Method and System for Managing an Internet Connection and Informing a User About Connectivity

• US 20090164611A1
• Filed: 12/30/2005
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
• Original Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
• Inventors: Polano, Marco, Moscatelli, Maria, Corda, Enzo
• Granted Patent: US 10,659,250 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/222
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2898 Subscriber equipments DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0087 Network planning or provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

A method is disclosed for managing an internet connection and informing a user about connectivity to the internet of a user terminal via a gateway, the gateway being connected to the user terminal via a local area network and to an internet service provider via a broadband line. The method includes: remotely provisioning through the first communication link the configuration of the gateway for internet connection; detecting completion of configuration of the gateway for internet connection in accordance with a service subscribed by the user, determining the state of the broadband line; and providing the user with a visual indication of availability of connectivity to the internet when configuration of the gateway for internet connection is completed and the broadband line is active; and managing the activation and deactivation of the connection to the internet by user terminals connected to a gateway via the local area network.

Claims

1-34. -34. (canceled)

35. A method for managing an internet connection and informing a user about connectivity to the internet of a user terminal via a gateway, said gateway being connected to said user terminal via a first communication link, and to an internet service provider via a second communication link, comprising:

remotely provisioning through said first communication link a configuration of said gateway for internet connection;

detecting completion of the configuration of said gateway for internet connection; and

providing said user terminal with an indication of availability of connectivity to the internet when configuration of said gateway for internet connection is completed.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein detecting completion of the configuration of said gateway comprises:

detecting that the configuration of said gateway has been completed in accordance with a service subscribed by said user.

37. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

determining a state of said second communication link; and

providing said user with said indication of availability of connectivity to the internet when the configuration of said gateway is completed and said second communication link is active.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein said indication is automatically provided to said user without any request therefrom.

39. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

periodically updating said indication of availability of connectivity to the internet.

40. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

determining a state of, and information about, a logic connection to the internet.

41. The method of claim 35, wherein completion of the configuration of said gateway is determined by said gateway.

42. The method of claim 37, wherein the state of said second communication link is determined by said gateway.

43. The method of claim 35, wherein providing said user with an indication of availability of connectivity to the internet comprises:

sending a presence message from said user terminal to said gateway; and

in response to said presence message, sending an information message from said gateway to said user terminal, said information message comprising information about the state of said second communication link, about the configuration of said gateway, and about logic connection to the internet.

44. The method of claim 35, wherein providing said user with an indication of availability of connectivity to the internet comprises:

registering, by said user terminal, with a multicast group associated with said gateway;

sending an information message from said gateway to said multicast group, said information message comprising information about the state of said second communication link, about the configuration of said gateway, and about a logic connection to the internet.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein providing said user with an indication of availability of connectivity to the internet further comprises:

sending a request for renewal of the membership to said multicast group from said gateway to said multicast group; and

sending a presence message from said user terminal to said gateway in response to said request for renewal.

46. The method of claim 35, for a gateway provided with an embedded web server and a user terminal provided with an internet browser, wherein providing said user with an indication of availability of connectivity to the internet comprises:

sending an http protocol request message from said user terminal to said gateway; and

sending an http protocol response message from said gateway to said user terminal, said http protocol response message containing an html representation of information about the state of said second communication link, about configuration of said gateway, and about logic connection to the internet.

47. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

sending a request for connection to the internet from said user terminal to said gateway;

in response to said request for connection, connecting said gateway to the internet, if the connection to the internet is not already active; and

sending an information message from said gateway to said user terminal, said information message comprising information about state of said second communication link, about configuration of said gateway, and about logic connection to the internet.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein said request for connection is sent by said user terminal only if said second communication link is active, and configuration of said gateway is completed.

49. The method of claim 47, wherein said information message is sent by said gateway when the connection to the internet is established.

50. The method of claim 47, wherein said information message is sent by said gateway upon reception of the request for connection from a client application running on said user terminal if the connection to the internet is already active.

51. The method of claim 47, wherein said information message is sent by said gateway only if the state of the connection to the internet changes.

52. The method of claim 47, further comprising:

a predetermined time interval after said gateway connects to the internet, sending a request for disconnection to the internet from said gateway to said user terminal; and

if a user is interested in maintaining said gateway connected to the internet, sending a request for connection to the internet from said user terminal to said gateway in response to said request for disconnection.

53. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

sending a request for disconnection from the internet from said user terminal to said gateway;

in response to said request for disconnection, disconnecting said gateway from the internet; and

sending an information message from said gateway to said user terminal, said information message comprising information about the state of said second communication link, about configuration of said gateway, and about logic connection to the internet.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein at least one further user terminal is connected to said gateway, and wherein said gateway disconnects from the internet only if no other user terminal has requested a connection to the internet.

55. The method of claim 53, wherein said request for disconnection is sent by said user terminal only if said gateway is connected to the internet.

56. The method of claim 55, further comprising:

automatically disconnecting said gateway from the internet if no request for connection to the internet is received from any user terminal for a predetermined time interval.

57. A system for managing an internet connection and informing a user about connectivity to the internet of a user terminal via a gateway, said gateway being connected to said user terminal via a first communication link, and to an internet provider via a second communication link, comprising a gateway and a user terminal capable of being configured to implement the method according to claim 35.

58. A customer-premises network comprising a user terminal and a gateway connected to said user terminal via a first communication link and to an internet service provider via a second communication link, said customer-premises network further comprising a system according to claim 57.

59. A software product, capable of being loaded and run in a user terminal and a gateway connected to said user terminal via a first communication link, and to an internet service provider via a second communication link and comprising software capable of cooperating in implementing the method according to claim 35.