Patents by Inventor Robert Drew Major
Robert Drew Major 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: 8832757Abstract: A remote storage digital video recorder (RS-DVR) system is disclosed. The RS-DVR system includes a network interface to communicate data between the RS-DVR system and a subscriber system via a network, a file system module coupled to the network interface, an ingest agent coupled to the file system module to receive encoded media segments that represent media content files encoded at a plurality of different bitrates; and a storage architecture coupled to the file system to store the encoded media segments, resulting in stored media segments. The RS-DVR carries out a number of functions and operations to service multiple subscribers and associated subscriber systems, such as various storage device management operations, file structure techniques, assignment of recorded media to subscribers, file system indexing, and supporting shared and per-subscriber content rights.Type: GrantFiled: December 6, 2012Date of Patent: September 9, 2014Assignee: Dish Digital L.L.C.Inventors: Robert Drew Major, Darren Major
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Patent number: 8776151Abstract: A remote storage digital video recorder (RS-DVR) system is disclosed. The RS-DVR system includes a network interface to communicate data between the RS-DVR system and a subscriber system via a network, a file system module coupled to the network interface, an ingest agent coupled to the file system module to receive encoded media segments that represent media content files encoded at a plurality of different bitrates; and a storage architecture coupled to the file system to store the encoded media segments, resulting in stored media segments. The RS-DVR carries out a number of functions and operations to service multiple subscribers and associated subscriber systems, such as various storage device management operations, file structure techniques, assignment of recorded media to subscribers, file system indexing, and supporting shared and per-subscriber content rights.Type: GrantFiled: December 6, 2012Date of Patent: July 8, 2014Assignee: DISH Digital L.L.C.Inventors: Robert Drew Major, Darren Major
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Publication number: 20140189754Abstract: Various systems, methods and devices adaptively manage the multicast delivery of multiple media programs. Each of the media programs is encoded into multiple media streams, each stream having a different bitrate, frame rate, resolution or other encoding parameter. A computer receives feedback about the delivery of the multiple streams and automatically adapts the number of streams available for at least one of the multiple media programs in response to the received feedback. This allows resources to be applied to those multicast streams having the greatest user demand.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 30, 2013Publication date: July 3, 2014Inventors: Robert Drew Major, Mark B. Hurst, Herrick Muhlestein
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Publication number: 20140165116Abstract: A remote storage digital video recorder (RS-DVR) system receives a media content file that is stored in a storage architecture of the RS-DVR system. The same stored media content file is assigned to multiple subscribers such that each of the multiple subscribers shares a common identifier that references a single common physical copy of the same stored media content file in the storage architecture of the RS-DVR system.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 15, 2013Publication date: June 12, 2014Applicant: DISH DIGITAL L.L.C.Inventors: Robert Drew Major, Darren Major, Joseph Ekstrom
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Publication number: 20130236158Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for capturing, transcoding, and caching off-air programming at a location local to the consumer. According to certain embodiments, a device is provided that receives off-air (e.g., broadcast) and/or cable (e.g. ClearQAM) programming via one or more antennas and caches the programming in various streams having various bit rates for later viewing using, for example, Adaptive Bit Rate (ABR) streaming. Such a device can be incorporated in a larger system that can stream content via a data communication network (e.g., the Internet) and the device in a seamless manner. The device also can be controlled by a remote system via the data communication network, and further can be configured to stream content to a remote device via the data communication network.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 28, 2012Publication date: September 12, 2013Applicant: EchoStar Advanced Technologies L.L.C.Inventors: Roger Lynch, John Paul, Robert Drew Major, David Kummer
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Patent number: 8370649Abstract: A technique for managing the streaming of digital video content to multiple clients involves identifying an attribute of a content element that is streamed to a client and selecting a protection mechanism for the content element as a function of the attribute, wherein the protection mechanism enables streaming of the content element to the clients in the event of a resource failure. In an example, the identified attribute is an indication of the popularity of the content element (e.g., as measured by the number of active streams), such that the protection mechanism is selected as a function of the popularity of the content element. In an embodiment, protection mechanisms that offer a higher level of protection are selected for the more popular content elements and protection mechanisms that offer a lower level of protection are selected for the less popular content elements.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 2010Date of Patent: February 5, 2013Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.Inventors: W. Paul Sherer, Kirk Blattman, Glenn Connery, Hoi-Tauw Chou, Robert Drew Major, Mel Oyer, Howard Davis, Daniel Kiewlich, Neeraj K. Sharma
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Patent number: 8326967Abstract: A technique for streaming digital video content to multiple clients involves establishing a logical group of IP-connected stream servers, generating state information at multiple stream servers within the logical group, sharing the state information amongst stream servers in the logical group, and using the shared state information to respond to resource failures within the logical group. By sharing state information within the logical group of stream servers, stream servers with the shared state information can quickly take over the active streams from a failed stream server within the logical group. The quick transition of responsibility from one stream server to another enables the streaming network to provide continuous streaming of digital video content to the viewer without interruption.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2006Date of Patent: December 4, 2012Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.Inventors: W. Paul Sherer, Kirk Blattman, Hoi-Tauw Chou, Glenn Connery, Howard Davis, Daniel Kiewlich, Robert Drew Major, Mel Oyler, Neeraj K. Sharma
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Patent number: 8145570Abstract: An Internet Box Office (IBO) system and technique vends digital content via a computer network, such as the Internet. The IBO system comprises a viewing system that cooperates with a Digital Rights Management system and various deployment enhancements within the Internet to provide an infrastructure that facilitates access to digital content in a manner that comports with copyright law and the control of intellectual property by the copyright owner. The IBO system enables a content copyright owner to retain control of its intellectual property while allowing a consumer to have transparent access to the copyright-protected content via the network. To that end, the IBO system operates to download and stage the copyrighted digital content on the viewing system of a consumer.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2007Date of Patent: March 27, 2012Assignee: Novell Intellectual Property Holdings, Inc.Inventors: Robert Drew Major, Stephen R. Carter, Hilarie Orman
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Publication number: 20110231555Abstract: Methods, signals, devices, and systems are provided for using proxy servers to transparently forward messages between clients and origin servers if, and only if, doing so does not violate network policies. In some systems, a transparent proxy uses a combination of standard-format HTTP commands, embedding auxiliary information in URLs and other tools and techniques to redirect an initial client request to one or more policy modules, such as a login server or an identity broker or an access control server. The policy module authenticates the request, and uses HTTP redirection to have the client transmit authorization data to the proxy. The proxy extracts the authorization data, directs the client to use a corresponding cookie, and subsequently provides the implicitly requested proxy services to the client in response to the client's subsequently providing the authorization data in a cookie.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 27, 2011Publication date: September 22, 2011Inventors: Hashem Mohammad Ebrahimi, Robert Drew Major
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Patent number: 7954144Abstract: Methods, signals, devices, and systems are provided for using proxy servers to transparently forward messages between clients and origin servers if, and only if doing so does not violate network policies. In some systems, a transparent proxy uses a combination of standard-format HTTP commands, embedding auxiliary information in URLs and other tools and techniques to redirect an initial client request to one or more policy modules, such as a login server or an identity broker or an access control server. The policy module authenticates the request, and uses HTTP redirection to have the client transmit authorization data to the proxy. The proxy extracts the authorization data, directs the client to use a corresponding cookie, and subsequently provides the implicitly requested proxy services to the client in response to the client's subsequently providing the authorization data in a cookie.Type: GrantFiled: January 18, 2000Date of Patent: May 31, 2011Assignee: Novell, Inc.Inventors: Hashem Mohammad Ebrahimi, Robert Drew Major
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Publication number: 20100223394Abstract: A technique for managing the streaming of digital video content to multiple clients involves identifying an attribute of a content element that is streamed to a client and selecting a protection mechanism for the content element as a function of the attribute, wherein the protection mechanism enables streaming of the content element to the clients in the event of a resource failure. In an example, the identified attribute is an indication of the popularity of the content element (e.g., as measured by the number of active streams), such that the protection mechanism is selected as a function of the popularity of the content element. In an embodiment, protection mechanisms that offer a higher level of protection are selected for the more popular content elements and protection mechanisms that offer a lower level of protection are selected for the less popular content elements.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 14, 2010Publication date: September 2, 2010Applicant: CISCO TECHNOLOGY, INC.Inventors: W. Paul Sherer, Kirk Blattman, Hoi-Tauw Chou, Glenn Connery, Howard Davis, Daniel Kiewlich, Robert Drew Major, Mel Oyer, Neeraj K. Sharma
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Patent number: 7721117Abstract: A technique for managing the streaming of digital video content to multiple clients involves identifying an attribute of a content element that is streamed to a client and selecting a protection mechanism for the content element as a function of the attribute, wherein the protection mechanism enables streaming of the content element to the clients in the event of a resource failure. In an example, the identified attribute is an indication of the popularity of the content element (e.g., as measured by the number of active streams), such that the protection mechanism is selected as a function of the popularity of the content element. In an embodiment, protection mechanisms that offer a higher level of protection are selected for the more popular content elements and protection mechanisms that offer a lower level of protection are selected for the less popular content elements.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2006Date of Patent: May 18, 2010Inventors: W. Paul Sherer, Kirk Blattman, Hoi-Tauw Chou, Glenn Connery, Howard Davis, Daniel Kiewlich, Robert Drew Major, Mel Oyler, Neeraj K. Sharma
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Patent number: 7680897Abstract: Methods and systems for network traffic management are provided. A content distribution network application manages data in a cache. A network rate shaper application controls and manages requests for access to an external network connection. The content distribution network application determines priorities associated with requests and communicates these priorities to the rate shaper application. The rate shaper application adjusts access levels or data transfer rates for the requests based on the received priorities.Type: GrantFiled: April 8, 2003Date of Patent: March 16, 2010Assignee: Novell, Inc.Inventors: Stephen R Carter, Robert Drew Major
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Patent number: 7386514Abstract: An Internet Box Office (IBO) system and technique vends digital content via a computer network, such as the Internet. The IBO system comprises a viewing system that cooperates with a Digital Rights Management system and various deployment enhancements within the Internet to provide an infrastructure that facilitates access to digital content in a manner that comports with copyright law and the control of intellectual property by the copyright owner. The IBO system enables a content copyright owner to retain control of its intellectual property while allowing a consumer to have transparent access to the copyright-protected content via the network. To that end, the IBO system operates to download and stage the copyrighted digital content on the viewing system of a consumer.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2005Date of Patent: June 10, 2008Assignee: Novell, Inc.Inventors: Robert Drew Major, Stephen R. Carter, Hilarie Orman
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Patent number: 6993508Abstract: An Internet Box Office (IBO) system and technique vends digital content via a computer network, such as the Internet. The IBO system comprises a viewing system that cooperates with a Digital Rights Management system and various deployment enhancements within the Internet to provide an infrastructure that facilitates access to digital content in a manner that comports with copyright law and the control of intellectual property by the copyright owner. The IBO system enables a content copyright owner to retain control of its intellectual property while allowing a consumer to have transparent access to the copyright-protected content via the network. To that end, the IBO system operates to download and stage the copyrighted digital content on the viewing system of a consumer.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 2000Date of Patent: January 31, 2006Assignee: Novell, Inc.Inventors: Robert Drew Major, Stephen R. Carter, Hilarie Orman
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Patent number: 6862606Abstract: A proxy partition cache (PPC) architecture and a technique for address-partitioning a proxy cache consisting of a grouping of discrete, cooperating caches (servers) is provided. Client requests for objects (files) of a given size are redirected or reassigned to a single cache in the grouping, notwithstanding the cache to which the request is made by the load-balancing mechanism (such as a Layer 4 switch) based upon load-balancing considerations. The file is then returned to the switch via the switch-designated cache for vending to the requesting client. The redirection/reassignment occurs according to a function within the cache to which the request is directed so that the switch remains freed from additional tasks that can compromise speed.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 2001Date of Patent: March 1, 2005Assignee: Novell, Inc.Inventors: Robert Drew Major, Stephen R Carter, Howard Rollin Davis, Brent Ray Christensen
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Patent number: 6542967Abstract: A cache object store is organized to provide fast and efficient storage of data as cache objects organized into cache object groups. The cache object store preferably embodies a multi-level hierarchical storage architecture comprising a primary memory-level cache store and, optionally, a secondary disk-level cache store, each of which is configured to optimize access to the cache object groups. These levels of the cache object store further exploit persistent and non-persistent storage characteristics of the inventive architecture.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 1999Date of Patent: April 1, 2003Assignee: Novell, Inc.Inventor: Robert Drew Major
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Publication number: 20020184327Abstract: A proxy partition cache (PPC) architecture and a technique for address-partitioning a proxy cache consisting of a grouping of discrete, cooperating caches (servers) is provided. Client requests for objects (files) of a given size are redirected or reassigned to a single cache in the grouping, notwithstanding the cache to which the request is made by the load-balancing mechanism (such as a Layer 4 switch) based upon load-balancing considerations. The file is then returned to the switch via the switch-designated cache for vending to the requesting client. The redirection/reassignment occurs according to a function within the cache to which the request is directed so that the switch remains freed from additional tasks that can compromise speed.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 11, 2001Publication date: December 5, 2002Inventors: Robert Drew Major, Stephen R. Carter, Howard Rollin Davis, Brent Ray Christensen