Initializing, provisioning, and managing devices

• US 10,171,293 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2012
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Siripunkaw, Pak, Brzozowski, John Jason, Avirneni, Srinivas, Weber, Emery J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Orgad, Edan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Maglo, Emmanuel K
• Application Number:
  US13/429,962
• Publication Number:
  US 20120236867A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,472 Days
• Field of Search: 370390-39553, 370466, 370487, 455426, 713200
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0843 based on generic templates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42676 for modulating an analogue carrier signal to encode digital information or demodulating it to decode digital information, e.g. ADSL or cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4432 Powering on the client, e.g. bootstrap loading using setup parameters being stored locally or received from the server resetting in general G06F1/14; program loading or initiating in general G06F9/445; bootstrapping in general G06F9/4401; secure boots of computer platforms G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

A method of initializing, provisioning, and managing a cable modem and a customer premise equipment device includes sending a customized configuration file to the cable modem. The configuration file contains service provisioning information and further includes information indicative of a network address type for the customer premise equipment device. A message is passed from the cable modem to the customer premise equipment device indicative of the network address type. The customer premise equipment device is provided with a network address in accordance with the network address type indicated in the message. In this way, the customer premise equipment device knows what kind of address to obtain, and excessive transactions are avoided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, from a network server, and processing, by a first device, a modem configuration file specifying a network address type corresponding to a first protocol of a plurality of protocols; and

sending, from the first device to a second device, a message instructing the second device to use the network address type corresponding to the first protocol when requesting, from the network server, a network address for the second device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the network address type corresponding to the first protocol is based at least in part on a hardware address of the first device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the hardware address is a media access control address.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first protocol is a version of internet protocol.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the version of internet protocol is one of version 4 and version 6.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising:

establishing, by the first device, a connection, wherein the first device receives a communication from the second device and forwards the communication via the connection.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the modem configuration file comprises service-provisioning information.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising:

determining an internet protocol (IP) address type from the network address type,

wherein the IP address type is one of a first type and a second type.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first type is internet protocol version 4 and the second type is internet protocol version 6.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the network server comprises a DHCP server, and the method comprises:

requesting, by the second device, the network address for the second device from the DHCP server, wherein the requested network address for the second device is of the network address type corresponding to the first protocol.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the modem configuration file comprises one or more fields indicating that the network address type corresponding to the first protocol should be used for the second device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending from the first device to the second device is performed via a dedicated connection between the first device and the second device.

13. The method of claim 1, comprising:

sending, from the first device to a third device, a message instructing the third device to use a network address type corresponding to a second protocol when requesting, from the network server, a network address for the third device.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to;

receive, from a network, and process a configuration file specifying a network address type associated with a first protocol of a plurality of protocols; and

send a message to a device instructing the device to use the network address type associated with the first protocol when requesting, from the network, a network address for the device.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the network address type is based at least in part on a hardware address of the apparatus.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the hardware address is a media access control address.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first protocol is a version of internet protocol.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the version of internet protocol is one of version 4 and version 6.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:

establish a connection;

receive a communication from the device; and

forward the communication via the connection.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the configuration file comprises service-provisioning information.

21. A method comprising:

receiving, by a modem, configuration information from a network server;

processing, by the modem, the configuration information, wherein the configuration information specifies a network address type corresponding to a first protocol of a plurality of protocols; and

sending, by the modem, a message to a user device in communication with the modem, the message instructing the user device to use the network address type corresponding to the first protocol when requesting a network address for the user device.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the network address type is based at least in part on a hardware address.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the hardware address is a media access control address.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the first protocol is a version of internet protocol.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the message instructs the user device to use either internet protocol version 4 or internet protocol version 6.

26. The method of claim 21, comprising:

establishing a connection;

receiving a communication from the user device; and

forwarding the communication via the connection.