SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED METHODS FOR REMOTELY ENABLING FEATURES

• US 20100169368A1
• Filed: 03/11/2010
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CSC Holdings LLC (Altice USA, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CSC Holdings LLC (Altice USA, Inc.)
• Inventors: Neill, Richard W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,626,733 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

A method and apparatus enables a feature among a plurality of features in an application loaded on a client, with the client located remotely from a server. The server receives a data profile request from the client. In response to the data profile request, a data profile is sent from the server to the client, the data profile including a profile key to identify the client, an application identification to identify the application, and a feature selector. The application uses the feature selector to enable the feature among the plurality of features.

Claims

1-22. -22. (canceled)

23. A method of enabling a particular feature among a plurality of features of a software application loaded on one or more set-top boxes in a cable system, the one or more set-top boxes located remotely from a head-end in the cable system, the method comprising:

at the head-end, generating a profile key identifying a sub-set of set-top boxes having loaded thereon software for implementing one or more of the plurality of features, and identifying the particular feature for enabling; and

enabling the particular feature on the sub-set of set-top boxes by sending the profile key from the head-end to the plurality of set-top boxes such that the software application loaded on the sub-set of set-top boxes uses the profile key to newly enable the particular feature of the software application.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the profile key includes one of a home identification, a zip code or a serial number.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising using an application identification to select one software application from among a plurality of applications.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein sending the profile key from the head-end to the plurality of set-top boxes includes selecting the plurality of set-top boxes based on the profile key.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the software comprises computer-executable instructions for executing the software application.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein the software application is a diagnostics application.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein a feature selector selects a first diagnostic level from among a plurality of diagnostic levels at which the diagnostics application is to execute.

30. The method of claim 23, wherein an application identifier identifies a plurality of client-resident software applications including the software application.

31. The method of claim 23, wherein a feature selector selects a plurality of features.

32. The method of claim 23, further comprising sending a different profile key to a different plurality of set-top boxes to enable a different feature on a different sub-set of set-top boxes.

33. A head-end device operable to enable a particular feature among a plurality of features in a software application loaded on a set-top box in a cable system, the set-top box located remotely from the head-end device in the cable system, the head-end device comprising:

a processor;

a memory to store instructions to be executed by the processor, the instructions comprising;

generating a profile key identifying a sub-set of set-top boxes having loaded thereon software for implementing one or more of the plurality of features, and identifying the particular feature for enabling; and

enabling the particular feature on the sub-set of set-top boxes by sending the profile key from the head-end to the plurality of set-top boxes such that the software application loaded on the sub-set of set-top boxes uses the profile key to newly enable the particular feature of the software application.

34. The head-end device of claim 33, wherein the profile key includes one of a home identification, a zip code or a serial number.

35. The head-end device of claim 33, wherein an application identifier identifies the software application from among a plurality of client-resident software applications.

36. The head-end device of claim 33, wherein the sub-set of set-top boxes is selected based on the profile key.

37. The head-end device of claim 33, wherein the software comprises computer-executable instructions.

38. The head-end device of claim 33, wherein the software application is a diagnostics application.

39. The head-end device of claim 38, wherein a feature selector selects a first diagnostic level from among a plurality of diagnostic levels at which the-diagnostics application is to execute.

40. The apparatus of claim of claim 33, wherein the application identifier identifies a plurality of client-resident applications including the software application.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein a feature selector selects a plurality of features.

42. The apparatus of claim 33, the instructions further comprising sending a different profile key to a different plurality of set-top boxes to enable a different feature on a different sub-set of set- top boxes.

43. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of executable instructions for enabling a particular feature among a plurality of features in a software application loaded on one or more set-top boxes in a cable system, the-set-top boxes located remotely from a head-end in the cable system, the plurality of instructions comprising:

generating a profile key identifying a sub-set of set-top boxes having loaded thereon software for implementing one or more of the plurality of features, and identifying the particular feature for enabling; and

enabling the particular feature on the sub-set of set-top boxes by sending the profile key from the head-end to the plurality of set-top boxes such that the software application loaded on the sub-set of set-top boxes uses the profile key to newly enable the particular feature of the software application.