System and associated methods for remotely enabling features
First Claim
1. A method of enabling a particular feature among a plurality of features contained in a software application loaded on one or more set-top boxes in a cable system, the one or more set-top boxes located remotely from a head-end in the cable system, the method comprising:
- at the head-end, receiving from a first requesting set-top box a first data profile request indicating one or more of a plurality of features contained in the software application to be enabled thereon;
at the head-end, receiving from a second requesting set-top box a second data profile request indicating one or more of a plurality of features contained in the software application to be enabled thereon, wherein at least one of the software applications and the one or more features contained therein in the second data profile request differs from at least one of the software applications and the one or more features contained therein in the first data profile request;
at the head-end, generating and transmitting a first data profile based on the first data profile request and a second data profile based on the second data profile request, each data profile comprising;
a profile key identifying a sub-set of requesting set-top boxes each having loaded thereon a plurality of software applications for implementing one or more features,an application key identifying a corresponding software application having one or more features to be enabled, anda feature selector identifying the one or more features contained in the software application to be enabled;
at the first requesting set-top box, enabling the one or more identified features contained in the identified software application by sending the data profile from the head-end to the plurality of set-top boxes such that each of the sub-set of requesting set-top boxes uses the first data profile after ascertaining that the profile key contained in the first data profile corresponds to the first requesting set-top box; and
at the second requesting set-top box, enabling the one or more identified features contained in the identified software application by sending the data profile from the head-end to the plurality of set-top boxes such that each of the sub-set of requesting set-top boxes uses the second data profile after ascertaining that the profile key contained in the second data profile corresponds to the second requesting set-top box.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus enables a feature among a plurality of features in an application loaded on a client, with the client located remotely from a server. The server receives a data profile request from the client. In response to the data profile request, a data profile is sent from the server to the client, the data profile including a profile key to identify the client, an application identification to identify the application, and a feature selector. The application uses the feature selector to enable the feature among the plurality of features.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of enabling a particular feature among a plurality of features contained in a software application loaded on one or more set-top boxes in a cable system, the one or more set-top boxes located remotely from a head-end in the cable system, the method comprising:
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at the head-end, receiving from a first requesting set-top box a first data profile request indicating one or more of a plurality of features contained in the software application to be enabled thereon; at the head-end, receiving from a second requesting set-top box a second data profile request indicating one or more of a plurality of features contained in the software application to be enabled thereon, wherein at least one of the software applications and the one or more features contained therein in the second data profile request differs from at least one of the software applications and the one or more features contained therein in the first data profile request; at the head-end, generating and transmitting a first data profile based on the first data profile request and a second data profile based on the second data profile request, each data profile comprising; a profile key identifying a sub-set of requesting set-top boxes each having loaded thereon a plurality of software applications for implementing one or more features, an application key identifying a corresponding software application having one or more features to be enabled, and a feature selector identifying the one or more features contained in the software application to be enabled; at the first requesting set-top box, enabling the one or more identified features contained in the identified software application by sending the data profile from the head-end to the plurality of set-top boxes such that each of the sub-set of requesting set-top boxes uses the first data profile after ascertaining that the profile key contained in the first data profile corresponds to the first requesting set-top box; and at the second requesting set-top box, enabling the one or more identified features contained in the identified software application by sending the data profile from the head-end to the plurality of set-top boxes such that each of the sub-set of requesting set-top boxes uses the second data profile after ascertaining that the profile key contained in the second data profile corresponds to the second requesting set-top box. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A head-end device operable to enable a particular feature among a plurality of features contained in a software application loaded on a set-top box in a cable system, the set-top box located remotely from the head-end device in the cable system, the head-end device comprising:
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a processor; a memory to store instructions to be executed by the processor, the instructions comprising; in response to receiving from a first requesting set-top box a first data profile request indicating one or more of the plurality of features contained in a software application to be enabled thereon and receiving from a second requesting set-top box a second data profile request indicating one or more of the plurality of features contained in a software application to be enabled thereon, wherein at least one of the software applications and the one or more features contained therein in the second data profile request differs from at least one of the software applications and the one or more features contained therein in the first data profile request;
generating and transmitting a first data profile based on the first data profile request and a second data profile based on the second data profile request, each data profile comprising;a profile key identifying a sub-set of requesting set-top boxes each having loaded thereon a plurality of software applications for implementing one or more features, an application key identifying a corresponding software application having one or more features to be enabled, and a feature selector identifying the one or more features contained in the software application to be enabled; enabling the one or more identified features contained in the identified software application on the requesting set-top box by sending the data profile from the head-end to the plurality of set-top boxes such that each of the sub-set of requesting set-top boxes uses the data profile whose profile key contained in the first data profile corresponds to the first requesting set-top box; and enabling the one or more identified features contained in the identified software application on the requesting set-top box by sending the data profile from the head-end to the plurality of set-top boxes such that each of the sub-set of requesting set-top boxes uses the data profile whose profile key contained in the second data profile corresponds to the second requesting set-top box. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A non-transitory, machine-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of executable instructions for enabling a particular feature among a plurality of features in a software application loaded on one or more set-top boxes in a cable system, the set-top boxes located remotely from a head-end in the cable system, the plurality of instructions comprising:
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in response to receiving from a first requesting set-top box a first data profile request indicating one or more of the plurality of features contained in a software application to be enabled thereon and receiving from a second requesting set-top box a second data profile request indicating one or more of the plurality of features contained in a software application to be enabled thereon, wherein at least one of the software applications and the one or more features contained therein in the second data profile request differs from at least one of the software applications and the one or more features contained therein in the first data profile request;
generating and transmitting a first data profile based on the first data profile request and a second data profile based on the second data profile request, each data profile comprising;a profile key identifying a sub-set of the requesting set-top boxes each having loaded thereon a plurality of software applications for implementing one or more features, an application key identifying a corresponding software application having one or more features to be enabled, and a feature selector identifying the one or more features contained in the software application to be enabled; enabling the one or more identified features contained in the identified software application on the requesting set-top box by sending the data profile from the head-end to the plurality of set-top boxes such that each of the sub-set of requesting set-top boxes uses the data profile whose profile key contained in the first data profile corresponds to the first requesting set-top box; and enabling the one or more identified features contained in the identified software application on the requesting set-top box by sending the data profile from the head-end to the plurality of set-top boxes such that each of the sub-set of requesting set-top boxes uses the data profile whose profile key contained in the second data profile corresponds to the second requesting set-top box.
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Specification