Patents by Inventor Steve Toms

Steve Toms 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).

  • Publication number: 20240113964
    Abstract: Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing name-based routing through networks. In various embodiments, a broker manager in each of a plurality of networks may receive a subscription request for a network device from a client device, each device being locally accessible or disposed in an upstream or downstream network. The broker manager uses its client broker to communicate with a locally accessible client device, and uses its mediator broker (and, sometimes, an intermediate device(s)) to communicate with a locally accessible network device. The broker manager otherwise uses its messaging brokers to communicate with control channels of one or more networks. Once subscription with the network device has been established, any commands and responses between the client device and the network device may be routed over pub/sub channels via the broker managers and their brokers using name-based routing, without routing based on IP address of the network device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2023
    Publication date: April 4, 2024
    Applicant: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventors: David Sutton, Steve Toms, Shelley Goldner, Shelli L. Hurd
  • Publication number: 20240103962
    Abstract: Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing software-based network probes for monitoring network devices for fault management. In various embodiments, a computing system may receive, from at least one software-based network probe, a first alert associated with a first device among layer 4 devices disposed in a plurality of networks; may parse and store first alert data from the received first alert in a database, in a standardized format; may perform, using an enrichment system, enrichment of the first alert data, by retrieving first enrichment data from one or more second databases and adding the first enrichment data to the parsed and formatted first alert data in the first database to form first consolidated alert data; and may send the first consolidated alert data to a fault management system for display to a user to facilitate addressing of the first alert by the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2023
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Inventors: Steve Toms, David Sutton, Wayne L. Williams, Binu Baby, Nashat Saqqa, Amer Khan, Pranit Ambardekar, Ranjith Kumar Nooka, Mark Chase, Keith Sebesta, Tim W. Kimpton, Shelley Goldner, Shelli L. Hurd
  • Publication number: 20240106695
    Abstract: Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing name-based routing through networks. In various embodiments, a broker manager in each of a plurality of networks may receive a subscription request for a network device from a client device, each device being locally accessible or disposed in an upstream or downstream network. The broker manager uses its client broker to communicate with a locally accessible client device, and uses its mediator broker (and, sometimes, an intermediate device(s)) to communicate with a locally accessible network device. The broker manager otherwise uses its messaging brokers to communicate with control channels of one or more networks. Once subscription with the network device has been established, any commands and responses between the client device and the network device may be routed over pub/sub channels via the broker managers and their brokers using name-based routing, without routing based on IP address of the network device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2022
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Inventors: David Sutton, Steve Toms, Shelley Goldner, Shelli L. Hurd
  • Publication number: 20240106693
    Abstract: Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing global Internet Protocol management system (“GIMS”) for monitoring network devices for fault management. In various embodiments, a computing system may receive a first alert associated with a first device among layer 2 and/or layer 3 devices disposed in a plurality of networks; may collect first alert data and/or first device data; may store the first alert together with the collected first alert data and/or first device data as first consolidated alert data in a first database; may perform, using an enrichment system, enrichment of the first alert, by retrieving first enrichment data from one or more second databases and adding the first enrichment data to the first consolidated alert data in the first database; and may send the first consolidated alert data to a fault management system for display to a user to facilitate addressing of the first alert by the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2023
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Inventors: Steve Toms, David Sutton, William E. Curd, II, Wayne L. Williams, Binu Baby, Michael Ogden, David Ho, Nashat Saqqa, Amer Khan, Ranjith Kumar Nooka, Keith Sebesta, Tim W. Kimpton, Shelley Goldner, Shelli L. Hurd
  • Publication number: 20240106746
    Abstract: Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing name-based routing through networks. In various embodiments, a broker manager in each of a plurality of networks may receive a subscription request for a network device from a client device, each device being locally accessible or disposed in an upstream or downstream network. The broker manager uses its client broker to communicate with a locally accessible client device, and uses its mediator broker (and, sometimes, an intermediate device(s)) to communicate with a locally accessible network device. The broker manager otherwise uses its messaging brokers to communicate with control channels of one or more networks. Once subscription with the network device has been established, any commands and responses between the client device and the network device may be routed over pub/sub channels via the broker managers and their brokers using name-based routing, without routing based on IP address of the network device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2022
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Inventors: David Sutton, Steve Toms, Shelley Goldner, Shelli L. Hurd
  • Publication number: 20240077159
    Abstract: A one-hand engageable vacuum tool connection assembly for connection to a commercial vehicle vacuum system that includes: a vacuum tool connection assembly hose having a first end and a second end; an upper assembly and a lower assembly having a tool connector where the tool connector engages a second end of the lower assembly swivel cuff and is typically adapted to receive one or a plurality of different types of vacuum tools. The vacuum tool engagement assembly is typically free of any flapper valve, metal or spring biased elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2022
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Inventors: Justin Taylor Heaps, Steve W. Lieneman, Jared Leroy Meacham, Clay D. Price, Eldered Tom Tucker, Jr., John F. Tucker
  • Publication number: 20240070005
    Abstract: Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing real-time fault management or real-time fault management system (“RFM”). In various embodiments, RFM may receive alerts from or associated with network devices (e.g., layer 2, 3, and/or 4 devices, or the like) that are disposed in a plurality of disparate networks that may utilize different alert management protocols and/or different fault management protocols. RFM may collect, enrich, normalize, aggregate, and display the alerts in a user interface to facilitate addressing of the alerts by a user. To enable continuous and real-time functionality, RFM may be implemented in a plurality of siloed platforms in a primary data center, with processing of alerts being load balanced across the siloed platforms, with mirrored group of siloed platforms in a secondary data center located geographically distant from the primary data center and configured to be on “hot standby” and to completely take over RFM processing operations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2022
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Inventors: Steve Toms, Michael McClintock, David Sutton, Steven Burrell, Shelley Goldner, Shelli L. Hurd
  • Patent number: 11799770
    Abstract: Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing name-based routing through networks. In various embodiments, a broker manager in each of a plurality of networks may receive a subscription request for a network device from a client device, each device being locally accessible or disposed in an upstream or downstream network. The broker manager uses its client broker to communicate with a locally accessible client device, and uses its mediator broker (and, sometimes, an intermediate device(s)) to communicate with a locally accessible network device. The broker manager otherwise uses its messaging brokers to communicate with control channels of one or more networks. Once subscription with the network device has been established, any commands and responses between the client device and the network device may be routed over pub/sub channels via the broker managers and their brokers using name-based routing, without routing based on IP address of the network device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventors: David Sutton, Steve Toms, Shelley Goldner, Shelli L. Hurd
  • Patent number: 7401449
    Abstract: An apparatus for covering goods, and goods stacked on a pallet with plastic wrap supplied in a roll comprises: a) a roll head adapted to rotatably carry the roll of plastic wrap, the roll head having a friction mechanism so that ease of rotation of the roll with respect to the head is controlled thereby facilitating stretching the wrap around the goods after an end portion of the wrap is initially secured adjacent to the goods; and, b) an elongate handle portion carrying the roll head and extending therefrom in a direction generally parallel to the axis of the roll of plastic wrap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Inventors: Randy Thomas Watson, Steve Tom Garneau, Cliff Raymond Baril
  • Publication number: 20080072543
    Abstract: An apparatus for covering goods, and goods stacked on a pallet with plastic wrap supplied in a roll comprises: a) a roll head adapted to rotatably carry the roll of plastic wrap, said roll head having a friction mechanism so that ease of rotation of the roll with respect to the head is controlled thereby facilitating stretching the wrap around the goods after an end portion of the wrap is initially secured adjacent to the goods; and, b) an elongate handle portion carrying the roll head and extending therefrom in a direction generally parallel to the axis of the roll of plastic wrap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2006
    Publication date: March 27, 2008
    Inventors: Randy Thomas Watson, Steve Tom Garneau, Cliff Raymond Baril