Content and application download based on a home network system configuration profile

• US 8,108,898 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2010
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hofrichter, Klaus, Dara-Abrams, Joseph Alexander, Gaxiola, David Gabriel
• Primary Examiner(s): LONSBERRY, HUNTER B
• Application Number:
  US12/721,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20100191833A1
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 725/50, 725/80, 725/133, 725/141
• US Class Current: 725/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• 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 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A system and method is provided for identifying, accessing, and managing service applications for use with associated consumer electronic devices in a home network system. A client side process, executed by a client computing system in the home network system, operates in conjunction with a server side process executed by a server computing system that is coupled with the client computing system via the Internet. The client computing system is implemented by a gateway device coupled with each of the devices via the home network. The client side process includes the steps of: determining device ID information associated with at least one selected one of the consumer electronic devices in the home network system; determining a home network system configuration profile based at least on the device ID information; providing the home network system configuration profile to a selected server computing system via the Internet; downloading an application from the selected server computing system, the application being operative to provide a process associated with the selected electronic devices; and executing the downloaded application at the gateway device to provide a remote interactive process associated with the selected electronic devices.

Claims

1. A process of identifying and managing applications for use with associated consumer electronic devices in a home network system, the process for execution by a gateway device communicatively coupled with each of the electronic devices via a home network, the gateway device being operative to access the Internet, comprising the steps of:

(a) determining device ID information associated with at least one selected one of the consumer electronic devices in the home network system;

(b) determining a home network system configuration profile based at least on said device ID information;

(c) providing said home network system configuration profile to a selected server computing system via the Internet;

(d) downloading an application from the selected server computing system, the application being operative to provide a process associated with said selected electronic devices; and

(e) executing said downloaded application at the gateway device to provide a remote interactive process associated with said selected electronic devices.

2. A process of identifying and managing applications as recited in claim 1 further comprising a step of determining a bandwidth capacity of the home network, and wherein said step (b) further includes determining said home network system configuration profile based on said bandwidth capacity.

3. A process of identifying and managing applications as recited in claim 1 further comprising a step of determining a user profile for a user of the home network system, and wherein said step (b) further includes determining said home network system configuration profile based on said user profile.

4. A process of identifying and managing applications as recited in claim 1 further comprising a step of determining a history of use of the home network system, and wherein said step (b) further includes determining said home network system configuration profile based on said history of use.

5. A process of identifying and managing applications as recited in claim 1 further comprising a step of determining a total storage capacity of memory devices available in the home network system, and wherein said step (b) further includes determining said home network system configuration profile based on said total storage capacity.

6. A process of identifying and managing applications as recited in claim 1 further comprising a step of determining content decoding capabilities available in the home network system, and wherein said step (b) further includes determining said home network system configuration profile based on said content decoding capabilities.

7. A process of identifying and managing applications as recited in claim 1 further comprising a step of determining security and decryption capabilities available in the home network system, and wherein said step (b) further includes determining said home network system configuration profile based on said bandwidth capacity.

8. A process of identifying and managing applications as recited in claim 1 wherein said step (b) of determining device ID information associated with the selected devices connected with the home network comprises communicating with the selected devices via the home network.

9. A process of identifying and managing applications as recited in claim 1 wherein said device ID information associated with each of said selected electronic devices comprises vendor information indicative of a vendor of the associated device, and model information indicative of the model of the associated device.

10. A process of identifying and managing applications as recited in claim 1 wherein said step of downloading an application comprises the steps of:

determining a search key based on said device ID information; and

querying said server using said search key for an application associated with said selected devices.

11. A process of identifying and managing applications as recited in claim 1 wherein said device ID information identifies at least two selected consumer electronic devices in the home network system, and wherein said downloaded application is a device interplay application that is operative to provide synergistic functions utilizing the resources of each of said selected devices.

12. A process of identifying and managing applications as recited in claim 11 wherein said downloaded application is operative to remotely control said selected devices.

13. A process of identifying and managing applications as recited in claim 12 wherein the home network provides for communicative coupling between said selected devices in order to exchange instructions and AV data between said selected devices.

14. A process of identifying and managing applications as recited in claim 12 further comprising a step (e) of downloading content from the selected server computing system.

15. A process of identifying and providing applications associated with consumer electronic devices, the process for execution by a server computing system that is communicatively coupled with at least one client computing system via the Internet, comprising the steps of:

receiving a home network system configuration profile from a client computing system, the profile including device ID information indicating at least one selected consumer electronic device in a home network system;

determining a selected application associated with said selected devices based on said configuration profile; and

providing said selected application to the client computing system, said application including instructions executable by the client computing system for providing a process associated with said selected devices.

16. A process as recited in claim 15 wherein said device ID information comprises vendor information indicative of the vendor of each of said selected devices, and model information indicative of the model of each of said selected devices.

17. A process as recited in claim 15 wherein the device ID information further comprises a serial number of each of said selected devices.

18. A process as recited in claim 15 wherein said home network system configuration profile further comprises information indicating a bandwidth capacity of the home network.

19. A process as recited in claim 15 wherein said home network system configuration profile further comprises information indicating a user profile for a user of the home network system.

20. A process as recited in claim 15 wherein said home network system configuration profile further comprises information indicating a history of use of the home network system.

21. A process as recited in claim 15 wherein said home network system configuration profile further comprises information indicating a total storage capacity of memory devices available in the home network system.

22. A process as recited in claim 15 wherein said home network system configuration profile further comprises information indicating content decoding capabilities available in the home network system.

23. A process as recited in claim 15 wherein said home network system configuration profile further comprises information indicating security and decryption capabilities available in the home network system.

24. A process as recited in claim 15 wherein the client computer system is communicatively coupled with each of said selected devices, and wherein said selected application includes instructions executable by the client computing system for remotely controlling said selected devices.

25. A process as recited in claim 15 wherein said device ID information identifies at least two selected consumer electronic devices in the home network system, wherein the client computer system is communicatively coupled with each of said selected devices, and wherein said selected application is a device interplay application that includes instructions executable by the client computing system for providing synergistic functions utilizing the resources of each of said selected devices.

26. A process as recited in claim 15 wherein said device ID information identifies at least two selected consumer electronic devices in the home network system, wherein the client computing system is a gateway device communicatively coupled with said selected devices via a home network that enables exchange of instructions and AV data between said selected devices, and wherein said selected application comprises instructions executable by the gateway device for providing synergistic functions utilizing the resources of each of said selected devices.

27. A process as recited in claim 15 further comprising the steps of:

determining selected media content based on said configuration profile; and

providing said selected media content to the client computing system.

28. A process of identifying and accessing media content for use with associated consumer electronic devices in a home network system, the process for execution by a gateway device communicatively coupled with each of the electronic devices via a home network, the gateway device being operative to access the Internet, comprising the steps of:

(a) determining device ID information associated with at least one selected one of the consumer electronic devices in the home network system;

(b) determining a home network system configuration profile based at least on said device ID information;

(c) providing said home network system configuration profile to a selected server computing system via the Internet; and

(d) downloading selected media content from the selected server computing system.

29. A process of identifying and managing applications as recited in claim 28 further comprising a step of determining a bandwidth capacity of the home network, and wherein said step (b) further includes determining said home network system configuration profile based on said bandwidth capacity.

30. A process of identifying and managing applications as recited in claim 28 further comprising a step of determining a user profile for a user of the home network system, and wherein said step (b) further includes determining said home network system configuration profile based on said user profile.

31. A process of identifying and managing applications as recited in claim 28 further comprising a step of determining a history of use of the home network system, and wherein said step (b) further includes determining said home network system configuration profile based on said history of use.

32. A process of identifying and managing applications as recited in claim 28 further a comprising a step of determining a total storage capacity of memory devices available in the home network system, and wherein said step (b) further includes determining said home network system configuration profile based on said total storage capacity.

33. A process of identifying and managing applications as recited in claim 28 further comprising a step of determining content decoding capabilities available in the home network system, and wherein said step (b) further includes determining said home network system configuration profile based on said content decoding capabilities.

34. A process of identifying and managing applications as recited in claim 28 further comprising a step of determining security and decryption capabilities available in the home network system, and wherein said step (b) further includes determining said home network system configuration profile based on said bandwidth capacity.

35. A process of identifying and managing applications as recited in claim 28 wherein said step (b) of determining device ID information comprises communicating with the selected devices via the home network.

36. A process of identifying and managing applications as recited in claim 28 wherein said device ID information associated with each of said selected electronic devices comprises vendor information indicative of a vendor of the associated device, and model information indicative of the model of the associated device.

37. A process of identifying and managing applications as recited in claim 28 wherein said step of downloading selected media content comprises the steps of:

determining a search key based on said device ID information; and

querying said server using said search key for selected media content.