CONTENT PROCESSING DEVICE MONITORING

• US 20080144519A1
• Filed: 12/18/2006
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Services Organization Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Cooppan, Dayalan
• Granted Patent: US 8,159,960 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/142 using statistical or mathematical methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes

Abstract

A system, method, and apparatus for monitoring performance of a content processing device are disclosed. A system may include a content processing device and a customer premises management system (CMS) in communication with the content processing device. The CMS generally monitors hardware performance, network performance, and video quality parameters of the content processing device. The CMS may determine an operating status of the content processing device from at least one of the hardware performance, network performance, and video quality parameters.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a content processing device; and

a customer premises management system in communication with the content processing device, the customer premises management system operable to determine an operating status of at least one hardware parameter of the content processing device, at least one network parameter of the content processing device, and at least one video quality parameter of the content processing device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the customer premises management system includes at least one auto-configuration server.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the customer premises management system includes a web server, an application server, and a database server.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the customer premises management system includes a firewall.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a telecommunications network in communication with the customer premises management system, the customer premises management system operable to selectively communicate with the content processing device over the telecommunications network.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the telecommunications network is a packet switched network.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a media distribution network in communication with the content processing device, the media distribution network operable to selectively transmit media to the content processing device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the media includes at least one of images, audio, and video.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the media distribution network is a packet switched network.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the media distribution system includes a video-on-demand server operable to selectively provide video media to the content processing device.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a router that is connected between the content processing device and the customer premises management system, the router being configured to transport data between the content processing device and the customer premises management system.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a monitoring probe in communication with the router, the monitoring probe configured to provide data to the customer premises management system, wherein the customer premises management system determines the operating status of the content processing device from at least the monitoring probe data.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a monitoring agent supported by the content processing device, the monitoring agent configured to selectively communicate with the customer premises management system, wherein the customer premises management system determines the operating status of the content processing device from at least data provided by the monitoring agent.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the content processing device is configured to transmit and receive data over a fiber optic line.

15. A method, comprising:

selectively communicating with a content processing device;

receiving at least one operating parameter of the content processing device associated with hardware performance of the content processing device;

receiving at least one operating parameter of the content processing device associated with network performance of the content processing device;

receiving at least one operating parameter of the content processing device associated with video quality of the content processing device; and

determining an operating state of one of the content processing device from at least one of the hardware performance parameter, the network performance parameter, and the video quality parameter.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising transmitting media packets to the content processing device over a packet-switched network.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining the hardware performance parameter of the content processing device from the transmitting of media packets to the content processing device.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining the network performance parameter of the content processing device from the media packets transmitted to the content processing device.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining the video quality parameter of the content processing device from the media packets transmitted to the content processing device.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein transmitting media packets to the content processing device includes transmitting media packets from a head end.

21. A customer premises management system, comprising:

at least one auto-configuration server in communication with a content processing device and a monitoring probe, the content processing device supporting a monitoring agent configured to selectively communicate with the at least one auto-configuration server;

wherein the at least one auto configuration server is operable to determine an operating status of at least one hardware parameter of the content processing device, at least one network parameter of the content processing device, and at least one video quality parameter of the content processing device from at least data provided by the monitoring agent and data provided by the monitoring probe.

22. The customer premises management system of claim 21, wherein the at least one auto-configuration server includes a web server, an application server, and a database server.

23. The customer premises management system of claim 21, further comprising a firewall supported by the at least one auto-configuration server.

24. The customer premises management system of claim 21 wherein the customer premises management system is operable to selectively communicate with the content processing device over a telecommunications network.

25. The customer premises management system of claim 24, wherein the telecommunications network is a packet switched network.

26. The customer premises management system of claim 24, wherein the telecommunications network includes a router that is connected between the content processing device and the customer premises management system, the router being configured to transport data between the content processing device and the customer premises management system.

27. The customer premises management system of claim 26, wherein the monitoring probe is in communication with the router.

28. The customer premises management system of claim 21, wherein the content processing device receives at least one of images, audio, and video from a media distribution network.

29. The customer premises management system of claim 28, wherein the media distribution network is a packet switched network.

30. The customer premises management system of claim 21, wherein the content processing device is configured to transmit and receive data over a fiber optic line.