DEVICE MANAGEMENT

• US 20130007231A1
• Filed: 02/11/2010
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Forssell, Mika
• Granted Patent: US 9,246,763 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/65 Telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/654 International mobile subscriber identity [IMSI] numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/103 across network layers, e.g. resolution of network layer into physical layer addresses or address resolution protocol [ARP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5069 for group communication, multicast communication or broadcast communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods and apparatus that enable device management to be performed via broadcast/multicast transmission. A server may receive a request, for example, from a device owner, to update settings in deployed devices. The deployed devices may be identified by at least one group ID. The server may initiate broadcast/multicast transmission to the identified devices by transmitting a settings update message to a communication server. The communication server may then transmit the settings update message to the identified devices via broadcast/multicast transmission.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

receiving a settings update request to update at least one setting of a plurality of devices wherein said settings update request includes at least one first group ID and a first data portion, wherein said at least one first group ID identifies said plurality of devices;

identifying a communication type based on said identified plurality of devices to determine a communication type server;

determining at least one second group ID based on said at least one first group ID, wherein said at least one second group ID is used by said determined communication type server to identify said plurality of devices; and

transmitting a settings update message to said determined communication type server wherein said settings update message includes said at least one second group ID and a second data portion such that broadcast/multicast transmission of said settings update message can be initiated by said communication type server to said identified plurality of devices.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 in which said first data portion includes said at least one setting for said identified plurality of devices.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 in which said communication type is wireless, wireline or a combination of both wireless and wireline.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 in which said at least one second group ID is determined via a look up table using said at least one first group ID.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 in which said second data portion includes said first data portion.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 in which said second data portion includes an indication to said identified plurality of devices to retrieve said at least one configuration setting from a server.

7. An apparatus comprising:

an input adapted to receive a settings update request to update at least one setting of a plurality of devices wherein said settings update request includes at least one first group ID and a first data portion, further wherein said at least one first group ID identifies said plurality of devices;

a first processor adapted to identify a communication type based on said identified plurality of devices to determine a communication type server;

a second processor adapted to determine at least one second group ID based on said at least one first group ID, wherein said at least one second group ID is used by said identified communication type server to identify said plurality of devices; and

an output adapted to transmit a settings update message to said determined communication type server wherein said settings update message includes said at least one second group ID and a second data portion such that broadcast/multicast transmission of said settings update message can be initiated by said communication type server to said identified plurality of devices.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7 in which said communication type is wireless, wireline or a combination of both wireless and wireline.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7 further comprising a third processor adapted to determine said at least one second group ID via a look up table using said at least one first group ID.

10. A computer program product comprising computer readable executable code for:

receiving a settings update request to update at least one setting of a plurality of devices wherein said settings update request includes at least one first group ID and a first data portion, wherein said at least one first group ID identifies said plurality of devices;

identifying a communication type based on said identified plurality of devices to determine a communication type server;

determining at least one second group ID based on said at least one first group ID, wherein said at least one second group ID is used by said determined communication type server to identify said plurality of devices; and

transmitting a settings update message to said determined communication type server wherein said settings update message includes said at least one second group ID and a second data portion such that broadcast/multicast transmission of said settings update message can be initiated by said communication type server to said identified plurality of devices.

11. A method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request from a device to join a group;

assigning at least one group ID to said device in response to said request such that at least one device is assigned to said at least one group ID;

receiving a settings update message wherein said settings update message includes said at least one group ID and a data portion;

identifying at least one device based on said at least one group ID; and

initiating a broadcast/multicast transmission of said settings update message to said identified at least one device.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 in which said data portion includes at least one setting for said identified plurality of devices.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11 in which said data portion includes an indication to said identified plurality of devices to retrieve at least one configuration setting from a server.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a first input adapted to receive a request from a device to join a group;

a first processor adapted to assign at least one group ID to said device in response to said request such that at least one device is assigned to said at least one group ID;

a second input adapted to receive a settings update message wherein said settings update message includes said at least one group ID and a data portion;

a second processor adapted to identify at least one device based on said at least one group ID; and

an output adapted to initiate a broadcast/multicast transmission of said settings update message to said identified at least one device.

15. A computer program product comprising computer readable executable code for:

receiving a request from a device to join a group;

assigning at least one group ID to said device in response to said request such that at least one device is assigned to said at least one group ID;

receiving a settings update message wherein said settings update message includes said at least one group ID and a data portion;

identifying at least one device based on said at least one group ID; and

initiating a broadcast/multicast transmission of said settings update message to said identified at least one device.

16. A method comprising the steps of:

transmitting from a device a join request message to a communication type server such that said device is assigned to at least one group;

receiving a settings update message via broadcast/multicast transmission wherein said settings update message includes a data portion; and

processing said settings update message such that said device updates its device settings based on said settings update message.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16 further comprising the step of receiving confirmation of the at least one group said device is assigned to.

18. The method as claimed in claim 16 in which said data portion includes device configuration settings and said step of processing said settings update message further includes updating said device settings based on said received device configuration settings.

19. The method as claimed in claim 16 in which said data portion includes an indication to obtain device configuration settings from a device server wherein said step of processing said settings update message further includes the step of communicating with said device server to obtain said device configuration settings and updating said device settings based on said obtained device configuration settings.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19 in which said data portion further includes an indication of a predetermined time period and said step of communication with said device server includes communicating with said device server at said predetermined time period.

21. The method as claimed in claim 16 further comprising the step of transmitting an acknowledgement on successful receipt of the settings update message.

22. The method as claimed in claim 16 further comprising the step of transmitting an acknowledgement on successful update of said device settings.

23. An apparatus comprising:

a first output adapted to transmit from a device a join request message to a communication type server such that said device is assigned to at least one group;

a first input adapted to receive a settings update message via broadcast/multicast transmission wherein said settings update message includes a data portion; and

a processor adapted to process said settings update message such that said device updates its device settings based on said settings update message.

24. The apparatus as claimed in claim 23 in which said data portion includes device configuration settings and said processor is further adapted to update said device settings based on said received device configuration settings.

25. The apparatus as claimed in claim 23 in which said data portion includes an indication to obtain device configuration settings from a device server wherein said apparatus further comprises a second output adapted to communicate with said device server to obtain said device configuration settings and said processor is further adapted to update said device settings based on said obtained device configuration settings.

26. The apparatus as claimed in claim 25 in which said data portion further includes an indication of a predetermined time period and said second output is adapted to communicate with said device server at said predetermined time period.

27. The apparatus as claimed in claim 23 further comprising a third output adapted to transmit an acknowledgement on successful receipt of the settings update message.

28. The apparatus as claimed in claim 23 further comprising a fourth output adapted to transmit an acknowledgement on successful update of said device settings.

29. A computer program product comprising computer readable executable code for:

transmitting from a device a join request message to a communication type server such that said device is assigned to at least one group;

receiving a settings update message via broadcast/multicast transmission wherein said settings update message includes a data portion; and

processing said settings update message such that said device updates its device settings based on said settings update message.