Patents by Inventor Pascal Thubert

Pascal Thubert 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: 11133976
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a device in a network receives a query walker agent configured to query information from a distributed set of devices in the network based on a query. The device executes the query walker agent to identify the query. The device updates state information of the executing query walker agent using local information from the device and based on the query. The device unloads the executing query walker agent after updating the state information. The device propagates the query walker agent with the updated state information to one or more of the distributed set of devices in the network, when the updated state information does not fully answer the query.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Pascal Thubert, Eric Levy-Abegnoli, Patrick Wetterwald, Jean-Philippe Vasseur
  • Publication number: 20210297509
    Abstract: Protocol independent signal slotting and scheduling is provided by receiving a frame including a header and a payload for transmission; in response to determining that the frame matches a rule identifying the frame as part of a control loop, compressing the header according to the rule to produce a compressed packet of a predefined size that includes the compressed header and the payload; scheduling transmission of the compressed packet; and transmitting the compressed packet to a receiving device. In some embodiments, before compressing the frame, in response to determining that a size of the payload does not match a predefined size threshold: the payload is fragmented into a plurality of portions, wherein each portion satisfies the predefined size threshold, or the compressed packet is padded to the predefined size threshold via forward error correction padding information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2020
    Publication date: September 23, 2021
    Inventors: Pascal THUBERT, Eric M. LEVY-ABEGNOLI, Patrick WETTERWALD, Jean-Philippe VASSEUR
  • Publication number: 20210289453
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprises: determining, by a constrained network device in a low power and lossy network (LLN), a self-estimated density value of neighboring LLN devices based on wirelessly receiving an identified number of beacon message transmissions within an identified time interval from neighboring transmitting LLN devices in the LLN; setting, by the constrained network device, a first wireless transmit power value based on the self-estimated density value; and transmitting a beacon message at the first wireless transmit power value, the beacon message specifying the self-estimated density value, a corresponding trust metric for the self-estimated density value, and the first wireless transmit power value used by the constrained network device for transmitting the beacon message.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2021
    Publication date: September 16, 2021
    Inventors: PASCAL THUBERT, ROBERT EDGAR BARTON, JEROME HENRY, ERIC MICHEL LEVY-ABEGNOLI
  • Publication number: 20210289452
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprises: determining, by a constrained network device in a low power and lossy network (LLN), a self-estimated density value of neighboring LLN devices based on wirelessly receiving an identified number of beacon message transmissions within an identified time interval from neighboring transmitting LLN devices in the LLN; setting, by the constrained network device, a first wireless transmit power value based on the self-estimated density value; and transmitting a beacon message at the first wireless transmit power value, the beacon message specifying the self-estimated density value, a corresponding trust metric for the self-estimated density value, and the first wireless transmit power value used by the constrained network device for transmitting the beacon message.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2021
    Publication date: September 16, 2021
    Inventors: PASCAL THUBERT, ROBERT EDGAR BARTON, JEROME HENRY, ERIC MICHEL LEVY-ABEGNOLI
  • Publication number: 20210288803
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprises: receiving, by a parent network device providing at least a portion of a directed acyclic graph (DAG) according to a prescribed routing protocol in a low power and lossy network, a destination advertisement object (DAO) message, the DAO message specifying a target Internet Protocol (IP) address claimed by an advertising network device in the DAG and the DAO message further specifying a secure token associated with the target IP address; and selectively issuing a cryptographic challenge to the DAO message to validate whether the advertising network device generated the secure token.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2021
    Publication date: September 16, 2021
    Inventors: PASCAL THUBERT, HUIMIN SHE, PATRICK WETTERWALD, AKRAM ISMAIL SHERIFF, ERIC MICHEL LEVY-ABEGNOLI
  • Patent number: 11121954
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a device in a network sends Bidirectional Forwarding Detection (BFD) probes along a network tunnel associated with the device, to collect telemetry regarding the network tunnel. The device monitors an overhead associated with sending the BFD probes along the network tunnel. The device makes a determination that the overhead associated with sending the BFD probes along the network tunnel is unacceptable. The device switches, based on the determination, from sending BFD probes along the network tunnel to modifying data traffic sent via the network tunnel, to collect telemetry regarding the network tunnel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Jean-Philippe Vasseur, Pascal Thubert, Patrick Wetterwald, Eric Levy-Abegnoli
  • Patent number: 11115343
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprises: receiving, by a transport layer executed by a processor circuit in an apparatus, a flow of application data having been originated by an executable application; storing, by the transport layer, the application data as transport layer packets in a buffer circuit in the apparatus, each transport layer packet having a corresponding transport sequence identifier identifying a corresponding position of the transport layer packet relative to a transmit order of the transport layer packets; and causing, by the transport layer, a plurality of deterministic network interface circuits to deterministically retrieve the transport layer packets, in the transmit order, from the buffer circuit for deterministic transmission across respective deterministic links, the transport sequence identifiers enabling a destination transport layer to recover the transmit order of the transport layer following the deterministic transmission across the deterministic links, regardless of order of rece
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: CISCO TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Pascal Thubert, Patrick Wetterwald, Eric Michel Levy-Abegnoli
  • Patent number: 11108678
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a controller in a network trains a deep reinforcement learning-based agent to predict traffic flows in the network. The controller determines one or more resource requirements for the predicted traffic flows. The controller assigns, using the deep reinforcement learning-based agent, paths in the network to the flows based on the determined one or more resource requirements, to avoid fragmentation of a flow during transmission of the flow through the network. The controller sends, to nodes in the network, assignment instructions that cause the flows to traverse the network via their assigned paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Pascal Thubert, Enzo Fenoglio, Jean-Philippe Vasseur, Hugo Latapie
  • Patent number: 11102907
    Abstract: Networking device serviceability may be provided. A networking device may be disposed in a rack between uprights. The networking device may comprise a first plurality of switch bars each comprising a first switch type arranged parallel to one another, a second plurality of switch bars each comprising a second switch type arranged parallel to one another, and a third plurality of switch bars each comprising a third switch type arranged parallel to one another. The first plurality of switch bars, the second plurality of switch bars, and the third plurality of switch bars may be arranged orthogonally. A hinge device associated with the networking device may be configured to allow the networking device to rotate at least a predetermined angle value from a first position between the uprights to a second position where both the first plurality of switch bars and the second plurality of switch bars are clear from the uprights.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Pascal Thubert, Charles Calvin Byers
  • Publication number: 20210258182
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprises: identifying, by a low power and lossy network (LLN) device in a low power and lossy network, a minimum distance value and a distance limit value for limiting multicast propagation, initiated at the LLN device, of a multicast data message in the LLN; and multicast transmitting, by the LLN device, the multicast data message with a current distance field specifying the minimum distance value and a distance limit field specifying the distance limit value, the multicast transmitting causing a receiving LLN device having a corresponding rank in the LLN to respond to the multicast data message by: (1) determining an updated distance based on adding to the current distance field a rank difference between the receiving LLN device and the LLN device, and (2) selectively retransmitting the multicast data message if the updated distance is less than the distance limit value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2020
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Inventors: PASCAL THUBERT, HUIMIN SHE, CHUANWEI LI, LELE ZHANG
  • Patent number: 11096196
    Abstract: Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) in wireless environments may be provided. First, a Radio Frequency (RF) profile associated with a station may be received by a computing device. Next, a number of Transmit Opportunities (TxOPs) to use for transmitting data between an Access Point (AP) and the station based on the received RF profile may be determined. The determined number of TxOPs may then be provided to a wireless controller associated with the AP.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert E. Barton, Maik Guenter Seewald, Pascal Thubert, Jerome Henry
  • Patent number: 11089560
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprises: receiving, by a constrained wireless network device comprising a local clock, a plurality of messages from respective neighboring wireless network devices advertising as available parent devices in a directed acyclic graph of a time-synchronized network that is synchronized to a master clock device; determining, by the constrained wireless network device, a corresponding timing error of the local clock relative to each message output by the corresponding available parent device; and executing, by the constrained wireless network device, a distributed time synchronization of the local clock with the master clock device based on correlating the respective timing errors relative to the local clock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: CISCO TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Pascal Thubert, Patrick Wetterwald, Jean-Philippe Vasseur, Eric Michel Levy-Abegnoli
  • Patent number: 11089507
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprises: determining, by a network switching device, whether the network switching device is configured as one of multiple leaf network switching devices, one of multiple Top-of-Fabric (ToF) switching devices, or one of multiple intermediate switching devices in a switched data network having a leaf-spine switching architecture; if configured as a leaf switching device, limiting flooding of an advertisement only to a subset of the intermediate switching devices in response to detecting a mobile destination is reachable; if configured as an intermediate switching device, flooding the advertisement, received from any one of the leaf network switching devices, to connected ToF switching devices without installing any routing information specified within the advertisement; if configured as a ToF switching device, installing from the flooded advertisement the routing information and tunneling a data packet, destined for the mobile destination, to the leaf switching device having trans
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: CISCO TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Pascal Thubert, Patrick Wetterwald, Eric Michel Levy-Abegnoli
  • Patent number: 11070526
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes: obtaining a multi-protocol schedule, wherein the multi-protocol schedule includes scheduling information characterizing packets associated with a plurality of wireless protocols, wherein each of the plurality of wireless protocols is associated with a respective virtual gateway of a plurality of virtual gateways; detecting, by a wireless transceiver, a first packet related to a first wireless protocol of the plurality of wireless protocols based on the multi-protocol schedule; and transmitting, by the wireless transceiver, the first packet related to the first wireless protocol to a first virtual gateway of the plurality of virtual gateways. According to some embodiments, the method is performed by a device (e.g., a MAC preprocessor) that includes a wireless transceiver, one or more processors, and non-transitory memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: CISCO TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Pascal Thubert, Xiaoguang Jason Chen, Samuel Rene Andre Pasquier, Ways Hassas, Christopher Scott Atherton Cheadle
  • Publication number: 20210218658
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a device in a network sends Bidirectional Forwarding Detection (BFD) probes along a network tunnel associated with the device, to collect telemetry regarding the network tunnel. The device monitors an overhead associated with sending the BFD probes along the network tunnel. The device makes a determination that the overhead associated with sending the BFD probes along the network tunnel is unacceptable. The device switches, based on the determination, from sending BFD probes along the network tunnel to modifying data traffic sent via the network tunnel, to collect telemetry regarding the network tunnel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2020
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Inventors: Jean-Philippe Vasseur, Pascal Thubert, Patrick Wetterwald, Eric Levy-Abegnoli
  • Publication number: 20210211258
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprises: identifying, by a receiving network device, a deterministic schedule comprising allocated time slots, each allocated time slot allocated for the receiving network device receiving a data packet from one of a plurality of transmitting network devices in a wireless deterministic data network; and selectively transmitting, by the receiving network device, an expectation message at initiation of each of the allocated time slots, each expectation message preempting transmission by any other network device during the corresponding allocated time slot, each expectation message generated by the receiving network device and identifying a corresponding transmitting network device that is expected to deterministically transmit a corresponding expected data packet to the receiving network device during the corresponding allocated time slot; the expectation message causing the corresponding identified transmitting network device to transmit the corresponding expected data packet duri
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2020
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Inventors: PASCAL THUBERT, ERIC MICHEL LEVY-ABEGNOLI
  • Patent number: 11057301
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a device configures a plurality of subinterfaces for each of a plurality of physical ports of a software defined network (SDN). The device allocates a fixed amount of bandwidth to each of the subinterfaces. The device forms a plurality of midlays for the SDN by assigning subsets of the plurality of subinterfaces to each of the midlays. The device assigns a network slice to one or more of the midlays, based on a bandwidth requirement of the network slice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Pascal Thubert, Jean-Philippe Vasseur, Eric Levy-Abegnoli, Patrick Wetterwald
  • Patent number: 11057211
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprises: receiving, by a parent network device providing at least a portion of a directed acyclic graph (DAG) according to a prescribed routing protocol in a low power and lossy network, a destination advertisement object (DAO) message, the DAO message specifying a target Internet Protocol (IP) address claimed by an advertising network device in the DAG and the DAO message further specifying a secure token associated with the target IP address; and selectively issuing a cryptographic challenge to the DAO message to validate whether the advertising network device generated the secure token.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: CISCO TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Pascal Thubert, Huimin She, Patrick Wetterwald, Akram Ismail Sheriff, Eric Michel Levy-Abegnoli
  • Patent number: 11050619
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprises: detecting, by a root network device in a low power and lossy network (LLN) operating in a downward-routing mode, an outage among at least a substantial number of LLN devices in the LLN; initiating, by the root network device, a dynamic suspension of network operations in the LLN during the outage, including causing existing Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of all the LLN devices to be maintained during the outage, and causing all the LLN devices to limit transmissions to Power Outage Notification (PON) messages, Power Restoration Notification (PRN) messages, or minimal-bandwidth data packets, based on the root network device switching the LLN from the downward-routing mode to a collection-only mode; and selectively restoring, by the root network device, the LLN to the downward-routing mode in response to detecting PRN messages from at least substantially all the substantial number of LLN devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: CISCO TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Li Zhao, Pascal Thubert, Huimin She, Lele Zhang
  • Patent number: 11050663
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a network device (e.g., a RPL router) executes fast local RPL recovery in a low power and lossy network (LLN). The network device, in response to becoming an orphan in a directed acyclic graph (DAG) topology, can utilize the data plane to maintain at least some data traffic by randomly forwarding the data traffic to identified neighbor devices, while eliminating children from the list of forwarders and by finding successors that can be used for re-parenting. Hence, when a RPL network device having lost its last feasible parent can avoid data loss and accelerate a re-parenting process using local repair in the data plane instead of the control plane of the routing protocol used to establish the DAG topology.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: CISCO TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Pascal Thubert, Patrick Wetterwald