Method and configuration/software update server for transmitting data between a customer device and the server

• US 20090138867A1
• Filed: 03/08/2007
• Published: 05/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gigaset Communications GmbH (Gigaset AG), Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology
• Original Assignee: Siemens Home and Office Communication Devices GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Stahl, Jurgen, Bambach, Marco, Kruk, Anton
• Granted Patent: US 8,745,613 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/171
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0883 Semiautomatic configuration, e.g. proposals from system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

A method configures, in a semi-automatic manner, a communication device, connected to a packet-switched network, especially Internet, for communication with another, especially remote, subscriber. For this purpose, configuration data are provided on a configuration/software update server and are retrieved by the user of the device according to the user-specific or device-specific conditions by selecting from at least two types of inquiry data characterizing the conditions, e.g. inquiry data containing first country information items and second inquiry data containing second Internet service provider information items, and determination data.

Claims

1-31. -31. (canceled)

32. A method for transmitting data regarding software for a communication device having a packet-switched internet connection, comprising:

connecting the communication device via the internet to a configuration/software-update server;

putting the communication device into an initializing condition by the user of the communication device entering a command;

establishing a logical connection between the configuration/software-update server and the communication device;

transmitting first and second inquiry data options from the configuration/software-update server to the communication device;

selecting by the user of the communication device, a first item of determination data from the first inquiry data options and a second item of determination data from the second inquiry data options;

transmitting the first and second items of determination data from the communication device to the configuration/software-update server;

reading from a configuration database, configuration data corresponding to the first and second items of determination data; and

transmitting the configuration data to the communication device.

33. The method as claimed in claim 32 wherein

the configuration/software-update server transmits advisory data, corresponding to the transmitted configuration data to the communication device,

after receiving the advisory data the communication device assumes an entering condition in which the user of the communication device initiates software updating by entering a command, and

from a software-update database the configuration/software-update server reads software-update data, corresponding to the advisory data, for the communication device and transmits it to the communication device.

34. The method as claimed in claim 33 wherein

the inquiry data options and the advisory data are augmented by control information by which the communication device is put into a data entering condition.

35. The method as claimed in claim 34 wherein

the user of the communication device is requested by the control information to enter a user name and a password.

36. The method as claimed in claim 32 wherein

the first inquiry data options contain country-related information and the second inquiry data options contain information about internet service providers.

37. The method as claimed in claim 32 wherein

the first item of determination data is used to indicate in which country the communication device is connected to the internet.

38. The method as claimed in claim 32 wherein

the second item of determination data is used to indicate via which internet service provider the communication device is connected to the internet.

39. The method as claimed in claim 32 wherein

the user enters the first and second items of determination using keys on the communication device and/or voice recognition.

40. The method as claimed in claim 33 wherein

the inquiry data options and the advisory data are acoustically and/or optically supplied to the user.

41. The method as claimed in claim 32 wherein

the communication device is a DECT telephone,

the DECT telephone has a DECT mobile handset and a DECT base station,

the DECT mobile handset is enabled for Voice-over-Internet Protocol communication, Session Initiation Protocol communication, messaging, e-mailing, and/or e-mail notification, and

the DECT base station is connected both to the packet-switched internet and to a circuit-switched network.

42. The method as claimed in claim 32 wherein

the communication device is a WLAN mobile handset,

the WLAN mobile handset is enabled for the Voice-over-Internet Protocol communication, Session Initiation Protocol communication, messaging, e-mailing, and/or e-mail notification, and

the WLAN mobile handset is part of a WLAN telephone having a WLAN Access Point connected both to the packet-switched internet and to a circuit-switched network.

43. The method as claimed in claim 32 wherein

a set-top box and/or a router are/is used as the communication device.

44. A communication device for transmitting data regarding software, the communication device having a packet-switched internet connection, comprising:

an internet/device interface via which the communication device is connected to a configuration/software-update server;

a user interface;

a central control device having an assigned configuration-data memory, the central control device being connected to the user interface and to the internet/device interface in such a way that;

an initializing condition of the communication device is communicated to a user of the communication device through the user interface,

configuration is initiated by a command being entered via the user interface,

when configuration starts, a logical connection to the configuration/software-update server is established via the internet/device interface;

the internet/device interface receives first and second inquiry data options and forwards the first and second inquiry data options to the central control device,

the central control device outputs the first and second inquiry data options via the user interface,

a first item of determination data is selected from the first inquiry data options and a second item of determination data is selected from the second inquiry data options via respective entries using the user interface,

the first and second inquiry data options are transmitted by the central control device to the configuration/software-update server via the internet/device interface,

configuration data sent by the configuration/software-update server and corresponding to the first and second items of determination data are received by the internet/device interface and forwarded to the central control device, and

the first and second items of determination data are stored in the configuration-data memory.

45. The communication device as claimed in claim 44 wherein

advisory data corresponding to the transmitted configuration data is received from the configuration/software-update server via the internet/device interface,

the advisory data is output by the central control device via the user interface,

software updating is initiated after the advisory data is output, by the user entering a command via the user interface, and

software-update data, sent by the configuration/software-update server and corresponding to the advisory data is received via the internet/device interface and forwarded to the central control device, where it is stored in the software-update data memory.

46. The communication device as claimed in claim 44 wherein

the inquiry data and advisory data contains control information.

47. The communication device as claimed in claim 46 wherein

an evaluating unit is assigned to the central control device to evaluate the control information and the advisory data, and

the central control device generates a data entry condition via the user interface as a result of evaluating the control information.

48. The communication device as claimed in claim 47 wherein

the control information causes the user of the communication device to be requested by the central control device and the user interface to enter a user name and a password.

49. The communication device as claimed in claim 44 wherein

country-related information is contained in the first inquiry data options and information about internet service providers is contained in the second inquiry data options.

50. The communication device as claimed in claim 44 wherein

the first item of determination data indicates in which country the communication device is connected to the internet.

51. The communication device as claimed in claim 44 wherein

the second item of determination data indicates via which internet service provider the communication device is connected to the internet.

52. The communication device as claimed in claim 44 wherein

the user interface is embodied in such a way that the first and second items of determination data are entered via keys on the communication device and/or voice recognition.

53. The communication device as claimed in claim 45 wherein

the user interface outputs the inquiry data options and the advisory data acoustically and/or optically.

54. The communication device as claimed in claim 44 wherein

the communication device is embodied as a DECT telephone,

the DECT telephone has a DECT mobile handset and a DECT base station,

the DECT mobile handset is enabled for Voice-over-Internet Protocol communication, Session Initiation Protocol communication, messaging, e-mailing, and/or e-mail notification, and

the DECT base station is connected both to the packet-switched internet and to a circuit-switched network.

55. The communication device as claimed in claim 44 wherein

the communication device is embodied as a WLAN mobile handset,

the WLAN mobile handset is enabled for the Voice-over-Internet Protocol communication, Session Initiation Protocol communication, messaging, e-mailing, and/or e-mail notification, and

the WLAN mobile handset is part of a WLAN telephone having a WLAN Access Point connected both to the packet-switched internet and to a circuit-switched network.

56. The communication device as claimed in claim 44 wherein

the communication device is embodied as a set-top box and/or a router.

57. A configuration/software-update server for transmitting data to a communication device having a packet-switched internet connection, the data relating to software, the server comprising:

an internet/server interface via which the configuration/software-update server is connected to the communication device;

a central control unit having an assigned configuration database, the central control unit, the configuration database and the internet/server interface being embodied and connected to each other in such a way that;

while a logical connection is established by the communication device between the communication device and central control unit via the internet/server interface, the central control unit reads first inquiry data options and second inquiry data options from a memory area of the configuration database,

the first and second inquiry data options are transmitted to the communication device via the internet/server interface,

the central control unit receives from the communication device via the internet/server interface a first item of determination data and a second item of determination data selected respectively from the first inquiry data options and from the second inquiry data options, and

the central control unit reads configuration data corresponding to the first and second items of determination data from the configuration database and transmits the configuration data via the internet/server interface to the communication device.

58. The configuration/software-update server as claimed in claim 57 wherein

the central control unit has an assigned software-update database with an information storage area,

the central control unit reads advisory data corresponding to the configuration data from the information storage area of the software-update database and transmits the advisory data via the internet/server interface to the communication device, and

the central control unit, after receiving from the communication device a release for performing software updating, reads software-update data corresponding to the advisory data from the software-update database and transmits the software-update data via the internet/server interface to the communication device.

59. The configuration/software-update server as claimed in claim 58 wherein

the first and second inquiry data options and the advisory data contain control information.

60. The configuration/software-update server as claimed in claim 57 wherein

country-related information is contained in the first inquiry data options and information about internet service providers is contained in the second inquiry data options.

61. The configuration/software-update server as claimed in claim 57 wherein

the first item of determination data indicates in which country the communication device is connected to the internet.

62. The configuration/software-update server as claimed in claim 57 wherein

the second item of determination data indicates via which internet service provider the communication device is connected to the internet.