System and method for providing network support services and premises gateway support infrastructure

• US 9,270,492 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Prodea Automation LLC (f/k/a Kip Prod P1) (FIG LLC (d/b/a Fortress Investment Group LLC))
• Original Assignee: Prodea Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Ansari, Amir, Cowgill, George A., Nicholls, Leon E., Ramayya, Jude P., Masina, Ramprakash, McQuarters, Alvin R., Raissyan, Atousa
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Minh-Chau
• Application Number:
  US13/618,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20130060942A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,257 Days
• Field of Search: 709223-225
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/64 Browsing; Visualisation therefor generation of a list or set of audio data G06F16/638
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2807 Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• 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 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/80 : Actions related to the user profile or the type of traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/83 : based on usage prediction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/25 : Routing or path finding in a switch fabric
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 : Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 : Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4552 : Lookup mechanisms between a plurality of directories; Synchronisation of directories, e.g. metadirectories
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 : for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 : for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 : for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 : based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• 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 65/102 : Gateways arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways, H04L12/66
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 : Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1108 : Web based protocols, e.g. webRTC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 : Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 : involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 : Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 : Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 : using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/325 : in the network layer [OSI layer 3], e.g. X.25 H04L69/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/00 : Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD] real-time bi-directional transmission of motion video data H04N7/14 ; broadcast or conference over packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/40 : Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 : for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/00 : Security arrangements; Authentication; Protecting privacy or anonymity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 : of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/0431 : Key distribution or pre-distribution; Key agreement
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/065 : Continuous authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 : Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 : Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 370/911 : Bridge, e.g. brouter, bus extender

Abstract

A service management system communicates via wide area network with gateway devices located at respective user premises. The service management system remotely manages delivery of application services by the gateway device(s), e.g. by selectively activating or deactivating service logic modules in the gateway devices. The service management system also may selectively provide secure communications and exchange of information among gateway devices and among associated endpoint devices. An exemplary service management system includes a router connected to the network and one or more computer platforms, for implementing management functions. Examples of the functions include a connection manager for controlling system communications with the gateway devices, an authentication manager for authenticating each gateway device and controlling the connection manager and a subscription manager for managing applications services and/or features offered by the gateway devices. A service manager, controlled by the subscription manager, distributes service specific configuration data to authenticated gateway devices.

Claims

1. A service management system, for enabling service providers to manage services through gateway devices located at respective user premises, the gateway devices providing gateway access to a wide area network and at least some server functionality for service delivery for one or more endpoint devices, including client devices at respective customer premises, over networks within the customer premises, the service management system comprising:

a router for connection to the wide area network for communications with the gateway devices;

at least one computer platform coupled to the router, configured to implement;

a connection manager configured to control system communications with the gateway devices via the router and the wide area network;

an authentication manager configured to authenticate each of the gateway devices and control the connection manager to establish a signaling communication link through the wide are network with each of the gateway devices upon successful authentication of each respective gateway device;

a subscription manager configured to manage applications services provided from a service provider and/or features of the server functionality, to be enabled on each respective authenticated gateway device, based on a service subscription from an application service provider and associated with the respective authenticated gateway device;

a service manager configured to distribute service specific configuration data to logic implementing the server functionality in authenticated gateway devices via the wide area network, responsive to the subscription manager;

an application gateway configured to execute the application services provided from the application service provider, wherein the application gateway executes the application services at the user premises independent of application services executing on the application service provider'"'"'s network, wherein upon receiving a request to execute the application service on the application gateway at the user premises, the service manager communicates with the subscription manager to verify that the request conforms with policy and usage rules associated with the application services in order to authorize execution of the application services on the application gateway; and

a graphical user interface rendered on a display associated with at least one of the at least one computer platform, gateway devices and one or more endpoint devices, for enabling management and control of application services executed by the application gateway on at least one of the computer platform and the one or more endpoint devices.

2. The service management system of claim 1, further comprising a publisher/subscriber manager configured to receive and maintain subscription requests from the authenticated gateway devices, wherein a subscription request from each respective authenticated gateway device represents a request from that respective authenticated gateway device to be notified about any update information involving service components associated with that authenticated gateway device and any update information involving service components associated with any of the one or more endpoint devices associated with the authenticated gateway device.

3. The service management system of claim 2, wherein the publisher/subscriber manager is further configured to receive published information from the service manager, wherein the published information represents a notification about update information for network elements and includes matching criteria that indicates which service component of the network elements the update information is available for.

4. The service management system of claim 3, wherein the network elements include at least the authenticated gateway device and any of the one or more endpoint devices associated with the authenticated gateway device.

5. The service management system of claim 3, wherein the application services includes a service application executed at the application gateway that enables at least one of:

home automation of connected devices within the user premises;

home security of the user premises via connected devices within the user premises;

management of video cameras and associated video data captured within the user premises;

management of sensors located at or within the user premises;

management of monitors at or within the user premises;

home automation of connected devices within the user premises;

management, including monitoring, of medical devices within the user premises;

management of wired and wireless connections to endpoint devices at or within the user premises;

management of digital rights utilized by endpoint devices at or within the user premises;

management of context sensitive advertising that is available for rendering on endpoint devices at or within the user premises.

6. The service management system of claim 1, wherein the publisher/subscriber manager includes a matching engine configured to identify which of the network elements should receive the notification about the update information based on matching the published information that includes the matching criteria indicating the service component with the subscription request that include the service corn point.

7. The service management system of claim 6, wherein the publisher/subscriber manager sends the notification to only those network elements identified by the matching engine based on the matching the published information with the subscription requests.

8. The service management system of claim 6, wherein the application services includes a service application executed at the application gateway that enables at least one of:

home automation of connected devices within the user premises;

home security of the user premises via connected devices within the user premises;

management of video cameras and associated video data captured within the user premises;

management of sensors located at or within the user premises;

management of monitors at or within the user premises;

home automation of connected devices within the user premises;

management, including monitoring, of medical devices within the user premises;

management of wired and wireless connections to endpoint devices at or within the user premises;

management of digital rights utilized by endpoint devices at or within the user premises;

management of context sensitive advertising that is available for rendering on endpoint devices at or within the user premises.

9. The service management system of claim 1, wherein the application services includes a service application executed at the application gateway that enables at least one of:

home automation of connected devices within the user premises;

home security of the user premises via connected devices within the user premises;

management of video cameras and associated video data captured within the user premises;

management of sensors located at or within the user premises;

management of monitors at or within the user premises;

home automation of connected devices within the user premises;

management, including monitoring, of medical devices within the user premises;

management of wired and wireless connections to endpoint devices at or within the user premises;

management of digital rights utilized by endpoint devices at or within the user premises;

management of context sensitive advertising that is available for rendering on endpoint devices.

10. A service management system for enabling application service providers to manage application services through gateway devices located at respective user premises, the gateway devices providing gateway connectivity to a wide area network and at least some server functionality for service delivery to one or more endpoint devices, including client devices at respective customer premises, over networks within the customer premises, the service management system comprising:

a router for connection to the wide area network for communications with the gateway devices;

at least one computer platform coupled to the router, configured to implement;

a connection manager configured to control system communications with the gateway devices via the router and the wide area network;

an authentication manager configured to authenticate each of the gateway devices and control the connection manager to establish a signaling communication link through the wide are network with each of the gateway devices upon successful authentication of each respective gateway device;

a subscription manager configured to manage applications services provided from a service provider and/or features of the server functionality, to be enabled on each respective authenticated gateway device, based on a service subscription from an application service provider and associated with the respective authenticated gateway device;

a service manager configured to distribute service specific configuration data to logic implementing the server functionality in authenticated gateway devices via the wide area network, responsive to the subscription manager;

an application gateway configured to execute the application services provided from the application service providers, wherein the application gateway executes the application services at the user premises independent of application services executing on the application service providers networks, wherein upon receiving a request to execute the application service on the application gateway at the user premises, the service manager communicates with the subscription manager to verify that the request conforms with policy and usage rules associated with the application services in order to authorize execution of the application services on the application gateway;

a graphical user interface rendered on a monitor associated with at least one of the at least one computer platform, gateway devices and one or more endpoint devices, for enabling management and control of application services executed by the application gateway on at least one of the computer platform and the one or more endpoint devices; and

a publisher/subscriber manager configured to receive and maintain subscription requests from the authenticated gateway devices, wherein a subscription request from each respective authenticated gateway device represents a request from that respective authenticated gateway device to be notified about any update information involving service components associated with that authenticated gateway device and any update information involving service components associated with any of the one or more endpoint devices associated with the authenticated gateway device.

11. The service management system of claim 10, wherein the publisher/subscriber manager is further configured to receive published information from the service manager, wherein the published information represents a notification about update information for network elements and includes matching criteria that indicates which service component of the network elements the update information is available for.

12. The service management system of claim 11, wherein the publisher/subscriber manager includes a matching engine configured to identify which of the network elements should receive the notification about the update information based on matching the published information that includes the matching criteria indicating the service component with the subscription request that include the service com point.

13. The service management system of claim 12, wherein the publisher/subscriber manager sends the notification to only those network elements identified by the matching engine based on the matching the published information with the subscription requests.

14. The service management system of claim 12, wherein the application services includes a service application executed at the application gateway that enables at least one of:

home automation of connected devices within the user premises;

home security of the user premises via connected devices within the user premises;

management of video cameras and associated video data captured within the user premises;

management of sensors located at or within the user premises;

management of monitors at or within the user premises;

home automation of connected devices within the user premises;

management, including monitoring, of medical devices within the user premises;

management of wired and wireless connections to endpoint devices at or within the user premises;

management of digital rights utilized by endpoint devices at or within the user premises;

management of context sensitive advertising that is available for rendering on endpoint devices at or within the user premises.

15. The service management system of claim 11, wherein the network elements include at least the authenticated gateway device and any of the one or more endpoint devices associated with the authenticated gateway device.

16. The service management system of claim 11, wherein the application services includes a service application executed at the application gateway that enables at least one of:

home automation of connected devices within the user premises;

home security of the user premises via connected devices within the user premises;

management of video cameras and associated video data captured within the user premises;

management of sensors located at or within the user premises;

management of monitors at or within the user premises;

home automation of connected devices within the user premises;

management, including monitoring, of medical devices within the user premises;

management of wired and wireless connections to endpoint devices at or within the user premises;

management of digital rights utilized by endpoint devices at or within the user premises;

management of context sensitive advertising that is available for rendering on endpoint devices at or within the user premises.

17. The service management system of claim 10, wherein the application services includes a service application executed at the application gateway that enables at least one of:

home automation of connected devices within the user premises;

home security of the user premises via connected devices within the user premises;

management of video cameras and associated video data captured within the user premises;

management of sensors located at or within the user premises;

management of monitors at or within the user premises;

home automation of connected devices within the user premises;

management, including monitoring, of medical devices within the user premises;

management of wired and wireless connections to endpoint devices at or within the user premises;

management of digital rights utilized by endpoint devices at or within the user premises;

management of context sensitive advertising that is available for rendering on endpoint devices at or within the user premises.

18. A service management system for enabling application service providers to manage application services through gateway devices located at respective user premises, the gateway devices providing gateway connectivity to a wide area network and at least some server functionality for service delivery to one or more endpoint devices, including client devices at respective customer premises, over networks within the customer premises, the service management system comprising:

a router for connection to the wide area network for communications with the gateway devices;

at least one computer platform coupled to the router, configured to implement;

a connection manager configured to control system communications with the gateway devices via the router and the wide area network;

an authentication manager configured to authenticate each of the gateway devices and control the connection manager to establish a signaling communication link through the wide are network with each of the gateway devices upon successful authentication of each respective gateway device;

a subscription manager configured to manage applications services provided from a service provider and/or features of the server functionality, to be enabled on each respective authenticated gateway device, based on a service subscription from an application service provider and associated with the respective authenticated gateway device;

a service manager configured to distribute service specific configuration data to logic implementing the server functionality in authenticated gateway devices via the wide area network, responsive to the subscription manager;

an application gateway configured to execute the application services provided from the application service providers, wherein the application gateway executes the application services at the user premises independent of application services executing on the application service providers networks, wherein upon receiving a request to execute the application service on the application gateway at the user premises, the service manager communicates with the subscription manager to verify that the request conforms with policy and usage rules associated with the application services in order to authorize execution of the application services on the application gateway;

a graphical user interface rendered on a monitor associated with at least one of the at least one computer platform, gateway devices and one or more endpoint devices, for enabling management and control of application services executed by the application gateway on at least one of the computer platform and the one or more endpoint devices; and

a publisher/subscriber manager configured to receive and maintain subscription requests from the authenticated gateway devices, wherein a subscription request from each respective authenticated gateway device represents a request from that respective authenticated gateway device to be notified about any update information involving service components associated with that authenticated gateway device and any update information involving service components associated with any of the one or more endpoint devices associated with the authenticated gateway device, and wherein the publisher/subscriber manager is further configured to receive published information from the service manager, wherein the published information represents a notification about update information for network elements and includes matching criteria that indicates which service component of the network elements the update information is available for.

19. The service management system of claim 18, wherein the publisher/subscriber manager includes a matching engine configured to identify which of the network elements should receive the notification about the update information based on matching the published information that includes the matching criteria indicating the service component with the subscription request that include the service component.

20. The service management system of claim 19, wherein the publisher/subscriber manager sends the notification to only those network elements identified by the matching engine based on the matching the published information with the subscription requests.

21. The service management system of claim 20, wherein the application services includes a service application executed at the application gateway that enables at least one of:

home automation of connected devices within the user premises;

home security of the user premises via connected devices within the user premises;

management of video cameras and associated video data captured within the user premises;

management of sensors located at or within the user premises;

management of monitors at or within the user premises;

home automation of connected devices within the user premises;

management, including monitoring, of medical devices within the user premises;

management of wired and wireless connections to endpoint devices at or within the user premises;

management of digital rights utilized by endpoint devices at or within the user premises;

management of context sensitive advertising that is available for rendering on endpoint devices at or within the user premises.

22. The service management system of claim 19, wherein the application services includes a service application executed at the application gateway that enables at least one of:

home automation of connected devices within the user premises;

home security of the user premises via connected devices within the user premises;

management of video cameras and associated video data captured within the user premises;

management of sensors located at or within the user premises;

management of monitors at or within the user premises;

home automation of connected devices within the user premises;

management, including monitoring, of medical devices within the user premises;

management of wired and wireless connections to endpoint devices at or within the user premises;

management of digital rights utilized by endpoint devices at or within the user premises;

management of context sensitive advertising that is available for rendering on endpoint devices at or within the user premises.

23. The service management system of claim 18, wherein the network elements include at least the authenticated gateway device and any of the one or more endpoint devices associated with the authenticated gateway device.

24. The service management system of claim 23, wherein the application services includes a service application executed at the application gateway that enables at least one of:

home automation of connected devices within the user premises;

home security of the user premises via connected devices within the user premises;

management of video cameras and associated video data captured within the user premises;

management of sensors located at or within the user premises;

management of monitors at or within the user premises;

home automation of connected devices within the user premises;

management, including monitoring, of medical devices within the user premises;

management of wired and wireless connections to endpoint devices at or within the user premises;

management of digital rights utilized by endpoint devices at or within the user premises;

management of context sensitive advertising that is available for rendering on endpoint devices at or within the user premises.

25. The service management system of claim 18, wherein the application services includes a service application executed at the application gateway that enables at least one of:

home automation of connected devices within the user premises;

home security of the user premises via connected devices within the user premises;

management of video cameras and associated video data captured within the user premises;

management of sensors located at or within the user premises;

management of monitors at or within the user premises;

home automation of connected devices within the user premises;

management, including monitoring, of medical devices within the user premises;

management of wired and wireless connections to endpoint devices at or within the user premises, management of digital rights utilized by endpoint devices at or within the user premises;

management of context sensitive advertising that is available for rendering on endpoint devices at or within the user premises.