Systems, methods, and products for multimedia applications gateways

• US 8,176,112 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2008
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hicks, IIII, John A., Savard, Jason, Ezrol, Gerald
• Primary Examiner(s): Nawaz, Asad
• Assistant Examiner(s): MURPHY, CHARLES C
• Application Number:
  US12/122,825
• Publication Number:
  US 20090100492A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,450 Days
• Field of Search: 709/225, 709/222, 709/219, 709/229, 709/235, 709/224, 709/200, 370/486, 370/466, 370/401, 370/414, 370/392, 370/389, 370/236, 370/235, 370/232, 370/230, 725/28, 725/27, 725/26, 725/25, 725/17, 725/12, 725/100
• US Class Current: 709/200
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44227 Monitoring of local network, e.g. connection or bandwidth variations; Detecting new devices in the local network configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; monitoring connectivity in data switched networks H04L43/0811
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44236 Monitoring of piracy processes or activities protecting computer platforms against harmful, malicious or unexpected behaviour or activities using intrusion detection and counter measures G06F21/566; computer virus detection and handling G06F21/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44245 Monitoring the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. its availability, bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4425 Monitoring of client processing errors or hardware failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4433 Implementing client middleware, e.g. Multimedia Home Platform [MHP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6156 specially adapted to the upstream path of the transmission network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6473 Monitoring network processes errors for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity H04L69/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64753 directed to the client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• 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 21/814 comprising emergency warnings arrangements specially adapted for emergency or urgency in broadcast systems H04H20/59; arrangements for providing alarms, notifications, alerts to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8146 involving graphical data, e.g. 3D object, 2D graphics

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for a multimedia applications gateway. A home network management application is downloaded to the multimedia applications gateway operating in a home network. An anomaly that occurs in the home network is observed. An alert is sent to an external network controller, and the alert describes the anomaly in the home network. An instruction is received from the external network controller to remedy the anomaly.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

downloading a home network management application to a multimedia applications gateway operating in a home network;

receiving a water pressure measurement in a water heater at the home network management application;

receiving a water temperature in the water heater at the home network management application;

receiving a thermostat setting in the water heater at the home network management application;

determining the water pressure drops below a threshold value;

determining a leak in the water heater when a pressure rate of change exceeds a threshold pressure rate value;

increasing the thermostat setting to recover a desired water temperature in the water heater;

determining the water temperature drops below the desired water temperature;

reducing the water pressure to recover the desired water temperature;

detecting an error code indicating an error occurring in the home network;

sending an alert from the multimedia applications gateway to an external network controller that describes a port of a router experiencing the error code occurring in the home network; and

receiving an instruction at the multimedia applications gateway to disable the port of the router.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving a query from the external network controller that requests additional information describing the error code.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising disabling the port of the router connected to the multimedia applications gateway.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

comparing a current utility usage reading to an average utility consumption; and

when the current utility usage reading exceeds the average utility consumption by a threshold value, then further comprising sending a utility usage notification describing excessive consumption of a utility service.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising converting a proprietary digital copyright of an Internet Protocol television session to an open standards link protection protocol.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

storing in the local memory a listing of approved devices, each approved device identified by a unique identification number;

receiving a request from a device connected to the home network, the request requesting data representing the Internet Protocol television session, the request comprising the unique identification number associated with the device;

comparing the unique identification number to the listing of approved devices;

when the unique identification number is found in the listing of approved devices, then sending the data representing the Internet Protocol television session from the local memory in the multimedia applications gateway to the requesting device; and

when the unique identification number is not found in the listing of approved devices, then denying the request.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

downloading and storing a digital video recorder application to local memory in the multimedia applications gateway;

configuring the local memory to store a video stream received from an external network; and

managing copyright access to the video stream by devices connected to the home network.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the water temperature exceeds a maximum permissible value, then further comprising reducing the water pressure to reduce an over-pressure condition.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing processor executable instructions for performing a method, the method comprising:

downloading a home network management application to a multimedia applications gateway operating in a home network;

detecting packet delay occurring in the home network;

sending an alert to an external network controller that describes a port of a router experiencing the packet delay in the home network;

receiving an instruction from the external network controller to disable the port of the router;

receiving a water pressure within a water heater;

receiving a water temperature within the water heater;

receiving a thermostat setting of the water heater;

determining the water pressure drops below a threshold value;

increasing the thermostat setting to recover a desired water temperature;

determining the water temperature drops below the desired water temperature;

reducing the water pressure to recover the desired water temperature;

determining the water temperature exceeds a maximum permissible value;

determining a leak in the water heater when a pressure rate of change exceeds a threshold pressure rate value;

reducing the water pressure to reduce an over-pressure condition; and

reducing the water pressure to reduce an over-pressure condition when the water temperature exceeds a maximum permissible value.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 9, further comprising instructions for receiving a query from the external network controller that requests additional information describing the anomaly.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 9, further comprising instructions for disabling the port of the router connected to the multimedia applications gateway.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 9, further comprising instructions for:

comparing a current utility usage reading to an average utility consumption;

determining the current utility usage reading exceeds the average utility consumption by a threshold value; and

sending a utility usage notification describing excessive consumption of a utility service.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 9, further comprising instructions for converting a proprietary digital copyright of an Internet Protocol television session to an open standards link protection protocol.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 13, further comprising instructions for:

storing in the local memory a listing of approved devices, each approved device identified by a unique identification number;

receiving a request from a device connected to the home network, the request requesting data representing the Internet Protocol television session, the request comprising the unique identification number associated with the device;

comparing the unique identification number to the listing of approved devices;

determining the unique identification number is found in the listing of approved devices;

sending the data representing the Internet Protocol television session from the local memory in the multimedia applications gateway to the requesting device;

determining the unique identification number is not found in the listing of approved devices; and

denying the request.

15. A system, comprising:

a processor executing code stored in memory that causes the processor to;

downloading a home network management application to a multimedia applications gateway operating in a home network;

receiving a water pressure measurement in a water heater at the home network management application;

receiving a water temperature in the water heater at the home network management application;

receiving a thermostat setting in the water heater at the home network management application;

determining the water pressure drops below a threshold value to indicate a leak in the water heater;

increasing the thermostat setting to recover a desired water temperature in the water heater;

determining the water temperature drops below the desired water temperature;

reducing the water pressure to recover the desired water temperature;

detecting an error code indicating an error occurring in the home network;

sending an alert from the multimedia applications gateway to an external network controller that describes a port of a router experiencing the error code occurring in the home network; and

receiving an instruction at the multimedia applications gateway to disable the port of the router.