Patents by Inventor Stephen Opferman
Stephen Opferman 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: 10938647Abstract: Novel tools and techniques for network data plane management are provided. A system includes a host machine that includes a database, processor, and non-transitory computer readable media comprising instructions executable by the processor to obtain, via the database, a network configuration, spawn a container according to the network configuration, wherein the container is configured, based on the network configuration, to be coupled to a network overlay via a network interface, receive, via the network interface, incoming data associated with the container, the incoming data having attached one or more attached network data attributes, and identify, via the database, the attached one or more network data attributes attached to the incoming data as one or more network data attributes of the network data model.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 2019Date of Patent: March 2, 2021Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLCInventors: Ronald A. Lewis, Stephen Opferman
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Publication number: 20210037064Abstract: Novel tools and techniques for providing an in-line AI virtual assistant are provided. A system includes a session border controller coupled to an end-user device, and a session initiation protocol stack. The session initiation protocol stack includes a processor, and non-transitory computer readable media comprising instructions executable by the processor to: receive, from the session border controller, a call invite request; provision, via the AI virtual assistant service, an AI virtual assistant instance in response to the call invite request; and join the AI virtual assistant instance to a call with the end-user device.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 16, 2019Publication date: February 4, 2021Inventors: Steven M. Casey, Stephen Opferman, Felipe Castro, Jeff Leonard
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Publication number: 20210035125Abstract: Novel tools and techniques for predictive AI automated cloud service turn-up are provided. A system includes an AI pipeline and service orchestration server coupled to the Ai pipeline. The AI pipeline includes a processor and non-transitory computer readable media comprising instructions executable by the processor to obtain customer usage data associated with a first customer from one or more customer data sources, wherein the customer usage data is indicative of usage patterns of one or more cloud services by the first customer, and generate, via a predictive model, predicted usage data based on the customer usage data, wherein the predicted usage data includes a prediction of an individual cloud service of the one or more cloud services predicted to be used by the first customer. The service orchestration server may be configured to turn-up the individual cloud service based on the predicted usage data.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 19, 2019Publication date: February 4, 2021Inventors: Steven M. Casey, Stephen Opferman, Felipe Castro, Paul Savill, Kevin M. McBride
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Publication number: 20200403860Abstract: Novel tools and techniques for network data plane management are provided. A system includes a host machine that includes a database, processor, and non-transitory computer readable media comprising instructions executable by the processor to obtain, via the database, a network configuration, spawn a container according to the network configuration, wherein the container is configured, based on the network configuration, to be coupled to a network overlay via a network interface, receive, via the network interface, incoming data associated with the container, the incoming data having attached one or more attached network data attributes, and identify, via the database, the attached one or more network data attributes attached to the incoming data as one or more network data attributes of the network data model.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 26, 2019Publication date: December 24, 2020Inventors: Ronald A. Lewis, Stephen Opferman
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Patent number: 10848487Abstract: Novel tools and techniques for a bio-authentication for streaming service account management are provided. A system includes a user device configured to access a streaming service account associated with a subscriber, a database, a biometric sensor configured to obtain a biometric input from a user, and a bio-authentication engine. The bio-authentication engine may include a processor, and a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions executable by the processor to determine whether an authentication event has occurred, obtain the biometric input of the user, determine whether the biometric input matches the biometric information associated with the subscriber, and allow access to a streaming service through the streaming service account.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2018Date of Patent: November 24, 2020Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLCInventors: James D. Scheller, Tom Funk, Rick Calvert, Stephen Opferman
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Publication number: 20200335917Abstract: Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing customer premises device functionality, and, more particularly, to methods, systems, and apparatuses for implementing media adaptation device functionality. In various embodiment, a rear-facing camera of a media adaptation device might capture a first image of a wall of a customer premises, the wall including an electrical wall outlet into which the media adaptation device is intended to be plugged. The media adaptation device might display, on a front display device disposed on a front face (and in some cases, also on top and/or side display devices on corresponding faces) of the media adaptation device, a second image based on the captured first image of the wall of the customer premises. The media adaptation device might also perform one or more first functions other than display of images or videos, after the media adaptation device has been plugged into the electrical wall outlet.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 20, 2019Publication date: October 22, 2020Inventor: Stephen Opferman
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Patent number: 10812882Abstract: Novel tools and techniques for point-to-point network service provisioning and mesh network transitioning are provided. A system includes a fiber injection node, host mesh network radio, and a first node. The first node may comprise a remote wireless transceiver in communication with the host wireless transceiver, a first mesh network node transceiver configured to communicate with other mesh network node transceivers, a processor, and non-transitory computer readable media comprising instructions executable by the processor. The first node may be configured to establish a point-to-point wireless connection to the host wireless transceiver of the fiber injection node, and provision access to the service provider network to the first customer premises. The first node may further be configured to establish a mesh connection to a secondary mesh network node associated with a second customer premises, and provision access to the service provider network to the second customer premises.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2020Date of Patent: October 20, 2020Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLCInventors: Michael P. Winterrowd, Michael L. Elford, Stephen Opferman, Pasha G. Mohammed
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Patent number: 10797906Abstract: Novel tools and techniques for provisioning OTT internet services are provided. A system includes a user device associated with a first customer, a first physical customer local area network, and an enhanced network gateway. The enhanced network gateway may be configured to instantiate a virtual gateway associated with the first physical customer local area network, create a secure domain associated with the first physical customer local area network, determine whether a subscriber account is associated with the first customer. Responsive to determining that a subscriber account is not associated with the first customer, the enhanced network gateway may further provide a consumer portal to the user device, receive a selection of one or more services through the consumer portal, establish a connection to a service provider network associated with the one or more services, and provision the one or more services over the first physical customer local area network.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2018Date of Patent: October 6, 2020Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLCInventors: Kevin M. McBride, Thomas Charles Barnett, Jr., Stephen Opferman
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Publication number: 20200311094Abstract: Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing off-chain functionality for data contained in blocks of blockchain. In various embodiments, a computing system might assemble data extracted from each block of a first block(s) of a first instance of a blockchain in a generated first file(s), the assembled data being organized to mirror how the data is organized and stored in the first block(s); might store, in a secure database, the first file(s), the first file(s) being configured to be content-searchable, content-sortable, and/or content-filterable; might generate a second instance of the blockchain, which contains one or more second blocks, the one or more second blocks each containing the hash value of each corresponding first block(s), without containing the data contained in each block of the first block(s); and might store, in a distributed peer data storage system of the blockchain system, the generated second instance of the blockchain.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 24, 2020Publication date: October 1, 2020Inventors: Stephen Opferman, William R. Benassi, James P. Gately
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Publication number: 20200280773Abstract: Novel tools and techniques for point-to-point network service provisioning and mesh network transitioning are provided. A system includes a fiber injection node, host mesh network radio, and a first node. The first node may comprise a remote wireless transceiver in communication with the host wireless transceiver, a first mesh network node transceiver configured to communicate with other mesh network node transceivers, a processor, and non-transitory computer readable media comprising instructions executable by the processor. The first node may be configured to establish a point-to-point wireless connection to the host wireless transceiver of the fiber injection node, and provision access to the service provider network to the first customer premises. The first node may further be configured to establish a mesh connection to a secondary mesh network node associated with a second customer premises, and provision access to the service provider network to the second customer premises.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 15, 2020Publication date: September 3, 2020Applicant: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLCInventors: Michael P. Winterrowd, Michael L. Elford, Stephen Opferman, Pasha G. Mohammed
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Publication number: 20200252410Abstract: Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing data and source validation for equipment output data and/or for equipment failure predict. In various embodiments, in response to receiving a first request for first data that is output by first equipment, a computing system might retrieve and analyze the first data to determine whether the first data can be trusted. If so, the computing system might send the first data to the requesting device. If not, the computing system might send a second request for identifying a blockchain containing a block containing a copy of the first data. In response to the blockchain system identifying such a blockchain, the computing system might receive the identified blockchain; might abstract the block containing the copy of the first data from the identified blockchain; might abstract the first data from the block; and might send the first data to the requesting device.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 28, 2020Publication date: August 6, 2020Inventors: Steven M. Casey, Kevin M. McBride, William O'Brien, JR., Stephen Opferman
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Publication number: 20200252220Abstract: Novel tools and techniques are provided for utilizing blockchain to implement named data networking. In various embodiments, a computing system might determine whether a cache that is communicatively coupled to the computing system contains data that is responsive to a first request received from a user. If so, the computing system might retrieve and send (to the client device) data that is responsive to the received first request. If not, the computing system might send, to a blockchain system, a second request for identifying a blockchain containing a block containing data responsive to the received first request. In response to identifying such a blockchain, the computing system might receive a copy of the identified blockchain; might abstract, from the identified blockchain, the block containing the data responsive to the received first request; might abstract the data from the identified block; and might send the data to the client device.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 28, 2020Publication date: August 6, 2020Inventors: Kevin M. McBride, Stephen Opferman, Steven M. Casey, William O'Brien, JR.
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Publication number: 20200196217Abstract: Novel tools and techniques might provide for implementing combined broadband and wireless self-organizing network (“SON”) for provisioning of services. In some embodiments, a computing system might receive, from one or more first sensors and one or more second sensors, first operational states of fixed broadband network nodes and second operational states of wireless network nodes, respectively. The computing system might analyze the received first and second operational states, might determine an optimal network pathway and/or an optimal network backhaul pathway, and might establish the optimal network pathway and/or the optimal network backhaul pathway, through a determined combination of fixed and wireless network nodes, thereby implementing the combined broadband and wireless self-organizing network (“SON”) for provisioning of services.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 27, 2020Publication date: June 18, 2020Applicant: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLCInventors: Thomas Schwengler, Stephen Opferman
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Publication number: 20200169796Abstract: Novel tools and techniques for point-to-point network service provisioning and mesh network transitioning are provided. A system includes a fiber injection node, host mesh network radio, and a first node. The first node may comprise a remote wireless transceiver in communication with the host wireless transceiver, a first mesh network node transceiver configured to communicate with other mesh network node transceivers, a processor, and non-transitory computer readable media comprising instructions executable by the processor. The first node may be configured to establish a point-to-point wireless connection to the host wireless transceiver of the fiber injection node, and provision access to the service provider network to the first customer premises. The first node may further be configured to establish a mesh connection to a secondary mesh network node associated with a second customer premises, and provision access to the service provider network to the second customer premises.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 13, 2018Publication date: May 28, 2020Inventors: Michael P. Winterrowd, Michael L. Elford, Stephen Opferman, Pasha G. Mohammed
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Patent number: 10659853Abstract: Novel tools and techniques for point-to-point network service provisioning and mesh network transitioning are provided. A system includes a fiber injection node, host mesh network radio, and a first node. The first node may comprise a remote wireless transceiver in communication with the host wireless transceiver, a first mesh network node transceiver configured to communicate with other mesh network node transceivers, a processor, and non-transitory computer readable media comprising instructions executable by the processor. The first node may be configured to establish a point-to-point wireless connection to the host wireless transceiver of the fiber injection node, and provision access to the service provider network to the first customer premises. The first node may further be configured to establish a mesh connection to a secondary mesh network node associated with a second customer premises, and provision access to the service provider network to the second customer premises.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2018Date of Patent: May 19, 2020Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLCInventors: Michael P. Winterrowd, Michael L. Elford, Stephen Opferman, Pasha G. Mohammed
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Publication number: 20200136855Abstract: Novel tools and techniques for provisioning OTT internet services are provided. A system includes a user device associated with a first customer, a first physical customer local area network, and an enhanced network gateway. The enhanced network gateway may be configured to instantiate a virtual gateway associated with the first physical customer local area network, create a secure domain associated with the first physical customer local area network, determine whether a subscriber account is associated with the first customer. Responsive to determining that a subscriber account is not associated with the first customer, the enhanced network gateway may further provide a consumer portal to the user device, receive a selection of one or more services through the consumer portal, establish a connection to a service provider network associated with the one or more services, and provision the one or more services over the first physical customer local area network.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 10, 2018Publication date: April 30, 2020Inventors: Kevin M. McBride, Thomas Charles Barnett, JR., Stephen Opferman
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Publication number: 20200136864Abstract: Novel tools and techniques for OTT access to local resources are provided. A system includes a user device associated with a first customer, a first physical customer local area network including at least part of a physical circuit from the user device to a first network edge, at least one local resource on a second customer local area network, and an enhanced network gateway. The enhanced network gateway may be configured to instantiate a virtual gateway associated with the first physical customer local area network, create a secure domain associated with the first customer, and provide access to the at least one local resource of the second physical customer local area network associated with the first customer. The at least one local resource of the second physical customer local area network may be coupled to the secure domain via a second virtual gateway of a second enhanced network gateway.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 10, 2018Publication date: April 30, 2020Inventors: Kevin M. McBride, Thomas Charles Barnett, JR., Stephen Opferman
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Patent number: 10588070Abstract: Novel tools and techniques might provide for implementing combined broadband and wireless self-organizing network (“SON”) for provisioning of services. In some embodiments, a computing system might receive, from one or more first sensors and one or more second sensors, first operational states of fixed broadband network nodes and second operational states of wireless network nodes, respectively. The computing system might analyze the received first and second operational states, might determine an optimal network pathway and/or an optimal network backhaul pathway, and might establish the optimal network pathway and/or the optimal network backhaul pathway, through a determined combination of fixed and wireless network nodes, thereby implementing the combined broadband and wireless self-organizing network (“SON”) for provisioning of services.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 2018Date of Patent: March 10, 2020Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLCInventors: Thomas Schwengler, Stephen Opferman
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Publication number: 20190281049Abstract: Novel tools and techniques for a bio-authentication for streaming service account management are provided. A system includes a user device configured to access a streaming service account associated with a subscriber, a database, a biometric sensor configured to obtain a biometric input form a user, and a bio-authentication engine. The bio-authentication engine may include a processor, and a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions executable by the processor to determine whether an authentication event has occurred, obtain the biometric input of the user, determine whether the biometric input matches the biometric information associated with the subscriber, and allow access to a streaming service through the streaming service account.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 15, 2018Publication date: September 12, 2019Inventors: James D. Scheller, Tom Funk, Rick Calvert, Stephen Opferman
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Publication number: 20190028951Abstract: Novel tools and techniques might provide for implementing combined broadband and wireless self-organizing network (“SON”) for provisioning of services. In some embodiments, a computing system might receive, from one or more first sensors and one or more second sensors, first operational states of fixed broadband network nodes and second operational states of wireless network nodes, respectively. The computing system might analyze the received first and second operational states, might determine an optimal network pathway and/or an optimal network backhaul pathway, and might establish the optimal network pathway and/or the optimal network backhaul pathway, through a determined combination of fixed and wireless network nodes, thereby implementing the combined broadband and wireless self-organizing network (“SON”) for provisioning of services.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 21, 2018Publication date: January 24, 2019Inventors: Thomas Schwengler, Stephen Opferman