Patents by Inventor Robert Lee Winter

Robert Lee Winter 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: 9893998
    Abstract: IHS packet transfer systems and methods include a chassis housing a source IHS and a destination IHS. A component interconnect system in the chassis communicatively couples the source IHS and the destination IHS and includes a routing table that includes a destination IHS IP address of the destination IHS and a subnet associated with a component interconnect system domain. The routing table also includes a destination IHS memory address in the destination IHS, and a destination IHS port identifier for a port that is connected to the destination IHS. The component interconnect system provides a routing engine that receives, from the source IHS, a data packet that includes the destination IHS IP address and, in response, uses the routing table and the destination IHS IP address to retrieve the destination IHS memory address and the destination IHS port identifier for providing the data packet to the destination IHS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventor: Robert Lee Winter
  • Patent number: 9491265
    Abstract: A protocol processing system includes a plurality of communication interfaces. A control head-end is operable to receive a protocol processing engine identifier over a network through one of the communication interfaces from an external system. A plurality of optimized protocol processing engines are coupled to the control head-end, and the control head-end is operable to select a first optimized protocol processing engine from the plurality of optimized protocol processing engines that is identified by the protocol processing engine identifier. In response to being selected, the first optimized protocol processing engine handles communications between an application processing system and the external system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Eric Alan Kuzmack, Hendrich M. Hernandez, Robert Lee Winter, Geng Lin
  • Publication number: 20160269292
    Abstract: IHS packet transfer systems and methods include a chassis housing a source IHS and a destination IHS. A component interconnect system in the chassis communicatively couples the source IHS and the destination IHS and includes a routing table that includes a destination IHS IP address of the destination IHS and a subnet associated with a component interconnect system domain. The routing table also includes a destination IHS memory address in the destination IHS, and a destination IHS port identifier for a port that is connected to the destination IHS. The component interconnect system provides a routing engine that receives, from the source IHS, a data packet that includes the destination IHS IP address and, in response, uses the routing table and the destination IHS IP address to retrieve the destination IHS memory address and the destination IHS port identifier for providing the data packet to the destination IHS.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2016
    Publication date: September 15, 2016
    Inventor: Robert Lee Winter
  • Patent number: 9426064
    Abstract: Methods and systems for improved pathway decision forwarding for rack domains include a gravity well forwarding protocol that enables local forwarding decisions at each network node involved with forwarding packets. The gravity well forwarding protocol may administer gravity well values for each of a plurality of rack domain nodes in a rack domain. The local forwarding decisions may involve selecting output ports corresponding to a higher/lower gravity well value at a network switching element, depending on a destination gravity well value associated with a network packet. Assignment of the gravity well values among the rack domain nodes may be used according to considerations, including security considerations, throughput considerations, loading considerations, redundancy considerations, physical location, and/or physical proximity, among other considerations, in the rack domain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventor: Robert Lee Winter
  • Patent number: 9374305
    Abstract: IHS packet transfer systems and methods include a chassis housing a source IHS and a destination IHS. A component interconnect system in the chassis communicatively couples the source IHS and the destination IHS and includes a routing table that includes a destination IHS IP address of the destination IHS and a subnet associated with a component interconnect system domain. The routing table also includes a destination IHS memory address in the destination IHS, and a destination IHS port identifier for a port that is connected to the destination IHS. The component interconnect system provides a routing engine that receives, from the source IHS, a data packet that includes the destination IHS IP address and, in response, uses the routing table and the destination IHS IP address to retrieve the destination IHS memory address and the destination IHS port identifier for providing the data packet to the destination IHS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventor: Robert Lee Winter
  • Publication number: 20160080530
    Abstract: A protocol processing system includes a plurality of communication interfaces. A control head-end is operable to receive a protocol processing engine identifier over a network through one of the communication interfaces from an external system. A plurality of optimized protocol processing engines are coupled to the control head-end, and the control head-end is operable to select a first optimized protocol processing engine from the plurality of optimized protocol processing engines that is identified by the protocol processing engine identifier. In response to being selected, the first optimized protocol processing engine handles communications between an application processing system and the external system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2015
    Publication date: March 17, 2016
    Inventors: Eric Alan Kuzmack, Hendrich M. Hernandez, Robert Lee Winter, Geng Lin
  • Patent number: 9191262
    Abstract: A protocol processing system includes a plurality of communication interfaces. A control head-end is operable to receive a protocol processing engine identifier over a network through one of the communication interfaces from an external system. A plurality of optimized protocol processing engines are coupled to the control head-end, and the control head-end is operable to select a first optimized protocol processing engine from the plurality of optimized protocol processing engines that is identified by the protocol processing engine identifier. In response to being selected, the first optimized protocol processing engine handles communications between an application processing system and the external system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Eric Alan Kuzmack, Hendrich M. Hernandez, Robert Lee Winter, Geng Lin
  • Patent number: 9055467
    Abstract: A network communication pause system includes a network interface device and a management controller. The management controller is operable to monitor first data traffic that is received by the network interface device over a network and that is associated with a sender Media Access Control (MAC) address and a receiver MAC address. If the management controller determines that the first data traffic has exceeded a threshold, a pause frame that includes the sender MAC address is sent over the network through the network interface device to a sender device associated with the sender MAC address. The pause frame may include an operations code that causes intermediate devices coupled between the management controller and the sender device to forward the pause frame to the sender device, and a pause time for which the sender device will pause the sending of data traffic to the receiver MAC address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Hendrich M. Hernandez, Robert Lee Winter
  • Publication number: 20150117448
    Abstract: IHS packet transfer systems and methods include a chassis housing a source IHS and a destination IHS. A component interconnect system in the chassis communicatively couples the source IHS and the destination IHS and includes a routing table that includes a destination IHS IP address of the destination IHS and a subnet associated with a component interconnect system domain. The routing table also includes a destination IHS memory address in the destination IHS, and a destination IHS port identifier for a port that is connected to the destination IHS. The component interconnect system provides a routing engine that receives, from the source IHS, a data packet that includes the destination IHS IP address and, in response, uses the routing table and the destination IHS IP address to retrieve the destination IHS memory address and the destination IHS port identifier for providing the data packet to the destination IHS.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2013
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Inventor: Robert Lee Winter
  • Publication number: 20150110109
    Abstract: Methods and systems for improved pathway decision forwarding for rack domains include a gravity well forwarding protocol that enables local forwarding decisions at each network node involved with forwarding packets. The gravity well forwarding protocol may administer gravity well values for each of a plurality of rack domain nodes in a rack domain. The local forwarding decisions may involve selecting output ports corresponding to a higher/lower gravity well value at a network switching element, depending on a destination gravity well value associated with a network packet. Assignment of the gravity well values among the rack domain nodes may be used according to considerations, including security considerations, throughput considerations, loading considerations, redundancy considerations, physical location, and/or physical proximity, among other considerations, in the rack domain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2013
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Inventor: Robert Lee Winter
  • Publication number: 20140337456
    Abstract: In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a method may include determining one or more characteristics of each of two endpoints of a data transfer, the one or more characteristics comprising whether the endpoint is Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA)-capable. The method may also include establishing an RDMA termination between the two endpoints. The method may additionally include configuring a first path between the RDMA termination and a first endpoint of the two endpoints, wherein the first path is RDMA-capable, in response to determining that the first endpoint is RDMA-capable. The method may further include configuring a second path between the RDMA termination and a second endpoint of the two endpoints.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Applicant: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Gaurav Chawla, Hendrich M. Hernandez, Robert Lee Winter
  • Publication number: 20140244814
    Abstract: A protocol processing system includes a plurality of communication interfaces. A control head-end is operable to receive a protocol processing engine identifier over a network through one of the communication interfaces from an external system. A plurality of optimized protocol processing engines are coupled to the control head-end, and the control head-end is operable to select a first optimized protocol processing engine from the plurality of optimized protocol processing engines that is identified by the protocol processing engine identifier. In response to being selected, the first optimized protocol processing engine handles communications between an application processing system and the external system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Eric Alan Kuzmack, Hendrich M. Hernandez, Robert Lee Winter, Geng Lin
  • Publication number: 20140198646
    Abstract: A network communication pause system includes a network interface device and a management controller. The management controller is operable to monitor first data traffic that is received by the network interface device over a network and that is associated with a sender Media Access Control (MAC) address and a receiver MAC address. If the management controller determines that the first data traffic has exceeded a threshold, a pause frame that includes the sender MAC address is sent over the network through the network interface device to a sender device associated with the sender MAC address. The pause frame may include an operations code that causes intermediate devices coupled between the management controller and the sender device to forward the pause frame to the sender device, and a pause time for which the sender device will pause the sending of data traffic to the receiver MAC address.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2013
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Applicant: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Hendrich M. Hernandez, Robert Lee Winter
  • Patent number: 8261264
    Abstract: An information handling system (IHS) includes a hypervisor and a plurality of virtual machines (VMs). The hypervisor includes hypervisor network information. Each of the VMs includes a virtual processor and a virtual memory that is coupled to the virtual processor. The virtual memory includes VM network information and computer readable instructions to synchronize the VM network information with the hypervisor network information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Robert Lee Winter, Narayanan Subramaniam
  • Patent number: 8225176
    Abstract: A packet is received from a network. The packet includes a field. The content of the field is compared to each element of a list. If the content of the field fails to match any element in the list, the packet is accepted and the content of the field is added to the list as an additional element of the list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventor: Robert Lee Winter
  • Publication number: 20120089894
    Abstract: A packet is received from a network. The packet includes a field. The content of the field is compared to each element of a list. If the content of the field fails to match any element in the list, the packet is accepted and the content of the field is added to the list as an additional element of the list.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2011
    Publication date: April 12, 2012
    Applicant: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventor: Robert Lee Winter
  • Patent number: 8091007
    Abstract: A packet is received from a network. The packet includes a field. The content of the field is compared to each element of a list. If the content of the field fails to match any element in the list, the packet is accepted and the content of the field is added to the list as an additional element of the list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventor: Robert Lee Winter
  • Patent number: 8068434
    Abstract: A system to discover a network infrastructure capability includes one or more subsystems to establish a communication path between a first endpoint and a second endpoint. A test packet is sent from a first endpoint along the communication path and a value is associated with the test packet which relates to capabilities of the communication path. The test packet value is returned to the first endpoint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventor: Robert Lee Winter
  • Patent number: 7729241
    Abstract: A system and method of limiting communication rates within packet-based communication networks are disclosed. In one form, a method of altering communication rates within a communication network can include monitoring a data rate of a first communication link within a network, and detecting a congestion of a first end point coupled to the first communication link. The method can also include identifying the first end point, and determining a desired data rate of the first communication link to effect the congestion. The method can further include communicating at least one null packet to the first end point to alter the data rate of the first communication link at the first end point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Dell Products, LP
    Inventor: Robert Lee Winter
  • Publication number: 20100091684
    Abstract: A network manager tracks network nodes in an IPv6 network by identifying server nodes that dynamically-assign network addresses, such as DHCP server nodes, retrieving prefix information from the DHCP server nodes, and querying a range of network addresses determined from application of the prefix information to identify client nodes of each DHCP server node. In one embodiment, the prefix information comprises a start prefix value that identifies the starting address of the range and a prefix length value that determines the number of addresses in the range. For example, the network manager sends echo messages to each address in the range by starting at an address determined from the start prefix value and incrementing the network address for a number of increments equal to at least the prefix length value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2008
    Publication date: April 15, 2010
    Inventors: Robert Lee Winter, Narayanan Subramaniam