Systems, Methods, and Products for Multimedia Applications Gateways

• US 20090100492A1
• Filed: 05/19/2008
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ezrol, Gerald, Savard, Jason, Hicks, John A. III
• Granted Patent: US 8,176,112 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/127
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• 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 21/44227 Monitoring of local network, e.g. connection or bandwidth variations; Detecting new devices in the local network configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; monitoring connectivity in data switched networks H04L43/0811
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44236 Monitoring of piracy processes or activities protecting computer platforms against harmful, malicious or unexpected behaviour or activities using intrusion detection and counter measures G06F21/566; computer virus detection and handling G06F21/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44245 Monitoring the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. its availability, bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4425 Monitoring of client processing errors or hardware failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4433 Implementing client middleware, e.g. Multimedia Home Platform [MHP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6156 specially adapted to the upstream path of the transmission network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6473 Monitoring network processes errors for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity H04L69/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64753 directed to the client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/814 comprising emergency warnings arrangements specially adapted for emergency or urgency in broadcast systems H04H20/59; arrangements for providing alarms, notifications, alerts to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8146 involving graphical data, e.g. 3D object, 2D graphics

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for a multimedia applications gateway. A home network management application is downloaded to the multimedia applications gateway operating in a home network. An anomaly that occurs in the home network is observed. An alert is sent to an external network controller, and the alert describes the anomaly in the home network. An instruction is received from the external network controller to remedy the anomaly.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a multimedia applications gateway having a processor executing an operating system stored in memory, the multimedia applications gateway having modem functionality embedded therein, the processor executing a software application that converts a media stream of data having proprietary digital rights into an open-standards stream of data that is formatted according to an alliance.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor receives an identification number from a requesting device and the processor queries a listing of approved devices to determine whether the requesting device complies with the alliance.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein when the requesting device complies with the alliance, then the multimedia applications gateway sends the open-standards stream of data to the requesting device.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein when the requesting device fails to comply with the alliance, then the multimedia applications gateway fails to send the open-standards stream of data to the requesting device.

5. A method, comprising:

downloading a home network management application to a multimedia applications gateway operating in a home network;

observing an anomaly that occurs in the home network;

sending an alert to an external network controller that describes the anomaly in the home network; and

receiving an instruction from the external network controller to remedy the anomaly.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising receiving a query from the external network controller that requests additional information describing the anomaly.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein receiving the instruction comprises receiving a command to disable a port on a router connected to the multimedia applications gateway.

8. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

comparing a current utility usage reading to an average utility consumption; and

when the current utility usage reading exceeds the average utility consumption by a threshold value, then further comprising sending a utility usage notification describing excessive consumption of a utility service.

9. The method according to claim 5, further comprising converting a proprietary digital copyright of an Internet Protocol television session to an open standards link protection protocol.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

storing in the local memory a listing of approved devices, each approved device identified by a unique identification number;

receiving a request from a device connected to the home network, the request requesting data representing the Internet Protocol television session, the request comprising the unique identification number associated with the device;

comparing the device'"'"'s unique identification number to the listing of approved devices;

when the device'"'"'s unique identification number is found in the listing of approved devices, then sending the data representing the Internet Protocol television session from the local memory in the multimedia applications gateway to the requesting device; and

when the device'"'"'s unique identification number is not found in the listing of approved devices, then denying the request.

11. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

downloading and storing a digital video recorder application to local memory in the multimedia applications gateway;

configuring the local memory to store an MPEG video stream received from an external network; and

managing copyright access to the MPEG video stream by devices connected to the home network.

12. The method according to claim 5, wherein observing the anomaly comprises:

receiving a water pressure;

receiving a water temperature;

receiving a thermostat setting;

when the water pressure drops below a threshold value, then increasing the thermostat setting to recover a desired water temperature; and

when the water temperature drops below the desired water temperature, then reducing the water pressure to recover the desired water temperature.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein when the water temperature exceeds a maximum permissible value, then further comprising reducing the water pressure to reduce an over-pressure condition.

14. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium storing processor executable instructions for performing a method, the method comprising:

downloading a home network management application to a multimedia applications gateway operating in a home network;

observing an anomaly that occurs in the home network;

sending an alert to an external network controller that describes the anomaly in the home network; and

receiving an instruction from the external network controller to remedy the anomaly.

15. The computer program product according to claim 14, further comprising instructions for receiving a query from the external network controller that requests additional information describing the anomaly.

16. The computer program product according to claim 14, further comprising instructions for receiving a command to disable a port on a router connected to the multimedia applications gateway.

17. The computer program product according to claim 14, further comprising instructions for:

comparing a current utility usage reading to an average utility consumption; and

when the current utility usage reading exceeds the average utility consumption by a threshold value, then further comprising sending a utility usage notification describing excessive consumption of a utility service.

18. The computer program product according to claim 14, further comprising instructions for converting a proprietary digital copyright of an Internet Protocol television session to an open standards link protection protocol.

19. The computer program product according to claim 18, further comprising instructions for:

storing in the local memory a listing of approved devices, each approved device identified by a unique identification number;

receiving a request from a device connected to the home network, the request requesting data representing the Internet Protocol television session, the request comprising the unique identification number associated with the device;

comparing the device'"'"'s unique identification number to the listing of approved devices;

when the device'"'"'s unique identification number is found in the listing of approved devices, then sending the data representing the Internet Protocol television session from the local memory in the multimedia applications gateway to the requesting device; and

when the device'"'"'s unique identification number is not found in the listing of approved devices, then denying the request.

20. The computer program product according to claim 14, further comprising instructions for:

receiving a water pressure;

receiving a water temperature;

receiving a thermostat setting;

when the water pressure drops below a threshold value, then increasing the thermostat setting to recover a desired water temperature;

when the water temperature drops below the desired water temperature, then reducing the water pressure to recover the desired water temperature; and

when the water temperature exceeds a maximum permissible value, then further comprising reducing the water pressure to reduce an over-pressure condition.