System and method for providing managed point to point services

• US 20050064875A1
• Filed: 09/23/2003
• Published: 03/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Chen, Zesen, Jones, Kenneth Roger, Gonsalves, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 7,752,550 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/454
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/55 for hybrid networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2046 Hybrid network

Abstract

A system and method for providing managed point-to-point services are disclosed. In one embodiment of a system incorporating teachings of the present disclosure, a services management center may be capable of receiving a request for connection to a video content source. A requesting user may be part of one managed network and the content source may be part of another network. The content source may be able output an information stream. In operation, the center may determine an address for the video content source and initiate the formation of at least a portion of a point-to-point communication link between the requesting user and the video content source. In some embodiments, the center may be able to track a metric associated with communication of the information stream and may generate a billing record at least partially based upon the metric.

Claims

1. A network services system comprising:

a video content source operable to output an information stream in response to a delivery request and further operable to discontinue output of the information stream in response to a cease request, the video content source having a unique address;

a mapping engine maintaining a list of available content sources comprising the video content source;

an access engine operable to receive a signal indicative of a user input from a user device, the user input comprising an alias mapable to the unique address and indicating a desire for the information stream; and

a services engine communicatively coupled to the access engine and operable to initiate establishment of at least a portion of a point to point communication link between the user device and the video content source, the network services engine further operable to initiate sending of the delivery request and to track a metric associated with user access to the information stream.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

an authentication engine communicatively coupled to the access unit and operable to consider an initial set of credentials received from a user; and

an authorization engine operable to enable link establishment by the network services engine in response to authorization of the initial set of credentials.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a telephone interface associated with the access engine, the interface operable to receive a voice call.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a format converter associated with the access engine, the format converter operable to translate at least a portion of the information stream into a signal playable by the user device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the services engine is operable to facilitate establishment of a point to point protocol over Ethernet communication link that provides at least a portion of a connection between the user device and the video content source.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the services engine is further operable to initiate sending of the cease request.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of remotely located video content sources each having a unique address, the plurality of video content sources included in the list of available content sources.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein a first of the plurality of remotely located video content sources is configured to capture a first scene comprising a child care facility and a second of the plurality of remotely located video content sources is configured to capture a second scene comprising a home surveillance scene.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a device engine associated with the access engine, the device engine operable to determine an access device type used by a user; and

a format converter associated with the access engine, the format converter operable to translate at least a portion of the information stream into a signal playable by the access device type.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the metric is selected from the group consisting of connection duration, information throughput, quality of service, and peak bandwidth.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a billing engine operable to initiate generation of an invoice at least partially based upon the metric.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a pre-payment engine operable to inform the user of a cost associated with accessing the video content source and to accept a payment input from the user indicating a method of paying the cost.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication link comprises a short-range wireless communication, a point to point protocol over asynchronous transfer mode communication, and point to point protocol over Ethernet communication.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication link comprises a short-range wireless communication and a point to point protocol over Ethernet communication, further wherein a cable modem is employed as a node of the communication link.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the registration engine is further operable to be remotely updated in order to alter the list.

16. A network services method comprising:

receiving a request for connection to a video content source operable to output an information stream;

determining an address for the video content source;

initiating formation of at least a portion of a point to point communication link with the video content source;

tracking a metric associated with communication of the information stream; and

generating a billing record at least partially based upon the metric.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

notifying a user sending the request of a cost associated with accessing the video content source; and

accepting a payment input from the user indicating a method of paying the cost prior to initiating formation of the at least a portion of the point to point communication link.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a spoken directive from a calling party; and

converting the spoken directive into the request for connection.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

maintaining a list of available content sources, the list including the video content source and a unique address for the video content source;

notifying a user sending the request of a cost associated with accessing the video content source; and

communicatively coupling the user and the video content source with at least one point to point protocol over Ethernet link and at least one point to point over asynchronous transfer mode link.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the metric is connection duration, further comprising:

tracking information throughput;

tracking quality of service; and

tracking peak bandwidth.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the output stream comprises a variable bit rate stream, further comprising converting the variable bit rate stream into a constant bit rate stream.

22. The method of claim 16, further comprising sending an output request to the video content source operable to cause the video content source to toggle from a no output state to an output state.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein at least a portion of the request comprises a format selected from the group consisting of a dual tone multi-frequency signal, a TCP/IP packet, and a voice signal.

24. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable data to receive a request for connection to a video content source operable to output an information stream, to determine an address for the video content source, to initiate formation of at least a portion of a point to point communication link with the video content source, to issue a notification of a cost associated with accessing the video content source, to accept a prepayment input indicating a method of paying the cost, to track a metric associated with communication of the information stream, and to generate a billing record at least partially based upon the metric.