanya Ashok Solapurkar
  • Patent number: 11381487
    Abstract: Systems and methods for sloppy routing are provided. A client transmits a DNS query corresponding to a requested resource to a content delivery network (CDN) service provider. In some embodiments, the CDN service provider processes the DNS query to determine whether a threshold content delivery bandwidth has been exceeded by data links at cache servers. In other embodiments, additionally or alternatively, the CDN service provider determines whether a content provider has exceeded a threshold network usage that indicates a price at which the CDN service provider to provide content on behalf of the content provider. Using both or either of these thresholds, the CDN service provider can further process the DNS query by providing an alternative resource identifier or a cache IP address, both associated with an alternative POP. In some embodiments, the CDN service provider determines a routing mode for the response to the DNS query.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Craig Wesley Howard, Hardeep Singh Uppal
  • Patent number: 11330008
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described to enable a DNS service to encode information into a network address to be advertised by the DNS service. Information encoded by a DNS service may include, for example, an identifier of a content set to which the network address corresponds (e.g., a domain name) and validity information, such as a digital signature, that verifies the validity of the network address. On receiving a request to communicate with the network address, a destination device associated with the network address may decode the encoded information within the network address to assist in processing the request. In some instances, the encoded information may be used to identify malicious network transmissions, such as transmissions forming part of a network attack, potentially without reliance on other data, such as separate mappings or contents of the data transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hardeep Singh Uppal, Jorge Vasquez, Craig Wesley Howard, Anton Stephen Radlein
  • Patent number: 11231862
    Abstract: Localized lookups for performing access requests to a database may be implemented. Mapping information for storage nodes of a network-based service storing different data for different databases may be obtained by a routing application co-hosted with a client application of the database at a same container host. Access requests from the client application are handled by the routing application and sent to storage nodes identified using the mapping information. An authorization token may be included along with the requests to verify authorization to perform the access request at the storage nodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Akshat Vig, Somasundaram Perianayagam, Rashmi Krishnaiah Setty, Stefano Stefani, James Christopher Sorenson, III, Craig Wesley Howard, Akhilesh Mritunjai
  • Patent number: 11128597
    Abstract: Techniques for information passing for content-based source selection via DNS are described. A domain name specified in a DNS lookup request includes one or more hostname and/or subdomain values that are generated based on obfuscating a path of the object that is ultimately to be sought by the client. The authoritative DNS server can identify the desired object, and select a particular network address for the lookup response in a more intelligent manner based on characteristics of the sought object, server location availabilities and characteristics, client device characteristics, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Adam B. Johnson, Jorge Peixoto Vasquez, Craig Wesley Howard
  • Patent number: 11070645
    Abstract: A data delivery service of a service provider may receive respective job specifications for different data transfer jobs between computing infrastructure collections (e.g., data centers). A job specification for a data transfer job may include an amount of data to be transferred for the data transfer job, one or more destinations of data transfers for the data transfer job, and/or one or more flexibility parameters for successful transfer of the data for the data transfer job (e.g., a deadline to transfer the data, available data delivery techniques). The data delivery service may determine a schedule for performing different data transfer jobs between two or more infrastructures based on an analysis of the amount of data to be transferred for each job, the destinations of the data transfer for each job, the flexibility parameters for each job (e.g., included in the respective job specifications), and the connectivity between computing infrastructure collections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin Warren Mercier, Thomas Bradley Scholl, Douglas Brian Terry, Craig Wesley Howard
  • Publication number: 20210185114
    Abstract: An origin server that is implemented within one or more devices within a third party virtual private cloud (VPC) is provided herein. Instead of communicating with various CDNs over a public network, the third party VPC may instead communicate with a managed VPC via a private network. Thus, no gateway, network address translation (NAT), or other such devices may be needed for the third party VPC and the managed VPC to communicate. Rather, a VPC identifier of the managed VPC and a VPC identifier of the third party VPC are used to pair the two VPCs. Once paired, a private route is set up such that points from the private address space of the third party VPC to the private address space of the managed VPC. The managed VPC then communicates directly with the various CDNs via a public network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2021
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Inventors: Matthew Graham Baldwin, Craig Wesley Howard, Donavan Miller
  • Publication number: 20210075881
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for customizable event-triggered computation at edge locations are disclosed. A request for content is received at an edge server from a client device. The content is sought from a content cache at the edge server or from an origin server coupled to the edge server. Processing of the request is initiated, comprising encountering an event. The event is associated with a function specified by a customer. The function associated with the event is executed at the edge server using process isolation. The content is generated based at least in part on execution of the function. The content is sent from the edge server to the client device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2020
    Publication date: March 11, 2021
    Applicant: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Manigandan Radhakrishnan, Oleksii Zakharenko, Craig Wesley Howard, Venkatesh Vijayaraghavan, Shubham Katiyar
  • Patent number: 10938884
    Abstract: An origin server that is implemented within one or more devices within a third party virtual private cloud (VPC) is provided herein. Instead of communicating with various CDNs over a public network, the third party VPC may instead communicate with a managed VPC via a private network. Thus, no gateway, network address translation (NAT), or other such devices may be needed for the third party VPC and the managed VPC to communicate. Rather, a VPC identifier of the managed VPC and a VPC identifier of the third party VPC are used to pair the two VPCs. Once paired, a private route is set up such that points from the private address space of the third party VPC to the private address space of the managed VPC. The managed VPC then communicates directly with the various CDNs via a public network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Graham Baldwin, Craig Wesley Howard, Donavan Miller
  • Publication number: 20210042163
    Abstract: An on-demand code execution environment present in points of presence (POPs) and in regions serviced by the POPs is provided herein. For example, a POP may receive a request to execute a task associated with user-defined code. If the POP determines that the computing resources necessary to execute a received task are not available or that the POP should not execute the received task for another reason (e.g., the task is not commonly received and the computing resources needed to execute the task are therefore best allocated for other requests), the POP can forward the task to a region that the POP services for execution by an on-demand code execution environment present in the region. The on-demand code execution environment present in the region can execute the task and forward the results of the execution to the POP for distribution back to a user device that requested the task execution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2020
    Publication date: February 11, 2021
    Inventors: Manigandan Radhakrishnan, Marc John Brooker, Yilmaz Can Cecen, David Alexander Dunlap, Craig Wesley Howard, Shubham Katiyar, Ajay Nair, Venkatesh Vijayaraghavan, Vo Vuong, Meenakshi Vembusubramanian
  • Patent number: 10848582
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for customizable event-triggered computation at edge locations are disclosed. A request for content is received at an edge server from a client device. The content is sought from a content cache at the edge server or from an origin server coupled to the edge server. Processing of the request is initiated, comprising encountering an event. The event is associated with a function specified by a customer. The function associated with the event is executed at the edge server using process isolation. The content is generated based at least in part on execution of the function. The content is sent from the edge server to the client device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Manigandan Radhakrishnan, Oleksii Zakharenko, Craig Wesley Howard, Venkatesh Vijayaraghavan, Shubham Katiyar
  • Patent number: 10831549
    Abstract: An on-demand code execution environment present in points of presence (POPs) and in regions serviced by the POPs is provided herein. For example, a POP may receive a request to execute a task associated with user-defined code. If the POP determines that the computing resources necessary to execute a received task are not available or that the POP should not execute the received task for another reason (e.g., the task is not commonly received and the computing resources needed to execute the task are therefore best allocated for other requests), the POP can forward the task to a region that the POP services for execution by an on-demand code execution environment present in the region. The on-demand code execution environment present in the region can execute the task and forward the results of the execution to the POP for distribution back to a user device that requested the task execution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Manigandan Radhakrishnan, Marc John Brooker, Yilmaz Can Cecen, David Alexander Dunlap, Craig Wesley Howard, Shubham Katiyar, Ajay Nair, Venkatesh Vijayaraghavan, Vo Vuong, Meenakshi Vembusubramanian
  • Publication number: 20200329019
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described to enable delivery of streaming content while inhibiting or preventing removal, blocking, or skipping of portions within that streaming content. A content delivery system can generate a manifest indicating content portions that form the streaming content. Each content portion can be identified in the manifest using a concealed identifier, which conceals the actual identifier of the content portion from the client to inhibit or prevent the client from automatically removing or modifying the content portion. On receiving a request for a content portion, the content delivery system can convert the concealed identifier into the actual identifier, and return the appropriate content portion to the client. In some instances, the specific identifiers included within a concealed manifest may be modified or adapted based on monitoring information of the client device, to ensure clients view given portions of streaming content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2020
    Publication date: October 15, 2020
    Inventors: Ryan F. Watson, Craig Wesley Howard, Gregory Kenneth Truax, Alex Xiaoye Zhang
  • Publication number: 20200287817
    Abstract: Systems and methods for sloppy routing are provided. A client transmits a DNS query corresponding to a requested resource to a content delivery network (CDN) service provider. In some embodiments, the CDN service provider processes the DNS query to determine whether a threshold content delivery bandwidth has been exceeded by data links at cache servers. In other embodiments, additionally or alternatively, the CDN service provider determines whether a content provider has exceeded a threshold network usage that indicates a price at which the CDN service provider to provide content on behalf of the content provider. Using both or either of these thresholds, the CDN service provider can further process the DNS query by providing an alternative resource identifier or a cache IP address, both associated with an alternative POP. In some embodiments, the CDN service provider determines a routing mode for the response to the DNS query.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2020
    Publication date: September 10, 2020
    Inventors: Craig Wesley Howard, Hardeep Singh Uppal