Methods, systems, and products for managing access to applications

• US 7,933,970 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2009
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• 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:
  US12/353,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20090138476A1
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/206, 709/207, 709/219, 709/220, 709/223, 709/203, 709/217
• US Class Current: 709/217
• 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:

identifying by a web server a first application executing within a residential network;

determining by the web server a residential address in the residential network for accessing the first application;

creating a portal webpage comprising a first link to the residential address in the residential network home and a second link to a second application executing outside the residential network on a service provider network;

storing the portal webpage in memory of a residential communications gateway communicating with the residential network and with the service provider network;

storing a services database in the residential communications gateway that associates services to users and to devices;

registering the users in the services database to associate each user of the users to a device and to a service offered by a service provider over the service provider network;

receiving a request for service at the residential communications gateway identifying a requested service for a requesting user at a requesting device;

searching the services database for the requesting user;

determining the requesting user is authorized to access the requested service from the requesting device;

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

creating an entry in the service database that links the requested service to the requesting user when the requesting user is authorized to access the requested service; and

displaying a website link in the portal webpage that provides access to the requested service.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing other communications devices from the residential communications gateway.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing other communications devices from the portal webpage.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising executing a service application.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising means for communicating with the residential network.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising means for communicating with the service provider network.

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

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising associating the first access address to the website link on the portal webpage.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising redirecting the request for service to the first access address.

10. A system, comprising:

a processor communicating with memory storing code causing the processor to;

identify a first application executing within a residential network;

determine a residential address in the residential network for accessing the first application;

create a portal webpage comprising a first link to the residential address in the residential network home and a second link to a second application executing outside the residential network on a service provider network;

store the portal webpage in memory of a residential communications gateway communicating with the residential network and with the service provider network;

storing a services database in the residential communications gateway that associates services to users and to devices;

registering the users in the services database to associate each user of the users to a device and to a service offered by a service provider over the service provider network;

receive a request for service at the residential communications gateway identifying a requested service for a requesting user at a requesting device;

search the services database for the requesting user;

determining the requesting user is authorized to access the requested service from the requesting device;

execute an application programming interface in the residential communications gateway, the application programming interface associating 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;

retrieve a destination web page when the residential user is not authorized to access the requested service and redirect the request for service to the destination web page to deny the requested service;

create an entry in the service database that links the requested service to the requesting user when the requesting user is authorized to access the requested service; and

display a website link on the portal webpage that provides access to the requested service.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the code further causes the processor to access other communications devices from the residential communications gateway.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the code further causes the processor to access other communications devices from the portal webpage.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the code further causes the processor to communicate with the residential network.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the code further causes the processor to communicate with the service provider network.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the code further causes the processor to retrieve a first access address of the first application from the services database and to associate the first access address to the website link on the portal webpage.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the code further causes the processor to redirect the request for service to the first access address.

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

identifying by a web server a first application executing within a residential network;

determining by the web server a residential address in the residential network for accessing the first application;

creating a portal webpage comprising a first link to the residential address in the residential network home and a second link to a second application executing outside the residential network on a service provider network;

storing the portal webpage in memory of a residential communications gateway communicating with the residential network and with the service provider network;

storing a services database in the residential communications gateway that associates services to users and to devices;

registering the users in the services database to associate each user of the users to a device and to a service offered by a service provider over the service provider network;

receiving a request for service at the residential communications gateway identifying a requested service for a requesting user at a requesting device;

searching the services database for the requesting user;

determining the requesting user is authorized to access the requested service from the requesting device;

executing an application programming interface in the residential communications gateway, the application programming interface associating 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;

when the requesting user is not authorized to access the requested service, retrieving a destination web page and redirecting the request for service to the destination web page to deny the requested service; and

when the requesting user is authorized to access the requested service, creating an entry in the service database that links the requested service to the requesting user and displaying the website link on the portal webpage to provide access to the requested service.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions for retrieving a first access address of the first application from the services database and associating the first access address to the website link on the portal webpage.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, further comprising instructions for redirecting the request for service to the first access address.