Client device configuration with vendor association of configuration parameters

• US 20040117465A1
• Filed: 12/12/2002
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Burkhart, Michael John, Bodin, William Kress
• Granted Patent: US 7,962,581 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/222
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2843 Mains power line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2845 Telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting

Abstract

Configuring a client device, including receiving, at a vendor, user provided configuration parameters for the client device from a user, receiving at the vendor, a configuration bundle for the client device from a manufacturer, and associating the user provided configuration parameters for the client device with the configuration bundle for the client device, thereby producing an associated configuration bundle.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a client device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving, at a vendor, user provided configuration parameters for the client device from a user;

receiving, at the vendor, a configuration bundle for the client device from a manufacturer; and

associating the user provided configuration parameters for the client device with the configuration bundle for the client device;

thereby producing an associated configuration bundle.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising downloading the associated configuration bundle for the client device to a services gateway for the user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein downloading the associated configuration bundle for the client device to a services gateway for the user comprises pushing the associated configuration bundle to the services gateway for the user.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising executing the associated configuration bundle.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising detecting a client device.

6. The method of claim 5 comprising requesting an associated configuration bundle for the client device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving, at a vendor, user provided configuration parameters for the client device from a user comprises storing the user provided configuration parameters in a database.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving, at the vendor, a configuration bundle for the client device from a manufacturer comprises storing the configuration bundle in a database.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the database is indexed according to a client device identifier.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein associating the user provided configuration parameters for the client device with the configuration bundle for the client device comprises retrieving user provided configuration parameters from a database in dependence upon a user identifier.

10. The method of claim I wherein associating the user provided configuration parameters for the client device with the configuration bundle for the client device comprises retrieving the configuration bundle from a database in dependence upon a client device identifier.

12. A system for configuring a client device, the system comprising:

means for receiving, at a vendor, user provided configuration parameters for the client device from a user;

means for receiving, at the vendor, a configuration bundle for the client device from a manufacturer; and

means for associating the user provided configuration parameters for the client device with the configuration bundle for the client device;

thereby producing an associated configuration bundle.

13. The system of claim 12 further comprising means for downloading the associated configuration bundle for the client device to a services gateway for the user.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein means for downloading the associated configuration bundle for the client device to a services gateway for the user comprises means for pushing the associated configuration bundle to the services gateway for the user.

15. The system of claim 12 further comprising means for executing the associated configuration bundle.

16. The system of claim 12 comprising means for detecting a client device.

17. The system of claim 16 comprising means for requesting an associated configuration bundle for the client device.

18. The system of claim 12 wherein means for receiving at a vendor, user provided configuration parameters for the client device from a user comprises means for storing the user provided configuration parameters in a database.

19. The system of claim 12 wherein means for receiving, at the vendor, a configuration bundle for the client device from a manufacturer comprises means for storing the configuration bundle in a database.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the database is indexed according to a client device identifier.

21. The system of claim 12 wherein means for associating the user provided configuration parameters for the client device with the configuration bundle for the client device comprises means for retrieving the configuration bundle from a database in dependence upon a client device identifier.

22. The system of claim 12 wherein means for associating the user provided configuration parameters for the client device with the configuration bundle for the client device comprises means for retrieving user provided configuration parameters from a database in dependence upon a user identifier.

23. A computer program product for configuring a client device, the computer program product comprising:

a recording medium;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for receiving, at a vendor, user provided configuration parameters for the client device from a user;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for receiving, at the vendor, a configuration bundle for the client device from a manufacturer; and

means, recorded on the recording medium, for associating the user provided configuration parameters for the client device with the configuration bundle for the client device;

thereby producing an associated configuration bundle.

24. The computer program product of claim 23 further comprising means, recorded on the recording medium, for downloading the associated configuration bundle for the client device to a services gateway for the user.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for downloading the associated configuration bundle for the client device to a services gateway for the user comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for pushing the associated configuration bundle to the services gateway for the user.

26. The computer program product of claim 23 further comprising means, recorded on the recording medium, for executing the associated configuration bundle.

27. The computer program product of claim 23 comprising means, recorded on the recording medium, for detecting a client device.

28. The computer program product of claim 27 comprising means, recorded on the recording medium, for requesting an associated configuration bundle for the client device.

29. The computer program product of claim 23 wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for receiving, at a vendor, user provided configuration parameters for the client device from a user comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for storing the user provided configuration parameters in a database.

30. The computer program product of claim 23 wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for receiving, at the vendor, a configuration bundle for the client device from a manufacturer comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for storing the configuration bundle in a database.

31. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the database is indexed according to a client device identifier.

32. The computer program product of claim 23 wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for associating the user provided configuration parameters for the client device with the configuration bundle for the client device comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for retrieving the configuration bundle from a database in dependence upon a client device identifier.

33. The computer program product of claim 23 wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for associating the user provided configuration parameters for the client device with the configuration bundle for the client device comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for retrieving user provided configuration parameters from a database in dependence upon a user identifier.