METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SUPPORTING VISITOR ACCESS VIA A BROADBAND GATEWAY

• US 20160043994A1
• Filed: 10/19/2015
• Published: 02/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: GARRETT, David, KARAOGUZ, Jeyhan, CHEN, Xuemin, DIAB, Wael William, LUNDGREN, David, PRODAN, Rich
• Application Number:
  US14/886,919
• Publication Number:
  US 20160043994A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0215 Including financial accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1453 Methods or systems for payment or settlement of the charges for data transmission involving significant interaction with the data transmission network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6402 Hybrid switching fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/32 Specific management aspects for broadband networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5019 Ensuring fulfilment of SLA
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/302 Route determination based on requested QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2491 Mapping quality of service [QoS] requirements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/805 : QOS or priority aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 : for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 : Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 : for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 : for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/205 : involving negotiation or determination of the one or more network security mechanisms to be used, e.g. by negotiation between the client and the server or between peers or by selection according to the capabilities of the entities involved negotiation of communication capabilities H04L69/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/102 : Gateways arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways, H04L12/66
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1023 : Media gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 : in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1033 : Signalling gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1036 : at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/40 : Support for services or applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 : Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 : for unicast
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 : Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1078 : Resource delivery mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 : Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 : specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 : Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 : Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 : Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/258 : Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics, processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data arrangements for services using the result on the distributing side of broadcast systems H04H60/66; profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4353 : involving decryption of additional data arrangements using cryptography for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/23
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 : Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 : Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/462 : Content or additional data management, e.g. creating a master electronic program guide from data received from the Internet and a Head-end, controlling the complexity of a video stream by scaling the resolution or bit-rate based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 : for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 : End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6106 : specially adapted to the downstream path of the transmission network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/632 : using a connection between clients on a wide area network, e.g. setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet for retrieving video segments from the hard-disk of other client devices broadcast-related systems characterised by transmission among terminal devices H04H60/80; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6371 : directed to network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6373 : for rate control , e.g. request to the server to modify its transmission rate flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 : for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8549 : Creating video summaries, e.g. movie trailer retrieval in video databases by using presentations in form of a video summary G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 : for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/086 : using security domains
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/265 : taking into account the quality of service QoS
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/00 : Reducing energy consumption in communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 : Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

A method and system are provided in which a broadband gateway may enable a guest or visitor to access content available to the broadband gateway. The content may be received by the broadband gateway through one or more of a plurality of network access service providers that may provide separate physical layer access to the broadband gateway. After a visitor'"'"'s device is connected to the broadband gateway, the broadband gateway may classify the device. Based on the classification, the device may be authorized to access a portion of the content received. Once the authorization process is complete, the appropriate content may be made available and transferred to the device. The authorization process may include the authentication of a device identifier and/or a user identifier. The authorized access may be time-limited, but may be renewed or enabled when a request is received within a determined period of time.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

classifying, by a broadband gateway configured to enable communication with a plurality of devices and to handle a plurality of physical layer connections to at least one network access service provider, a device communicatively coupled to the broadband gateway;

assigning, by the broadband gateway to the device, a first level of access from a plurality of levels of access according to the classification of the device and to a first distance of the device from the broadband gateway at a first instance of time;

controlling, by the broadband gateway according to the assigned first level of access, access by the device to content received through the at least one network access service provider; and

assigning, by the broadband gateway to the device, a second level of access from the plurality of levels of access in response to determining at a second instance of time that the device has moved away from or closer to the broadband gateway relative to the first distance while the device is communicatively coupled to the broadband gateway.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the device comprises a wireless device; and

assigning to the device the second level of access comprises assigning to the wireless device the second level of access from a plurality of levels of access according to one or both of a signal strength and a link quality between the broadband gateway and the wireless device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein individual ones of the plurality of levels of access indicate at least one of:

a type of content for which access is to be provided;

a service or a content provider associated with the content;

an authorization procedure for granting access to the content;

a number of devices that may concurrently access the content;

a time limit for an authorized access to the content;

whether the assigned first level of access to the content may be enabled once the assigned first level of access has expired; and

a condition that, when satisfied, permits the first level of access to be re-enabled after the assigned first level of access has expired.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is communicatively coupled to the broadband gateway via a wireless or wired connection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, according to the classification, the device is pre-authorized to access a particular portion of the content received through the at least one network access service provider.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining which portion of the content received through the at least one network access service provider is to be accessed by the device according to the first level of access assigned to the device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning the second level of access further comprises assigning the second level of access in response to determining that the device has moved away from or closer to the broadband gateway relative to the first distance for at least a predefined amount of time while the device is communicatively coupled to the broadband gateway.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising disabling the first level of access assigned to the device on or after a determined time from a time when the first level of access was assigned, the determined time being based on the classification of the device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is authorized to access a particular amount of the content received through the at least one network access service provider.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from an entity associated with providing the content received through the at least one network access service provider, an indication of a reward associated with at least the first level of access or the second level of access assigned to the device; and

processing the indication of the reward to enable the reward to be redeemed.

11. A system, comprising:

a broadband gateway configured to enable communication with a plurality of devices and to handle a plurality of physical layer connections to at least one network access service provider, the broadband gateway comprising circuitry configured to;

classify a device communicatively coupled to the broadband gateway;

assign to the device a first level of access from a plurality of levels of access according to the classification of the device and to a first distance of the device from the broadband gateway at a first instance of time;

control access by the device to content received through the at least one network access service provider, according to the assigned first level of access; and

assign to the device a second level of access from the plurality of levels of access in response to determining at a second instance of time that the device has moved away from or closer to the broadband gateway relative to the first distance while the device is communicatively coupled to the broadband gateway.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the device comprises a wireless device; and

the circuitry is configured to assign to the wireless device the second level of access from a plurality of levels of access according to one or both of a signal strength and a link quality between the broadband gateway and the wireless device.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein individual ones of the plurality of levels of access indicate at least one of:

a type of content for which access is to be provided;

a service or a content provider associated with the content;

an authorization procedure for granting access to the content;

a number of devices that may concurrently access the content;

a time limit for an authorized access to the content;

whether the assigned first level of access to the content may be enabled once the assigned first level of access has expired; and

a condition that, when satisfied, permits the first level of access to be re-enabled after the assigned first level of access has expired.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the device is communicatively coupled to the broadband gateway via a wireless or wired connection.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein, according to the classification, the device is pre-authorized to access a particular portion of the content received through the at least one network access service provider.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the circuitry is configured to determine which portion of the content received through the at least one network access service provider is to be accessed by the device according to the first level of access assigned to the device.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the circuitry is configured to assign the second level of access in response to determining that the device has moved away from or closer to the broadband gateway relative to the first distance for at least a predefined amount of time while the device is communicatively coupled to the broadband gateway.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the circuitry is configured to disable the first level of access assigned to the device on or after a determined time from a time when the first level of access was assigned, the determined time being based on the classification of the device.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

receive, from an entity associated with providing the content received through the at least one network access service provider, an indication of a reward associated with at least the first level of access or the second level of access assigned to the device; and

process the indication of the reward to enable the reward to be redeemed.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a program that, when executed by circuitry located within a broadband gateway configured to handle a plurality of physical layer connections to a plurality of corresponding network access service providers, causes the circuitry to:

classify a device communicatively coupled to the broadband gateway;

allow the device a first level of access from a plurality of levels of access according to the classification of the device and to a first distance of the device from the broadband gateway at a first instance of time;

control access by the device to content received through the at least one network access service provider, according to the allowed first level of access; and

allow the device a second level of access from the plurality of levels of access in response to determining at a second instance of time that the device has moved relative to the first distance from the broadband gateway while the device is communicatively coupled to the broadband gateway.