Configuring a network device

• US 8,693,465 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2012
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fuze, Inc. (8X8, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Communications Acquisitions, LLC
• Inventors: West, Julian Wray, Martin, Eric J., Mishra, Rajesh K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUONG, DUC T
• Application Number:
  US13/398,276
• Publication Number:
  US 20120207291A1
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5054 Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]

Abstract

A method performed by a device adapted for communication over a network includes establishing a presence on the network, obtaining default configuration information for the device via the network, the default configuration information identifying a service on the network, receiving a request for validation information from the service, providing the validation information to the service, the service generating device-specific information in response to the validation information, and obtaining the device-specific information.

Claims

1. A method performed by a device adapted for communication over a network, the method comprising:

establishing a presence on the network comprising;

sending a communication to a first network node; and

receiving, from the first network node, a network address and an identity of a second network node;

obtaining default configuration information for the device from the second network node if device-specific information does not exist on the second network, the default configuration information identifying a service on the network;

obtaining the device-specific information from the second network node if the device-specific information exists on the second network node;

connecting to the service using one of the device-specific or the default configuration information obtained from the second node;

if connecting to the service using the default configuration;

receiving a request for identification information from the service;

providing the identification information to the service; and

receiving from the service device-specific information generated following receipt of the identification information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising opening a session with the second network node.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein opening the session with the second network node comprises opening a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) session.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising requesting the device-specific information from the second network node.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the identification information comprises providing a pass-code and extension.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving from the service the device-specific information generated following receipt of the identification information comprises:

rebooting the device;

re-establishing a presence on the network comprising;

sending a communication to the first network node; and

receiving, from the first network node, a network address and an identity of the second network node; and

obtaining the device-specific information generated following receipt of the identification information from the second network node after receiving the identity of the second network node.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the default configuration on the device with the device-specific information generated following receipt of the identification information from the second network node.

8. A system comprising:

a telephone adapted for use with voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP); and

a central server configured to execute a service that is adapted to control configuring the telephone over a network,

wherein the telephone is adapted to;

establish a presence on the network comprising the telephone being adapted to;

send a communication to a first network node; and

receive, from the first network node, a network address and an identity of a second network node;

obtain default configuration information for the device via from the second network node if device-specific information does not exist on the second network, the default configuration information identifying a service on the network;

obtain the device-specific information from the second network node if the device-specific information exists on the second network node;

connect to the service using one of the device-specific or the default configuration information obtained from the second node;

receive a request for identification information from the service if connecting to the service using the default configuration;

provide the identification information to the service if connecting to the service using the default configuration; and

receive from the service device-specific information generated following receipt of the identification information if connecting to the service using the default configuration.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the telephone is further adapted to open a session with the second network node.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the telephone is further adapted to request the device-specific information from the second network node.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the telephone is further adapted to update the default configuration on the device with the device-specific information generated following receipt of the identification information from the second network node.

12. One or more non-transitory machine-readable media storing instructions that are executable to configure a communication device adapted for communication over a network, the instructions causing one or more processing devices to:

establish a presence on the network comprising instructions causing the one or more processing devices to;

send a communication to a first network node; and

receive, from the first network node, a network address and an identity of a second network node;

obtain default configuration information for the device from the second network node if device-specific information does not exist on the second network, the default configuration information identifying a service on the network;

obtain the device-specific information from the second network node if the device-specific information exists on the second network node;

connect to the service using one of the device-specific or the default configuration information obtained from the second node;

receive a request for identification information from the service if connecting to the service using the default configuration;

provide the identification information to the service if connecting to the service using the default configuration; and

receive from the service device-specific information generated following receipt of the identification information.

13. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 12, further comprising instructions causing the one or more processing devices to open a session with the second network node.

14. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 12, further comprising instructions causing the one or more processing devices to request the device-specific information from the second network node.

15. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 12, further comprising instructions causing the one or more processing devices to update the default configuration on the device with the device-specific information generated following receipt of the identification information from the second network node.