Invalidity dossier
US 9847966
Content delivery network (CDN) content server request handling mechanism with metadata framework support
Current assignee: Akamai Technologies Inc
Added 9/21/2026, 12:39:33 PM
Active provider: DeepSeek · deepseek-flash
Patent summary
Title, assignee, inventors, filing/issue dates, abstract, and a plain-language overview of the claims.
Patent Overview — US9847966B2
Title: "Content delivery network (CDN) content server request handling mechanism with metadata framework support"
Patent number / application: US9847966B2; application US14/880,800; pre-grant publication US20160036765A1.
Assignee: Akamai Technologies, Inc. (original assignee; assignment of interest recorded 2016-12-06 naming inventors Nottingham, Karger, Kloninger, Wein, and Lisiecki).
Inventors: Joel M. Wein, John Josef Kloninger, Mark C. Nottingham, David R. Karger, Philip A. Lisiecki.
Key dates (supplied text): Priority date 2000-04-14 (noted as an assumption, not a legal conclusion); filing date 2015-10-12; publication of application 2016-02-04; grant 2017-12-19; anticipated expiration 2021-04-16; legal status listed as "Expired - Fee Related" (expressly an assumption, not a legal conclusion).
Purpose and plain-language scope (from the supplied text): The subject matter relates generally to high-performance, fault-tolerant HTTP, streaming media, and applications delivery in a content delivery network. A CDN is described as a self-organizing network of geographically distributed content delivery nodes delivering digital content on behalf of third-party content providers, implemented as a content delivery infrastructure, a request-routing mechanism, and a distribution infrastructure. Requests for content are directed to a "best" replica, typically the one serving the client quickly relative to fetching from the origin. The title indicates a CDN content server request handling mechanism with metadata framework support; the provided excerpt notes that CDN service providers may use content modification to tag content provider content for delivery, enabling providers to take direct control over request-routing without specific switching devices or directory services between clients and origin.
Classifications listed include H04L61/4511 (DNS-based name-to-address mapping), H04L63/08 (entity authentication), and H04L67/1008, H04L67/1006 (server selection for load balancing).
What this excerpt does not establish: It does not set out the claims, detailed embodiments, figures, or the specific metadata framework and request-handling operations. It does not establish validity, enforceability, claim scope, or actual expiration. It provides no findings on litigation or prior art, and the legal status and dates are stated as assumptions only.
Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/[US9847966](/patent/US9847966)/en
Generated 10/1/2026, 10:01:03 PM
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Litigation summary
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PTAB challenges
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Assignment history
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Prior art
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Obviousness
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Derivative works
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