Customer premise equipment device-specific access-limiting for a cable modem and a customer premise equipment device

• US 20070177526A1
• Filed: 11/22/2006
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Holdings LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Siripunkaw, Pak, Weber, Emery
• Granted Patent: US 7,881,225 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0843 based on generic templates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42676 for modulating an analogue carrier signal to encode digital information or demodulating it to decode digital information, e.g. ADSL or cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4432 Powering on the client, e.g. bootstrap loading using setup parameters being stored locally or received from the server resetting in general G06F1/14; program loading or initiating in general G06F9/445; bootstrapping in general G06F9/4401; secure boots of computer platforms G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

A method of initializing, provisioning, and managing a cable modem and a customer premise equipment device includes, prior to receiving the configuration file for the cable modem, providing an equipment identification message containing a description of the customer premise equipment device connected to the cable modem. In the case where the cable modem has yet to be provisioned, the configuration file received from the network server is a particular access-limiting configuration file that is selected from a group of access-limiting configuration files. The selection of the particular access-limiting configuration file is based on the description of the customer premise equipment device in the equipment identification message. This allows different devices to have different network restrictions or different walled gardens.

Claims

1. A method of initializing, provisioning, and managing a cable modem and a customer premise equipment device, the customer premise equipment device being connected to the cable modem, the cable modem being connected to a cable modem termination system, the cable modem termination system being connected to a provider network, the method including initializing the cable modem connection to the cable modem termination system, providing the cable modem with a network address, and the cable modem receiving a cable modem configuration file from a network server, wherein the configuration file contains service provisioning information, the cable modem passing certain contents of the configuration file to the cable modem termination system, and the cable modem termination system passing certain identifiers back to the cable modem, the configuration file being an access-limiting configuration file in a case where the cable modem has yet to be provisioned, the access-limiting configuration file restricting network access from the cable modem until the cable modem is provisioned, the method further comprising:

prior to receiving the configuration file, the cable modem providing an equipment identification message, the equipment identification message containing a description of the customer premise equipment device; and

wherein the configuration file received from the network server, in the case where the cable modem has yet to be provisioned, is a particular access-limiting configuration file that is selected from a group of access-limiting configuration files, the selection of the particular access-limiting configuration file being based on the description of the customer premise equipment device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the customer premise equipment device is a network addressable set-top box, and the equipment identification message describes the customer premise equipment device as the network addressable set-top box.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the set-top box and the cable modem are both embedded in a subscriber gateway.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the selected particular access-limiting configuration file restricts access from the cable modem and directs network content requests from the set-top box to a provisioning server.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the selected particular access-limiting configuration file restricts access from the cable modem using network address filtering.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the selected particular access-limiting configuration file restricts access from the cable modem using network address resolution manipulation.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the provider network is an Internet Protocol network.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the selected particular access-limiting configuration file restricts access from the cable modem using network address filtering.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the selected particular access-limiting configuration file restricts access from the cable modem using network address resolution manipulation.

10. A subscriber gateway device for connecting to a provider network, wherein a cable modem termination system is connected to the provider network, the subscriber gateway device comprising:

an embedded cable modem for connecting to the cable modem termination system;

an embedded set-top box connected to the embedded cable modem;

wherein upon connection of the cable modem to the cable modem termination system, the cable modem is initialized and provided with a network address, and the cable modem receives a cable modem configuration file from a network server;

wherein prior to receiving the configuration file, the cable modem provides an equipment identification message, the equipment identification message containing a description of the subscriber gateway device.

11. A method of provisioning the subscriber gateway device of claim 10, the method comprising:

wherein the configuration file received from the network server, in the case where the cable modem has yet to be provisioned, is a particular access-limiting configuration file that is selected from a group of access-limiting configuration files, the selection of the particular access-limiting configuration file being based on the description of the subscriber gateway device.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the selected particular access-limiting configuration file restricts access from the cable modem and directs network content requests from the set-top box to a provisioning server.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the selected particular access-limiting configuration file restricts access from the cable modem using network address filtering.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the selected particular access-limiting configuration file restricts access from the cable modem using network address resolution manipulation.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the provider network is an Internet Protocol network.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the selected particular access-limiting configuration file restricts access from the cable modem using network address filtering.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the selected particular access-limiting configuration file restricts access from the cable modem using network address resolution manipulation.