System and method to remotely manage and audit set top box resources

• US 7,734,771 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2006
• Issued: 06/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Chanyu Holdings LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Swix, Scott R., Watson, P. Thomas, Gray, James H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hamza; Faruk
• Application Number:
  US11/472,857
• Publication Number:
  US 20060259584A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,447 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709223-224, 725/25, 725/107
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0846 based on copy from other elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25833 involving client hardware characteristics, e.g. manufacturer, processing or storage capabilities allocation of resources considering hardware capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5044; allocation of resources considering software capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5055
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4424 Monitoring of the internal components or processes of the client device, e.g. CPU or memory load, processing speed, timer, counter or percentage of the hard disk space used error monitoring in general G06F11/30; arrangements for monitoring conditions of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/32; diagnosis, testing or measuring for television receivers H04N17/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system and method for determining the resources available or used in a remote device is disclosed. The system can be used to determine whether the remote device is using expected resources as originally configured or to determine whether resources are available to support new or extended services. The method can be used to configure or reconfigure the remote device for its intended use or as reconfigure a remote device for new, different or extended purposes.

Claims

1. A method for remotely managing resources associated with a set top box (STB), comprising:

receiving at a service provider a first item of information from the STB, wherein the first item of information relates to resources for provisioning of audio/video services associated with the STB;

retrieving at the service provider a second item of information from a database of the service provider, wherein the second item of information relates to an expected configuration of the STB;

comparing at the service provider the first item of information with the second item of information; and

sending an instruction from the service provider to the STB such that the instruction performs a function on the STB that is related to the resources,

wherein when a user of the STB has installed a new fixed disk drive associated with the STB without authorization, the instruction modifies an amount of available disk space on the new fixed disk drive associated with the STB by instructing the STB to access only certain portions of the new fixed disk drive.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the instruction is sent from the service provider to a remote resource manager of the STB.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the instruction is received by a remote resource manager.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving at the STB user input that requests a new service; and

determining by the remote resource manager whether the STB has the resources to support the new service.