Patents by Inventor Kevin M. McBride
Kevin M. McBride 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).
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Patent number: 10110710Abstract: Novel tools and techniques might provide for implementing extension of customer local area networks (“LANs”) and/or implementing isolated service overlays over a network. In some embodiments, a network service point that is located external to a demarcation point at each of a plurality of customer premises might establish a connection between a service provider network and a customer LAN, which has already been established within a customer premises. The system subsequently extends the customer LAN, via this connection, to span between the network service point and the customer premises. Alternatively, or additionally, the system might establish two or more isolated service overlays across the customer LAN between the network service point and the customer premises, each of the two or more isolated service overlays having network traffic that is isolated from network traffic transmitted along another of the two or more isolated service overlays.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 2016Date of Patent: October 23, 2018Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLCInventors: Charles I. Cook, Michael K. Bugenhagen, Kevin M. McBride, Andrew V. Cook
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Patent number: 10095845Abstract: A license manager includes a processor and non-transitory computer readable media having encoded thereon a set of instructions executable by the at least one processor to receive a request, from a virtual machine, to reserve an individual license of the set of authorized licenses for a vendor software instance, determine the availability licenses for the requested vendor software, register a unique identifier of the virtual machine in association with an available individual license, grant the individual license to the virtual machine, and prevent the granted individual license from concurrent use by other virtual machines or devices.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2015Date of Patent: October 9, 2018Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLCInventors: Steven M. Casey, Thomas Schwengler, Kevin M. McBride, Felipe Castro
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Patent number: 10084669Abstract: Novel tools and techniques are provided for remotely configuring and orchestrating multifunctional cloud devices located on customer premises, in some cases, using a smart cloud adaptive device. In some embodiments, the smart cloud adaptive device, which might have one or more wireless programmable radios configured to communicate with a network termination device, might communicate with a cloud configuration server over a network via the one or more wireless programmable radios (and, in some embodiments, through the network termination device). The smart cloud adaptive device might transmit device identification information associated with a customer and/or service codes indicative of services to be provided to the customer. The smart cloud adaptive device might receive one or more configuration files from the cloud configuration server based on the service codes, and enable functionality among a plurality of functionalities to provision the services, based on the one or more configuration files.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2014Date of Patent: September 25, 2018Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLCInventors: Kevin M. McBride, Felipe Castro, Steven M. Casey, Thomas Schwengler
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Publication number: 20180242053Abstract: Novel tools and techniques are described for auto-summarizing video and/or audio content. In some embodiments, a summary server might retrieve one or more time codes from a time code database, and might analyze the one or more time codes to determine at least one selected time code among the one or more time codes that exceeds a predetermined number of selections. The one or more time codes might correspond to one or more triggers, which might include user-inputted triggers, triggers associated with actions by a live audience, or broadcaster/distributor/producer-provided triggers (i.e., cue tones). The summary server might determine one or more selected segments of video or audio content corresponding to the at least one selected time code, and might create one or more summary tracks, where each of the one or more summary tracks might comprise each of the one or more selected segments of the video or audio content.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 18, 2018Publication date: August 23, 2018Inventors: Steven M. Casey, Felipe Castro, Kevin M. McBride, Ronnie S. Dhaliwal
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Patent number: 10038897Abstract: Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing video qualification, which might include implementing video quality measurements at a subscriber premises and qualification of the subscriber premises for particular levels of video data transmission. In some cases, one or more customer premises equipment might comprise video quality chips that might perform measurements of the telecommunications links, and might send the results to a server associated with the service provider. The server might determine available video services, based on the results of the measurements, and might send the subscriber notifications indicating that the subscribers qualify for particular video services. In some cases, implementing video qualification might include the server determining that video service levels provided to a customer premises has been decreased or otherwise negatively affected.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2016Date of Patent: July 31, 2018Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLCInventors: Ronnie S. Dhaliwal, Steven M. Casey, Kevin M. McBride, Felipe Castro
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Publication number: 20180205735Abstract: Novel tools and techniques might provide for implementing application, service, and/or content access control. Based at least in part on a consumer's choice of applications, services, content, and/or content providers—particular in exchange for a subsidy on content and/or network access fees provided to the consumer by chosen content providers—, a computing system may determine whether access to applications, services, and/or content not associated with the chosen content providers (“other content”) should be allowed or restricted. If restricted, the computing system might utilize various network access techniques and/or technologies to block the consumer's access to the other content, to allow access to the other content on a charge per access basis, or to allow access to the other content at reduced network access speeds. In some embodiments, an access provider (e.g., an Internet service provider, etc.) might perform both determination and implementation of content access and restriction.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 19, 2018Publication date: July 19, 2018Inventors: Michael J. Fargano, Charles I. Cook, Kevin M. McBride, John T. Pugaczewski
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Publication number: 20180198669Abstract: Novel tools and techniques might provide for implementing interconnection gateway and/or hub functionalities between two or more network functions virtualization (“NFV”) entities that are located in different networks. In some embodiments, a NFV interconnection gateway (“NFVIG”) might receive a set of network interconnection information from each of two or more sets of NFV entities, each set of NFV entities being located within a network separate from the networks in which the other sets of NFV entities are located. The NFVIG might be located in one of these networks. The NFVIG might abstract each set of network interconnection information, and might establish one or more links between the two or more sets of NFV entities, based at least in part on the abstracted sets of network interconnection information. The NFVIG might provide access to one or more virtualized network functions (“VNFs”) via the one or more links.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 8, 2018Publication date: July 12, 2018Inventors: Michael J. Fargano, Charles I. Cook, Kevin M. McBride, William O'Brien, JR., John McManus
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Patent number: 10021449Abstract: Novel tools and techniques are described for providing media content to a plurality of set-top boxes (“STBs”) over a licensed spectrum and over an unlicensed spectrum. In an aspect, each of the plurality of STBs might comprise a first transceiver configured to receive media content or data over a licensed spectrum and a second transceiver configured to receive and send media content or data over an unlicensed spectrum. The first STB of the plurality of STBs might receive a first portion of the media content at the first transceiver and receive a second portion of the media content at the second transceiver from a second STB of the plurality of STBs. The plurality of STBs might query each other to determine available frequencies and/or bandwidth, and might store results of the query in a table in local memory or in a database accessible by all of the plurality of STBs.Type: GrantFiled: February 7, 2017Date of Patent: July 10, 2018Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLCInventors: Misbah ur Rehman, Steven M. Casey, Kevin M. McBride, Felipe Castro
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Publication number: 20180181094Abstract: Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing Internet of Things (“IoT”) functionality. In some embodiments, a computing system or IoT management node might receive sensor data from one or more IoT-capable sensors, analyze the sensor data to determine one or more actions to be taken, and identify one or more devices (e.g., household devices associated with a customer premises; vehicular components associated with a vehicle; devices disposed in, on, or along a roadway; devices disposed throughout a population area; etc.) for performing the determined one or more first actions. The computing system or IoT management node then autonomously controls each of the identified one or more devices to perform tasks based on the determined one or more first actions to be taken, thereby implementing smart environment functionality (e.g., smart home, building, or customer premises functionality, smart vehicle functionality, smart roadway functionality, smart city functionality, and so on).Type: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2016Publication date: June 28, 2018Inventors: Tom Funk, Phil Carpenter, Kevin M. McBride, William R. Walker
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Publication number: 20180168464Abstract: Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing Internet of Things (“IoT”) functionality. In some embodiments, an IoT-capable personal tracking device might receive sensor data from each of a plurality of sensors, and might analyze the sensor data to identify one or more external IoT-capable devices with which to interact and to determine one or more tasks to be performed by the identified IoT-capable devices, each based at least in part on the sensor data. In some cases, the plurality of first sensors might comprise at least one of one or more sensors that monitor physical conditions of a user's body and/or one or more sensors that monitor environmental conditions external to the user's body. The personal tracking device might subsequently autonomously send, via machine-to-machine communication, control instructions to each of the identified external IoT-capable devices, based on the determined tasks. Multiple personal tracking devices may also be used.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 20, 2016Publication date: June 21, 2018Inventors: Thomas C. Barnett, JR., Kevin M. McBride, Charles I. Cook, Robert J. Morrill
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Patent number: 10003861Abstract: Novel tools and techniques are described for auto-summarizing video and/or audio content. In some embodiments, a summary server might retrieve one or more time codes from a time code database, and might analyze the one or more time codes to determine at least one selected time code among the one or more time codes that exceeds a predetermined number of selections. The one or more time codes might correspond to one or more triggers, which might include user-inputted triggers, triggers associated with actions by a live audience, or broadcaster/distributor/producer-provided triggers (i.e., cue tones). The summary server might determine one or more selected segments of video or audio content corresponding to the at least one selected time code, and might create one or more summary tracks, where each of the one or more summary tracks might comprise each of the one or more selected segments of the video or audio content.Type: GrantFiled: April 24, 2017Date of Patent: June 19, 2018Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLCInventors: Steven M. Casey, Felipe Castro, Kevin M. McBride, Ronnie S. Dhaliwal
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Patent number: 9998320Abstract: Novel tools and techniques might provide for implementing interconnection gateway and/or hub functionalities. In some embodiments, a network functions virtualization (“NFV”) interconnection gateway or hub (“NFVIG” or “NFVIH”) might receive a set of network interconnection information from each of one or more sets of NFV entities and/or one or more sets of NFV-based customer devices, each set being located within a network separate from the networks in which the other sets are located. The NFVIG or NFVIH might be located within one of these networks or within a separate external network. The NFVIG or NFVIH might abstract each set of network interconnection information, and might establish one or more links among the sets of NFV entities and/or the sets of NFV-based customer devices based on such abstraction. The NFVIG or NFVIH might provide access to one or more virtualized network functions (“VNFs”) via the one or more links.Type: GrantFiled: April 3, 2015Date of Patent: June 12, 2018Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLCInventors: Michael J. Fargano, Charles I. Cook, Kevin M. McBride, William O'Brien, Jr., John McManus
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Publication number: 20180123974Abstract: Novel tools and techniques might provide for implementing intent-based network services orchestration. In some embodiments, a computing system might receive, over a network, a request for network services from a customer. The request for network services might include desired performance parameters for the requested network services, without information regarding any of specific hardware, specific hardware type, specific location, or specific network for providing the requested network services. The computing system might allocate network resources from one or more networks, based at least in part on the desired performance parameters. Based on a determination that at least one network can no longer provide at least one network resource having the desired performance parameters, the computing system might allocate at least one other network resource from at least one second network, based at least in part on network performance metrics, and based at least in part on the desired performance parameters.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 28, 2017Publication date: May 3, 2018Inventors: Kevin M. McBride, Aaron Jones, John McManus, William O'Brien, JR., Carl Matthew Olson
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Patent number: 9954861Abstract: Novel tools and techniques might provide for implementing application, service, and/or content access control. Based at least in part on a consumer's choice of applications, services, content, and/or content providers—particular in exchange for a subsidy on content and/or network access fees provided to the consumer by chosen content providers—, a computing system may determine whether access to applications, services, and/or content not associated with the chosen content providers (“other content”) should be allowed or restricted. If restricted, the computing system might utilize various network access techniques and/or technologies to block the consumer's access to the other content, to allow access to the other content on a charge per access basis, or to allow access to the other content at reduced network access speeds. In some embodiments, an access provider (e.g., an Internet service provider, etc.) might perform both determination and implementation of content access and restriction.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 2015Date of Patent: April 24, 2018Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLCInventors: Michael J. Fargano, Charles I. Cook, Kevin M. McBride, John T. Pugaczewski
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Patent number: 9948493Abstract: Novel tools and techniques might provide for implementing interconnection gateway and/or hub functionalities between two or more network functions virtualization (“NFV”) entities that are located in different networks. In some embodiments, a NFV interconnection gateway (“NFVIG”) might receive a set of network interconnection information from each of two or more sets of NFV entities, each set of NFV entities being located within a network separate from the networks in which the other sets of NFV entities are located. The NFVIG might be located in one of these networks. The NFVIG might abstract each set of network interconnection information, and might establish one or more links between the two or more sets of NFV entities, based at least in part on the abstracted sets of network interconnection information. The NFVIG might provide access to one or more virtualized network functions (“VNFs”) via the one or more links.Type: GrantFiled: April 3, 2015Date of Patent: April 17, 2018Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLCInventors: Michael J. Fargano, Charles I. Cook, Kevin M. McBride, William O'Brien, Jr., John McManus
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Patent number: 9892174Abstract: A computer receives one or more sets of historical data points, wherein each set of historical data points corresponds to a component. The computer normalizes the one or more sets of historical data points. The computer receives and normalizes a first set of additional data points corresponding to a first set of the one or more sets and a second set of additional data points corresponding to the second set of the one or more sets. The computer creates a first visual representation corresponding to the first set of the one or more sets and the first set of additional points and a second visual representation corresponding to the second set of the one or more sets and the second set of additional data points.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2015Date of Patent: February 13, 2018Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Leila J. Johannesen, Ai-chi Lu, Kevin M. McBride, Michael L. Pauser, David C. Tu
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Patent number: 9882833Abstract: Novel tools and techniques might provide for implementing intent-based network services orchestration. In some embodiments, a computing system might receive, over a network, a request for network services from a customer. The request for network services might include desired performance parameters for the requested network services, without information regarding any of specific hardware, specific hardware type, specific location, or specific network for providing the requested network services. The computing system might allocate network resources from one or more networks, based at least in part on the desired performance parameters. Based on a determination that at least one network can no longer provide at least one network resource having the desired performance parameters, the computing system might allocate at least one other network resource from at least one second network, based at least in part on network performance metrics, and based at least in part on the desired performance parameters.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2015Date of Patent: January 30, 2018Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLCInventors: Kevin M. McBride, Aaron Jones, John McManus, William O'Brien, Jr., Carl Matthew Olson
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Publication number: 20170308395Abstract: Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing network experience shifting, and, in particular embodiments, using either a roaming or portable hypervisor associated with a user or a local hypervisor unassociated with the user. In some embodiments, a network node in a first network might receive, via a first network access device in a second network, a request from a user device to establish roaming network access, and might authenticate a user associated with the user device, the user being unassociated with the first network access device. Based on a determination that the user is authorized to access data, content, profiles, and/or software applications that are accessible via a second network access device, the network node might establish a secure private connection through a hypervisor or container communicatively coupled to the first network access device to provide the user with access to her data, content, profiles, and/or software applications.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 12, 2017Publication date: October 26, 2017Inventors: Charles I. Cook, Kevin M. McBride, Matthew J. Post, William R. Walker
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Publication number: 20170264570Abstract: Novel tools and techniques might provide for implementing virtual platform media access control (“MAC”) address—based layer 2 and layer 3 network switching. In some embodiments, a method might comprise receiving, at a network node in a network, a data packet having a header comprising a MAC destination address, and routing, with the network node, the data packet over open systems interconnection (“OSI”) model layer 3 or network layer of the network, based at least in part on the MAC destination address in the header of the data packet. The MAC destination address comprises a first portion comprising an organizationally unique identifier (“OUI”) and a second portion comprising an identifier for a destination network interface controller (“NIC”) and/or virtual NIC (“VNIC”), which might be associated either with the same service provider associated with the network node or the network or with a different service provider, content provider, and/or application provider.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 28, 2016Publication date: September 14, 2017Inventors: Michael K. Bugenhagen, William R. Walker, Kevin M. McBride
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Patent number: 9733975Abstract: Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing network experience shifting, and, in particular embodiments, using either a roaming or portable hypervisor associated with a user or a local hypervisor unassociated with the user. In some embodiments, a network node in a first network might receive, via a first network access device in a second network, a request from a user device to establish roaming network access, and might authenticate a user associated with the user device, the user being unassociated with the first network access device. Based in part on a determination that the user is authorized to access data, content, profiles, and/or software applications that are accessible via a second network access device, the network node might establish a secure private connection through a hypervisor communicatively coupled to the first network access device to provide the user with access to her data, content, profiles, and/or software applications.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 2016Date of Patent: August 15, 2017Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLCInventors: Charles I. Cook, Kevin M. McBride, Matthew J. Post, William R. Walker