CONFIGURING USER-CUSTOMIZED SERVICES FOR NETWORKED DEVICES

• US 20100106628A1
• Filed: 10/28/2008
• Published: 04/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Bucher, Timothy, Ross, Mark Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 8,170,931 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing one or more aspects of a user'"'"'s relationship with one or more media devices or other information handling systems and one or more media content providers. In some embodiments, a service center functions as a central management point and includes various modules configured to provide the management services.

Claims

1. A service center for managing the relationship between users of media devices and the content on the media devices, the content being provided by one or more media content providers, comprising:

a processor;

one or more transceivers for transferring data between the service center and the one or more media devices and between the service center and the one or more media content providers;

one or more memory modules for storing data received from the one or more media devices and the one or more media content providers; and

one or more management modules configured to cause the service center to at least partially manage one or more aspects of a user'"'"'s relationship with one or more media devices and/or one or more of media content providers.

2. The service center in accordance with claim 1, wherein the one or more management modules are one of an account module, a content module, a billing module, and an authentication module.

3. The service center in accordance with claim 1, wherein the one or more management modules is an account module configured to cause the service center to at least partially manage one or more aspects of a user'"'"'s relationship with one or more media devices and/or one or more of media content providers by associating the user with an account and by associating one or more media devices with the user'"'"'s account.

4. The service center in accordance with claim 3, wherein the account module is further configured to associate one or more additional users with the user'"'"'s account and to further associate one or more media devices with the additional users.

5. The service center in accordance with claim 4, wherein the association of the user and the additional users is comprised of a tree-like data structure.

6. The service center in accordance with claim 4, wherein account management module is configured to control the purchasing capabilities of the one or more additional users and to control the content provided to the one or more additional users.

7. The service center in accordance with claim 1, wherein the one or more management modules is a content module configured to cause the service center to at least partially manage one or more aspects of a user'"'"'s relationship with one or more media devices and/or one or more of media content providers by allowing the user to identify desired content or services that are to be provided by the media content providers to the media devices.

8. The service center in accordance with claim 7, wherein the content module is further configured to associate one or more of the media devices with content or services such that the associated media devices may access the content or services.

9. The service center in accordance with claim 1, wherein the one or more management modules is a billing module configured to cause the service center to at least partially manage one or more aspects of a user'"'"'s relationship with one or more media devices and/or one or more of media content providers by providing a single point for facilitating billing and payment relationships between the media devices and the media content providers.

10. The service center in accordance with claim 9, wherein the billing module is further configured to determine the actual amount of usage of a particular service and to provide payment to the media service provider providing the service based on the determination of usage.

11. In a system including one or more media devices that receive content or services from one or more media content providers, a method for managing a user'"'"'s relationship with the one or more media devices and/or the one or more of media content providers, the method comprising:

identifying one or more media devices associated with a user;

identifying one or more media content providers configured to provide content or services to the devices; and

managing one or more aspects of the user'"'"'s relationship with the one or more media devices and/or the one or more of media content providers such that the one or more media devices are configured to receive content or services from the one or more media content providers.

12. The method in accordance with claim 11, wherein managing one or more aspects of the user'"'"'s relationship comprises:

associating one or more additional users with an account of the user; and

associating one or more media devices with the additional users.

13. The method in accordance with claim 12, wherein the association of the user and the additional user is comprised of a tree-like data structure.

14. The method in accordance with claim 12, further comprising:

controlling the purchasing capabilities of the one or more additional users; and

controlling the content provided to the one or more additional users.

15. The method in accordance with claim 11, wherein managing one or more aspects of the user'"'"'s relationship comprises:

allowing the user to identify desired content or services that are to be provided by the media content providers to the media devices.

16. The method in accordance with claim 11, wherein managing one or more aspects of the user'"'"'s relationship comprises:

providing a single point for facilitating billing and payment relationships between the media devices and the media content providers.

17. The method in accordance with claim 16 further comprising:

determining the actual amount of usage of a particular service; and

providing payment to the media service provider providing the service based on the determination of usage.

18. The method in accordance with claim 16 further comprising:

identifying one or more media content providers that provide content or services for a fee;

determining the how often the fee should be provided to the one or more media content providers; and

providing the fee to the one or more media content providers at the appropriate time interval.

19. The method in accordance with claim 11, wherein the one or more media devices are one of a satellite radio device, a portable audio player, a portable DVD or CD player, a personal computer, a server computer, a laptop computer, a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or any combination thereof.

20. The method in accordance with claim 11, wherein the method is accomplished through the use of a service center that is external to the one or more media devices and the one or more media content providers.