Patents by Inventor Kevin C. Johns

Kevin C. Johns 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).

  • Publication number: 20200186993
    Abstract: Provided is a content delivery method and architecture for delivering content from a node in a content delivery network (CDN) using an anycast address to direct a requesting device to access a content manifest. The manifest server of the CDN may select the provided manifest based on information received from the requesting device and/or any other network information, may alter attributes of the manifest itself, or direct the requesting device to a different device or manifest server of the CDN to obtain the manifest. The selection of the manifest, alteration of the manifest, or new location to obtain the manifest causes the connection for content to occur at one or more servers accessible through a unicast address, rather than an anycast address.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2020
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Applicant: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Joelle T. Maslak, Kevin C. Johns
  • Publication number: 20200186613
    Abstract: Improved methods for retrieval of content from CDNs is provided that includes a rendezvous controller that receives information of an identification of content being requested and an estimated location of a content requesting device. Based on this information, the rendezvous system identifies a server within a CDN from which the requested content may be retrieved. The selected server may be based on a repeatable hash function such that the likelihood that the content being requested is cached at the selected server. Steering requests to a server of the CDN which may have the content cached may reduce the number of servers within the CDN with the same cached content, particularly for the highest requested content. The rendezvous system may then return a corresponding domain name associated with the selected server and that can be subsequently submitted to a DNS for resolution to the IP address of the identified server.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Applicant: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventor: Kevin C. Johns
  • Patent number: 10575167
    Abstract: Provided is a content delivery method and architecture for delivering content from a node in a content delivery network (CDN) using an anycast address to direct a requesting device to access a content manifest. The manifest server of the CDN may select the provided manifest based on information received from the requesting device and/or any other network information, may alter attributes of the manifest itself, or direct the requesting device to a different device or manifest server of the CDN to obtain the manifest. The selection of the manifest, alteration of the manifest, or new location to obtain the manifest causes the connection for content to occur at one or more servers accessible through a unicast address, rather than an anycast address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Joelle T. Maslak, Kevin C. Johns
  • Publication number: 20190349446
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure involve systems, methods, computer program products, and the like, for a content delivery network (CDN) architecture utilizing one or more proxy cache devices between a requesting device and an edge cluster of the CDN. The proxy cache device is a relatively high-speed device compared to various possible devices making up one or more edge clusters. Thus, if the proxy has cached the requested content, it is capable of directly servicing the client content request at a faster rate than providing the content from the edge cluster. Otherwise, the proxy cache may request the content from an edge cluster and store the content for quick retrieval in response to additional requests for the content. In one embodiment, the proxy cache may perform an analysis of the request or a series of requests to determine if the content is cached at the proxy cache device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2019
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Inventors: Joseph C. Lawrence, Kevin C. Johns, William R. Power
  • Publication number: 20190327608
    Abstract: Provided is a content delivery method and architecture for delivering content from a node in a content delivery network (CDN) using an anycast address to direct a requesting device to access a content manifest. The manifest server of the CDN may select the provided manifest based on information received from the requesting device and/or any other network information, may alter attributes of the manifest itself, or direct the requesting device to a different device or manifest server of the CDN to obtain the manifest. The selection of the manifest, alteration of the manifest, or new location to obtain the manifest causes the connection for content to occur at one or more servers accessible through a unicast address, rather than an anycast address.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2019
    Publication date: October 24, 2019
    Applicant: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Joelle T. Maslak, Kevin C. Johns
  • Patent number: 10367907
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure involve systems, methods, computer program products, and the like, for a content delivery network (CDN) architecture utilizing one or more proxy cache devices between a requesting device and an edge cluster of the CDN. The proxy cache device is a relatively high-speed device compared to various possible devices making up one or more edge clusters. Thus, if the proxy has cached the requested content, it is capable of directly servicing the client content request at a faster rate than providing the content from the edge cluster. Otherwise, the proxy cache may request the content from an edge cluster and store the content for quick retrieval in response to additional requests for the content. In one embodiment, the proxy cache may perform an analysis of the request or a series of requests to determine if the content is cached at the proxy cache device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph C. Lawrence, Kevin C. Johns, William R. Power
  • Patent number: 10341849
    Abstract: Provided is a content delivery method and architecture for delivering content from a node in a content delivery network (CDN) using an anycast address to direct a requesting device to access a content manifest. The manifest server of the CDN may select the provided manifest based on information received from the requesting device and/or any other network information, may alter attributes of the manifest itself, or direct the requesting device to a different device or manifest server of the CDN to obtain the manifest. The selection of the manifest, alteration of the manifest, or new location to obtain the manifest causes the connection for content to occur at one or more servers accessible through a unicast address, rather than an anycast address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Joelle T. Maslak, Kevin C. Johns
  • Publication number: 20180234714
    Abstract: A system and corresponding method facilitate resolution of discontinuities in manifest files used in the distribution of stored content. Resolution of discontinuities includes identifying each of a discontinuity in a first manifest file and a corresponding entry in a second manifest file for the same or substantially similar content segment stored at a different location. A combined manifest file is then generated by inserting the entry of the second manifest file or otherwise inserting the location information of the second manifest file entry into the first manifest file. The systems and methods herein may be implemented at various locations within a system for providing content to a client device and may be implemented at various times in the process of generating or distributing content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2018
    Publication date: August 16, 2018
    Applicant: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventor: Kevin C. Johns
  • Publication number: 20180091616
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure involve systems, methods, computer program products, and the like, for a content delivery network (CDN) architecture utilizing one or more proxy cache devices between a requesting device and an edge cluster of the CDN. The proxy cache device is a relatively high-speed device compared to various possible devices making up one or more edge clusters. Thus, if the proxy has cached the requested content, it is capable of directly servicing the client content request at a faster rate than providing the content from the edge cluster. Otherwise, the proxy cache may request the content from an edge cluster and store the content for quick retrieval in response to additional requests for the content. In one embodiment, the proxy cache may perform an analysis of the request or a series of requests to determine if the content is cached at the proxy cache device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2017
    Publication date: March 29, 2018
    Inventors: Joseph C. Lawrence, Kevin C. Johns, William R. Power
  • Publication number: 20180063705
    Abstract: Provided is a content delivery method and architecture for delivering content from a node in a content delivery network (CDN) using an anycast address to direct a requesting device to access a content manifest. The manifest server of the CDN may select the provided manifest based on information received from the requesting device and/or any other network information, may alter attributes of the manifest itself, or direct the requesting device to a different device or manifest server of the CDN to obtain the manifest. The selection of the manifest, alteration of the manifest, or new location to obtain the manifest causes the connection for content to occur at one or more servers accessible through a unicast address, rather than an anycast address.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2017
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Applicant: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Joel C. Maslak, Kevin C. Johns
  • Patent number: 9838497
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure involve systems, methods, computer program products, and the like, for a content delivery network (CDN) architecture utilizing one or more proxy cache devices between a requesting device and an edge cluster of the CDN. The proxy cache device is a relatively high speed device compared to various possible devices making up one or more edge clusters. Thus, if the proxy has cached the requested content, it is capable of directly servicing the client content request at a faster rate than providing the content from the edge cluster. Otherwise, the proxy cache may request the content from an edge cluster and store the content for quick retrieval in response to additional requests for the content. In one embodiment, the proxy cache may perform an analysis of the request or a series of requests to determine if the content is cached at the proxy cache device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph C. Lawrence, Kevin C. Johns, William R. Power
  • Patent number: 9219757
    Abstract: Message correlation wherein messages from multiple network elements may be correlated as a function of correlation IDs included within the messages. The correlation IDs may be determined independently by each network element and in a stateless manner. The correlation IDs may be unique for each session and determined from unique dialog information included within messages used to the support the session.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: Cable Television Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Kevin C. Johns
  • Publication number: 20150237159
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure involve systems, methods, computer program products, and the like, for a content delivery network (CDN) architecture utilizing one or more proxy cache devices between a requesting device and an edge cluster of the CDN. The proxy cache device is a relatively high speed device compared to various possible devices making up one or more edge clusters. Thus, if the proxy has cached the requested content, it is capable of directly servicing the client content request at a faster rate than providing the content from the edge cluster. Otherwise, the proxy cache may request the content from an edge cluster and store the content for quick retrieval in response to additional requests for the content. In one embodiment, the proxy cache may perform an analysis of the request or a series of requests to determine if the content is cached at the proxy cache device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2015
    Publication date: August 20, 2015
    Applicant: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph C. Lawrence, Kevin C. Johns, William R. Power
  • Patent number: 8305919
    Abstract: A method and system of managing end-to-end loss in a manner that allows phone calls to be executed across many networks at desirable end-to-end loss levels, including networks having fixed-loss stratagems, by controlling devices to adjust their local loss or gain in order to establish target end-to-end loss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Cable Television Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin C. Johns, David C. Hancock
  • Patent number: 8081748
    Abstract: A method, phone, and system for answering phone calls in such a manner as to limit or otherwise ameliorate interruptions to a called party and others in an environment of the called party. The answering optionally including silently answering the phone call with a message instead of requiring the called party to verbally communicate with a calling party.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Cable Television Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Kevin C. Johns
  • Publication number: 20110002229
    Abstract: A method and system of managing end-to-end loss in a manner that allows phone calls to be executed across many networks at desirable end-to-end loss levels, including networks having fixed-loss stratagems, by controlling devices to adjust their local loss or gain in order to establish target end-to-end loss.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2009
    Publication date: January 6, 2011
    Applicant: CABLE TELEVISION LABORATORIES, INC.
    Inventors: Kevin C. Johns, David C. Hancock
  • Patent number: 7539216
    Abstract: Method and system of determining addressing in a network environment where client devices are serviced by a number of last hop devices. The method and system including determining client device addresses serviced by the last hop devices as a function of last hop device addresses and client address masks associated with each last hop device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Cable Television Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin C. Johns, Eric S. Rosenfeld, Jean-François Mulé
  • Publication number: 20080162634
    Abstract: Message correlation wherein messages from multiple network elements may be correlated as a function of correlation IDs included within the messages. The correlation IDs may be determined independently by each network element and in a stateless manner. The correlation IDs may be unique for each session and determined from unique dialog information included within messages used to the support the session.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2006
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Applicant: Cable Television Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Kevin C. Johns
  • Publication number: 20080112555
    Abstract: A method, phone, and system for answering phone calls in such a manner as to limit or otherwise ameliorate interruptions to a called party and others in an environment of the called party. The answering optionally including silently answering the phone call with a message instead of requiring the called party to verbally communicate with a calling party.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2006
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicant: CABLE TELEVISION LABORATORIES, INC.
    Inventor: Kevin C. Johns