API tool-set for providing services through a residential communication gateway

• US 7,480,724 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2004
• Issued: 01/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zimler, Randy, Hicks, Al
• Primary Examiner(s): WON, MICHAEL YOUNG
• Application Number:
  US10/918,494
• Publication Number:
  US 20050027887A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,621 Days
• Field of Search: 709/202, 709/217, 709/225, 709/227, 709/230, 709/245, 709/229, 709/203, 709/228
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2821 Avoiding conflicts related to the use of home appliances cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; protocols for network security H04L63/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2836 Protocol conversion between an external network and a home network controlling appliance services of a home automation network from a device located outside the home and the home network H04L12/2818; protocol conversion H04L69/08; adaptation of digital video signals for transport over a specific home network H04N7/24

Abstract

Different communications devices, different communications networks, and/or different users are used to generate, enable, and/or manage an API tool set for providing services through a residential communications gateway. The actual physical location of the service and the manner in which it operates are transparent to the user.

Claims

1. A method for managing network-based access to computer applications, comprising:

communicating with a residential communications gateway executed from a portal webpage;

including in the portal webpage a link to a first application on a residential network and another link to a single second application on a service provider network;

receiving a request for service from a residential user;

associating the user to a primary account subscriber;

searching a services database for services that the primary account subscriber has authorized the residential user to access;

executing an application programming interface that associates multiple users of a communications device in the residential network with at least one available application on the residential network and with at least one available application on the service provider network;

identifying the residential user from the multiple users and differentiating service offerings for the residential user;

when the residential user is not authorized to access the requested service, retrieving a destination web page specified by the primary account subscriber, and redirecting the request for service to the destination web page to deny the requested service;

when the residential user is authorized to access the requested service, creating an entry in the service database that links the requested service to the residential user and creating a website link on the portal webpage associated with the primary account subscriber, the website link accessing the first application that provides the requested service;

associating the first application with the residential user;

associating the second application with the residential user;

determining a first access address of the first application;

determining a second access address of the second application; and

providing access to the second access address via a second website link on the portal webpage.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an identifier of the residential user; and

authenticating the residential user.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving an identifier of a second user;

authenticating the second user;

associating the second user to the primary account subscriber;

associating the first application with the second user;

determining the first access address of the first application; and

providing access to the first access address via the first link on the portal.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

associating the second application with the second user;

determining the second access address of the second application; and

providing access to the second access address via the second link on the portal.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

providing a registration user interface for adding an access address for an available application from the portal, the registration user interface having selective available applications for at least one of the user and the second user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving the first access address of the first application from the services database.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising redirecting the request for service to the first access address where the first application is stored.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing electronic storage on a data store.

9. A computer readable medium storing processor executable instructions for performing a method of managing network-based access to computer applications, the method comprising:

communicating with a residential communications gateway executed from a portal webpage;

including in the portal webpage a link to a first application on a residential network and another link to single second application on a service provider network;

receiving a request for service from a residential user;

associating the user to a primary account subscriber;

searching a services database for services that the primary account subscriber has authorized the residential user to access;

executing an application programming interface that associates multiple users of a communications device in the residential network with at least one available application on the residential network and with at least one available application on the service provider network;

identifying the residential user from the multiple users and differentiating service offerings for the residential user;

when the residential user is not authorized to access the requested service, retrieving a destination web page specified by the primary account subscriber, and redirecting the request for service to the destination web page to deny the requested service;

when the residential user is authorized to access the requested service, creating an entry in the service database that links the requested service to the residential user and creating a website link on the portal webpage associated with the primary account subscriber, the website link accessing the first application that provides the requested service;

associating the first application with the residential user;

associating the second application with the residential user;

determining a first access address of the first application;

determining a second access address of the second application; and

providing access to the second access address via a second website link on the portal webpage.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9, further comprising instructions for:

receiving an identifier of the residential user; and

authenticating the residential user.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10, further comprising instructions for:

receiving an identifier of a second user;

authenticating the second user;

associating the second user to the primary account subscriber;

associating the first application with the second user;

determining the first access address of the first application; and

providing access to the first access address via the first link on the portal.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 9, further comprising instructions for:

receiving an identifier of the user;

authenticating the user;

receiving an identifier of a second user;

authenticating the second user;

associating the first application with the second user;

determining the first access address of the first application; and

providing access to the first access address via the first link on the portal.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12, further comprising instructions for:

associating the second application with the second user;

determining the second access address of the second application;

providing access to the second access address via the second link on the portal; and

providing a registration user interface for adding an access address for an available application from the portal, the registration user interface having selective available applications for at least one of the user and the second user.

14. A system for managing network-based access to computer applications comprising:

a communications device communicating with a residential communications gateway executed from a portal webpage, the portal webpage including a link to a first application on a residential network and another link to single second application on a service provider network;

means for receiving a request for service from a residential user;

means for associating the user to a primary account subscriber;

means for searching a services database for services that the primary account subscriber has authorized the residential user to access;

the communications device executing an application programming interface that associates multiple users of the communications device in the residential network with at least one available application on the residential network and with at least one available application on the service provider network;

identify the residential user from the multiple users and differentiating service offerings for the residential user;

when the residential user is not authorized to access the requested service, means for retrieving a destination web page specified by the primary account subscriber, and means for redirecting the request for service to the destination web page to deny the requested service;

when the residential user is authorized to access the requested service, means for creating an entry in the service database that links the requested service to the residential user and means for creating a website link on the portal webpage associated with the primary account subscriber, the website link accessing the first application that provides the requested service;

means for associating the first application with the residential user;

means for associating the second application with the residential user;

means for determining a first access address of the first application;

means for determining a second access address of the second application; and

means for providing access to the second access address via a second website link on the portal webpage.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

means for receiving an identifier of the residential user; and

means for authenticating the residential user.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

means for receiving an identifier of a second user;

means for authenticating the second user;

means for associating the second user to the primary account subscriber;

means for associating the first application with the second user;

means for determining the first access address of the first application; and

means for providing access to the first access address via the first link on the portal.

17. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

associating the second application with the second user;

determining the second access address of the second application; and

providing access to the second access address via the second link on the portal.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising providing a registration user interface for adding an access address for an available application from the portal, the registration user interface having selective available applications for at least one of the user and the second user.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising retrieving the first access address of the first application from the services database.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising redirecting the request for service to the first access address where the first application is stored.