Patents by Inventor Stephen E. Norton

Stephen E. Norton 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: 7764679
    Abstract: Systems and methods for determining lost packets for real-time transport protocol (RTP) data flows is disclosed. Generally, a first endpoint is connected to a second endpoint, wherein the first endpoint comprises a transceiver, software stored within the first endpoint defining functions to be performed by the first endpoint, and a processor. The processor is configured by the software to perform the steps of determining a sequence number of a received RTP data packet within said RTP data flow, storing said determined sequence number, calculating whether said determined sequence number sequentially falls within a predetermined numerical order, and if said sequence number of said received RTP data packet does not sequentially fall within said numerical order, storing said sequence number as a missed RTP data packet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Acme Packet, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick John MeLampy, Ephraim W. Dobbins, Stephen E. Norton, Robert F. Penfield
  • Patent number: 7633943
    Abstract: A system and method for providing rapid rerouting of real-time transport protocol (RTP) multi-media flows is disclosed. Generally, a first endpoint is connected to a second endpoint, wherein the first endpoint comprises a transceiver, software stored within the first endpoint defining functions to be performed by the first endpoint, and a processor configured by the software. The processor is configured to perform the steps of, performing flow processing on a data packet received at a first endpoint, from a second endpoint, removing a multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) tag from the data packet, translating a source address and destination address of the data packet, and determining a forwarding destination if more than one destination address of the data packet is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: Acme Packet, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick J. MeLampy, Ephraim W. Dobbins, Stephen E. Norton, Robert F. Penfield
  • Patent number: 7536546
    Abstract: A system for providing encryption for the rerouting of multi-media data flow packets is disclosed. Generally, a first endpoint is connected to a second endpoint, wherein the first endpoint comprises a transceiver, encryption software stored within the first endpoint defining functions to be performed by the first endpoint, and a processor. The processor is configured by the encryption software to perform the steps of: assigning a sequence number to a first multi-media data flow packet received by a first endpoint, wherein the first multi-media data flow packet is within a series of multi-media data flow packets; pseudo-randomly shuffling the sequence number of the first multi-media data flow packet; and, transmitting the pseudo-randomly shuffled sequence number to a second endpoint. These steps may be performed by a programmed controller, or other hardware, instead of, or in addition to, being performed in accordance with software.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: Acme Packet, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick J. MeLampy, Ephraim W. Dobbins, Stephen E. Norton, Robert F. Penfield
  • Patent number: 7362707
    Abstract: A system and method for determining flow quality statistics for real-time transport protocol (RTP) data flows is disclosed. Generally, a first endpoint is connected to a second endpoint, wherein the first endpoint comprises a transceiver, software stored within the first endpoint defining functions to be performed by the first endpoint, and a processor. The processor is configured by the software to perform the steps of, determining latency for the RTP data flows, determining jitter for the RTP data flows, and/or determining lost packets for the RTP data flows. Latency is determined by the first endpoint transmitting a test data packet to the second endpoint; the second endpoint looping the test data packet back to the first endpoint; comparing when the test data packet was received by the first endpoint to when the test data packet was sent to the second endpoint, to determine a round trip time; and, dividing the round trip time in two, resulting in the latency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Acme Packet, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick J. MeLampy, Ephraim W. Dobbins, Stephen E. Norton, Robert F. Penfield
  • Patent number: 7031311
    Abstract: A system and method for providing rapid rerouting of real-time transport protocol (RTP) multi-media flows is disclosed. Generally, a first endpoint is connected to a second endpoint, wherein the first endpoint comprises a transceiver, software stored within the first endpoint defining functions to be performed by the first endpoint, and a processor configured by the software. The processor is configured to perform the steps of, performing flow processing on a data packet received at a first endpoint, from a second endpoint, removing a multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) tag from the data packet, translating a source address and destination address of the data packet, and determining a forwarding destination if more than one destination address of the data packet is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: Acme Packet, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick J. MeLampy, Ephraim W. Dobbins, Stephen E. Norton, Robert F. Penfield
  • Publication number: 20030051130
    Abstract: A system for providing encryption for the rerouting of multi-media data flow packets is disclosed. Generally, a first endpoint is connected to a second endpoint, wherein the first endpoint comprises a transceiver, encryption software stored within the first endpoint defining functions to be performed by the first endpoint, and a processor. The processor is configured by the encryption software to perform the steps of: assigning a sequence number to a first multi-media data flow packet received by a first endpoint, wherein the first multi-media data flow packet is within a series of multi-media data flow packets; pseudo-randomly shuffling the sequence number of the first multi-media data flow packet; and, transmitting the pseudo-randomly shuffled sequence number to a second endpoint. These steps may be performed by a programmed controller, or other hardware, instead of, or in addition to, being performed in accordance with software.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2001
    Publication date: March 13, 2003
    Inventors: Patrick J. MeLampy, Ephraim W. Dobbins, Stephen E. Norton, Robert F. Penfield
  • Publication number: 20030016627
    Abstract: A system and method for determining flow quality statistics for real-time transport protocol (RTP) data flows is disclosed. Generally, a first endpoint is connected to a second endpoint, wherein the first endpoint comprises a transceiver, software stored within the first endpoint defining functions to be performed by the first endpoint, and a processor. The processor is configured by the software to perform the steps of, determining latency for the RTP data flows, determining jitter for the RTP data flows, and/or determining lost packets for the RTP data flows. Latency is determined by the first endpoint transmitting a test data packet to the second endpoint; the second endpoint looping the test data packet back to the first endpoint; comparing when the test data packet was received by the first endpoint to when the test data packet was sent to the second endpoint, to determine a round trip time; and, dividing the round trip time in two, resulting in the latency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2001
    Publication date: January 23, 2003
    Inventors: Patrick J. MeLampy, Ephraim W. Dobbins, Stephen E. Norton, Robert F. Penfield
  • Publication number: 20030016664
    Abstract: A system and method for providing rapid rerouting of real-time transport protocol (RTP) multi-media flows is disclosed. Generally, a first endpoint is connected to a second endpoint, wherein the first endpoint comprises a transceiver, software stored within the first endpoint defining functions to be performed by the first endpoint, and a processor configured by the software. The processor is configured to perform the steps of, performing flow processing on a data packet received at a first endpoint, from a second endpoint, removing a multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) tag from the data packet, translating a source address and destination address of the data packet, and determining a forwarding destination if more than one destination address of the data packet is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2001
    Publication date: January 23, 2003
    Inventors: Patrick J. MeLampy, Ephraim W. Dobbins, Stephen E. Norton, Robert F. Penfield