Method and apparatus for automatic configuration of equipment

• US 20040199615A1
• Filed: 04/20/2004
• Published: 10/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: LV Partners LP (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Philyaw, Jeffry Jovan
• Granted Patent: US 7,308,483 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 by using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/93 which locates resources of other pieces of information, e.g. URL [Uniform Resource Locator]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/301 Name conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

An architecture for automatically configuring equipment. A piece of equipment connected externally to a user PC has one or more machine-resolvable codes (MRCs) associated therewith. The piece of equipment receives configuration information from a remote location disposed on the network in response to reading a select one of the one or more MRCs with a reader. Configuration information associated with the select one of the one or more MRCs is transmitted from the remote location to the piece of equipment via the user PC, and the piece of equipment is then configured according to the configuration information.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a piece of equipment, comprising the steps of:

providing the piece of equipment in communication with a network, the piece of equipment having one or more machine-resolvable codes associated therewith;

connecting the piece of equipment to a remote location disposed on the network in response to a select one of the one or more machine-resolvable codes being read with a reader;

transmitting configuration information associated with the select one of the one or more machine-resolvable codes from the remote location to the piece of equipment; and

configuring the piece of equipment according to the configuration information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more machine-resolvable codes in the step of providing contain transaction information which indicates the type of configuration information with which to configure the piece of equipment.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the transaction information indicates a software update.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the software update is equipment driver software.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the transaction information is associated with operating mode information which places the piece of equipment in a select one of one or more operating modes.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the select one of one or more operating modes is determined by a subscribed level of support from a vendor of the piece of equipment.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more machine-resolvable codes in the step of providing are on the piece of equipment.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more machine-resolvable codes in the step of providing are separate from the piece of equipment.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of connecting first connects to an intermediate location on the network to obtain a network address of the remote location on the network, after which the intermediate location connects to the remote location to facilitate retrieval of the configuration information to the piece of equipment.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein a lookup operation is preformed at the intermediate location based upon a transaction code contained in the select one of the one or more machine-resolvable codes to obtain the network address of the remote location.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of configuring is performed automatically without user intervention.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a user interacts with a user interface during the step of configuring to control the step of configuring of the piece of equipment.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the user interface comprises user interaction with front-panel hardware of the piece of equipment.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the reader in the step of connecting connects to a computer disposed on the network, and the piece of equipment connects to the computer via a peripheral communication port of the computer such that in response to the select one of the one or more machine-resolvable codes being read, the configuration information is sent through the computer in step of transmitting to the piece of equipment via the peripheral communication port.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the reader in the step of connecting connects to a computer disposed on the network at a source location, such that in response to the select one of the one or more machine-resolvable codes being read, the configuration information is transmitted to the piece of equipment, which piece of equipment is also located at the source location proximately to the computer.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the network is global communication network.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more machine-resolvable codes in the step of providing are in the form of a bar code.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more machine-resolvable codes in the step of providing are in the form of a magnetic strip.

19. An architecture for configuring a piece of equipment, comprising:

a network having the piece of equipment interfaced thereto, the piece of equipment having one or more machine-resolvable codes associated therewith;

a remote location disposed on said network which connects to the piece of equipment in response to a select one of said one or more machine-resolvable codes being read with a reader; and

configuration information associated with said select one of said one or more machine-resolvable codes which is transmitted from said remote location to the piece of equipment;

wherein the piece of equipment is configured according to said configuration information.

20. The architecture of claim 19, wherein said one or more machine-resolvable codes contain transaction information which indicates a type of said configuration information with which to configure the piece of equipment.