Patents by Inventor Thomas Kernen

Thomas Kernen 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: 20250023705
    Abstract: A network device includes control logic coupled to a receiver. The control logic detects an synchronization packet received via the receiver from a second network device over a network that is precision time protocol unaware. The control logic determines that a portion of the synchronization packet is asserted, indicating that the synchronization packet has incurred congestion traversing the network. The control logic adjusts, based on an assertion of the portion, a weight applied to timestamps associated with sending and receiving the synchronization packet in performing clock synchronization with the second network device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2023
    Publication date: January 16, 2025
    Inventors: Wojciech Wasko, Dotan David Levi, Thomas Kernen
  • Patent number: 12028155
    Abstract: A system for maintaining a Precision Time Protocol (PTP) hardware clock, the system being operative in conjunction with a network device which is external to the system, the system comprising a controller to receive information characterizing a network peer oscillator frequency, wherein the information was extracted from an RX symbol rate, and to adjust the PTP Hardware Clock's frequency responsive to the information characterizing the network peer oscillator frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: Mellanox Technologies, LTD.
    Inventors: Bar Shapira, Ariel Almog, Dotan David Levi, Natan Manevich, Thomas Kernen, Liron Mula
  • Publication number: 20240154712
    Abstract: A system for maintaining a Precision Time Protocol (PTP) hardware clock, the system being operative in conjunction with a network device which is external to the system, the system comprising a controller to receive information characterizing a network peer oscillator frequency, wherein the information was extracted from an RX symbol rate, and to adjust the PTP Hardware Clock's frequency responsive to the information characterizing the network peer oscillator frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2024
    Publication date: May 9, 2024
    Inventors: Bar Shapira, Ariel Almog, Dotan David Levi, Natan Manevich, Thomas Kernen, Liron Mula
  • Publication number: 20240014916
    Abstract: System, methods, and devices for sharing time information between machines are provided. In one example, a system includes a Precision Time Protocol (PTP) Hardware Clock (PHC) and an application. The application receives time information from the PHC along with contextual metadata associated with the time information, analyzes the contextual metadata associated with the time information, and determines a context in which the PHC is disciplined. The context in which the PHC is disciplined may control a manner in which the application uses the time information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2022
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Inventors: Thomas Kernen, Dotan David Levi, Bar Or Shapira, Georgi Mihaylov Chalakov, Aviad Itzhak Raveh
  • Patent number: 11835999
    Abstract: A system is disclosed that includes two or more network elements, each comprising a Precision Time Protocol (PTP) Hardware Clock (PHC) that is adjustable based, at least in part, on physical layer frequency information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: MELLANOX TECHNOLOGIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Bar Shapira, Ariel Almog, Dotan David Levi, Natan Manevich, Thomas Kernen
  • Publication number: 20230229188
    Abstract: A system is disclosed that includes two or more network elements, each comprising a Precision Time Protocol (PTP) Hardware Clock (PHC) that is adjustable based, at least in part, on physical layer frequency information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2022
    Publication date: July 20, 2023
    Inventors: Bar Shapira, Ariel Almog, Dotan David Levi, Natan Manevich, Thomas Kernen
  • Patent number: 11501947
    Abstract: Provided is an aberration corrector having a plurality of magnetic poles including a first magnetic pole and further magnetic poles, a ring that magnetically connects the plurality of magnetic poles with one another, the ring having a constant spacing to at least the first magnetic pole, a plurality of magnetic field modulators including a first magnetic field modulator and further magnetic field modulators, and a plurality of guides including a first guide and further guides; wherein the first magnetic field modulator includes a soft magnetic material, wherein the first magnetic field modulator is disposed in a first position, the first position being one of the following: adjacent to a first air gap separating the first magnetic pole and the ring, or at an inner ring surface or radially outward of the inner ring surface along an axis of the first magnetic pole, and wherein the first guide constrains the first magnetic field modulator to positions along a first axis substantially parallel to or coincident wi
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: ICT Integrated Circuit Testing Gesellschaft für Halbleiterprüftechnik mbH
    Inventors: Matthias Firnkes, Florian Lampersberger, John Breuer, Thomas Kernen, Shem Yehoyda Prazot Ofenburg
  • Patent number: 11483127
    Abstract: Apparatus including a shared device in communication with a plurality of computing machines external to the shared device, the shared device including at least one PTP domain coefficient storage area, the at least one PTP domain coefficient storage area receiving a PTP coefficient from a computing machine having a PTP client, and providing the PTP coefficient to a computing machine not having a PTP client. Related apparatus and methods are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: MELLANOX TECHNOLOGIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Ariel Almog, Thomas Kernen, Alex Vainman, Nir Nitzani, Dotan David Levi, Ilan Smith, Rafi Wiener
  • Patent number: 11297117
    Abstract: Methods, network devices and computer readable media are disclosed for replication and switching of Internet Protocol (IP) packets in professional media networks. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, at a first node in a network configured for bit indexed explicit replication (BIER), and via a replication fabric within the network, a packet comprising a packet bit array. Each receiver of a plurality of non-BIER-enabled receivers reachable via the replication fabric is represented by a relative bit position in the packet bit array, and a respective IP address is assigned to each receiver. The method further includes determining that an intended non-BIER-enabled receiver of the packet is a local receiver of the first node, obtaining the IP address assigned to the local receiver, removing the packet bit array from the packet and forwarding the packet, without the packet bit array, to the local receiver via unicast IP forwarding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: CISCO TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Ijsbrand Wijnands, Thomas Kernen, Gregory J. Shepherd, Neale D. R. Ranns
  • Patent number: 10778361
    Abstract: A method including providing a network element including an ingress port, an egress port, and a delay equalizer, providing an equalization message generator, receiving, at the ingress port, a plurality of data packets from multiple sources, each data packet having a source indication and a source-provided time stamp, determining, at the ingress port, a received time stamp for at least some of the received data packets, passing the received data packets, the source-provided time stamps, and the received time stamps to the delay equalizer, the delay equalizer computing, for each source, a delay for synchronizing that source with other sources, the equalization message generator receiving an output, for each source, including the delay for that source, from the delay equalizer and producing a delay message instructing each source regarding the delay for that source, and sending, from the egress port, the delay message to each source. Related apparatus is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: MELLANOX TECHNOLOGIES TLV LTD.
    Inventors: Ariel Almog, Thomas Kernen, Dotan David Levi
  • Publication number: 20200287644
    Abstract: A method including providing a network element including an ingress port, an egress port, and a delay equalizer, providing an equalization message generator, receiving, at the ingress port, a plurality of data packets from multiple sources, each data packet having a source indication and a source-provided time stamp, determining, at the ingress port, a received time stamp for at least some of the received data packets, passing the received data packets, the source-provided time stamps, and the received time stamps to the delay equalizer, the delay equalizer computing, for each source, a delay for synchronizing that source with other sources, the equalization message generator receiving an output, for each source, including the delay for that source, from the delay equalizer and producing a delay message instructing each source regarding the delay for that source, and sending, from the egress port, the delay message to each source. Related apparatus is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2019
    Publication date: September 10, 2020
    Inventors: Ariel Almog, Thomas Kernen, Dotan David Levi
  • Publication number: 20200228581
    Abstract: Methods, network devices and computer readable media are disclosed for replication and switching of Internet Protocol (IP) packets in professional media networks. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, at a first node in a network configured for bit indexed explicit replication (BIER), and via a replication fabric within the network, a packet comprising a packet bit array. Each receiver of a plurality of non-BIER-enabled receivers reachable via the replication fabric is represented by a relative bit position in the packet bit array, and a respective IP address is assigned to each receiver. The method further includes determining that an intended non-BIER-enabled receiver of the packet is a local receiver of the first node, obtaining the IP address assigned to the local receiver, removing the packet bit array from the packet and forwarding the packet, without the packet bit array, to the local receiver via unicast IP forwarding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2020
    Publication date: July 16, 2020
    Inventors: Ijsbrand Wijnands, Thomas Kernen, Gregory J. Shepherd, Neale D. R. Ranns
  • Publication number: 20200162234
    Abstract: Apparatus including a shared device in communication with a plurality of computing machines external to the shared device, the shared device including at least one PTP domain coefficient storage area, the at least one PTP domain coefficient storage area receiving a PTP coefficient from a computing machine having a PTP client, and providing the PTP coefficient to a computing machine not having a PTP client. Related apparatus and methods are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Inventors: Ariel Almog, Thomas Kernen, Alex Vainman, Nir Nitzani, Dotan David Levi, Ilan Smith, Rafi Wiener
  • Patent number: 10630743
    Abstract: Methods and network devices are disclosed for replication and switching of Internet Protocol (IP) packets in professional media networks. In one embodiment, a method includes encapsulating a unicast IP packet with a packet bit array and forwarding the encapsulated packet via a replication fabric within a network. In this embodiment, each receiver of a plurality of receivers reachable via the replication fabric is represented by a relative bit position in the packet bit array, a respective IP address is assigned to each receiver of the plurality of receivers, and the replication fabric is adapted to store disposition information mapping a relative bit position representing one or more of the plurality of receivers to IP addresses assigned to the one or more of the plurality of receivers. An embodiment of a network device includes a processor operably coupled to a network interface and adapted to perform steps of the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Ijsbrand Wijnands, Thomas Kernen, Gregory J. Shepherd, Neale D. R. Ranns
  • Publication number: 20180091473
    Abstract: Methods and network devices are disclosed for replication and switching of Internet Protocol (IP) packets in professional media networks. In one embodiment, a method includes encapsulating a unicast IP packet with a packet bit array and forwarding the encapsulated packet via a replication fabric within a network. In this embodiment, each receiver of a plurality of receivers reachable via the replication fabric is represented by a relative bit position in the packet bit array, a respective IP address is assigned to each receiver of the plurality of receivers, and the replication fabric is adapted to store disposition information mapping a relative bit position representing one or more of the plurality of receivers to IP addresses assigned to the one or more of the plurality of receivers. An embodiment of a network device includes a processor operably coupled to a network interface and adapted to perform steps of the method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2017
    Publication date: March 29, 2018
    Inventors: Ijsbrand Wijnands, Thomas Kernen, Gregory J. Shepherd, Neale D. R. Ranns
  • Patent number: 9571897
    Abstract: Various systems and methods for performing bit indexed explicit replication (BIER). For example, one method involves receiving a first bit string at a node, encapsulating a packet with the first bit string, and forwarding the packet. The method also involves receiving a second bit string at the node and selecting the second bit string. The method also involves encapsulating a second packet with the second bit string and forwarding the second packet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory J. Shepherd, Ijsbrand Wijnands, Thomas Kernen
  • Patent number: 9215396
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a receiver for an accelerated channel change is provided. The receiver receives a first version of a video stream for a first channel and causes display of video for the first version of the video stream for the channel. A second version of a video stream is received upon a channel change to a second channel, the second version including non-discardable pictures from the first version of the video stream. The receiver displays video for the second version of the video stream for the second channel. When a transition point is reached in the first version of the video stream for the second channel, a first version of a video stream for the second channel can be displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Arturo A. Rodriguez, Thomas Kernen, Jeffrey Hopper
  • Publication number: 20150189332
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprises receiving a primary stream of encoded frames and a separate stream of redundant frames. The method further comprises decoding and reconstructing in parallel the frames in the primary stream and the separate stream of redundant frames, on a real-time basis, in accordance with a specified common clock reference. The method further comprises, upon determining that a frame in the primary stream exhibits an error or impairment, determining a decoded redundant frame in the separate stream that corresponds to the impaired frame, and substituting at least a portion of the information in the decoded redundant frame for a corresponding decoded version of the impaired frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2015
    Publication date: July 2, 2015
    Inventors: Arturo A. Rodriguez, William C. VerSteeg, Thomas Kernen
  • Publication number: 20150181309
    Abstract: Various systems and methods for performing bit indexed explicit replication (BIER). For example, one method involves receiving a first bit string at a node, encapsulating a packet with the first bit string, and forwarding the packet. The method also involves receiving a second bit string at the node and selecting the second bit string. The method also involves encapsulating a second packet with the second bit string and forwarding the second packet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2015
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Inventors: Gregory J. Shepherd, Ijsbrand Wijnands, Thomas Kernen
  • Patent number: 8958486
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprises receiving a primary stream of encoded frames and a separate stream of redundant frames. The method further comprises decoding and reconstructing in parallel the frames in the primary stream and the separate stream of redundant frames, on a real-time basis, in accordance with a specified common clock reference. The method further comprises, upon determining that a frame in the primary stream exhibits an error or impairment, determining a decoded redundant frame in the separate stream that corresponds to the impaired frame, and substituting at least a portion of the information in the decoded redundant frame for a corresponding decoded version of the impaired frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Arturo A. Rodriguez, William C. VerSteeg, Thomas Kernen