System and method to remotely manage and audit set top box resources

• US 20060031406A1
• Filed: 10/13/2005
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chanyu Holdings LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Chanyu Holdings LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Swix, Scott R., Watson, P. Thomas, Gray, James H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,117,324 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/218
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0846 based on copy from other elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25833 involving client hardware characteristics, e.g. manufacturer, processing or storage capabilities allocation of resources considering hardware capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5044; allocation of resources considering software capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5055
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4424 Monitoring of the internal components or processes of the client device, e.g. CPU or memory load, processing speed, timer, counter or percentage of the hard disk space used error monitoring in general G06F11/30; arrangements for monitoring conditions of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/32; diagnosis, testing or measuring for television receivers H04N17/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system and method for determining the resources available or used in a remote device is disclosed. The system can be used to determine whether the remote device is using expected resources as originally configured or to determine whether resources are available to support new or extended services. The method can be used to configure or reconfigure the remote device for its intended use or as reconfigure a remote device for new, different or extended purposes.

Claims

1. A set top box comprising:

a connection to a network adapted to receive content from the network, an output adapted to send a signal to a television, at least one resource, and a remote resource manager adapted to detect/sense the resource and communicate information about the detected resource to a remote location.

2. The STB according to claim 1, wherein the remote resource manager sends the information about the detected resource to a service provider.

3. The STB according to claim 1, wherein the resource is a hard disk drive.

4. The STB according to claim 1, wherein the resource is memory.

5. The STB according to claim 1, wherein the resource relates to tuner capabilities.

6-21. -21. (canceled)