Method and system for recognizing energy efficient certified devices through a gateway

• US 8,879,568 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2014
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Diab, Wael William, Karaoguz, Jeyhan, Chen, Xuemin, Garrett, David, Lundgren, David, Prodan, Rich
• Primary Examiner(s): Lai, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, ANDREW CHUNG CHEUNG
• Application Number:
  US14/147,151
• Publication Number:
  US 20140122211A1
• Time in Patent Office: 305 Days
• Field of Search: 370/331, 370/389, 370/401, 709/224
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0215 Including financial accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1453 Methods or systems for payment or settlement of the charges for data transmission involving significant interaction with the data transmission network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6402 Hybrid switching fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/32 Specific management aspects for broadband networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5019 Ensuring fulfilment of SLA
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/302 Route determination based on requested QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2491 Mapping quality of service [QoS] requirements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/805 : QOS or priority aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 : for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 : Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 : for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 : for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/205 : involving negotiation or determination of the one or more network security mechanisms to be used, e.g. by negotiation between the client and the server or between peers or by selection according to the capabilities of the entities involved negotiation of communication capabilities H04L69/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/102 : Gateways arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways, H04L12/66
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1023 : Media gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 : in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1033 : Signalling gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1036 : at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/40 : Support for services or applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 : Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 : for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 : in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 : Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1078 : Resource delivery mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 : Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• 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 67/51 : Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 : Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 : Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/258 : Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics, processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data arrangements for services using the result on the distributing side of broadcast systems H04H60/66; profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4353 : involving decryption of additional data arrangements using cryptography for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/23
• 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 21/454 : Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/462 : Content or additional data management, e.g. creating a master electronic program guide from data received from the Internet and a Head-end, controlling the complexity of a video stream by scaling the resolution or bit-rate based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 : for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 : End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6106 : specially adapted to the downstream path of the transmission network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/632 : using a connection between clients on a wide area network, e.g. setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet for retrieving video segments from the hard-disk of other client devices broadcast-related systems characterised by transmission among terminal devices H04H60/80; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6371 : directed to network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6373 : for rate control , e.g. request to the server to modify its transmission rate flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 : for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8549 : Creating video summaries, e.g. movie trailer retrieval in video databases by using presentations in form of a video summary G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 : for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/086 : using security domains
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/265 : taking into account the quality of service QoS
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/00 : Reducing energy consumption in communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 : Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

A broadband gateway, which enables communication with a plurality of devices, may be operable to identify an energy efficient certified device from the plurality of devices. The broadband gateway may handle at least one physical layer connection to at least one corresponding network access service provider. Information related to the identified energy efficient certified device, including usage information of the device, may be communicated to one or more entities. The broadband gateway may acquire the usage information of the energy efficient certified device by monitoring whether the device is operating in an energy efficient mode. The broadband gateway may obtain a credit and/or a reward from the one or more entities based on the usage information of the energy efficient certified device. The broadband gateway may deposit the credit and/or the reward to an account associated with the energy efficient certified device.

Claims

1. A method for communication, the method comprising:

in a broadband gateway that enables communication with a plurality of devices, wherein said broadband gateway is configured to handle at least one physical layer connection to at least one corresponding network access service provider;

determining that at least one device of said plurality of devices is an energy efficient certified device;

receiving information related to said at least one device;

communicating said information to one or more entities via said at least one physical layer connection; and

receiving a credit, a reward, or both from said one or more entities based on usage information of said at least one device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising depositing said credit, said reward, or both to an account associated with said at least one device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said information comprises usage information of said at least one device, capabilities or capacities of said at least one device, user information of said at least one device, or any combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising acquiring said usage information by monitoring whether said at least one device is operating in an energy efficient mode.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that said at least one device is an energy efficient certified device comprises utilizing one or more specific protocols during communications between said broadband gateway and said plurality of devices.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said one or more specific protocols comprise one or more device discovering protocols, one or more signaling protocols, one or more control protocols, one or more messaging protocols, or any combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said information is securely communicated to said one or more entities via said at least one physical layer connection.

8. A system for communication, the system comprising:

one or more processors, one or more circuits, or any combination thereof for use in a broadband gateway that enables communication with a plurality of devices, wherein said broadband gateway is configured to handle at least one physical layer connection to at least one corresponding network access service provider, and said one or more processors, one or more circuits, or any combination thereof are configured to;

determine that at least one device of said plurality of devices is an energy efficient certified device;

communicate information related to said at least one device to one or more entities via said at least one physical layer connection; and

receive a credit, a reward, or both from said one or more entities based on usage information of said at least one device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said one or more processors, one or more circuits, or any combination thereof are configured to deposit said credit, said reward, or both to an account associated with said at least one device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said one or more processors, one or more circuits, or any combination thereof are configured to:

receive a first credit, a first reward, or both associated with a first device of said at least one device and a second credit, a second reward, or both associated with a second device of said at least one device; and

deposit said first credit, said first reward, or both to a first account associated with said first device and said second credit, said second reward, or both to a second account associated with said second device.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein said information comprises usage information of said at least one device, capabilities or capacities of said at least one device, user information of said at least one device, or any combination thereof.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said one or more processors, one or more circuits, or any combination thereof are configured to acquire said usage information by monitoring whether said at least one device is operating in an energy efficient mode.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein said one or more entities manage generation of power, distribution of power, or both in a power grid.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein said one or more processors, one or more circuits, or any combination thereof are configured to modify said information prior to communicating said information one or more entities, wherein modifying said information comprises encrypting said information, deleting a portion of said information, or both.

15. A broadband gateway, comprising:

a client device interface configured to communicate with a plurality of devices;

a provider interface configured to communication with one or more entities; and

processing circuitry including a processor, said processing circuitry configured to;

identify an energy efficient certified device based upon communications with said plurality of devices via said client device interface;

communicate information related to said energy efficient certified device to one or more entities via said provider interface; and

receive a credit, a reward, or both from said one or more entities via said provider interface, said credit, said reward, or both based at least in part upon usage information of said energy efficient certified device.

16. The broadband gateway of claim 15, wherein one or more specific protocols are utilized during communications between said broadband gateway and said plurality of devices.

17. The broadband gateway of claim 16, wherein said one or more specific protocols comprise one or more device discovering protocols, one or more signaling protocols, one or more control protocols, one or more messaging protocols, or any combination thereof.

18. The broadband gateway of claim 15, wherein said processing circuitry is further configured to generate a graphical user interface (GUI) for display on a display device, the GUI providing access to account information associated with said energy efficient certified device.

19. The broadband gateway of claim 15, wherein said processing circuitry is further configured to deposit said credit, said reward, or both to an account associated with said energy efficient certified device.

20. The broadband gateway of claim 15, wherein said information related to said energy efficient certified device is aggregated with information related to other energy efficient certified devices for provision to said one or more entities.