Gateway registry methods and systems

• US 8,214,496 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2009
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iControl Networks, Inc. (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: iControl Networks, Inc. (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Gutt, Gerald, Wood, Aaron
• Primary Examiner(s): Joo, Joshua
• Application Number:
  US12/637,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20100095111A1
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• Field of Search: 709220-225
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/042 comprising distributed management centres cooperatively managing the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

A gateway device for managing a set of two or more local management devices at a location. A system for networks at a plurality of locations. A method of operating a gateway device in a control network. A method for storing information to operate a gateway device in a control network. A method for storing information to operate a replacement gateway device in a control network.

Claims

1. A method for storing information to operate a gateway device in a control network, the method comprising:

a remote management device storing an identification associated with an account associated with a gateway device, a serial number associated with the gateway device, and a key associated with the gateway device in a location remote from a location of the gateway device;

the remote management device populating a table of a gateway registry with the serial number associated with the gateway device, a server location of the gateway server associated with an account associated with the gateway device, and the identification associated with the gateway device, wherein the serial number, the server location, and the identification are associated with each other in the table of the gateway registry; and

the remote management device populating a table of the gateway server with the identification associated with the gateway device and the key associated with the gateway device, wherein the identification and the key are associated with each other in the gateway server and wherein the identification and key are associated with the account associated with the gateway device in the gateway server.

2. A method for storing information to operate a new gateway device in a control network, wherein the control network has been previously associated with a previous gateway device in a location remote from a location of the previous gateway device, in a table of a gateway registry and in a table of the gateway server, the method comprising:

a remote management device finding an identification associated with an account associated with the previous gateway device stored in the location remote from the location of the previous gateway device;

the remote management device storing a second serial number associated with the new gateway device, and a second key associated with the new gateway device in the location remote from the location of the previous gateway device;

the remote management device populating the table of the gateway registry with the second serial number of the new gateway device by associating the second serial number with the same identification and server location previously associated with a first serial number associated with the previous gateway device, wherein a gateway server location associated with the account associated with the previous gateway device becomes the gateway server location associated with an account associated with the new gateway device, and wherein account identification associated with the account associated with the previous gateway device becomes the gateway server location associated with the account associated with the new gateway device, and wherein the second serial number of the new gateway device, the server location, and the identification are associated with each other in the table of the gateway registry; and

the remote management device populating the table of the gateway server with a second key associated with the new gateway device by associating the second key with an identification in the table of the gateway server previously associated with a first key associated with the previous gateway device, wherein the account and the identification associated with the previous gateway device becomes an account and identification associated with the new gateway device, wherein the identification and the second key are associated with each other and with the account associated with the new gateway device in the table of the gateway server.