Deploying and managing networked devices

• US 9,231,904 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2015
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: remot3.it, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Weaved, Inc.
• Inventors: Johnson, Michael W., Koyama, Ryo, Smith, Michael J. S.
• Primary Examiner(s): MADAMBA, GLENFORD J
• Application Number:
  US14/589,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20150113172A1
• Time in Patent Office: 365 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/219, 709/238
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4555 Directories for electronic mail or instant messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1004 Server selection for load balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product for network-connected devices.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, using a network, a message from a first device connected to the network, wherein the message comprises a first URL containing a fractional subdomain portion in a fractional subdomain position;

parsing the fractional subdomain portion into a plurality of tokens comprising at least a first token and a second token;

generating a second URL, wherein the second URL comprises at least one wildcard character in the fractional subdomain position and at least one of the plurality of tokens in the fractional subdomain position;

using the second URL to configure the first device by establishing a connection between a first computing platform and the first device;

communicating one or more messages over the connection wherein at least a portion of the one or more messages comprise a provisioning file;

authenticating at least one aspect of the provisioning file;

decrypting at least one aspect of the provisioning file;

receiving from the first device a first URL comprising a first top level domain, a first domain name, and at least one first subdomain;

mapping the first URL to a second URL comprising a second top level domain, a second domain name, and at least one second subdomain, wherein the second URL is associated with a set of one or more target devices and the second URL is different than the first URL;

presenting a user interface on a display terminal, wherein the user interface includes one or more first fields for user entry of a first device type, and wherein the user interface includes one or more second fields for user entry of a second device type;

recognizing the first device type to associate one or more aspects of the first device type;

configuring a domain name service server using at least one aspect of the first device type;

recognizing the second device type to associate one or more aspects of the second device type; and

configuring the domain name service server using at least one aspect of the second device type, wherein the domain name service server is operable to initiate network communication between a first device instance of a device of the first device type and a second device instance of a device of the second device type.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

registering a listener device to receive messages from one or more notification devices;

selecting a notification server from a plurality of servers to receive a notification message from at least one notification device;

receiving the notification message at the notification server; and

forwarding the notification message from the notification server to the listener device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating an internet connection between the first device and the set of one or more target devices, wherein the internet connection enables the first device and the set of one or more target devices to exchange information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first top level domain is formed as portion1.portion2.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the portion2 is at least one of, “

com”

, “

net”

, “

tv”

, and “

co”

.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the portion1 is formed as subportion1.subportion2.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the subportion1 or the subportion2 is a company name.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the subportion1 or the subportion2 is automatically generated.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device is associated with a user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein an address associated with the first device is unknown.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising linking the first device to an account.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the account is associated with a service.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising re-configuring the first device utilizing the service.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the service performs communication with the first device without processing an Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with the first device.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising identifying the first device connected to the network utilizing a unique identifier associated with the device.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein communication between the service and device includes a protocol that updates configuration information of the first device.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the first device is re-configured using an interface associated with the service.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein a website associated with the service includes the interface.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more messages comprises two or more portions.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the two or more portions comprise two or more packets.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, from the first device, communications directed to a first function, then modifying or creating at least one aspect of the communications for emulating a second function that is different from the first function.

22. A system having one or more servers comprising:

a network to receive a message from a first device connected to the network, wherein the message comprises a first URL containing a fractional subdomain portion in a fractional subdomain position;

at least one server of the one or more servers that is configured to process the steps of;

parsing the fractional subdomain portion into a plurality of tokens comprising at least a first token and a second token;

generating a second URL, wherein the second URL comprises at least one wildcard character in the fractional subdomain position and at least one of the plurality of tokens in the fractional subdomain position;

using the second URL to configure the first device by establishing a connection between a first computing platform and the first device;

communicating one or more messages over the connection wherein at least a portion of the one or more messages comprise a provisioning file;

authenticating at least one aspect of the provisioning file;

decrypting at least one aspect of the provisioning file;

receiving from the first device a first URL comprising a first top level domain, a first domain name, and a at least one first subdomain; and

mapping the first URL to a second URL comprising a second top level domain, a second domain name, and at least one second subdomain, wherein the second URL is associated with a set of one or more target devices and the second URL is different than the first URL;

the system further comprising a first module to transmit a user interface to a display terminal, wherein the user interface includes one or more first fields for user entry of a first device type, and wherein the user interface includes one or more second fields for user entry of a second device type;

a second module to recognize the first device type and to associate one or more aspects of the first device type; and

a third module to carry out the steps of,

configuring a domain name service server using at least one aspect of the first device type;

recognizing the second device type to associate one or more aspects of the second device type; and

configuring the domain name service server using at least one aspect of the second device type, wherein the domain name service server is operable to initiate network communication between a first device instance of a device of the first device type and a second device instance of a device of the second device type.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

a module to register a listener device to receive messages from one or more notification devices;

a second module to carry out the steps of,

selecting a notification server from a plurality of servers to receive a notification message from at least one notification device;

receiving the notification message at the notification server; and

forwarding the notification message from the notification server to the listener device.

24. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

a module to create an internet connection between the first device and the set of one or more target devices, wherein the internet connection enables the first device and the set of one or more target devices to exchange information.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the first top level domain is formed as portion1.portion2.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the portion2 is at least one of, “

com”

, “

net”

, “

tv”

, and “

co”

.

27. The system of claim 25 wherein the portion1 is formed as subportion1.subportion2.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the subportion1 or the subportion2 is a company name.

29. The system of claim 22, wherein an address associated with the first device is unknown.

30. The system of claim 22, further comprising linking the first device to an account.