Methods and apparatus for hardware registration in a network device

• US 9,479,404 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2012
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ladd, Patrick, Sarosi, George W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Anya, Charles E
• Application Number:
  US13/663,219
• Publication Number:
  US 20130159508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,457 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• 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 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/04 Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• 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: H04N 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/818 OS software

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for control of a client device (e.g., consumer premises equipment in a cable network) using applications. In one aspect, an improved hardware registry is provided within the device with which the application(s) can interface to both identify and control available hardware resources. In one exemplary embodiment, the client device comprises a digital set-top box having digital video recording (DVR) capability. An application downloaded to the device discovers the registry and software interfaces associated therewith, and then utilizes the interfaces to automatically control the requisite hardware capability. Improved client device, network and head end configurations, as well as methods of operating these systems, are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A server entity of a head-end portion of a content delivery network, said server entity comprising:

a storage apparatus; and

a processor, said processor configured to run a software process thereon, said software process comprising a plurality of instructions which are configured to, when executed;

cause an application to be selectively downloaded to at least one client device, said application being configured to detect and access records within a hardware registry disposed on said at least one client device; and

utilize said application to enable said head-end server entity to control at least one hardware feature associated with said at least one client device via one or more software interfaces associated with middleware of said at least one client device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said application comprises a digital video recorder (DVR)-enabled Java-based application, and said at least one hardware feature comprises personal video recorder (PVR) functionality resident on said at least one client device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said control of said at least one hardware feature is initiated by said middleware of said at least one client device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said download of said application comprises a download thereof after installation of said at least one client device within a consumer premises.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said utilization of said application to control at least one hardware feature comprises implementation of one or more user-specified rules provided to said application relating to a playback of content from said at least one hardware feature.

6. Non-transitory computer-readable media for use in a content delivery network, said media configured to store a computer program thereon, said computer program comprising a plurality of instructions configured to be executed by a client device and which are configured to, when executed:

detect and access records within a hardware registry disposed on said client device; and

control at least one hardware feature associated with said device via one or more software interfaces associated with a middleware of said client device;

wherein said computer program further comprises information embedded therein prior to a distribution thereof, said information enabling a remote entity to cause execution of said plurality of instructions.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein said storage medium comprises a hard disk drive (HDD).

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein said plurality of instructions are downloaded to said client device over said content delivery network after installation of said client device at a consumer premises.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein said one or more software interfaces are associated with OpenCable Application Platform (OCAP)-compliant middleware running on said client device, and said computer program comprises a Java-based application configured to make calls to objects within said OCAP-compliant middleware.

10. A content delivery network, comprising:

a plurality of client devices each having a respective plurality of controllable hardware feature associated therewith;

a plurality of registries in operative communication with respective ones of said plurality of client devices, said registries each comprising information relating individual ones of said client devices to respective ones of said plurality of controllable hardware features;

middleware running on respective ones of said plurality of client devices, said middleware configured to interface with a head-end application and with said at least one controllable hardware feature associated with said respective ones of said client devices; and

a head-end server configured to run a software process thereon, said software process configured to download said head-end application to said client devices, and said head-end application configured to detect and access said information within said registries, and enable said headend server to control said respective ones of said plurality of controllable hardware features associated with each of said respective ones of said client devices via said middleware running thereon.

11. The content delivery network of claim 10, wherein said head-end application comprises a digital video recorder (DVR)-enabled Java-based application, and at least one of said respective ones of said plurality of controllable hardware features comprises personal video recorder (PVR) functionality resident on a respective at least one of said plurality of client devices.

12. The content delivery network of claim 10, wherein said control of said respective ones of said plurality of controllable hardware features is initiated by said middleware running on said respective ones of said plurality of client devices.

13. The content delivery network of claim 10, wherein said download of said head-end application comprises a download thereof after installation of respective ones of said plurality of client devices within respective consumer premises.

14. The content delivery network of claim 10, wherein said control of said respective ones of said plurality of controllable hardware features comprises implementation of one or more user-specified rules provided to said head-end application relating to a playback of content from said respective ones of said plurality of controllable hardware features.

15. Fault-tolerant CPE configured to couple to a content delivery network, said CPE comprising:

one or more hardware features;

a storage apparatus; and

a processor, said processor configured to run at least one monitor application thereon, said monitor application comprising a plurality of instructions which are configured to, when executed;

(i) detect a resource depletion event relating to operation of one or more software applications also running on said processor;

(ii) selectively log data relating to said detected resource depletion event;

(iii) provide a hardware registry accessible by said one or more software applications; and

(iv) communicate with a headend entity of said content delivery network, said headend entity and said monitor application configured to cooperate to selectively access and control said at least one of said one or more hardware features of said CPE based at least in part on said data relating to said detected resource depletion event.

16. The CPE of claim 15, wherein said selective access and control of said at least one of said one or more hardware features of said CPE comprises selective suspension or destruction of at least one of said one or more software applications in order to mitigate said resource depletion.

17. The CPE of claim 15, wherein said content delivery network comprises a multi-channel distribution network of a hybrid fiber type, and said one or more hardware features comprises a digital video recorder (DVR) functionality.

18. The CPE of claim 15, wherein said storage apparatus comprises a hard disk drive (HDD).

19. The CPE of claim 15, wherein said plurality of instructions are downloaded to said CPE over said content delivery network after installation of said client device at a consumer premises.

20. The CPE of claim 15, wherein said one or more software applications are associated with OpenCable Application Platform (OCAP)-compliant middleware running on said CPE, and said computer program comprises a Java-based application configured to make calls to objects within said OCAP-compliant middleware.