Method and system for partitioned service-enablement gateway with utility and consumer services

• US 6,871,193 B1
• Filed: 05/30/2001
• Issued: 03/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Corporate Services Group
• Inventors: Dolecki, Myron C., Campbell, Bruce S., Strauss, Burton M. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre E.
• Application Number:
  US09/870,143
• Time in Patent Office: 1,392 Days
• Field of Search: 705/67, 705/76, 705/75, 705/40, 705/34
• US Class Current: 705/67
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A gateway for providing consumer services is presented. The gateway includes a secure partition associated with a gateway and operable to control access to at least one utility service and a bundle associated with the secure partition. The gateway also includes a consumer service associated with the secure partition and an application programmer interface (API) bundle associated with the secure partition and providing at least one support function to the consumer service. In addition, the gateway includes a provisioning service associated with the secure partition and the API bundle, the provisioning service operable to install the consumer service, a billing service associated with the secure partition and the API bundle, the billing service operable to provide billing capabilities to the consumer service and a profile service associated with the secure partition and the API bundle, the profile service operable to store a user profile. Further, the gateway includes an authentication service associated with the secure partition and the API bundle, the authentication service operable to authorize a user associated with the gateway, a remote-logging service associated with the secure partition and the API bundle, the remote-logging service operable to log an event associated with the consumer service, and a maintenance service associated with the secure partition and the API bundle, the maintenance service operable to determine a network status associated with the gateway.

Claims

1. A gateway located at consumer premises and having a user interface for allowing a user at the consumer premises to interact with the gateway and thereby obtain user services, the gateway comprising:

a secure partition operable to control access to at least one service;

a consumer service associated with the secure partition;

an application programmer interface (API) bundle associated with the secure partition and providing at least one support function to the consumer service;

a provisioning service associated with the secure partition and the API bundle, the provisioning service operable to install the consumer service;

a profile service associated with the secure partition and the API bundle, the profile service operable to store a plurality of user profiles, each of the user profiles including user preference information identifying a customized presentation of information to be provided to a user when the user accesses the gateway and information identifying the user'"'"'s preference associated with at least one user device;

an authentication service associated with the secure partition and the API bundle, the authentication service operable to authorize a user associated with the gateway;

a remote-logging service associated with the secure partition and the API bundle, the remote-logging service operable to log an event associated with the consumer service; and

a maintenance service associated with the secure partition and the API bundle, the maintenance service operable to periodically test a network connection associated with a network coupled to the gateway to determine the network status and communicate the network status to the consumer service.

2. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the provisioning service is further operable to:

receive a request form the consumer service; and

update the consumer service based on the request.

3. The gateway of claim 1, further comprising:

a billing service operable to;

receive a request form the consumer service; and

bill the user in response to the request.

4. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the profile service is further operable to:

receive a request from the consumer service; and

retrieve user preference information from the user profile based on the request.

5. The gateway of claim 4, wherein the consumer service is operable to:

receive the user preference information from the profile service; and

customize functionality associated with the consumer service based on the user preference information.

6. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the authentication service is further operable to:

receive a request from the consumer service;

determine whether the user may access the consumer service; and

communicate an authentication result associated with the determination to the consumer service.

7. The gateway of claim 6, wherein the consumer service is operable to:

receive the authentication result from the authentication service;

deny access to the consumer service when the authentication result indicates that the user is not authorized to access the consumer service; and

grant access to the consumer service when the authentication result indicates that the user is authorized to access the consumer service.

8. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the remote logging service is further operable to:

receive a request form the consumer service; and

store events associated with the consumer service based on the request.

9. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the maintenance service is further operable to:

receive a request from the consumer service;

determine the network status based on the network connection associated with the network coupled to the gateway; and

communicate the network status to the consumer service.

10. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the support functions comprise user interface support function.

11. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the consumer service comprises a monthly subscription service.

12. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the profile service is configured to store a unique identifier associated with each of the plurality of user profiles, each unique identifier being associated with one of the plurality of users.

13. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the consumer service is configured to:

provide the user with at least one alternative when the network status indicates that the network connection is unavailable.

14. A method for providing a consumer service to consumer premises using a gateway located upon the premises, the gateway having a user interface for allowing a user to interact with the gateway, the method comprising:

controlling access to at least one consumer service associated with a secure partition;

providing the consumer service associated with the secure partition;

providing at least one support function to the consumer service by an application programmer interface (API) bundle associated with the secure partition;

installing the consumer service by a provisioning service associated with the secure partition and the API bundle;

storing a plurality of user profiles associated with a plurality of users by a profile service associated with the secure partition and the API bundle, each of the user profiles including user preference information identifying a customized presentation of information to be provided to a user when the user accesses the gateway and information identifying the user'"'"'s preference associated with at least one user device;

authenticating the user by an authentication service associated with the secure partition and the API bundle;

logging an event associated with the consumer service by a remote-logging service associated with the secure partition and the API bundle;

periodically testing a network connection associated with a network coupled to the gateway to determine a status of the network by a maintenance service associated with the secure partition and the API bundle; and

communicating the network status to the consumer service.

15. The method for providing consumer services at the gateway according to claim 14, wherein installing the consumer service further comprises:

receiving a request from the consumer service; and

updating the consumer service based on the request.

16. The method for providing consumer services at the gateway according to claim 14, wherein billing the user comprises;

receiving a request from the consumer service;

billing the user based on the request and the consumer service.

17. The method for providing consumer services at the gateway according to claim 14 and further comprising:

receiving a request from the consumer service; and

retrieving user preference information from the user profile based on the request.

18. The method for providing consumer services at the gateway according to claim 17 further comprising:

receiving the user preference information form the profile service at the consumer service; and

modifying functionality associated with the consumer service based on the user preference information.

19. The method for providing consumer services at the gateway according to claim 14, wherein authenticating the user further comprises:

receiving a request from the consumer service;

determining whether the user may access the consumer service; and

communicating an authentication result based on the determination to the consumer service.

20. The method for providing consumer services at the gateway according to claim 19 and further comprising:

receiving the authentication result from the authentication service at the consumer service;

denying access to the consumer service when the authentication result indicates that the user is not authorized to access the consumer service; and

granting access to the consumer service when the authentication result indicates that the user is authorized to access the consumer service.

21. The method for providing consumer services at the gateway according to claim 14, wherein logging events further comprises:

receiving a request form the consumer service; and

storing events associated with the consumer service based on the request.

22. The method for providing consumer services at the gateway according to claim 14, wherein determining the network status comprises:

receiving a request from the consumer service; and

determining the network status based on a network connection associated with the gateway.

23. The method for providing consumer services at the gateway according to claim 14, wherein the support functions comprise user interface support functions.

24. The method for providing consumer services at the gateway according to claim 14, wherein the consumer service comprises a monthly subscription service.

25. The method of claim 14, wherein the storing a plurality of user profiles includes storing a unique identifier associated with each of the plurality of user profiles, each unique identifier being associated with one of the plurality of users.

26. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

providing the user, in response to a user request, at least one alternative when the network status associated with the gateway indicates that a network connection is unavailable.