Patents by Inventor Martin T. Flack

Martin T. Flack 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: 9866655
    Abstract: Described herein are—among other things—systems, methods, and apparatus for accelerating and increasing the reliability of content delivery by serving objects redundantly over multiple paths from multiple servers. In preferred embodiments, the decision to use such multipath delivery is made on the server side. A content server can modify or generate a given web page so as to invoke multipath, e.g., by injecting markup language directives and/or script instructions that will cause the client device to make multiple requests for a given object on the page. Preferably the multiple requests are made to separate content servers in separate points of presence. The teachings hereof may be advantageously implemented, without limitation, in intermediary servers such as caching proxy servers and/or in origin servers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: AKAMAI TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Moritz M. Steiner, Martin T. Flack, Stephen L. Ludin, Mark C. Holland
  • Patent number: 9817916
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and apparatus for improving the delivery of web content that has been authored for multiple devices. In certain embodiments, an intermediary device such as a proxy server determines the characteristics of a client device requesting multi-device content, obtains and examines the multi-device content, and in view of the particular requesting client device removes portions that are irrelevant for that device. Doing so can accelerate delivery of the content by reducing payload and relieving the client device of the processing burden associated with parsing the content to make that determination itself, among other things.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: AKAMAI TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventor: Martin T. Flack
  • Patent number: 9813515
    Abstract: Described herein are systems, devices, and methods for content delivery on the Internet. In certain non-limiting embodiments, a caching model is provided that can support caching for indefinite time periods, potentially with infinite or relatively long time-to-live values, yet provide prompt updates when the underlying origin content changes. In one approach, an origin server can annotate its responses to content requests with tokens, e.g., placing them in an appended HTTP header or otherwise. The tokens can drive the process of caching, and can be used as handles for later invalidating the responses within caching proxy servers delivering the content. This caching and invalidation model can be extended out to clients, such that clients may be notified of invalid data and obtain timely updates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: AKAMAI TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Martin T. Flack, Stephen L. Ludin, Moritz M. Steiner
  • Patent number: 9807190
    Abstract: Described herein are systems, devices, and methods for content delivery on the Internet. In certain non-limiting embodiments, a caching model is provided that can support caching for indefinite time periods, potentially with infinite or relatively long time-to-live values, yet provide prompt updates when the underlying origin content changes. In one approach, an origin server can annotate its responses to content requests with tokens, e.g., placing them in an appended HTTP header or otherwise. The tokens can drive the process of caching, and can be used as handles for later invalidating the responses within caching proxy servers delivering the content. Tokens may be used to represent a variety of kinds of dependencies expressed in the response, including without limitation data, data ranges, or logic that was a basis for the construction of the response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Akamai Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin T. Flack, Moritz M. Steiner, Stephen L. Ludin, Jozef Hatala
  • Patent number: 9648125
    Abstract: Described herein are systems, devices, and methods for content delivery on the Internet. In certain non-limiting embodiments, a caching model is provided that can support caching for indefinite time periods, potentially with infinite or relatively long time-to-live values, yet provide prompt updates when the underlying origin content changes. In one approach, an origin server can annotate its responses to content requests with tokens, e.g., placing them in an appended HTTP header or otherwise. The tokens can drive the process of caching, and can be used as handles for later invalidating the responses within caching proxy servers delivering the content. Tokens may be used to represent a variety of kinds of dependencies expressed in the response, including without limitation data, data ranges, or logic that was a basis for the construction of the response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: AKAMAI TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Martin T. Flack, Moritz M. Steiner, Stephen L. Ludin, Jozef Hatala
  • Patent number: 9641640
    Abstract: Described herein are systems, devices, and methods for content delivery on the Internet. In certain non-limiting embodiments, a caching model is provided that can support caching for indefinite time periods, potentially with infinite or relatively long time-to-live values, yet provide prompt updates when the underlying origin content changes. Origin-generated tokens can drive the process of caching, and can be used as handles for later invalidating origin responses within caching proxy servers delivering the content. Tokens can also be used to control object caching behavior at a server, and in particular to control how an object is indexed in cache and who it may be served to. Tokens may indicate, for example, that responses to certain requested URL paths are public, or may be used to map user-id in a client request to a group for purposes of locating valid cache entries in response to subsequent client requests.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: AKAMAI TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Martin T. Flack, Stephen L. Ludin, Moritz M. Steiner
  • Publication number: 20170116349
    Abstract: The process of rendering web pages can be significantly improved with a content delivery system that pre-renders web content for a client device. A web page “program” can be pre-executed and the result delivered to a requesting client device, rather than or before sending a traditional set of web page components, such as a markup language document, cascading style sheets, embedded objects. This pre-execution can relieve the client device of the burden of rendering the web page, saving resources and decreasing latency before the web page is ready, and can reduce the number of network requests that the client device must make before being able to display the page. Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and devices for creating and delivering pre-rendered web pages for accelerated browsing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2017
    Publication date: April 27, 2017
    Applicant: Akamai Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Moritz M. Steiner, Martin T. Flack, Stephen L. Ludin, Ketan Bhardwaj
  • Publication number: 20170085667
    Abstract: Described herein are systems, devices, and methods for content delivery on the Internet. In certain non-limiting embodiments, a caching model is provided that can support caching for indefinite time periods, potentially with infinite or relatively long time-to-live values, yet provide prompt updates when the underlying origin content changes. In one approach, an origin server can annotate its responses to content requests with tokens, e.g., placing them in an appended HTTP header or otherwise. The tokens can drive the process of caching, and can be used as handles for later invalidating the responses within caching proxy servers delivering the content. Tokens may be used to represent a variety of kinds of dependencies expressed in the response, including without limitation data, data ranges, or logic that was a basis for the construction of the response.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2016
    Publication date: March 23, 2017
    Applicant: Akamai Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin T. Flack, Moritz M. Steiner, Stephen L. Ludin, Jozef Hatala
  • Patent number: 9576070
    Abstract: The process of rendering web pages can be significantly improved with a content delivery system that pre-renders web content for a client device. A web page “program” can be pre-executed and the result delivered to a requesting client device, rather than or before sending a traditional set of web page components, such as a markup language document, cascading style sheets, embedded objects. This pre-execution can relieve the client device of the burden of rendering the web page, saving resources and decreasing latency before the web page is ready, and can reduce the number of network requests that the client device must make before being able to display the page. Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and devices for creating and delivering pre-rendered web pages for accelerated browsing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Akamai Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Moritz M. Steiner, Martin T. Flack, Stephen L. Ludin, Ketan Bhardwaj
  • Patent number: 9418353
    Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for delivery of tailored content to differentiated devices, such as desktop, mobile, and tablet devices, over a computer network. In one embodiment, a proxy cache server has a content cache for storing previously retrieved objects like web pages or multimedia files. For at least some objects, several versions are stored, each version representing an object suited for a given set of client device characteristics. A device-equivalency data structure maintained at the proxy facilitates a determination of whether such cached versions can be used to service a current request. The versions might represent, for example, modified versions created using, e.g., mobile device transcoding techniques, in response to prior requests. They may also represent a set of alternate content created by a content provider and available from an origin server. Such methods and systems may be implemented in a distributed computing networks, e.g., a content delivery network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: AKAMAI TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Martin T. Flack, Eric L. Kobrin, Stephen L. Ludin, David H. Kaufman
  • Publication number: 20150310126
    Abstract: The process of rendering web pages can be significantly improved with a content delivery system that pre-renders web content for a client device. A web page “program” can be pre-executed and the result delivered to a requesting client device, rather than or before sending a traditional set of web page components, such as a markup language document, cascading style sheets, embedded objects. This pre-execution can relieve the client device of the burden of rendering the web page, saving resources and decreasing latency before the web page is ready, and can reduce the number of network requests that the client device must make before being able to display the page. Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and devices for creating and delivering pre-rendered web pages for accelerated browsing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2015
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Applicant: AKAMAI TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Moritz M. Steiner, Martin T. Flack, Stephen L. Ludin, Ketan Bhardwaj
  • Publication number: 20150281331
    Abstract: Described herein are—among other things—systems, methods, and apparatus for accelerating and increasing the reliability of content delivery by serving objects redundantly over multiple paths from multiple servers. In preferred embodiments, the decision to use such multipath delivery is made on the server side. A content server can modify or generate a given web page so as to invoke multipath, e.g., by injecting markup language directives and/or script instructions that will cause the client device to make multiple requests for a given object on the page. Preferably the multiple requests are made to separate content servers in separate points of presence. The teachings hereof may be advantageously implemented, without limitation, in intermediary servers such as caching proxy servers and/or in origin servers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2014
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Applicant: AKAMAI TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Moritz M. Steiner, Martin T. Flack, Stephen L. Ludin, Mark C. Holland
  • Publication number: 20150207897
    Abstract: Described herein are systems, devices, and methods for content delivery on the Internet. In certain non-limiting embodiments, a caching model is provided that can support caching for indefinite time periods, potentially with infinite or relatively long time-to-live values, yet provide prompt updates when the underlying origin content changes. Origin-generated tokens can drive the process of caching, and can be used as handles for later invalidating origin responses within caching proxy servers delivering the content. Tokens can also be used to control object caching behavior at a server, and in particular to control how an object is indexed in cache and who it may be served to. Tokens may indicate, for example, that responses to certain requested URL paths are public, or may be used to map user-id in a client request to a group for purposes of locating valid cache entries in response to subsequent client requests.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2014
    Publication date: July 23, 2015
    Applicant: AKAMAI TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Martin T. Flack, Stephen L. Ludin, Moritz M. Steiner
  • Publication number: 20150100660
    Abstract: Described herein are systems, devices, and methods for content delivery on the Internet. In certain non-limiting embodiments, a caching model is provided that can support caching for indefinite time periods, potentially with infinite or relatively long time-to-live values, yet provide prompt updates when the underlying origin content changes. In one approach, an origin server can annotate its responses to content requests with tokens, e.g., placing them in an appended HTTP header or otherwise. The tokens can drive the process of caching, and can be used as handles for later invalidating the responses within caching proxy servers delivering the content. Tokens may be used to represent a variety of kinds of dependencies expressed in the response, including without limitation data, data ranges, or logic that was a basis for the construction of the response.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2013
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Applicant: AKAMAI TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Martin T. Flack, Moritz M. Steiner, Stephen L. Ludin, Jozef Hatala
  • Publication number: 20150100664
    Abstract: Described herein are systems, devices, and methods for content delivery on the Internet. In certain non-limiting embodiments, a caching model is provided that can support caching for indefinite time periods, potentially with infinite or relatively long time-to-live values, yet provide prompt updates when the underlying origin content changes. In one approach, an origin server can annotate its responses to content requests with tokens, e.g., placing them in an appended HTTP header or otherwise. The tokens can drive the process of caching, and can be used as handles for later invalidating the responses within caching proxy servers delivering the content. This caching and invalidation model can be extended out to clients, such that clients may be notified of invalid data and obtain timely updates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2014
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Applicant: AKAMAI TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Martin T. Flack, Stephen L. Ludin, Moritz M. Steiner
  • Publication number: 20120203861
    Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for delivery of tailored content to differentiated devices, such as desktop, mobile, and tablet devices, over a computer network. In one embodiment, a proxy cache server has a content cache for storing previously retrieved objects like web pages or multimedia files. For at least some objects, several versions are stored, each version representing an object suited for a given set of client device characteristics. A device-equivalency data structure maintained at the proxy facilitates a determination of whether such cached versions can be used to service a current request. The versions might represent, for example, modified versions created using, e.g., mobile device transcoding techniques, in response to prior requests. They may also represent a set of alternate content created by a content provider and available from an origin server. Such methods and systems may be implemented in a distributed computing networks, e.g., a content delivery network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Applicant: AKAMAI TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Martin T. Flack, Eric L. Kobrin, Stephen L. Ludin, David H. Kaufman
  • Publication number: 20120150993
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and apparatus facilitating delivery of web content that has adapted for particular client devices, such as mobile devices. Doing so may involve assisting a server without the adaptation logic necessary to deliver adapted content to a particular client device. For example, a given web server may adapt content and serve website content to a requesting client, but another server may take over when the client desires to make a purchase at the site. That other server, while perhaps qualified to process payment information, may not be able to provide adapted content. The content adaptation web server can assist that other server to do so. In other embodiments, such a content adapting server may provide such services to a range of other servers, and itself may not serve content directly to the client. The teachings herein may be implemented within a content delivery network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicant: AKAMAI TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Martin T. Flack, Eric L. Kobrin