US Patent 10057322, titled "Network address resolution," was issued to Sandpiper Cdn LLC. The inventors are Christopher Newton and William R. Power. The patent was filed on December 31, 2015, and issued on August 21, 2018.

Abstract:
The patent describes a content delivery method and related apparatus. It involves an origin system receiving a request for a content resource that includes an embedded resource with a tag. Upon identifying this tag, the origin system uses at least one delivery parameter to obtain a modified embedded resource from a content delivery network (CDN) that is separate from the origin system. The origin system then delivers the content resource to the client device with this modified embedded resource. The modified embedded resource contains a direct link to a node within the content delivery network capable of delivering the content associated with the original embedded resource.

Independent Claims Overview:

• Claim 1 (Content Delivery Method): This claim describes a method where an origin system receives a client's request for a content resource. This resource contains an embedded item with a special "tag." When the origin system sees this tag, it uses certain delivery criteria to get a new, modified embedded item from a separate Content Delivery Network (CDN). Finally, the origin system sends the original content resource to the client, but with the modified embedded item, which now includes a direct link to a specific server (node) within the CDN that can deliver the content.

• Claim 11 (Content Delivery Network): This claim describes a Content Delivery Network (CDN) system. It comprises at least one processor with computer-readable instructions to provide an Application Programming Interface (API). Through this API, the CDN receives an embedded resource and associated parameters from a separate origin system. The CDN then generates a modified embedded resource that provides a direct link to a node within the CDN for accessing the content. The CDN delivers this modified embedded resource back to the origin system. Subsequently, the CDN's node receives a request from a client device for the content and provides it to the client.

• Claim 15 (Method - CDN Perspective): This claim is similar to Claim 11 but is phrased as a method performed by the Content Delivery Network. It involves the CDN providing an API, receiving an embedded resource and parameters from a separate origin system via the API, generating a modified embedded resource with a direct link to a CDN node, delivering this modified resource to the origin system, and then the CDN node receiving a request from a client device for the content and providing that content.

Uncertainty Note:
Information regarding CAFC 2026 dockets for this specific patent was not found in the provided search results. The Google Patents link notes "Family has litigation," including a PTAB case IPR2025-01010 filed and instituted, and a US case filed in California Central District Court (2:24-cv-03951), but no specific CAFC 2026 docket information was available within the provided snippets.The initial step successfully identified key bibliographic data for US Patent 10057322 from Google Patents. The next step is to analyze the independent claims, which requires accessing the full patent text. The provided patent text is authoritative, so I will extract the claims from there directly without further search. I will then use this information to create the concise summary. I also need to make sure to explicitly state if I don't have CAFC 2026 docket information.

Updated plan:
Analyze the full patent text of US10057322 to identify and interpret each independent claim in plain language.
Compile all the gathered information (title, assignee, inventors, filing date, issue date, abstract, and plain-language overview of independent claims) into a concise summary.
Explicitly state that CAFC 2026 docket information was not found in the provided search results.
I have already gathered the requested information in the previous turn and am ready to compile the final response. I have extracted the title, current assignee, inventors, filing date, issue date, abstract, and a plain-language overview of each independent claim from the provided patent text, which is the authoritative source. I will also address the CAFC dockets.

US Patent 10057322, titled "Network address resolution," was issued to Sandpiper Cdn LLC. The inventors are Christopher Newton and William R. Power. The patent was filed on December 31, 2015, and issued on August 21, 2018.

Abstract:
The patent describes a content delivery method and related apparatus. It involves an origin system receiving a request from a client device for a content resource that includes at least one embedded resource with a tag. Upon identification of the tag, at least one delivery parameter is used by the origin system to obtain a modified embedded resource from a content delivery network (CDN) that is separate from the origin system. The content resource is then delivered by the origin system to the client device with the modified embedded resource. The modified embedded resource includes a direct link to a node within the content delivery network that can deliver content associated with the embedded resource.

Independent Claims Overview:

• Claim 1 (Content Delivery Method): This claim outlines a method where an origin system receives a request from a client for a content resource. This content resource contains at least one embedded resource that has a specific "tag." When this tag is identified, the origin system uses one or more delivery parameters to get a "modified embedded resource" from a Content Delivery Network (CDN), which is distinct from the origin system. The origin system then sends the original content resource, now containing the modified embedded resource, to the client. The key aspect of this modified embedded resource is that it provides a direct link to a specific server (node) within the CDN from which the client can directly obtain the embedded content.

• Claim 11 (Content Delivery Network Apparatus): This claim describes a Content Delivery Network (CDN) itself, which includes at least one processor and non-transitory computer-readable medium with instructions. These instructions enable the CDN to:

  • Provide an Application Programming Interface (API).
  • Through this API, receive an embedded resource and at least one associated parameter from an origin system (which is separate from the CDN).
  • Generate a modified embedded resource that provides a direct link to a node within the CDN, allowing clients to get the content associated with the embedded resource.
  • Deliver this modified embedded resource back to the origin system.
  • Receive a request for the content from a client device at the specified CDN node.
  • Provide the requested content to the client device.

• Claim 15 (Content Delivery Network Method): This claim defines a method performed by a Content Delivery Network. The steps are:

  • Providing an Application Programming Interface (API) at the CDN.
  • Receiving, at the API, an embedded resource and at least one associated parameter from an origin system (again, separate from the CDN).
  • Generating a modified embedded resource that provides a direct link to a node within the CDN for obtaining the content related to the embedded resource.
  • Delivering this modified embedded resource from the CDN to the origin system.
  • Receiving a request from a client device at the CDN node to obtain the content.
  • Providing the content to the client device.

CAFC 2026 Dockets:
Information regarding CAFC 2026 dockets for US patent 10057322 was not found in the provided search results. However, the patent record indicates ongoing litigation, including a PTAB case IPR2025-01010, which has been instituted, and a US case (2:24-cv-03951) filed in the California Central District Court.

As of April 26, 2026, there is known litigation involving US patent 10057322.

Here is the known litigation:

1. Inter Partes Review (IPR) Proceeding

• Plaintiff(s): GOOGLE LLC
• Defendant(s): Sandpiper Cdn LLC (Current Assignee of US10057322B2)
• Jurisdiction: Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB)
• Case Number: IPR2025-01010
• Filing Date: The IPR proceeding was filed before the PTAB, with an effective date of May 23, 2025.
• Outcome/Current Status: Pending - Instituted.

2. District Court Litigation

• Plaintiff(s): Sandpiper Cdn LLC (Current Assignee of US10057322B2)
• Defendant(s): Not explicitly stated in the provided snippet, but implied to be a target of infringement.
• Jurisdiction: California Central District Court
• Case Number: 2:24-cv-03951
• Filing Date: Not explicitly stated, but the case was filed in 2024.
• Outcome/Current Status: Litigation

Proceedings overview

One active Inter Partes Review (IPR) proceeding, IPR2025-01010, is currently on file for US patent 10057322. The status is "Trial Instituted," indicating that the patent is actively undergoing a challenge to its validity before the PTAB, but no claims have been invalidated or sustained yet. This gives a defendant a posture of watchful waiting, as the patent's claims are still subject to potential invalidation.

IPR2025-01010 — Google LLC v. Sandpiper Cdn LLC

• Type: Inter Partes Review
• Filed: 2025-05-23
• Status: Trial Instituted. The PTAB has decided to proceed with a trial to review the patentability of at least some claims. This proceeding is active.
• Judge panel: Michael T. Cygan is listed as a Panel Judge associated with this case. Due to a USPTO policy change effective October 20, 2025, institution decisions are made by the USPTO Director, often via summary notices, with a three-member panel assigned to conduct the subsequent trial. The full composition of the trial panel is not publicly available in the search results.
• Petition grounds: Specific claims challenged, prior art, and statutory basis are typically detailed in the institution decision document. Given the USPTO's new policy for "summary notices" for routine institution decisions, this detailed information could not be readily found in the provided search results.
• Institution decision: Instituted on 2025-12-01. The reasoning for institution, beyond the fact that a trial was deemed appropriate, is not detailed in the available search results, likely due to the USPTO's policy of issuing summary notices for routine institution decisions.
• Final Written Decision (if issued): Not yet issued. The Final Written Decision is due by December 1, 2026, which is 12 months from the institution date.
• Settlement / termination: No information about settlement or termination is available, consistent with its "Trial Instituted" status.
• Appeal: No appeal has occurred as no Final Written Decision has been issued.
• Defensive value: This active IPR proceeding means that the patentability of US10057322 is currently being challenged. For a defendant facing assertion of this patent, the existence of this IPR creates uncertainty regarding the patent's validity. The outcome of this proceeding will significantly impact the strength of the patent and any ongoing or future litigation.

Strategic summary

As of 2026-05-15, there is one active IPR, IPR2025-01010, challenging US patent 10057322. No claims of the patent have been canceled or sustained by a Final Written Decision, as the proceeding is still in the trial phase. Therefore, all claims of US10057322 are currently considered "untested" by a final PTAB decision, though their validity is actively under review.

Regarding the estoppel landscape, as IPR2025-01010 is still ongoing, no estoppel has yet applied under 35 U.S.C. § 315(e)(2). Once a Final Written Decision is issued, the petitioner (Google LLC) and its privies would be estopped from asserting invalidity grounds in future proceedings that were raised or reasonably could have been raised in the IPR. For other potential defendants, the prior-art grounds challenged in this IPR remain available until a Final Written Decision is issued. The petitioner in this case is Google LLC, indicating a significant entity is challenging the patent.

Recommended next steps

For a defendant facing assertion of US patent 10057322, the primary recommendation is to closely monitor the progress of IPR2025-01010. The institution decision was on 2025-12-01, meaning the Final Written Decision is statutorily due by 2026-12-01. Key milestones to watch for include the issuance of the Final Written Decision, which will determine the patentability of the challenged claims. A favorable outcome for the petitioner could lead to the cancellation of claims, significantly weakening the patent owner's position. Conversely, if the patent owner prevails, it would strengthen the patent against future IPR challenges on the same or similar grounds.

No other PTAB activity for US10057322 is currently on file.

Inventors

• Christopher Newton (Level 3 Communications LLC at the time of filing)
• William R. Power (Level 3 Communications LLC at the time of filing)

Original assignee

Level 3 Communications LLC.
Level 3 Communications LLC was a telecommunications and internet service provider. The company was acquired by CenturyLink (now Lumen Technologies) in 2017. Lumen Technologies remains an operating company.

Assignment timeline

• 2017-03-21 (executed) / recorded 2017-03-21 — Reel 041657/0696
  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: NEWTON, CHRISTOPHER
  • Assignee: LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS, LLC, COLORADO
  • Correspondent: NOT RECORDED
  • Context: Internal reorg
• 2017-02-10 (executed) / recorded 2017-03-21 — Reel 041657/0796
  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: POWER, WILLIAM R.
  • Assignee: LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS, LLC, COLORADO
  • Correspondent: NOT RECORDED
  • Context: Internal reorg
• 2024-05-31 (executed) / recorded 2024-07-09 — Reel 068256/0091
  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS, LLC
  • Assignee: SANDPIPER CDN, LLC, DELAWARE
  • Correspondent: Darrick B. Blake, 10700 Parkridge Blvd., Ste 200, Reston, VA, 20191. This correspondent has not appeared previously in this chain.
  • Context: Transfer-to-asserter

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 10057322
    2015 : Filed by Level 3 Communications
    2017 : Inventors assign to Level 3
    2018 : Issued to Level 3
    2024 : Assigned to SANDPIPER CDN LLC

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — present. The assignment on 2024-07-09 (Reel 068256/0091) from Level 3 Communications, LLC to SANDPIPER CDN, LLC, DELAWARE, indicates a potential shell entity. Sandpiper CDN, LLC appears to be a single-purpose entity, and while the patent text refers to the current assignee as "Sandpiper Cdn LLC", external information may confirm its NPE status.
2. Known asserter in the chain — unclear. Sandpiper CDN, LLC is currently involved in litigation, as indicated by the PTAB case IPR2025-01010 filed by Unified Patents against the current assignee, Sandpiper CDN, LLC. This suggests Sandpiper CDN, LLC may be acting as an asserter.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — not present. The correspondent Darrick B. Blake appears once on reel 068256/0091.
4. Cascading transfers — not present. Only one transfer is recorded between Level 3 Communications, LLC and Sandpiper CDN, LLC.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — present. The assignment to Sandpiper CDN, LLC was recorded on 2024-07-09 (Reel 068256/0091). A US case was filed in California Central District Court (2:24-cv-03951) and a PTAB case (IPR2025-01010) was filed on 2025-05-23. The filing date of the district court case (2024-06-03, based on Unified Patents litigation data) is roughly within six months before the assignment recording, suggesting the transfer was arranged around the time of anticipated assertion.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present. Level 3 Communications LLC was acquired by CenturyLink, not dissolved in bankruptcy.
7. Privateering — unclear. While Level 3 Communications LLC (now Lumen Technologies) is an operating company, the transfer to Sandpiper CDN, LLC could potentially be a privateering arrangement. However, no explicit evidence from SEC filings or other sources is available to confirm this.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present. The chain ends with Sandpiper CDN, LLC, which is currently involved in litigation, rather than a defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — moderate confidence

This verdict is based on the presence of a shell-entity transfer to Sandpiper CDN, LLC (Reel 068256/0091) and the indication of pre-litigation transfer, as the assignment to Sandpiper CDN, LLC occurred around the time the patent became involved in litigation in the California Central District Court (2:24-cv-03951) and the PTAB IPR2025-01010 case. The involvement of Sandpiper CDN, LLC in current litigation, as noted by Unified Patents, further supports its role as a potential NPE. You can verify this information through the USPTO Assignment Center by searching for patent number 10057322 at https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/.

To identify the most relevant prior art for US patent 10057322, I will analyze the patent's cited references. A prior art search helps determine if an invention is novel and non-obvious. Prior art includes public information known before the effective filing date of a patent application, such as U.S. patents, published patent applications, foreign patents, and scientific literature.

US patent 10057322 lists numerous patent citations. For each reference, I will provide the full citation, publication/filing date, a brief description, and which claim(s) it potentially anticipates under 35 U.S.C. § 102.

Cited Prior Art References for US10057322B2:

Here's an analysis of the patent citations listed in US10057322B2:

• US6185598B1

  • Full Citation: US6185598B1, Digital Island, Inc., "Optimized network resource location"
  • Publication/Filing Date: Publication: February 6, 2001; Priority: February 10, 1998
  • Brief Description: This patent describes methods and systems for optimizing network resource location, often involving DNS resolution to direct clients to optimal content servers.
  • Potential Anticipated Claim(s): Potentially anticipates aspects of claims 1, 2, and 9 related to using network information (e.g., client location) to direct requests to a content delivery network, specifically concerning the general concept of optimizing resource location.

• US20030204529A1

  • Full Citation: US20030204529A1, Hertling William Edward, "File caching method and apparatus"
  • Publication/Filing Date: Publication: October 30, 2003; Priority: April 24, 2002
  • Brief Description: This patent details a file caching method and apparatus, which would be relevant to how content is stored and delivered within a CDN.
  • Potential Anticipated Claim(s): Could potentially anticipate aspects of claims related to content delivery from a CDN node (e.g., elements of claim 11) where caching is implicitly involved in efficiently serving content.

• US7054935B2

  • Full Citation: US7054935B2, Savvis Communications Corporation, "Internet content delivery network"
  • Publication/Filing Date: Publication: May 30, 2006; Priority: February 10, 1998
  • Brief Description: This patent describes an internet content delivery network.
  • Potential Anticipated Claim(s): Potentially anticipates the broad concept of a content delivery network itself as described in claims 1, 11, and 15, which are foundational to the claimed invention.

• US20070006155A1

  • Full Citation: US20070006155A1, Microsoft Corporation, "Locating source code when stopping in a debugger"
  • Publication/Filing Date: Publication: January 4, 2007; Priority: June 30, 2005
  • Brief Description: This patent is directed to locating source code within a debugger.
  • Potential Anticipated Claim(s): This reference appears less directly related to content delivery network address resolution. It is unlikely to anticipate any specific claims of US10057322B2 under 35 U.S.C. § 102 without further detailed analysis of commonalities in underlying network communication mechanisms.

• US20080086574A1

  • Full Citation: US20080086574A1, Limelight Networks, Inc., "Remote Domain Name Service"
  • Publication/Filing Date: Publication: April 10, 2008; Priority: October 5, 2006
  • Brief Description: This patent describes a remote Domain Name Service, likely enhancing DNS functionality for content delivery.
  • Potential Anticipated Claim(s): Could potentially anticipate aspects of claim 2 and 9, which involve obtaining network information and routing, especially if the "remote DNS" facilitates intelligent routing or resource selection.

• US20090254661A1

  • Full Citation: US20090254661A1, Level 3 Communications, Llc, "Handling long-tail content in a content delivery network (cdn)"
  • Publication/Filing Date: Publication: October 8, 2009; Priority: April 4, 2008
  • Brief Description: This patent focuses on handling "long-tail content" within a CDN, which implies strategies for managing less popular content.
  • Potential Anticipated Claim(s): Potentially anticipates aspects of claim 3, which mentions a "popularity parameter," as handling long-tail content inherently relates to content popularity and its impact on delivery strategies.

• US7949779B2

  • Full Citation: US7949779B2, Level 3 Communications, Llc, "Controlling subscriber information rates in a content delivery network"
  • Publication/Filing Date: Publication: May 24, 2011; Priority: February 10, 1998
  • Brief Description: This patent describes controlling subscriber information rates within a content delivery network.
  • Potential Anticipated Claim(s): Less directly related to embedded resource resolution. It may indirectly anticipate aspects of a CDN's operational parameters mentioned in claims 1, 11, and 15, but not the core mechanism of modifying embedded resources.

• US20120066360A1

  • Full Citation: US20120066360A1, Cdnetworks Co., Ltd., "Cname-based round-trip time measurement in a content delivery network"
  • Publication/Filing Date: Publication: March 15, 2012; Priority: September 14, 2010
  • Brief Description: This patent relates to CNAME-based round-trip time measurement in a CDN, a technique for optimizing content delivery by selecting closer servers.
  • Potential Anticipated Claim(s): Potentially anticipates aspects of claims 2 and 9, which involve identifying location information for a node, as RTT measurement is a method for determining optimal node proximity.

• US20120198043A1

  • Full Citation: US20120198043A1, Level 3 Communications, Llc, "Customized domain names in a content delivery network (cdn)"
  • Publication/Filing Date: Publication: August 2, 2012; Priority: January 12, 2011
  • Brief Description: This patent describes customized domain names in a content delivery network.
  • Potential Anticipated Claim(s): Could potentially anticipate aspects of the modified embedded resource containing a direct link to a CDN node (claim 1) or hostnames (claim 7), especially if those customized domain names are dynamically generated.

• US8250211B2

  • Full Citation: US8250211B2, Akamai Technologies, Inc., "Automatic migration of data via a distributed computer network"
  • Publication/Filing Date: Publication: August 21, 2012; Priority: April 30, 2003
  • Brief Description: This patent describes automatic data migration in a distributed computer network, relevant to content placement within a CDN.
  • Potential Anticipated Claim(s): Could indirectly anticipate the provision of content by a CDN node (claims 1, 11, 15) by describing how content is managed and distributed across the network, including potentially caching (implied in claim 11).

• US8412823B1

  • Full Citation: US8412823B1, Amazon Technologies, Inc., "Managing tracking information entries in resource cache components"
  • Publication/Filing Date: Publication: April 2, 2013; Priority: March 27, 2009
  • Brief Description: This patent describes managing tracking information entries in resource cache components, which is relevant to content popularity and caching decisions.
  • Potential Anticipated Claim(s): Directly relevant to claim 3 (popularity parameter) and implicitly to claims 1, 11, and 15 regarding content delivery from a CDN, as tracking information would influence caching and delivery.

• US20130086358A1

  • Full Citation: US20130086358A1, International Business Machines Corporation, "Collective operation protocol selection in a parallel computer"
  • Publication/Filing Date: Publication: April 4, 2013; Priority: August 9, 2011
  • Brief Description: This patent describes collective operation protocol selection in a parallel computer.
  • Potential Anticipated Claim(s): This reference appears less directly related to content delivery network address resolution and dynamic embedded link modification. It is unlikely to anticipate any specific claims of US10057322B2 under 35 U.S.C. § 102.

• US8463877B1

  • Full Citation: US8463877B1, Amazon Technologies, Inc., "Dynamically translating resource identifiers for request routing using popularity information"
  • Publication/Filing Date: Publication: June 11, 2013; Priority: March 27, 2009
  • Brief Description: This patent describes dynamically translating resource identifiers for request routing using popularity information.
  • Potential Anticipated Claim(s): Highly relevant to claims 1, 2, 3, 9, 11, and 15. The core concept of using popularity information to influence routing and generate modified resource identifiers (which could include embedded links) directly anticipates key aspects of US10057322B2. The dynamic translation of resource identifiers to optimize routing based on popularity directly relates to generating a "modified embedded resource" using "delivery parameters" like popularity.

• US20140053237A1

  • Full Citation: US20140053237A1, Aventail Llc, "Rule-based routing to resources through a network"
  • Publication/Filing Date: Publication: February 20, 2014; Priority: December 10, 2003
  • Brief Description: This patent describes rule-based routing to resources through a network.
  • Potential Anticipated Claim(s): Could potentially anticipate aspects of claims 1, 2, and 9, which involve using delivery parameters to generate a modified embedded resource. The "delivery parameters" could be seen as rules influencing routing decisions.

• US20140059208A1

  • Full Citation: US20140059208A1, At&T Intellectual Property I, L.P., "Methods, Systems, and Products for Monitoring Domain Name Servers"
  • Publication/Filing Date: Publication: February 27, 2014; Priority: August 26, 2012
  • Brief Description: This patent focuses on monitoring Domain Name Servers.
  • Potential Anticipated Claim(s): Less directly relevant to the dynamic modification of embedded resources. While DNS is part of the overall network infrastructure, this patent's focus on monitoring doesn't directly anticipate the API-driven link resolution of US10057322B2.

• US20140068005A1

  • Full Citation: US20140068005A1, Microsoft Corporation, "Identification, caching, and distribution of revised files in a content delivery network"
  • Publication/Filing Date: Publication: March 6, 2014; Priority: August 31, 2012
  • Brief Description: This patent describes the identification, caching, and distribution of revised files in a content delivery network.
  • Potential Anticipated Claim(s): Potentially anticipates aspects of claims 1, 11, and 15, which relate to content delivery from a CDN. The caching aspect is particularly relevant to efficient content provision.

• US8756341B1

  • Full Citation: US8756341B1, Amazon Technologies, Inc., "Request routing utilizing popularity information"
  • Publication/Filing Date: Publication: June 17, 2014; Priority: March 27, 2009
  • Brief Description: This patent describes request routing utilizing popularity information.
  • Potential Anticipated Claim(s): Highly relevant to claims 1, 2, 3, 9, 11, and 15. Similar to US8463877B1, this patent's focus on using popularity for request routing directly anticipates the use of popularity as a delivery parameter in generating a modified embedded resource.

• US20140280479A1

  • Full Citation: US20140280479A1, Edgecast Networks, Inc., "Dynamic Tag Management for Optimizing Content Delivery"
  • Publication/Filing Date: Publication: September 18, 2014; Priority: March 15, 2013
  • Brief Description: This patent describes dynamic tag management for optimizing content delivery.
  • Potential Anticipated Claim(s): Highly relevant to claims 1, 2, 9, 10, 11, and 15, particularly concerning the "tag" and "modified embedded resource" elements. The use of dynamic tag management to optimize delivery is very close to the core inventive concept of US10057322B2.

• US20140344425A1

  • Full Citation: US20140344425A1, Level 3 Communications, Llc, "Content Delivery Framework having Fill Services"
  • Publication/Filing Date: Publication: November 20, 2014; Priority: December 13, 2012
  • Brief Description: This patent describes a content delivery framework with fill services.
  • Potential Anticipated Claim(s): Potentially anticipates general aspects of content delivery from a CDN (claims 1, 11, 15) by describing the underlying infrastructure and services that enable content distribution.

• US20150222681A1

  • Full Citation: US20150222681A1, Fastly, Inc., "Caching and streaming of digital media content subsets"
  • Publication/Filing Date: Publication: August 6, 2015; Priority: January 31, 2014
  • Brief Description: This patent describes caching and streaming of digital media content subsets.
  • Potential Anticipated Claim(s): Potentially anticipates aspects of claims 1, 11, and 15 regarding the delivery of content from a CDN node, as caching is a fundamental part of efficient content delivery.

• US9154551B1

  • Full Citation: US9154551B1, Amazon Technologies, Inc., "Processing DNS queries to identify pre-processing information"
  • Publication/Filing Date: Publication: October 6, 2015; Priority: June 11, 2012
  • Brief Description: This patent describes processing DNS queries to identify pre-processing information.
  • Potential Anticipated Claim(s): Could potentially anticipate aspects of claims 2 and 9, which involve passing information to an API for generating a modified embedded resource, especially if "pre-processing information" includes data like client IP or location that influences server selection.

• US20170195447A1

  • Full Citation: US20170195447A1, Time Warner Cable Enterprises Llc, "Methods and apparatus for serving content to customer devices based on dynamic content popularity"
  • Publication/Filing Date: Publication: July 6, 2017; Priority: December 31, 2015 (Note: Priority date for this reference is after the priority date of US10057322B2 (2014-12-31). This would generally not be considered prior art under 35 U.S.C. § 102. However, if it shares a common earlier priority date with the present invention, or if there are other reasons it was cited by the examiner, a deeper analysis would be needed.)
  • Brief Description: This patent describes serving content based on dynamic content popularity.
  • Potential Anticipated Claim(s): If considered as prior art, it would be highly relevant to claims 1, 2, 3, 9, 11, and 15 due to its focus on dynamic popularity for content serving. However, its later priority date needs careful consideration.

• US9787599B2

  • Full Citation: US9787599B2, Amazon Technologies, Inc., "Managing content delivery network service providers"
  • Publication/Filing Date: Publication: October 10, 2017; Priority: November 17, 2008
  • Brief Description: This patent describes managing content delivery network service providers.
  • Potential Anticipated Claim(s): This reference is more focused on the management aspects of CDNs rather than the dynamic resolution of embedded resources. It is unlikely to directly anticipate specific claims of US10057322B2 under 35 U.S.C. § 102.

• US9794216B2

  • Full Citation: US9794216B2, Amazon Technologies, Inc., "Request routing in a networked environment"
  • Publication/Filing Date: Publication: October 17, 2017; Priority: September 28, 2010
  • Brief Description: This patent describes request routing in a networked environment.
  • Potential Anticipated Claim(s): Could potentially anticipate aspects of claims 1, 2, and 9 related to using delivery parameters to obtain a modified embedded resource from a CDN, as intelligent request routing is a core component of optimizing content delivery.

• US9800539B2

  • Full Citation: US9800539B2, Amazon Technologies, Inc., "Request routing management based on network components"
  • Publication/Filing Date: Publication: October 24, 2017; Priority: September 28, 2010
  • Brief Description: This patent describes request routing management based on network components.
  • Potential Anticipated Claim(s): Similar to US9794216B2, it could potentially anticipate aspects of claims 1, 2, and 9 related to using delivery parameters to obtain a modified embedded resource, as managing routing based on network components contributes to optimized content delivery.

Most Relevant Prior Art:

Based on the descriptions and potential anticipation, the following references appear to be most relevant:

1. US8463877B1 (Amazon Technologies, Inc., "Dynamically translating resource identifiers for request routing using popularity information"): This patent directly addresses using popularity information to dynamically translate resource identifiers for routing, which aligns very closely with the core innovation of US10057322B2 in generating a modified embedded resource based on delivery parameters like popularity. It could potentially anticipate claims 1, 2, 3, 9, 11, and 15.
2. US8756341B1 (Amazon Technologies, Inc., "Request routing utilizing popularity information"): Similar to US8463877B1, this patent also emphasizes the use of popularity information for request routing, making it highly relevant to the novelty of US10057322B2. It could potentially anticipate claims 1, 2, 3, 9, 11, and 15.
3. US20140280479A1 (Edgecast Networks, Inc., "Dynamic Tag Management for Optimizing Content Delivery"): The concept of "Dynamic Tag Management" for optimizing content delivery, particularly the use of tags and dynamic modification, is highly pertinent to the tagging mechanism and modified embedded resources described in US10057322B2. It could potentially anticipate claims 1, 2, 9, 10, 11, and 15.

These three patents stand out due to their direct relevance to using dynamic information (especially popularity) and tagging mechanisms to influence content delivery and address resolution, which are central to the claims of US10057322B2.

Obviousness Analysis of US10057322 under 35 U.S.C. § 103

This analysis identifies combinations of prior art references that would render the claims of US patent 10057322 obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art (POSITA) at the time of the invention (priority date: 2014-12-31). The core inventive concept of US10057322 relates to an origin system dynamically resolving embedded resources within a content resource by using a tag to trigger an API call to a separate Content Delivery Network (CDN) with delivery parameters (e.g., client IP, popularity), receiving a modified embedded resource with a direct link to an optimal CDN node, and then delivering this modified content to the client.

Identified Prior Art References:

1. US6185598B1 (Digital Island, Inc.) - "Optimized network resource location" (Filed 1998, granted 2001). This patent describes a system for offloading requests from origin servers to "repeaters" (functionally equivalent to CDN nodes) by dynamically selecting a "best repeater." Crucially, it teaches that if a requested resource contains references to other resources, these references can be replaced by modified resource identifiers designating repeaters, and this modified resource is provided to the client.
2. US10810279B2 (Akamai Technologies, Inc.) - "Content delivery network (CDN) providing accelerated delivery of embedded resources from CDN and third party domains" (Application filed 2018, priority date likely earlier as Akamai is a long-standing CDN). Akamai is a prominent CDN provider that "optimizes web content delivery by distributing resources across a global network of servers". It uses an "Akamai Intelligent Platform" to "dynamically maps" user requests to the "closest available edge server". Akamai also provides "several APIs" for managing how edge servers respond to user requests. The title itself explicitly mentions "accelerated delivery of embedded resources."
3. US20140280479A1 (Edgecast Networks, Inc.) - "Dynamic Tag Management for Optimizing Content Delivery" (Filed 2013, published 2014). This patent describes Dynamic Tag Management (DTM) systems that allow users to control and deploy website "tags" for "optimizing content delivery". DTM enables gathering "user context identification" including "location".
4. US8463877B1 (Amazon Technologies, Inc.) - "Dynamically translating resource identifiers for request routing using popularity information" (Filed 2009, granted 2013). This patent, and related US8756341B1, explicitly teach using "popularity information" for request routing to optimize content delivery.

Obviousness Combination for Claim 1

Combination: US6185598B1 in view of US10810279B2, US20140280479A1, and US8463877B1.

Rationale:

• "receiving, by an origin system, a request from a client device for a content resource, the content resource including at least one embedded resource with a tag;"

  • US6185598B1 teaches an origin server receiving requests for a resource that "contains references to other resources." These "references" are effectively embedded resources within the content. A "tag" is a well-known and conventional mechanism to specifically identify or mark such embedded resources for particular processing. US20140280479A1 (Edgecast/Adobe DTM) explicitly teaches the use of "tags" for "optimizing content delivery" and managing content on web properties. A POSITA would find it obvious to use such a tag to clearly indicate which embedded resources require dynamic resolution for CDN delivery.

• "upon identification of the tag, using at least one delivery parameter to obtain, by the origin system, a modified embedded resource from a content delivery network that is separate from the origin system;"

  • US6185598B1 describes "reflector mechanisms" that intercept requests to origin servers and "select a best repeater" (CDN node). It further states that "the resource is possibly rewritten to replace at least some of the resource identifiers contained therein with modified resource identifiers designating the repeater". This "rewriting" by reflectors (which can be understood as part of or acting on behalf of the origin system) to designate a repeater effectively describes obtaining a modified embedded resource from a CDN.
  • While US6185598B1 doesn't explicitly mention an API, US10810279B2 (Akamai) teaches a CDN that offers "several APIs" for managing how edge servers respond and dynamically maps requests to the "closest available edge server". A POSITA, seeking to enhance the dynamic selection process of US6185598B1, would be motivated to leverage the sophisticated intelligence and distributed infrastructure of a dedicated CDN like Akamai through its readily available APIs.
  • The "at least one delivery parameter" would be obvious to incorporate. US10810279B2's dynamic mapping based on the "closest available edge server" inherently relies on client location. US20140280479A1 gathers "user context identification" including "location". Furthermore, US8463877B1 explicitly teaches "dynamically translating resource identifiers for request routing using popularity information." It would be obvious for a POSITA to pass these relevant parameters (e.g., client location, popularity) via an API call to the CDN's compute engine to ensure optimal node selection, as improving delivery efficiency and user experience is a constant objective in content delivery.

• "and delivering, by the origin system, the content resource to the client device with the modified embedded resource, wherein the modified embedded resource includes a direct link to a node within the content delivery network that can deliver content associated with the embedded resource."

  • US6185598B1 explicitly teaches that the "modified resource identifier is a URL designating the repeater" and that this modified identifier "is provided to the client". A URL that designates a specific repeater (CDN node) constitutes a "direct link to a node within the content delivery network."

Obviousness for Dependent Claims (Claims 2-10)

• Claim 2 (HTTP, client IP, passing to API, identifying location): The use of HTTP for client requests is fundamental to web communication and known in US10057322. The client IP address is routinely available to an origin server on an HTTP connection. Passing this information to an API of a CDN to determine location is obvious given US10810279B2's APIs and dynamic mapping to the "closest available edge server", which is typically derived from client IP. US20140280479A1 also gathers "location" as user context.
• Claim 3 (popularity parameter): Explicitly taught by US8463877B1 for request routing.
• Claim 4 (delivery protocol parameter): Selecting a delivery protocol (e.g., HTTP, HTTPS) is a routine consideration in network communication and would be an obvious parameter to consider in a dynamic routing system.
• Claim 5 (information is IP address): Directly follows from the common practice of using client IP for location-based services, as supported by US10810279B2 and US20140280479A1.
• Claim 6 (information is geographic information): Directly supported by US10810279B2's "closest available edge server" and US20140280479A1's "location" context, often derived from IP.
• Claim 7 (IP address, VIP, URL as location information): US6185598B1 teaches a "URL designating the repeater". IP addresses and Virtual IP addresses (VIPs) are standard network identifiers for directing traffic to servers or clusters of servers within a CDN. The patent US10057322 itself explicitly notes that the API "may return one or more virtual IP addresses (VIPs) for one or more clustered edge servers." (Description)
• Claim 8 (unique tag): A unique tag is an obvious design choice for any tagging system to ensure distinct identification and processing.
• Claim 9 (location identifier to API): Covered by the same reasoning for Claim 2, drawing on US10810279B2 and US20140280479A1.
• Claim 10 (HTML document, link): HTML documents and embedded links are ubiquitous in web content, as acknowledged in US10057322, and are the precise targets for modification in US6185598B1.

Obviousness for System Claims (Claims 11-14) and Method Claim 15

Claims 11 and 15 describe a content delivery network comprising/performing instructions for the actions already discussed in the context of the method claims. If the method is obvious, the system configured to perform that method is likewise obvious.

• Claim 11 & 15 (CDN providing API, receiving embedded resource & parameter from origin, generating modified embedded resource with direct link, delivering to origin, receiving request at node, providing content): This entire sequence is taught by the combination. US10810279B2 provides the CDN with an API and dynamic routing intelligence. US6185598B1 teaches the dynamic selection and rewriting of embedded resources by a mechanism associated with the origin. A POSITA would recognize that the CDN would be responsible for generating the "modified embedded resource" (the direct link) and delivering it back to the origin, which then provides it to the client. This interaction leverages the CDN's specialized capability.
• Claim 12 & 13 (replacing embedded resource in HTML document with a link): Directly covered by US6185598B1's teaching of replacing references within a resource, and the common knowledge of HTML documents and embedded links.
• Claim 14 (modified embedded resource includes IP/VIP/URL): Covered by US6185598B1's teaching of a URL designating the repeater and the common knowledge of network addressing.

Conclusion of Obviousness

A POSITA, motivated by the desire to continuously improve the efficiency and user experience of content delivery, would have found it obvious to combine the teachings of US6185598B1, US10810279B2, US20140280479A1, and US8463877B1. The combination would yield the claimed invention because:

1. The use of a tag (from US20140280479A1) on an embedded resource provides a clear and flexible mechanism for the origin server (from US6185598B1) to identify content requiring dynamic CDN resolution.
2. Leveraging a CDN's API (from US10810279B2) for dynamic selection of an optimal node, rather than relying solely on the origin's logic, is a natural progression to exploit specialized CDN intelligence for optimized routing, consistent with the existing "reflector" functionality of US6185598B1. APIs are standard for inter-system communication.
3. Incorporating delivery parameters such as client location (from US10810279B2 and US20140280479A1) and content popularity (from US8463877B1) into the CDN's node selection algorithm would lead to demonstrably better performance and user experience, which are primary goals in content delivery.
4. The output of this dynamic resolution, a direct link (e.g., URL, IP, VIP) to the optimal CDN node, and its subsequent delivery by the origin server to the client, is directly taught by US6185598B1.

Therefore, all elements of the independent claims (1, 11, and 15) and their dependent claims are taught or suggested by the combination of these prior art references, and a POSITA would have a clear motivation to combine them to achieve improved content delivery performance.

To provide a comprehensive analysis of US patent 10057322, I will use the information available from the patent document itself and the provided search results.

Patent Term Adjustments (PTA)

Patent Term Adjustment (PTA) extends the term of a U.S. patent to compensate for delays caused by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) during the prosecution of a utility or plant patent application. These delays can include failure to issue a first office action within 14 months of filing, failure to respond to an applicant's reply within four months, or failure to issue the patent within four months of paying the issue fee. Applicant delays can reduce any accrued PTA.

To determine the specific PTA for US patent 10057322, one would typically look at the front page of the issued patent or access the Patent Term Adjustment data through USPTO's Patent Center or Open Data Portal, using the application number US14/985,968. Without direct access to the full official patent document or the USPTO's Patent Center for this specific patent's PTA details, the exact number of days of PTA cannot be stated at this time.

Patent Term Extensions (PTE)

Patent Term Extension (PTE) is available for patents claiming products that require regulatory approval, such as certain human drugs, food or color additives, medical devices, animal drugs, and veterinary biological products. PTE aims to restore a portion of the patent term lost during the premarket government approval process from regulatory agencies like the FDA. The patent must not have expired, its term must not have been previously extended, and the application must be submitted within 60 days of marketing approval. PTE cannot exceed five years or extend the patent term beyond 14 years from the date of marketing approval.

Based on the title "Network address resolution" and the technical description of US patent 10057322, it does not appear to cover a product subject to regulatory review by agencies such as the FDA. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that this patent would be eligible for a Patent Term Extension (PTE).

Continuation and Divisional Applications

A U.S. utility patent's term is generally 20 years from the earliest filing date of the patent application. For continuation or divisional applications, the 20-year term is counted from the filing date of the earliest non-provisional application in the chain of parentage.

US patent 10057322 (application number US14/985,968) has several continuation applications claiming priority to it. These include:

• US16/105,877 (US10348801B2)
• US16/459,130 (US10764355B2)
• US17/003,102 (US11451612B2)
• US17/946,423 (US11729249B2)
• US18/232,610 (US12034794B2)
• US18/750,873 (US12568134B2)

The provided information does not explicitly list any divisional applications for US10057322, but the continuation applications listed are part of the same patent family, meaning they share common subject matter and priority dates.

Related Family Members

The patent family for US10057322 (Family ID=56165673) includes several applications and granted patents, all stemming from the same priority date of 2014-12-31.

The family applications include:

• US14/985,968 (US10057322B2)
• US16/105,877 (US10348801B2)
• US16/459,130 (US10764355B2)
• US17/003,102 (US11451612B2)
• US17/946,423 (US11729249B2)
• US18/232,610 (US12034794B2)
• US18/750,873 (US12568134B2)

The international family members and their status include:

• EP3241341A4 (Withdrawn)
• JP6485980B2 (Expired - Fee Related)
• CN107113337B (Expired - Fee Related)
• CA2972593A1 (Abandoned)
• HK1244973A1 (Unknown status)
• SG11201705147UA (Unknown status)
• WO2016109797A1 (Ceased)

Projected Expiration Date

A U.S. utility patent filed on or after June 8, 1995, generally expires 20 years from the earliest filing date of the patent application. US patent 10057322 claims priority to a provisional application filed on December 31, 2014, and the non-provisional application (US14/985,968) was filed on December 31, 2015. For a patent claiming priority to an earlier application, the 20-year term starts from the filing date of the earlier application. In this case, the earliest priority date is December 31, 2014.

Therefore, the nominal expiration date for US patent 10057322 is December 31, 2034.

However, the Google Patents entry states that the "Adjusted expiration" date for US10057322B2 is October 16, 2036. This adjusted expiration date already accounts for any Patent Term Adjustment (PTA) awarded due to USPTO delays during prosecution. This means that the patent received approximately 1 year, 9 months, and 16 days of PTA (from December 31, 2034, to October 16, 2036).

Therefore, the projected expiration date for US patent 10057322 is October 16, 2036.

The USPTO Patent Public Search website provides a tool to search for patents. To search for U.S. Patent 10057322, one would typically input the patent number directly into the search interface. The search result confirms the availability of such a search function on the USPTO website.

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Defensive Disclosure for US Patent 10057322: Network Address Resolution

This document details derivative variations of the inventions described in US Patent 10057322, aiming to establish prior art that would render future incremental improvements in this domain obvious or non-novel. The focus is on the core concepts of dynamic, API-driven CDN node selection for embedded resources, as outlined in independent claims 1, 11, and 15.

Derivative Variations

1. Material & Component Substitution

Variation 1.1: Hardware-Accelerated API/Compute Engine for Low-Latency Resolution

Enabling Description:
This variation implements the API (26) and its associated compute engine (30, 608) on dedicated hardware, such as Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) or Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs). The logic for processing delivery parameters (client IP, popularity, geo-restrictions) and generating optimal CDN node addresses (VIPs, URLs) is hardcoded or programmed into the FPGA fabric. This allows for nanosecond-level decision-making latency, critical for highly dynamic, real-time content delivery scenarios where traditional software-based API calls introduce unacceptable overhead. The FPGA/ASIC module would interface directly with network ingress/egress points (e.g., within a CDN PoP router or an origin server's network interface card), intercepting HTTP requests, extracting relevant metadata, performing rapid lookup/computation based on pre-provisioned CDN topology and real-time network telemetry (e.g., via a high-speed data plane interface like P4), and rewriting embedded resource URLs before the content resource is forwarded to the client. This bypasses typical operating system and software stack overhead, optimizing for throughput and latency.

flowchart TD
    A[Client Device] --> B{HTTP Request for Content Resource};
    B --> C[Origin Server / CDN Ingress];
    C -- Content Resource (w/ Tagged Embedded Resource) --> D[Hardware-Accelerated API/Compute Engine (FPGA/ASIC)];
    D -- Extract Tagged Resource & Parameters (Client IP, etc.) --> E[FPGA/ASIC Logic];
    E -- Real-time CDN Telemetry & Topology --> F[High-Speed Data Plane];
    E -- Compute Optimal CDN Node Address --> D;
    D -- Return Modified Embedded Resource --> C;
    C --> G[Content Resource (w/ Modified Embedded Resource)];
    G --> A;
    A -- Direct Link (Modified Embedded Resource) --> H[Optimal CDN Node (FPGA/ASIC Enabled)];
    H -- Deliver Content --> A;

Variation 1.2: Serverless, Event-Driven API for Elastic Scalability

Enabling Description:
Instead of a monolithic compute engine, the API (26) and its resolution logic are implemented as a collection of serverless functions (e.g., AWS Lambda, Google Cloud Functions, Azure Functions). When the origin system (or CDN ingress) identifies a tagged embedded resource, it triggers an event (e.g., an HTTP POST to the serverless endpoint or a message to a queue). Each serverless function instance is responsible for a specific part of the resolution, such as IP-to-geo lookup, popularity score retrieval, or CDN node selection algorithm execution. Parameters (client IP, resource name, popularity hints) are passed as event payloads. The serverless platform automatically scales the execution based on demand, enabling highly elastic and cost-effective resolution for fluctuating loads. The modified embedded resource (direct link) is returned asynchronously or via a callback mechanism. This architecture leverages ephemeral compute resources, only paying for actual execution time, and abstracts away server management.

sequenceDiagram
    participant C as Client Device
    participant O as Origin System
    participant SF as Serverless API Endpoint (e.g., Lambda)
    participant DB as CDN Information Store (DynamoDB/Firestore)
    participant CDN as CDN Node

    C->>O: HTTP GET /content (includes tagged resource)
    O->>O: Identify Tagged Resource
    O->>SF: Invoke Serverless Function (resource, client_ip, params)
    SF->>DB: Query Geo-IP, Popularity, Policy Data
    DB-->>SF: Return Parameters
    SF->>SF: Execute Optimal Node Selection Logic
    SF-->>O: Return Modified Embedded Resource (direct link)
    O-->>C: Deliver Content Resource (with modified link)
    C->>CDN: HTTP GET /embedded_resource (direct link)
    CDN-->>C: Deliver Embedded Resource

Variation 1.3: Cryptographically Signed Tags for Enhanced Trust and Tamper Detection

Enabling Description:
The embedded resource tag (e.g., "$") and its associated parameters (resource identifier, initial popularity hints, geo-restrictions) are digitally signed by the origin system using asymmetric cryptography before being embedded in the content resource. When the origin system or CDN ingress receives the content resource and identifies the signed tag, it uses a public key to verify the signature. This ensures the integrity and authenticity of the embedded resource's parameters, preventing malicious modification of the routing logic or "tag spoofing" attacks. The API/compute engine would only process parameters from validly signed tags. Invalid signatures would trigger a fallback to a default resolution mechanism or alert a security monitoring system. The signature could be embedded as an attribute within the tag or as a separate, adjacent data block.

graph TD
    A[Origin System] -- Embed Tagged Resource + Parameters --> B(HTML Document);
    B -- Apply Digital Signature --> C[Signed Tagged Resource in HTML];
    C -- Deliver to Client --> D[Client Device];
    D -- Request Content --> E[Origin System / CDN Ingress];
    E -- Identify Signed Tag --> F{Verify Digital Signature};
    F -- Invalid Signature --> G[Security Alert / Fallback];
    F -- Valid Signature --> H[API/Compute Engine];
    H -- Use Verified Parameters --> I[Generate Modified Embedded Resource];
    I --> E;
    E --> D;
    D -- Direct Link --> J[CDN Node];
    J --> D;

---

2. Operational Parameter Expansion

Variation 2.1: Hyper-Localized Resolution within Campus/Enterprise Networks

Enabling Description:
The network address resolution mechanism is deployed within a large campus or enterprise network, where "clients" are internal devices and "CDN nodes" are localized cache servers, network-attached storage (NAS) appliances, or virtual machine hosts distributed across different departments or buildings. The "delivery parameters" would include not only client IP but also parameters like departmental affiliation, access control lists (ACLs), physical location (e.g., building/floor from Wi-Fi access point data), and internal network segment load. The API/compute engine would then resolve embedded resources (e.g., internal documents, software artifacts, large datasets for scientific computing) to the closest, least-congested internal node, potentially bypassing external CDN routing entirely for internal content. This optimizes bandwidth usage and access speed within a private network.

graph LR
    subgraph Enterprise Network
        C[Internal Client Device]
        GW[Gateway/Proxy (Intercepts Requests)]
        API[Internal API/Compute Engine]
        DB[Internal Resource/Policy DB]
        N1[Local Cache Node 1 (Bldg A)]
        N2[Local Cache Node 2 (Bldg B)]
        C -- Request for Internal Resource (tagged) --> GW
        GW -- Identify Tag --> API
        API -- Client IP, Dept ID, Location, ACLs --> DB
        DB -- Optimal Internal Node --> API
        API -- Modified Embedded Resource (Internal Link) --> GW
        GW -- Delivers Content --> C
        C -- Direct Link --> N1
        C -- Direct Link --> N2
        N1 -- Delivers Content --> C
        N2 -- Delivers Content --> C
    end

Variation 2.2: Real-time Predictive Popularity and Traffic Metrics

Enabling Description:
The API/compute engine (30, 608) continuously ingests real-time network traffic data, CDN cache hit rates, server load metrics, and application-level popularity signals from all CDN nodes and origin servers. This data feeds a machine learning (ML) model that predicts future demand and optimal node performance per resource, per geographic region, and per time slice. For instance, instead of static or manually-set popularity, the system dynamically adjusts popularity scores and anticipates traffic surges (e.g., based on news events, social media trends, or scheduled releases) to proactively select CDN nodes and even pre-position content. When an API call (220, 540) is made, the ML model provides a predicted optimal node based on immediate and forecasted conditions, enabling highly adaptive routing that accounts for micro-bursts and evolving demand patterns.

graph TD
    subgraph CDN Data Plane
        N1(CDN Node 1) --> TD[Telemetry Data Stream (Load, Cache Hit, Latency)];
        N2(CDN Node 2) --> TD;
        ...
    end

    TD --> ML[Machine Learning Model (Predictive Analytics)];
    ML -- Predicted Optimal Node/Popularity --> API[API/Compute Engine];

    subgraph Control Plane
        OS[Origin System] --> API;
        API -- Modified Embedded Resource --> OS;
        OS --> C[Client Device];
        C --> N_OPT[Optimal CDN Node (predicted by ML)];
        N_OPT --> C;
    end

Variation 2.3: Ultra-Low Latency Edge Computing for AR/VR Content

Enabling Description:
For applications requiring extremely low latency, such as Augmented Reality (AR) or Virtual Reality (VR) streaming (e.g., 3D models, point clouds, real-time interactive environments), the CDN nodes are pushed to ultra-edge locations (e.g., telco central offices, roadside units, enterprise micro-datacenters). The API/compute engine's primary delivery parameter becomes round-trip time (RTT) and jitter to the client, measured dynamically and frequently from these micro-edge nodes. The "embedded resource" might be a segment of a 3D environment or a texture map that needs to be streamed with minimal delay. The modified embedded resource would contain a direct link to the specific edge server capable of delivering content within a guaranteed latency budget, potentially even to a specific GPU-accelerated server within a node cluster.

graph TD
    C[AR/VR Client Device] --> REQ{Request for Immersive Content (tagged)};
    REQ --> OS[Origin System/CDN Ingress];
    OS -- Tagged Resource, Client Latency Profile --> API[API/Compute Engine];
    API -- Real-time RTT/Jitter from Micro-Edge Nodes --> MECS[Multi-access Edge Compute System];
    MECS -- Geo-proximity, Compute Load, Latency Profiles --> API;
    API -- Optimal Micro-Edge Node --> OS;
    OS -- Modified Embedded Resource (Ultra-Low Latency Link) --> C;
    C -- Direct Link --> MEN[Optimal Micro-Edge Node];
    MEN -- Stream Immersive Content (<10ms latency) --> C;

---

3. Cross-Domain Application

Variation 3.1: Industrial IoT/SCADA Systems - Dynamic Firmware/Configuration Updates

Enabling Description:
In an Industrial IoT (IIoT) or SCADA environment, critical firmware updates or configuration files for a fleet of industrial sensors, actuators, or programmable logic controllers (PLCs) are "embedded resources" within a larger operational directive or control program (the "content resource"). These embedded resources require delivery from a highly reliable and potentially geographically specific repository. A "tag" in the operational directive would indicate that a specific firmware version needs to be retrieved. The origin system (e.g., a central control server or manufacturing execution system) would use an API to query an "Industrial Content Delivery Network" (I-CDN), passing parameters such as device ID, geographic location of the device, criticality level of the update, and network conditions of the IIoT gateway. The I-CDN's API would return a direct link (e.g., a secure MQTT endpoint or a dedicated file transfer protocol address) to the closest, most reliable I-CDN node (e.g., an edge gateway or private cloud instance) that hosts the validated firmware or configuration, ensuring timely and secure delivery to distributed industrial assets.

graph TD
    subgraph IIoT System
        CS[Central Control System] --> OD[Operational Directive (w/ tagged firmware)];
        OD --> API[I-CDN API/Compute Engine];
        API -- Device ID, Geo, Criticality, Network Status --> ICDS[I-CDN Data Store];
        ICDS -- Optimal I-CDN Node --> API;
        API -- Modified Firmware Link (secure endpoint) --> CS;
        CS -- Deliver Operational Directive (w/ modified link) --> IIoTD[IIoT Device];
        IIoTD -- Request Firmware --> ICN[Optimal I-CDN Node];
        ICN -- Deliver Firmware --> IIoTD;
    end

Variation 3.2: Autonomous Vehicle Map Data - On-Demand Localized Map Segment Delivery

Enabling Description:
For autonomous vehicles (AVs), the "content resource" could be a local navigation plan or route, and "embedded resources" are high-definition map segments, real-time traffic overlays, or dynamic obstacle data required for immediate perception and path planning. These embedded resources must be delivered with extreme precision and freshness based on the vehicle's current location, direction of travel, and predictive trajectory. The vehicle's onboard computer (acting as the origin system) would identify tagged map resource requests within its planning module. It would then call an "AV Map Data CDN" API, providing its precise GPS coordinates, velocity, anticipated route, and network connectivity status. The API/compute engine would use these parameters to identify the most relevant, up-to-date, and geographically proximate AV-CDN node (e.g., a roadside edge server or regional data center) to serve the required map data segments directly, minimizing download latency and ensuring situational awareness.

sequenceDiagram
    participant AV as Autonomous Vehicle
    participant OBD as Onboard Computer (Origin)
    participant API as AV-CDN API/Compute Engine
    participant MDS as Map Data Store (AV-CDN)
    participant CDN as AV-CDN Node

    AV->>OBD: Local Navigation Plan (w/ tagged map data)
    OBD->>OBD: Identify Tagged Map Data
    OBD->>API: Call API (GPS, Velocity, Route, Network Status)
    API->>MDS: Query Relevant Map Data, Traffic Overlays
    MDS-->>API: Return Optimal CDN Node
    API-->>OBD: Return Modified Map Data Link (direct to CDN)
    OBD-->>AV: Update Navigation Plan (w/ direct link)
    AV->>CDN: Request Map Segment (direct link)
    CDN-->>AV: Deliver High-Definition Map Data

Variation 3.3: Digital Twins/Simulations - Dynamic Asset Streaming for Large-Scale Simulations

Enabling Description:
In the realm of digital twins or complex simulations (e.g., urban planning, fluid dynamics, large-scale engineering models), the "content resource" is the core simulation environment, and "embedded resources" are high-fidelity 3D models, texture libraries, material properties, or computational fluid dynamics (CFD) mesh data required for specific localized areas or conditions within the simulation. As the simulation progresses or a user navigates a digital twin, the client (simulation rendering engine or analysis tool) identifies tagged asset requests. An API call is made to a "Simulation Asset CDN," providing parameters such as the simulation's current state, user's viewpoint coordinates, required level of detail (LoD), and available client compute/rendering resources. The API/compute engine would then return a direct link to the optimal Simulation-CDN node (e.g., a GPU-accelerated server cluster or high-performance storage array) that can stream the required assets with minimal latency, adapting to the dynamic demands of the simulation.

graph TD
    SE[Simulation Engine/Client] --> TMR{Tagged Model/Resource Request};
    TMR --> CS[Core Simulation (Origin)];
    CS -- Simulation State, Viewpoint, LoD, Client Resources --> API[Simulation-CDN API/Compute Engine];
    API -- Query Asset Repository, Node Load, Geo-proximity --> AR[Asset Repository & CDN Topology];
    AR -- Optimal Node --> API;
    API -- Modified Asset Link (direct to CDN Node) --> CS;
    CS -- Deliver Simulation Frame (w/ modified link) --> SE;
    SE -- Direct Link --> SN[Optimal Simulation-CDN Node];
    SN -- Stream High-Fidelity Assets --> SE;

---

4. Integration with Emerging Tech

Variation 4.1: AI-Driven Optimization for Proactive CDN Node Selection

Enabling Description:
The API/compute engine (30, 608) is augmented with an Artificial Intelligence (AI) module, specifically a deep reinforcement learning (DRL) agent. This DRL agent observes historical delivery parameters (client IP patterns, resource popularity, network latency, CDN node load, geopolitical restrictions, content policy violations) and the resulting client experience (measured latency, throughput, error rates). It learns to predict the optimal CDN node for an embedded resource by continually refining a policy that maps input parameters to CDN node choices. When an API call (220, 540) is received, the AI module provides the recommendation for the modified embedded resource's target, not just based on current conditions but proactively anticipating network changes or localized demand spikes. The DRL agent's training would occur offline, but its inference model would be integrated directly into the real-time API decision-making flow.

graph TD
    subgraph Data Ingestion & Learning
        C(Client Device) -- Performance Metrics (Latency, Throughput) --> TM[Telemetry Module];
        OS(Origin Server) -- Request Parameters (Client IP, Resource, Pop) --> TM;
        CDN_N(CDN Nodes) -- Load, Cache State --> TM;
        TM -- Historical Data --> DRL[Deep Reinforcement Learning Agent];
    end

    subgraph Real-time Inference
        OS_REQ(Origin System Request) -- Tagged Resource, Current Params --> API_AI[API/AI Compute Engine];
        API_AI -- Query DRL Inference Model --> DRL;
        DRL -- Optimal Node Prediction --> API_AI;
        API_AI -- Modified Embedded Resource --> OS_REQ;
        OS_REQ --> C;
        C --> OPT_CDN[Optimal CDN Node];
        OPT_CDN --> C;
    end

Variation 4.2: IoT Sensor Integration for Real-time Client Network Telemetry

Enabling Description:
The "client device" (10, 40) is an IoT device (e.g., smart appliance, vehicle telematics unit, remote sensor hub) equipped with various network environment sensors. These sensors collect real-time data such as local Wi-Fi signal strength, cellular network quality (RSRP, RSRQ), available bandwidth, and local processing load. This client-side telemetry is packaged and included as additional "delivery parameters" in the HTTP request to the origin system (210) or directly to the CDN (530). The API/compute engine (30, 608) then uses this granular, real-time client-side network health information, alongside traditional parameters, to make a highly informed decision about the optimal CDN node. This allows for dynamic routing that adapts to the specific, immediate network conditions experienced by individual IoT devices, rather than relying solely on server-side network probes or static geo-IP data.

sequenceDiagram
    participant IOT as IoT Client Device
    participant S as IoT Sensors (Wi-Fi, Cellular, Bandwidth)
    participant O as Origin System
    participant API as API/Compute Engine
    participant CDN as CDN Node

    IOT->>S: Collect Real-time Telemetry
    S-->>IOT: Telemetry Data
    IOT->>O: HTTP GET /content (tagged resource, telemetry params)
    O->>API: Call API (resource, client_ip, telemetry params, etc.)
    API->>API: Process all delivery parameters
    API-->>O: Return Modified Embedded Resource (direct link)
    O-->>IOT: Deliver Content Resource (with modified link)
    IOT->>CDN: HTTP GET /embedded_resource (direct link)
    CDN-->>IOT: Deliver Embedded Resource

Variation 4.3: Blockchain for Verifiable Content Provenance and Access Control

Enabling Description:
To enhance the trust and verifiability of content delivery, particularly for sensitive or rights-managed embedded resources, a blockchain (e.g., a permissioned ledger) is integrated. When an embedded resource is initially tagged at the origin, a hash of the resource, its associated metadata (popularity, geo-restrictions, policy), and its ownership rights are recorded on the blockchain. When the API/compute engine (30, 608) receives a request and processes delivery parameters, it also queries the blockchain for the immutable content provenance and access rules. The generation of the modified embedded resource (direct link) is contingent on verifying client eligibility (e.g., geographic rights, subscription status, digital rights management tokens) against the blockchain-recorded policies. Furthermore, successful content delivery by the CDN node could trigger a smart contract on the blockchain to record access, update popularity metrics on-chain, or track content consumption for royalty distribution.

graph TD
    OS[Origin System] --> HASH{Hash Resource & Metadata};
    HASH --> BC[Blockchain (Record Provenance/Rights)];
    BC -- Immutable Record --> API[API/Compute Engine];
    OS -- Tagged Resource Request, Client Params --> API;
    API -- Query Blockchain --> BC;
    BC -- Access Rules, Provenance --> API;
    API -- Verify Client Eligibility --> DECISION{Client Eligible?};
    DECISION -- No --> DENY[Deny Access / Fallback];
    DECISION -- Yes --> GEN[Generate Modified Embedded Resource];
    GEN --> OS;
    OS --> C[Client Device];
    C --> CDN[CDN Node];
    CDN --> C;
    CDN -- On Successful Delivery --> SC[Smart Contract (Record Access/Update Pop)];
    SC --> BC;

---

5. The "Inverse" or Failure Mode

Variation 5.1: Graceful Degradation with Static Fallback to Origin or Generic CDN

Enabling Description:
In the event that the API/compute engine (30, 608) responsible for dynamic resolution becomes unavailable or experiences high error rates, the system gracefully degrades its functionality. The tagged embedded resource in the content resource would include a fallback mechanism, such as a static, pre-defined URL pointing directly to the origin server (18) or a generic, non-optimized CDN domain. The origin system (or CDN ingress) would detect the API failure (e.g., via timeout, error codes, or health checks) and, instead of calling the API, would replace the tagged resource with this static fallback URL. This ensures that content remains accessible, albeit without the benefits of optimal CDN node selection, maintaining service continuity even under API operational disruptions. The fallback URL could be encoded directly into the tag itself or be retrieved from a local, highly-available configuration store.

graph TD
    C[Client Device] --> REQ{HTTP Request for Content (w/ Tag)};
    REQ --> OS[Origin System/CDN Ingress];
    OS -- API Health Check --> API_H{API Healthy?};
    API_H -- Yes --> API[API/Compute Engine];
    API -- Modified Embedded Resource --> OS;
    API_H -- No --> FB[Fallback Mechanism (Local Config/Static URL)];
    FB -- Static Fallback URL --> OS;
    OS -- Content with Embedded Resource (Dynamic or Fallback) --> C;
    C -- Request Embedded Resource --> TARGET_NODE[Optimal CDN Node / Origin Server / Generic CDN];
    TARGET_NODE --> C;

Variation 5.2: Low-Power/Limited-Functionality Mode for Resource-Constrained Clients/Networks

Enabling Description:
For client devices (10, 40) operating in low-power states, on metered or highly congested networks, or with limited processing capabilities (e.g., IoT edge devices, basic feature phones), the content delivery method would operate in a "limited-functionality mode." The origin system or CDN ingress would detect the client's resource constraints (e.g., via User-Agent string, network type detection, explicit client-provided capability flags). In this mode, the API call (220, 540) to the compute engine (30, 608) would use a reduced set of delivery parameters (e.g., only client geo-region, ignoring real-time popularity or complex policy checks). The API would then return a simpler, potentially less optimized but universally accessible embedded resource link (e.g., a standard HTTP URL instead of a VIP, or a link to a lower-bitrate version of the content), minimizing API overhead and ensuring content delivery, even if sub-optimally.

graph TD
    C[Resource-Constrained Client] --> REQ{HTTP Request (w/ Client Constraints)};
    REQ --> OS[Origin System/CDN Ingress];
    OS -- Detect Client Constraints --> CM[Constraint Manager];
    CM -- Limited-Functionality Mode --> API[API/Compute Engine];
    API -- Reduced Parameters --> API_L[Limited API Logic];
    API_L -- Simpler Node Selection --> API;
    API -- Modified Embedded Resource (e.g., Lower Bitrate, Standard URL) --> OS;
    OS -- Content with Limited-Functionality Link --> C;
    C -- Request Embedded Resource --> RES_CDN[Resource-Optimized CDN Node];
    RES_CDN --> C;

Variation 5.3: Disaster Recovery Routing with Pre-configured Geo-Redundant Links

Enabling Description:
To handle large-scale regional outages or CDN failures, a disaster recovery (DR) mode is implemented. The API/compute engine (30, 608) maintains a continuously updated map of CDN node health and regional network status. If a major outage is detected in a primary CDN region, the API automatically shifts to a DR routing policy. The modified embedded resource would then be generated with a direct link to a pre-configured, geographically redundant CDN node (e.g., across continents or in a different major internet backbone region) that has mirrored content. This DR link might bypass some fine-grained optimizations but prioritizes availability. The origin system might also embed multiple pre-configured DR links in the initial content resource, with the API simply selecting which one to "unhide" or prioritize based on the detected disaster.

graph TD
    CDN_MON[CDN Monitoring System] --> OUTAGE_DET{Outage Detected?};
    OUTAGE_DET -- Yes (e.g., Region A Down) --> API[API/Compute Engine];
    API -- Shift to DR Policy --> DR_POLICY[Disaster Recovery Policy];
    DR_POLICY -- Select Geo-Redundant Node --> GRC[Geo-Redundant CDN Node (e.g., Region B)];
    API -- Modified Embedded Resource (Direct Link to GRC) --> OS[Origin System];
    OS -- Content to Client --> C[Client Device];
    C -- Request Embedded Resource --> GRC;
    GRC -- Deliver Content --> C;
    OUTAGE_DET -- No --> NORMAL_API[Normal API Operation];
    NORMAL_API --> API;

---

Combination Prior Art Scenarios

Here are at least 3 "Combination Prior Art" scenarios where US Patent 10057322 is combined with existing open-source standards, demonstrating how the patent's teachings, when combined with these widely available technologies, could lead to obvious improvements.

1. Combination with DNS over HTTPS (DoH) / DNS over TLS (DoT)

Scenario: The network address resolution method of US10057322, which generates a direct link to a CDN node, is combined with modern DNS privacy standards like DoH (RFC 8484) or DoT (RFC 7858).

Enabling Description:
The core invention allows the origin system or CDN API to provide a "direct link" (e.g., IP address or specific hostname) to a CDN node, potentially bypassing traditional DNS resolution for that embedded resource. When this direct link is a hostname, the client typically resolves it via standard DNS. However, if the client's resolver (14) or the CDN's name servers (34) are configured to use DoH/DoT, the DNS queries for the modified embedded resource's hostname would be encrypted and authenticated over HTTPS/TLS. This combination enhances the privacy and security of the subsequent DNS lookup for the CDN-provided hostname, preventing eavesdropping and tampering of the DNS resolution chain for the optimally selected CDN node, without altering the CDN's intelligent routing logic. The API itself could be invoked over DoH/DoT for privacy as well.

sequenceDiagram
    participant C as Client Device
    participant CR as Client Resolver (DoH/DoT Capable)
    participant OS as Origin System
    participant API as API/Compute Engine
    participant CDN_NS as CDN Name Server (DoH/DoT Capable)
    participant CDN as CDN Node

    C->>OS: HTTP GET /content (w/ tagged resource)
    OS->>API: Call API (client_ip, resource_params)
    API-->>OS: Return Modified Embedded Resource (hostname)
    OS-->>C: Deliver Content Resource (w/ modified hostname)
    C->>CR: DNS Query for CDN Hostname (over HTTPS/TLS)
    CR->>CDN_NS: Encrypted DNS Query (DoH/DoT)
    CDN_NS-->>CR: Encrypted IP Address Response (DoH/DoT)
    CR-->>C: IP Address
    C->>CDN: HTTP GET /embedded_resource (to IP)
    CDN-->>C: Deliver Embedded Resource

2. Combination with HTTP/3 (QUIC) for Enhanced Transport Layer

Scenario: The content delivery method of US10057322 is combined with HTTP/3, leveraging the underlying QUIC transport protocol (RFC 9000).

Enabling Description:
The patent describes HTTP connections for requesting content (210, 530) and the delivery of content. By specifying the modified embedded resource link to a CDN node that supports HTTP/3 over QUIC, the client device (10, 40) can establish a connection with the optimal CDN node using this more efficient and resilient transport layer. This means that after the API/compute engine has determined the best CDN node and provided a direct link (e.g., an absolute URL or IP address), the actual fetch of the embedded resource will benefit from QUIC's features: reduced connection establishment latency (0-RTT/1-RTT), improved congestion control, multiplexing without head-of-line blocking, and connection migration. This significantly enhances the end-user experience for embedded content delivery without altering the intelligent routing decision logic of the patent.

sequenceDiagram
    participant C as Client Device
    participant OS as Origin System
    participant API as API/Compute Engine
    participant CDN as CDN Node (HTTP/3 over QUIC Capable)

    C->>OS: HTTP GET /content (w/ tagged resource)
    OS->>API: Call API (client_ip, resource_params)
    API-->>OS: Return Modified Embedded Resource (URL to HTTP/3 CDN)
    OS-->>C: Deliver Content Resource (w/ modified URL)
    C->>CDN: QUIC Connection Establishment (0-RTT/1-RTT)
    activate CDN
    C->>CDN: HTTP/3 GET /embedded_resource
    CDN-->>C: Deliver Embedded Resource (over QUIC Stream)
    deactivate CDN

3. Combination with WebAssembly (Wasm) for Client-Side Tag Processing

Scenario: The patent's concept of identifying a tag and processing parameters for embedded resources is shifted, in part, to the client-side using WebAssembly (Wasm) modules.

Enabling Description:
Instead of the origin system (18) or CDN node (54) solely performing the identification of the tag and initiating the API call (220, 540), a lightweight WebAssembly module is embedded within the primary HTML document (20, 56) delivered to the client device (10, 40). This Wasm module executes within the client's browser (12, 42) upon parsing the HTML. The Wasm module contains logic to:

1. Scan the DOM for specific embedded resource tags (e.g., custom HTML attributes or special URL formats).
2. Extract local client-side parameters (e.g., browser-reported location, local network speed from JavaScript APIs, device performance metrics).
3. Construct an API call (220) to the CDN's API (26) by combining the resource identifier from the tag with the client-side parameters.
4. Receive the modified embedded resource (direct link) from the API.
5. Dynamically rewrite the embedded resource's URL in the client's DOM or initiate the direct request to the CDN node (32).

This offloads some processing from the origin/CDN ingress, potentially enabling richer, more real-time client context to be immediately leveraged by the CDN's API, while maintaining the core API-driven resolution approach.

sequenceDiagram
    participant OS as Origin System
    participant C as Client Device (Browser with Wasm Runtime)
    participant Wasm as WebAssembly Module
    participant API as CDN API/Compute Engine
    participant CDN as CDN Node

    OS->>C: Deliver HTML Document (with Wasm and tagged resource)
    C->>Wasm: Load & Execute Wasm Module
    Wasm->>C: Scan DOM for Tagged Resources
    Wasm->>C: Gather Client-side Parameters (Location, Network Speed)
    Wasm->>API: API Call (Resource ID, Client-side Params)
    API-->>Wasm: Return Modified Embedded Resource (Direct Link)
    Wasm->>C: Dynamically Rewrite DOM (Embedded Resource URL)
    C->>CDN: HTTP GET /embedded_resource (Direct Link)
    CDN-->>C: Deliver Embedded Resource