Patents by Inventor Thomas Bradley Scholl

Thomas Bradley Scholl 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: 9160657
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described that instruct routers having constrained hardware/memory to redirect all outbound traffic to a helper router. The helper router contains a full routing table that can forward any packet to its destination. In a large service provider network, helper routers may be distributed at multiple locations across the network. Since packets must detour through the helper router, the distributed helper routers minimize latency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
    Inventors: Jay Charles Borkenhagen, Richard Kwapniewski, Thomas Bradley Scholl
  • Patent number: 9148372
    Abstract: Example methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture to manipulate packet routing are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes receiving a first route advertisement from a first provider edge router, the first route advertisement including next-hop routing information associated with a destination and a label associated with an interface of the first provider edge router; modifying the next-hop routing information to form first modified next-hop routing information, the first modified next-hop routing information to redirect a packet addressed to the destination; and sending a second route advertisement to a second provider edge router, the second route advertisement including the first modified next-hop routing information and the label.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
    Inventors: Thomas Bradley Scholl, Han Q. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 8949459
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for distributed Internet backbone DDOS (distributed denial of service) mitigation via transit providers. A provider network may include a data center and a remote point of presence (RPOP) linked to the data center by private backbone links. The data center may include servers, a traffic analyzer and a routing information generator. The traffic analyzer determines a target address to which a pattern of traffic matching a profile is detected. The routing information generator may generate new routing information for the target address that avoids the use of the backbone, and provide the information to an IP transit provider. The IP transit provider propagates the new routing information to the RPOP, which directs subsequent traffic to the target address over a path that excludes the backbone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas Bradley Scholl
  • Patent number: 8824488
    Abstract: Example methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture to select label switched paths (LSPs) for preemption are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes sorting a first list of first label switched paths based on their respective bandwidths and priorities to form a sorted first list, each of the label switched paths having a lower priority than a requested label switched path, sequentially marking the first label switched paths for preemption based on their position in the sorted list until a bandwidth associated with the marked label switched paths exceeds a bandwidth gap, and configuring a routing engine to preempt the marked first label switched paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Gagan Choudhury, Thomas Bradley Scholl
  • Patent number: 8761002
    Abstract: Particular embodiments of the disclosed subject matter provide methods and systems to support a multicast source selection system. In an example embodiment, the system includes a network element in data communication with a network, the network element being operable to: receive a request for withdrawal of a server as a source of a multicast data stream; and propagate information to the network indicating withdrawal of the server as a source of the multicast data stream, the propagation of information by the network element being responsive to the request for withdrawal of the server as a source of the multicast data stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LP
    Inventors: Donald M. Smith, Kuo-Hui Liu, Gregory Harp, Thomas Bradley Scholl
  • Patent number: 8750128
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described that reduce the amount of forwarding table state on components within routers. This is performed by having a router line card generate a prefix-request message to its central processor which contains a full routing table. Line cards only populate their forwarding tables for packets needed to transmit. By being only concerned with information of packets that are traversing each line card, the amount of required memory and processing required may be reduced for a complete forwarding table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Richard Kwapniewski, Thomas Bradley Scholl
  • Publication number: 20130336322
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described that instruct routers having constrained hardware/memory to redirect all outbound traffic to a helper router. The helper router contains a full routing table that can forward any packet to its destination. In a large service provider network, helper routers may be distributed at multiple locations across the network. Since packets must detour through the helper router, the distributed helper routers minimize latency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2013
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Inventors: Jay Charles Borkenhagen, Richard Kwapniewski, Thomas Bradley Scholl
  • Patent number: 8570857
    Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for a resilient IP ring protocol. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a communication device using a resilient internet protocol (IP) ring protocol, including a controller (602) that manages operations of a transceiver (620) for exchanging messages in a communication system with adjacent ring nodes in a communication ring architecture (300). The controller can be programmed to use sub-second level signaling between adjacent ring nodes to determine when adjacent ring nodes have failed and enable failure options upon detection of an adjacent ring-node failure. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LP
    Inventor: Thomas Bradley Scholl
  • Patent number: 8566886
    Abstract: Techniques for delivering video on demand channel content via streaming from a first edge aggregation device are provided. A processor is provided that is coupled to a memory. The processor can be operable to receive a request from a requesting device for video on demand channel content, search an index to locate the video on demand channel content, identify a location of the requesting device with respect to a first edge aggregation device and instruct the first edge aggregation device to forward the video on demand channel content to the location of the requesting device. Other embodiments are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LP
    Inventor: Thomas Bradley Scholl
  • Patent number: 8488492
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described that instruct routers having constrained hardware/memory to redirect all outbound traffic to a helper router. The helper router contains a full routing table that can forward any packet to its destination. In a large service provider network, helper routers may be distributed at multiple locations across the network. Since packets must detour through the helper router, the distributed helper routers minimize latency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Jay Charles Borkenhagen, Richard Kwapniewski, Thomas Bradley Scholl
  • Patent number: 8411667
    Abstract: Example methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture to manipulate packet routing are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes extracting a destination address from a first packet, querying a route table based on the destination address to obtain a first label associated an egress router, querying the route table based on the destination address to obtain a second label associated with an interface of the egress router, forming a second packet from the first packet, the second packet including the first and second labels, and routing the second packet to the egress router based on the first label.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Thomas Bradley Scholl, Han Q. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 8385190
    Abstract: Particular embodiments of the disclosed subject matter provide methods and systems to support a multicast source selection system. In an example embodiment, the system includes a network element in data communication with a network, the network element being operable to: receive a request for withdrawal of a server as a source of a multicast data stream; and propagate information to the network indicating withdrawal of the server as a source of the multicast data stream, the propagation of information by the network element being responsive to the request for withdrawal of the server as a source of the multicast data stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LP
    Inventors: Donald M. Smith, Kuo-Hul Liu, Gregory Harp, Thomas Bradley Scholl
  • Publication number: 20120147895
    Abstract: Example methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture to select label switched paths (LSPs) for preemption are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes sorting a first list of first label switched paths based on their respective bandwidths and priorities to form a sorted first list, each of the label switched paths having a lower priority than a requested label switched path, sequentially marking the first label switched paths for preemption based on their position in the sorted list until a bandwidth associated with the marked label switched paths exceeds a bandwidth gap, and configuring a routing engine to preempt the marked first label switched paths.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2010
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Inventors: Gagan Choudhury, Thomas Bradley Scholl
  • Publication number: 20110314508
    Abstract: Techniques for delivering video on demand channel content via streaming from a first edge aggregation device are provided. A processor is provided that is coupled to a memory. The processor can be operable to receive a request from a requesting device for video on demand channel content, search an index to locate the video on demand channel content, identify a location of the requesting device with respect to a first edge aggregation device and instruct the first edge aggregation device to forward the video on demand channel content to the location of the requesting device. Other embodiments are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2011
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicant: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LP
    Inventor: Thomas Bradley Scholl
  • Patent number: 8028319
    Abstract: Techniques for delivering video on demand (VOD) channel content via streaming from a first edge aggregation device are provided. The first edge aggregation device receives the VOD channel content from a VOD server, and the streaming VOD channel content from the first edge aggregation device can stream down to a requestor. The streaming VOD channel content from the first edge aggregation device can also stream or up through a metro aggregation switch to a second edge aggregation device to reach the requestor. Techniques for buffering a cache of a video stream are also provided for bursting to a requestor, either after a request is made or before.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventor: Thomas Bradley Scholl
  • Patent number: 8018941
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described that disassociate Internet route table growth from the ability of a router to maintain service. A network operator may base their network design using predetermined devices implemented from the beginning of service as constrained routers. This eliminates concern that these devices would require upgrade or replacement in the future.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Richard Kwapniewski, Thomas Bradley Scholl, Simon Zelingher
  • Publication number: 20110142054
    Abstract: Example methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture to manipulate packet routing are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes extracting a destination address from a first packet, querying a route table based on the destination address to obtain a first label associated an egress router, querying the route table based on the destination address to obtain a second label associated with an interface of the egress router, forming a second packet from the first packet, the second packet including the first and second labels, and routing the second packet to the egress router based on the first label.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Inventors: Thomas Bradley Scholl, Han Q. Nguyen
  • Publication number: 20110064083
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described that instruct routers having constrained hardware/memory to redirect all outbound traffic to a helper router. The helper router contains a full routing table that can forward any packet to its destination. In a large service provider network, helper routers may be distributed at multiple locations across the network. Since packets must detour through the helper router, the distributed helper routers minimize latency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2010
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Inventors: Jay Charles Borkenhagen, Richard Kwapniewski, Thomas Bradley Scholl
  • Patent number: 7885277
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to analyze autonomous system (AS) peering policies are disclosed. A disclosed example method comprises obtaining routing information from two or more border routers of a first AS, wherein the routing information identifies two or more routes to a prefix associated with a second AS, and wherein the second AS is a peer of the first AS, identifying one of the two or more routes as an inferior route advertised by the second AS based on the routing information, and determining whether a routing impact is present within the first AS due to the advertised inferior route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Aman Shaikh, Thomas Bradley Scholl, Ashley Flavel
  • Publication number: 20110013518
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described that reduce the amount of forwarding table state on components within routers. This is performed by having a router line card generate a prefix-request message to its central processor which contains a full routing table. Line cards only populate their forwarding tables for packets needed to transmit. By being only concerned with information of packets that are traversing each line card, the amount of required memory and processing required may be reduced for a complete forwarding table.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2010
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Inventors: Richard Kwapniewski, Thomas Bradley Scholl