Digital Commons Network^™

Upgrading A Multi-Host Platform-As-A-Service Infrastructure End-To-End Using Container Images Hosted In The Cloud, Prabhakar Palanivel

Defensive Publications Series

Techniques are provided for updating all the components of a Platform-as-a-Service (“PaaS”) infrastructure, including the host kernel, the PaaS infrastructure, host daemons, and the utilities. The update may occur using the container images uploaded into the cloud container registry.

Establishing A Trusted Federation Of Wireless Access Points, Jiwoong Lee, Jérôme Poichet

Defensive Publications Series

A federation of wireless access points (APs) enables superior network connectivity when compared to a single wireless AP. This disclosure describes secure formation of an AP federation. An AP discovers the presence of a neighboring AP by detection of beacons and probe responses transmitted by the neighboring AP or by explicit transmission of a probe request. A known credential is presented by the AP to the neighboring AP to establish a connection and obtain an IP address. A federation service discovery message is transmitted specifying a port number and the IP address associated with the neighboring AP. A response message …

Preventing Reverse Engineering Of Black-Box Classifiers, Laura Eidem, Alex Jacobson

Defensive Publications Series

Machine learning (ML) models trained for various purposes are generally kept confidential, e.g., due to their commercial value, proprietary nature of training data, etc. Therefore, commercial cloud-based machine-learning service providers protect their ML models even as they provide one or more services to customers that employ ML models. For example, a service enables a customer to upload an observation, e.g., an image, and receive a label for the observation, generated by a ML model that’s trained to determine labels for images. Recent research has shown that given a sufficient number of observations and returned labels, it is possible to reverse …

Decentralized Platform For Autonomous Energy Transactions In A Constrained Environment Using Blockchain, Yenu Gobena, Hazim Dahir, Nagendra Kumar Nainar, Rajiv Asati, Carlos M. Pignataro

Defensive Publications Series

Techniques are described herein to enable any electric vehicle (or other vehicles capable of transporting and dissipating energy) to broadcast the availability of excess energy using any Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) mechanism. Electric/fuel availability and other information may be propagated by leveraging peer-to-peer decentralized blockchain smart contracts that can be used in a connected electric vehicle environment.

Suspension Policy For Cloud-Based Virtual Machines, Ramdoot Kumar Pydipaty, Jithendra Balakrishnan, Amit Kumar Saha, Debo Dutta

Defensive Publications Series

Techniques are described herein for obtaining usage metrics of Virtual Machines (VMs) over a number of days. This data may be used to automatically identify periodic (e.g., daily) blocks of time when groups of VMs can be suspended. Unlike typical scenarios in which VMs in a cloud-based environment stay up irrespective of whether the VM is being used, these techniques avoid unnecessary cost to the client.

End-To-End Time-Sensitive Networking Connecting 5g Slices, Robert Barton, Maik Seewald, Jerome Henry

Defensive Publications Series

Techniques are described herein for deploying 5G slices in conjunction with Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) in the backhaul network. The system employs a network controller that both provisions the backhaul device scheduling and path detection, and combines it with the aligned requirements of the 5G slice and builds and enforces a Service Level Agreement (SLA) to meet the TSN needs. The system finally manages the end to end system by connecting the fronthaul 5G network with the wired backhaul network.

Automatic Obfuscation Of Sensitive Content On Locked Devices, Victor Cărbune, Pedro Gonnet

Defensive Publications Series

The content of notifications from the device operating system and applications is displayed on the screen of a device even when the device is locked. Such notifications make private or sensitive information accessible by other parties without unlocking the device. To counter this risk, device operating systems allow users to hide notification details when the device is locked. However, such hiding results in significant loss of understandability and utility of notifications. Per techniques of this disclosure, a trained machine learning based model is applied with specific user permission to identify sensitive content by analyzing pixels of the device lock screen …

Relative Color Commands For Smart Lights And Color Interrogatives For Smart Lights, Karen Kincy

Defensive Publications Series

Techniques are set forth that relate to user interactions with smart lights using an automated assistant. Some techniques enable an automated assistant to appropriately respond to a user request to change the color of smart light(s), such as requests where the color is indicated in the request in relative terms (e.g., “more blue”, “a touch redder”, “a lot greener”). For example, a user can request an automated assistant to make one or more smart lights “more red”. The automated assistant can determine an appropriate command for making the smart light(s) “more red”, and transmit that command to the …

Determining Nominal Quality Of Service Needs Of A Device, Eliot Lear, Jerome Henry, Robert Barton

Defensive Publications Series

Techniques are described herein for influencing network learning behaviors such as Quality of Service (QoS) using Manufacturer Usage Description (MUD) files. This mechanism improves the MUD QoS scheme by augmenting the dimensions of the QoS MUD component, and creating a new traffic mix hierarchy that converts the manufacturer expression of traffic importance into a locally significant MUD QoS hierarchy. This addition increases the security of MUD mechanisms by removing the possibility of Internet of Things (IoT) devices exploiting faults in allowed IoT protocols or servers. This mechanism also improves network allocation and planning by allowing different allocations based on traffic …

Notifications For Switching Attention To Ongoing Real-World Tasks, Victor Carbune, Alexandru Damian

Defensive Publications Series

Oftentimes, use of a device results in a change user focus from a real-world activity to the device screen. In many cases, such an attention shift has a negative impact on the user and the ongoing real-world task. This disclosure describes application of a trained machine learning model to detect when the user’s attention to an ongoing real-world task is diminished due to device use. When such a switch is detected, a special assistive operating mode is activated for the device. The mode enables mechanisms aimed at helping the user stay informed of the ongoing real-world task and notifying them …

Detecting Wake-Up Taps On Wearable Devices Using Accelerometer, Indika Charles Mendis

Defensive Publications Series

Wearable devices, e.g., smartwatches, are configured to wake up when the user taps on the touchscreen. In order to enable the device to respond to touch, the touchscreen is kept awake and ready to detect touch which consumes power. Turning off the touch panel can extend battery life; however, doing so leads to device not waking up upon the user touching or tapping on the touchscreen.

The techniques of this disclosure detect taps or touches on the display of a wearable device using an onboard inertial measurement unit, e.g., accelerometer, and enable the touchscreen to be switched off, thereby saving …

Semi-Supervised Machine Learning Of Intent Data Models Based On Group Based Policy, Sudhir Rustogi

Defensive Publications Series

Techniques are described herein for using semi-supervised machine learning to simplify an intent interface for end users by allowing a user to specify key network features in which they are interested. A continual learning based approach better adapts to a continuously changing intent interface and simplifies the experience for end users. The semi-supervised learning algorithm learns the reverse mapping (stored in an intent cache database) of Group-Based Policy (GBP) policy templates expressed using data models (e.g., as Yang models) as well as user network feature key words given a set of existing network configuration use cases provided as topology network …

Method To Estimate Network Availability, Vijayaraghavan Bashyam, Nachiappan Valliappan

Defensive Publications Series

A distributed network makes network services available to end users at various nodes or connection points throughout the distributed network’s geographic area. A network administrator monitors the performance, capability, and availability of the distributed network to provide the network services. However, the network administrator may be limited to network traffic or other network-side parameters that may not provide an accurate or a conclusive representation of the state of the distributed network. For example, diminished or decreased network traffic could indicate a malfunction in the distributed network or be a natural consequence of a decreased number of end users. Cost, infrastructure …

Earthquake Early Warning System, Alexei Barski, Marc Stogaitis, Steven Malkos, Robert Bosch

Defensive Publications Series

In the event of an earthquake, a warning system can significantly aid those in affected areas as well as emergency response personnel. A few-seconds warning can allow a person to seek protection from falling objects, exit enclosed spaces (such as elevators), or move away from windows. Additionally, automatic systems could engage to send a message regarding an individual’s location, shut down gas pipelines, or prevent a subway train from departing a station. Current earthquake warning systems collect information from seismographic measuring stations to both monitor current tectonic conditions and alert personnel when those conditions become unstable. Unfortunately, cost and other …

Ensuring Trustworthiness Of Incident Evidence Data Generated By Things, Jay Johnston, David White, Magnus Mortensen, Justin Muller

Defensive Publications Series

Techniques are provided that leverage blockchain technology to ensure that evidence that is recorded by things of an incident is saved and shared with interested parties in a method that ensures the trustworthiness of the evidence data. A thing, a local fog router, or a central integrity service might save evidence trustworthiness data to a blockchain. Complementary methods are also provided that bolster the solution’s applicability to connected cities and other implementation opportunities.

Transfer Inference Learning, Karthik Ravi Shankar, Hanumant Prasad Singh

Defensive Publications Series

Techniques are described that combine machine learning with an edge network that includes IoT devices to yield an effective and efficient method of assessing a condition of an environment. An inference module that includes a machine-learning algorithm, installed and executing on the IoT devices, assesses a condition detected from multiple, different geographic locations. The IoT devices transfer sets of data and inferences as well as respective sets of confidence levels to converge on a verified set of inferences. The verified set of inferences is arrived at quickly and with a high confidence level.

Frame Counter In Low-Power And Lossy Network, Yajun Xia, Feiliang Wang, Li Zhao, Chuanwei Li

Defensive Publications Series

Techniques are described herein for using parameters such as Group Temporal Key (GTK) rest lifetime, GTK whole lifetime, and frame counter length/max packets per second to acquire a safe, available, and non-repeated initial frame counter. A node may use this frame counter to communicate with its neighbor node after joining any Personal Area Network (PAN).

Internet Of Things Shared Ergonomic Data, Mark A. Montz

Defensive Publications Series

Techniques are described herein for sharing Internet of Things (IoT) ergonomic data. This enables, for example, a rental car to match the renter’s preferred speaker levels, the temperature of a hotel room or office car to be set to the appropriate temperature, or even elevator music customized for the rider. The techniques described herein seamlessly enable these actions.

Situation Aware Topic Analysis For Keynote/Speaker Events, Rajagopal Srinivasan, Tuli Kundu, Cd Venkatesh, Suyash Saluja

Defensive Publications Series

Techniques are described herein to provide speaker insights for a talk by correlating audience mood and engagement data (derived from video feed) with speech data. With this framework a speaker obtains a summary of topics that were relevant to the crowd. This technique helps a speaker to design future content based on the metrics and topics obtained using this framework. This solution can bring a lot of value to people who intend to design content for keynotes that will be relevant to the crowd.

Video Compression For Storage In And Matching Against An Index, Philipp Neubeck, Johan Granström

Defensive Publications Series

A method for video compression for storage in and matching against an index is described. A processing device receives a first media item and divides the first media item into a first plurality of subsequences. The processing device selects a corresponding first representative for each subsequence of the first plurality of subsequences to generate a first plurality of representatives and stores the first plurality of representatives in an index. The processing device receives a second media item, divides the second media item into a second plurality of subsequences, and selects a corresponding second representative for each subsequence of the second …

Establishing Accountability To Accounts On Social Media And Online Advertising Platforms, Liang-Yun Wang

Defensive Publications Series

A mechanism that uses a reach index to identify accounts of interest on a social media or online advertising platform is described. In particular, an account of the social media platform may be identified. A reach index for the account may be determined. A determination as to whether the reach index for the account exceeds a threshold may be performed. In response to determining that the reach index for the account exceeds the threshold, the exposure of the account to users of the social media platform may be limited. A request for verification may be transmitted to the account on …

Radar-Sensed Reply Gestures For Messaging, Sandro Feuz, Sebastian Millius

Defensive Publications Series

This disclosure describes techniques for replying to a message without requiring a user to physically interact with a device. The techniques of this disclosure utilize machine learning and radar-based sensing. Potential replies to incoming messages are provided as suggestions. A gesture made by the user to select one of the replies is recognized using radar-sensing, and the reply mapped to the recognized gesture is sent.

Faster Switching Of Citizens Broadband Radio Service (Cbrs) Profiles, Shivank Nayak, Sooraj Sasindran, Robert Greenwalt

Defensive Publications Series

Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC) and Embedded SIM (eSIM) offer the possibility of supporting multiple subscription profiles within the same card. Only one of these subscriptions can be active at a given time. However, a single active subscription may not work well for acquiring citizens broadband radio service (CBRS), which is highly localized, with a user likely to have subscribed to multiple providers, each with a corresponding subscription. As a result, supporting opportunistic CBRS data connectivity requires the modem to switch CBRS profiles by deactivating the active profile and activating a new profile. Such switching takes a noticeably long time. …

Manufacturer Usage Descriptions And Policy For Internet Of Things Applications On Non-Dedicated Hardware, Chris Steck, Eliot Lear

Defensive Publications Series

Techniques are described herein for extending Manufacturer Usage Descriptions (MUD) to onboard Internet of Things (IoT) applications on general purpose hardware in two ways that can work in tandem or separately. First, it allows an IoT application software package to securely present a MUD Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) at installation and/or first run, to the operating system on the local Personal Computer (PC), enabling the operating system to run the application in an appropriately restricted environment (e.g., a container, or Virtual Machine (VM) with its own Internet Protocol (IP) address). Second, it allows the network to then onboard the application …

Stretch Goal Incentives For Fulfillment Operations, N/A

Defensive Publications Series

Online service providers hire shoppers in physical stores to fulfill online customer orders. For example, shoppers are hired to pick items based on customer orders, pay for the items, and pack those items. This disclosure provides techniques to determine stretch goals that ensures speedy fulfillment of customer orders. Incentives are provided to shoppers in the form of stretch goals. When a shopper meets a stretch goal, rewards are provided as an early end to a shift, as paid time off, etc. The stretch goals are revised based on shopper responses.

Lightweight Idempotent Operational Transform Inference In A Collaborative Editor, Owen Glofcheski

Defensive Publications Series

Per techniques of this disclosure, clients send opaque blobs of text to a server, rather than full operational transforms. The server uses the revision number received from the client to infer operational transforms by obtaining the shortest edit sequence between the received opaque text and revisions subsequent to the revision number. The techniques are particularly suitable for use in lightweight collaborative editors, such as note-taking software.

An idempotency issue potentially arises when not using full operational transforms in communications between client and server: duplicate requests can sometimes result in duplicate transforms on the server. Therefore, per the disclosed techniques, the …

Opportunistic Mobile Network Access, Shivank Nayak, Sathish Karunakaran, Jibu Joseph, Qin Zhang

Defensive Publications Series

A neutral host network (NHN) is a mobile network in which wireless coverage is provided by infrastructure that is shared across operators. A neutral host network may provide mobile services such as LTE over unlicensed spectrum. The sharing of infrastructure and use of unlicensed spectrum produces cost savings for operators, which in turn lowers end-user cost.

This disclosure provides techniques for a mobile device to seamlessly transition data carriers between the network of a traditional service provider and an NHN without impacting voice connectivity.

Advertising Uplink Classifier, Branching Point, And Protocol Data Unit Session Anchor Features Support By User Plane Function, Somaraju Kaki

Defensive Publications Series

Techniques are described herein for helping the User Plane Function (UPF) to advertise Uplink Classifier (UL-CL), Branching Point (BP), and Protocol Data Unit (PDU) Session Anchor (PSA) functionalities towards the Network Resource Function (NRF) and Session Management Function (SMF) via an N4 interface. Accordingly, the SMF will be able to identify the appropriate UPF to insert UL-CL/BP functionality in the data path and also to better handle Session and Service Continuity (SSC) mode 3 User Equipment (UE). This also helps the UPF to advertise any newly developed functionalities (e.g., Information Centric Networking (ICN)).

Secured Enterprise Anchored 5g Core User Plane Function, Eric Stewart, Jiming Shen

Defensive Publications Series

Techniques provided herein extend User Plane mobile core Functions (UPFs) outside the conventional service provider boundary to the enterprise customers’ premises. Between the enterprise-hosted UPF and packet core, secured ES1u/EN3 and ESx/EN4 interfaces and call flows are defined in addition to those in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards. These new secured interfaces are further protected by white-list server authorization before secure tunnels are established.

Zero Second Meeting Joins, Jonathan Rosenberg

Defensive Publications Series

Techniques are described herein for causing a client to pre-join a meeting while using signaling to indicate that it is “invisible” and should not show up in the roster. Furthermore, it does not render any incoming Audio/Video (AV), and does not send any from the camera or microphone. When the user joins, the client starts rendering the media it has already been receiving and then starts sending camera and microphone content. This makes the join process more like an “unmute” operation, which is entirely local and thus can happen instantly.