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

• US 7,792,978 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2001
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chanyu Holdings LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Watson, P. Thomas, Gray, James H., Swix, Scott R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hamza; Faruk
• Application Number:
  US10/029,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20050076394A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,175 Days
• Field of Search: 709/229, 709/203, 709217-221, 709223-226, 725/131, 725/151
• US Class Current: 709/229
• 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 communicating with a remote set top box (STB) that provides a service to end users comprising:

receiving at a location remote from the STB a first item of information related to parameter settings associated with the STB from the STB, the parameter settings affecting the provisioning of the service to the end user;

retrieving a second item of information from a database spaced from the STB;

comparing at the location remote from the STB the first item of information with the second item of information, the second item of information being related to parameter settings expected to be associated with the STB;

based on a result of the comparing, communicating to the STB from the location remote from the STB an instruction to change at least one of the parameter settings affecting the provisioning of the service to the end user; and

wherein the instruction communicated to the STB provides for at least one of enabling a resource of the STB related to the first item of information, disabling a resource of the STB related to the first item of information, including authorization keys related to the first item of information, and causing the STB to diagnose a problem of the STB related to the first item of information.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second item of information is received by the first location remote from the STB from a database.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first item of information includes information related to a fixed disc drive.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the STB is integrated into a television.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the service comprises audio and video content playback.

6. A non-transitory computer readable medium having encoded instructions that causes at least one computer to:

receive a first item of information from a set top box (STB) that provides a service to end users, wherein the first item of information relates to parameter settings that affect the provisioning of the service to the end user and that are associated with the STB;

retrieve a second item of information from a database spaced from the STB, wherein the second item of information relates to an expected configuration of the STB;

compare the first item of information with the second item of information;

send an STB instruction to the STB wherein the instruction is configured to change at least one of the parameter settings affecting the provisioning of the service to the end user; and

wherein the STB instruction provides for at least one of enabling a resource of the STB related to the first item of information, disabling a resource of the STB related to the first item of information, including authorization keys related to the first item of information, and causing the STB to diagnose a problem of the STB related to the first item information.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 6, wherein the encoded instructions further cause the STB instructions to be sent to a remote resource manager of the STB and wherein the encoded instructions further cause the remote resource manager to detect the resources and send the first item of information.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the encoded instructions further cause the STB to receive user input that requests a new service, and determine by the remote resource manager whether the STB has the resources to support the new service.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the STB is integrated into a television.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the service comprises audio and video content playback.