Remote command framework for devices

• US 20060161662A1
• Filed: 01/19/2005
• Published: 07/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sanders, Scott D., VonKoch, Walter, Ford, Peter S., Miller, David M., MacLin, Markham F., Ng, Norman N., Hart, Michael P., Wilkins, Jonathan, Fern, Kenneth
• Granted Patent: US 7,647,430 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2823 Reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network device-related reporting H04L43/065; arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances

Abstract

A robust device messaging framework is disclosed that enables a user to send commands to a device. A provisioning service is used to provision unique device identities and maps user web identities to device identities. The provisioning service also limits device per day provisioning attempts to limit denial of service attacks. A command service allows remote users to issue commands to a device, synchronize outgoing commands with incoming results, receive accurate feedback about whether a command was received, and maintain state information about the device. A device layer encrypts and stores device identities, authenticates itself with the command service, establishes a high-availability Internet connection to receive alerts that a command has issued, and reports results to the server-based command service.

Claims

1. A method for issuing commands, comprising:

establishing a persistent connection between a target device and a notifying server, said target device is at a first location;

receiving a notification of a command issued from a second location different from said first location, said notification is received via said persistent connection; and

responding to said command using said target device at said first location.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said responding includes recording a television program.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said responding includes causing a recording device to record a television program.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said responding includes sending status information back to said second location.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said notifying server is at a third location different than said first location and said second location.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a secure identity for said target device; and

associating said secure identity for said target device with a secure identity for a first user, said command is issued from said first user;

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving said command from a user at said second location;

associating said command with said target device;

sending said notification to said target device;

establishing a secure connection with said target device; and

providing said command to said target device via said secure connection.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said notification is an alert.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said target device communicates with said notifying server through a firewall.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said target device includes a video recording device; and

said command includes an instruction for said video recording device to record television programming.

12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising:

determining whether there have been too many attempts over a predefined period of time to associate said secure identity for said target.

13. A method according to claim 11, further comprising:

starting a remote command process on said target entity;

determining if said remote command process has been started too many times during a predefined period of time; and

stopping performance of said remote command process if said remote command process has been started too many times during said predefined period of time.

11. A method for issuing commands, comprising:

establishing a secure identity for a target entity;

associating said secure identity for said target entity with a secure identity for a first user;

receiving a command from said first user;

associating said command with said target entity based on said associating said secure identity for said target entity with said secure identity for said first user; and

providing said command to said target entity.

14. A method according to claim 11, further comprising:

determining whether too many commands have been received from said first user during a predefined period of time; and

altering performance of said commands received from said first user if too many commands have been received from said first user during said predefined period of time.

15. A method according to claim 11, wherein:

said secure identity includes a passport.

16. A method according to claim 11, wherein said providing said command to said target entity comprises:

sending an alert to said target entity;

establishing a secure connection with said target entity in response to a request from said target entity; and

sending said command to said target entity via said secure connection.

17. A method according to claim 11, wherein:

said target entity includes a video recording device; and

said command includes an instruction for said video recording device to record television programming.

18. A method for issuing commands, comprising:

receiving a command from a first user at a first location, said command is for a target entity at a second location different than said first location, said command is received at a third location different than said first location and said second location;

providing said command to said target entity from said third location;

receiving a result status from said target entity, said result status is received at said third location;

retrying on a failed attempt to providing said command to said target entity from said third location; and

providing said result status to said first user from said third location.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein said providing said command to said target entity comprises:

sending an alert to said target entity;

establishing a secure connection with said target entity in response to a request from said target entity; and

sending said command to said target entity via said secure connection.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein:

said target entity includes a media recording device; and

said command includes an instruction for said media recording device to record media programming