Multi-access gateway for direct to residence communication services

• US 9,948,684 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2016
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ray, Amar Nath
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Ian N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Davis, Ronald H
• Application Number:
  US15/262,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20160381086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2898 Subscriber equipments DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5618 Bridges, gateways [GW] or interworking units [IWU]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/164 at the network layer
• 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 65/1026 at the edge

Abstract

Different residences can be communicatively linked to a communication backbone via a multi-access gateway, where each residence comprises an adapter through which a set of IP devices directly connect to the multi-access gateway via IPSec compliant communication channels. The multi-access gateway can connect each of the IP devices to remotely located resources. Telecommunication services can be provided to the IP devices in the residences for fees. The multi-access gateway can controls specifics of the telecommunication services, which can include emergency (e.g., 911) services, home control services, and residential administration services. Any of the telecommunication services can be initiated, modified, or terminated by a carrier maintaining the multi-access gateway on a per residence basis for any of the different residences.

Claims

1. A method for providing telecommunication services, the method comprising:

communicatively linking a plurality of different residences to a communication backbone via a multi-access gateway, wherein each residence comprises an adapter through which a plurality of IP devices directly connect to the multi-access gateway via IPSec compliant communication channels, wherein the multi-access gateway performs TCP/IP network level routing for the IP devices;

the multi-access gateway assigning, to each of the IP devices in the plurality of different residences, an IP address that is unique among all of the IP devices;

the multi-access gateway connecting each of the IP devices to remotely located resources, which comprise remotely located IP resources, which communicate to the IP devices via IP addresses maintained by the multi-access gateway; and

providing telecommunication services to the IP devices in the residences, wherein the multi-access gateway controls specifics of the telecommunication services, wherein said telecommunication services comprise home control services, wherein any of the telecommunication services can be initiated, modified, or terminated by a carrier maintaining the multi-access gateway on a per residence basis for any of the different residences; and

providing residential administrative services through the multi-access gateway, the residential administrative services including providing, for at least some of the plurality of IP devices, per-device-channel control over communications over the IP devices, wherein the residential administrative services further comprise tracking an activity state and a connection state of each of the at least some of the plurality of IP devices.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing customizable residence specific settings for each of the residences in a data store accessible by computing equipment able to control residence specific behavior of the multi-access gateway, wherein said customizable residence specific settings determine details of the telecommunication services as provided to specific ones of the residences; and

the carrier providing a user interface accessible by client-side browsers, wherein said user interface permit authorized users residing in the residences to modify at least a portion of the customizable residence specific settings for one of the residences in which the authorized user resides.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said telecommunication services include are configured to utilize IN services, IMS services, and Web services, each configured on a per-residence basis and controlled and implemented through the multi-access gateway.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein at least a portion of the IN services, IMS services, and Web services are provided by third parties configured by subscribers of the telecommunication services users in the residences through use of the residential administration services.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the highest TCP/IP level communication performed by the adapter is link level communications.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the adapters comprise a wireless transceiver for personal area network communications, and wherein at least a portion of the IP devices comprise wireless IP devices having wireless transceivers able to wirelessly communicate with the wireless transceivers of the adapters, said method further comprising:

permitting each of the wireless IP devices receiving telecommunication services through the multi-access gateway to roam a wireless coverage area formed by the plurality of adapters having wireless transceivers, wherein one of the telecommunication services provided by the carrier selectively enables and disables an ability to roam the wireless coverage area.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reserving a block of IPv6 addresses at the multi-access gateway for the IP devices;

the multi-access gateway utilizing computer programs and a database to assign each of the different IP devices to different ones of the IPv6 addresses in the reserved block;

associating different ports of the multi-access gateway to different dedicated communication channels terminating in the IP devices having the assigned IPv6 addresses; and

maintaining and continuously updating the database of IPv6 addresses that correspond to different ports of the multi-access gateway.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein providing administrative services further comprises providing, with the multi-access gateway, multiple different passwords and control levels for each of the at least some of the IP devices to different specific members of a residence.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the different specific members are able to provide suitable ones of the passwords to a Web site to configure and adjust specific operations of the devices and to maintain privacy of how the IP devices are used from others.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the at least some of the plurality of IP devices comprises a hardware identifier, and wherein providing administrative services further comprises providing, with the multi-access gateway, hardware-based security, in which services directed at an IP address of a particular IP device are not forwarded to the particular IP device if the services directed at the IP address do not match a hardware identifier of the particular IP device.

11. A system for providing telecommunication services, the system comprising:

a multi-access gateway controlled by a carrier, the multi-access gateway comprising hardware, a processor, a plurality of ports, and at least one tangible storage medium comprising software or firmware executable by the processor, wherein the multi-access gateway performs TCP/IP network level routing for a plurality of in-residence IP devices, the multi-access gateway connecting each of the in-residence IP devices to remotely located resources, which comprise remotely located IP resources, which communicate to the in-residence IP devices via IP addresses maintained by the multi-access gateway;

a plurality of adaptors comprising hardware, each adaptor residing within a different residence, each adaptor for connecting a subset of the in-residence IP devices that are in the corresponding residence directly to the multi-access gateway over IPSec compliant communication channels, the system providing telecommunication services to the in-residence IP devices, wherein;

the multi-access gateway performs TCP/IP network level routing for the IP devices;

the multi-access gateway assigns, to each of the IP devices in the plurality of different residences, an IP address that is unique among all of the IP devices;

the multi-access gateway connects each of the IP devices to remotely located resources, which comprise remotely located IP resources, which communicate to the IP devices via IP addresses maintained by the multi-access gateway; and

the multi-access gateway controls specifics of the telecommunication services, wherein said telecommunication services comprise home control services, wherein any of the telecommunication services can be initiated, modified, or terminated by a carrier maintaining the multi-access gateway on a per residence basis for any of the different residences; and

the multi-access gateway provides residential administrative services including providing, for at least some of the plurality of IP devices, per-device-channel control over communications over the IP devices, wherein the residential administrative services further comprise tracking an activity state and a connection state of each of the at least some of the plurality of IP devices.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

storing customizable residence specific settings for each of the residences in a data store accessible by computing equipment able to control residence specific behavior of the multi-access gateway, wherein said customizable residence specific settings determine details of the telecommunication services as provided to specific ones of the residences; and

the carrier providing a user interface accessible by client-side browsers, wherein said user interface permit authorized users residing in the residences to modify at least a portion of the customizable residence specific settings for one of the residences in which the authorized user resides.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said telecommunication services include are configured to utilize IN services, IMS services, and Web services, each configured on a per-residence basis and controlled and implemented through the multi-access gateway.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein at least a portion of the IN services, IMS services, and Web services are provided by third parties configured by subscribers of the telecommunication services users in the residences through use of the residential administration services.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the highest TCP/IP level communication performed by the adapter is link level communications.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein at least a portion of the adapters comprise a wireless transceiver for personal area network communications, and wherein at least a portion of the IP devices comprise wireless IP devices having wireless transceivers able to wirelessly communicate with the wireless transceivers of the adapters, wherein the multi-access gateway further:

permits each of the wireless IP devices receiving telecommunication services through the multi-access gateway to roam a wireless coverage area formed by the plurality of adapters having wireless transceivers, wherein one of the telecommunication services provided by the carrier selectively enables and disables an ability to roam the wireless coverage area.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the multi-access gateway reserves a block of IPv6 addresses at for the IP devices;

the multi-access gateway utilizes computer programs and a database to assign each of the different IP devices to different ones of the IPv6 addresses in the reserved block;

the multi-access gateway associates different ports of the multi-access gateway to different dedicated communication channels terminating in the IP devices having the assigned IPv6 addresses; and

the multi-access gateway maintains and continuously updates the database of IPv6 addresses that correspond to different ports of the multi-access gateway.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein providing administrative services further comprises providing, with the multi-access gateway, multiple different passwords and control levels for each of the at least some of the IP devices to different specific members of a residence.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the different specific members are able to provide suitable ones of the passwords to a Web site to configure and adjust specific operations of the devices and to maintain privacy of how the IP devices are used from others.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein each of the at least some of the plurality of IP devices comprises a hardware identifier, and wherein providing administrative services further comprises providing, with the multi-access gateway, hardware-based security, in which services directed at an IP address of a particular IP device are not forwarded to the particular IP device if the services directed at the IP address do not match a hardware identifier of the particular IP device.