BACKUP AND RESTORE OF NETWORK CONFIGURATION DATA USING A REMOTE CONTROLLER DEVICE

• US 20110302619A1
• Filed: 06/07/2010
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Hale, Nathan, Innes, David A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,341,686 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/110
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link

Abstract

Presented here is a method of operating video services receivers in a network that includes a controller device and at least one member device. Also presented is a controller device that facilitates the method. The method obtains network configuration data at a first video services receiver, where the network configuration data is utilized by the first video services receiver to support data communication with the controller device and the at least one member device. The method continues by establishing a data communication link between the first video services receiver and the controller device, and uploading the network configuration data from the first video services receiver to the controller device via the data communication link. The controller device can thereafter be used to download the network configuration data to a second video services receiver.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a video services receiver for operation in a network, the method comprising:

establishing a data communication link between the video services receiver and a controller device that is a member device of the network; and

thereafter, downloading network configuration data from the controller device to the video services receiver device via the data communication link, the network configuration data utilized by the video services receiver to support data communication with at least one member device of the network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing an initial data communication link between the video services receiver and the controller device;

receiving, at the controller device, the network configuration data from the video services receiver via the initial data communication link; and

storing, at the controller device, the network configuration data to be used during the downloading.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing an initial data communication link between a previously deployed video services receiver and the controller device;

receiving, at the controller device, the network configuration data from the previously deployed video services receiver via the initial data communication link; and

storing, at the controller device, the network configuration data to be used during the downloading.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

removing the previously deployed video services receiver from the network; and

inserting the video services receiver into the network, wherein establishing the data communication link and downloading the network configuration data occur after the inserting.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the establishing step establishes a wireless data communication link between the video services receiver and the controller device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the controller device comprises a remote control device for the video services receiver.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the network configuration data comprises data associated with at least one additional remote control device for the video services receiver device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the network configuration data comprises data associated with at least one additional video services receiver that operates in the network.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the network configuration data comprises respective network addresses for the at least one member device of the network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one member device of the network includes the controller device.

11. A controller device for video services receivers that operate in a network, the controller device comprising:

a receiver component configured to receive network configuration data that is utilized by a first video services receiver to support data communication on the network;

a memory element configured to store the network configuration data received by the receiver component, resulting in stored network configuration data; and

a transmitter component configured to transmit the stored network configuration data to a second video services receiver, the stored network configuration data utilized by the second video services receiver to support data communication with the at least one member device of the network.

12. The controller device of claim 11, wherein the receiver component is configured to receive the network configuration data from the first video services receiver.

13. The controller device of claim 12, wherein the receiver component is configured to wirelessly receive the network configuration data from the first video services receiver.

14. The controller device of claim 11, wherein the transmitter component is configured to wirelessly transmit the stored network configuration data to the second video services receiver.

15. The controller device of claim 11, wherein the controller device comprises a remote control device for both the first video services receiver and the second video services receiver.

16. The controller device of claim 11, wherein the network configuration data comprises respective network addresses for the at least one member device of the network.

17. A method of operating video services receivers in a network that includes a controller device and at least one member device, the method comprising:

obtaining network configuration data at a first video services receiver, the network configuration data utilized by the first video services receiver to support data communication with the controller device and the at least one member device;

establishing a data communication link between the first video services receiver and the controller device; and

thereafter, uploading the network configuration data from the first video services receiver to the controller device via the data communication link.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

detecting, with the first video services receiver, a change in a device topology of the network;

obtaining updated network configuration data at the first video services receiver, the updated network configuration data being influenced by the change in the device topology of the network;

establishing a second data communication link between the first video services receiver and the controller device; and

thereafter, uploading the updated network configuration data from the first video services receiver to the controller device via the second data communication link.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

introducing a second video services receiver into the network;

establishing a second data communication link between the second video services receiver and the controller device;

receiving, at the second video services receiver, the network configuration data from the controller device via the second data communication link; and

configuring the second video services receiver in response to the network configuration data received from the controller device.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the controller device comprises a remote control device for the first video services receiver device.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the network configuration data comprises respective network addresses for the at least one member device of the network.