SERVICES PLATFORM FOR NETWORKED DEVICES THAT PROVIDE TELEPHONY AND DIGITAL MEDIA SERVICES

• US 20100159898A1
• Filed: 12/16/2009
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: OpenPeak LLC (Ni, Wang & Massand, PLLC)
• Original Assignee: OpenPeak Inc.
• Inventors: Kelly, Michael, Harter, Glenn, Killian, David, Krzyzanowski, Paul
• Application Number:
  US12/639,139
• Publication Number:
  US 20100159898A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/245 Housings for sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/452 Remote windowing, e.g. X-Window System, desktop virtualisation protocols for virtual reality H04L67/131
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

Telephony and digital media services may be provided to a plurality of locations, such as to a plurality of homes and offices, though the deployment of telephony and digital media services devices to the locations, wherein each device is configured to function as a voice, data and media information center. A services platform in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention enables entities to deploy, manage optimize and monitor a network of such devices in a turnkey fashion. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the services platform is implemented on one or more computers and includes at least a device monitoring subsystem, a device management subsystem and a user interface.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented services platform, comprising:

a device monitoring subsystem communicatively connected to a plurality of devices that provide telephony and digital media services to one or more end users, the device monitoring subsystem operable to monitor each of the plurality of devices;

a device management subsystem communicatively connected to the plurality of devices, the device management subsystem operable to manage each of the plurality of devices; and

a user interface communicatively connected to the services platform and operable to provide access to functionality of at least one of the subsystems.

2. The services platform of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a Web-based user interface.

3. The services platform of claim 1, wherein the user interface provides access to different levels of functionality based on an authorization level of a user.

4. The services platform of claim 1, wherein the user interface includes search functionality for selectively retrieving information about one or more of the plurality of devices.

5. The services platform of claim 4, wherein the search functionality is operable to selectively retrieve information about one or more of the plurality of devices based on one or more of:

a media access control (MAC) address, end user name, end user telephone number and end user zip code.

6. The services platform of claim 1, wherein the device monitoring subsystem is operable to report a connection state of one or more devices in the plurality of devices.

7. The services platform of claim 1, wherein the device monitoring subsystem is operable to report a version identifier associated with firmware installed on one or more devices in the plurality of devices.

9. The services platform of claim 1, wherein the device monitoring subsystem is operable to identify which of a plurality of applications have been installed on one or more devices in the plurality of devices.

10. The services platform of claim 1, wherein the device monitoring system is operable to report a frequency of usage of one or more applications installed on one or more devices in the plurality of devices.

11. The services platform of claim 1, wherein the device management subsystem is operable to transmit firmware to one or more of the plurality of devices.

12. The services platform of claim 11, wherein the firmware comprises one or more of:

a boot loader,

a kernel,

a file system,

a framework application, and Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT) firmware.

13. The services platform of claim 11, wherein the device management subsystem is operable to transmit the firmware to the one or more of the plurality of devices via a network protocol.

14. The service platform of claim 11, wherein the network protocol is a File Transfer Protocol (FTP).

15. The services platform of claim 11, wherein the device management subsystem is operable to transmit the firmware to a selected subset of the plurality of devices.

16. The services platform of claim 11, wherein each device receiving the firmware from the device management subsystem is configured to perform a firmware upgrade process responsive to at least receiving the firmware and to register completion of the firmware upgrade process with the device management subsystem responsive to at least the completion of the firmware upgrade process.

17. The services platform of claim 11, wherein the device management subsystem is operable to transmit the firmware to the one or more of the plurality of devices responsive to receiving a request submitted via the computer-implemented user interface.

18. The services platform of claim 11, wherein the device management subsystem is operable to transmit the firmware to the one or more of the plurality of devices in accordance with a predefined schedule.

19. The services platform of claim 11, wherein the device management subsystem is operable to transmit the firmware to one of the plurality of devices responsive to receiving a request from the one of the plurality of devices.

20. The services platform of claim 11, wherein the device management subsystem is operable to transmit the firmware to the one or more of the plurality of devices responsive to identification of the one or more of the plurality of devices by the device monitoring subsystem.

21. The services platform of claim 11, wherein the device management subsystem is operable to transmit the firmware to the one or more of the plurality of devices in accordance with one of a plurality of different deployment processes, wherein the plurality of different deployment processes include one or more of:

a device start-up deployment process;

a new application deployment process;

a software version update deployment process; and

a device fix deployment process.

22. The services platform of claim 1, wherein the device management subsystem is operable to transmit device configuration information to a device in the plurality of devices.

23. The services platform of claim 22, wherein the device configuration includes one or more of graphical user interface configuration information, brand information, or one or more applications.

24. The services platform of claim 22, wherein the device configuration information includes telephony parameters and wherein the device management subsystem is further operable to obtain the telephony parameters from an existing telephony system.

25. The services platform of claim 24, wherein the device management subsystem is operable to obtain the telephony parameters from the existing telephony system via a Web service.

26. The services platform of claim 24, wherein the device management subsystem is configured to transmit the telephony parameters to the device responsive to determining that the telephony parameters have changed.

27. The services platform of claim 1, further comprising a content aggregation subsystem communicatively connected to the plurality of devices, the content aggregation subsystem operable to process and deliver content to each of the plurality of devices for presentation by a content-based application installed thereon, wherein the content comprises one or more of video content, audio content, graphic content and text content.

28. The services platform of claim 27, wherein the content aggregation subsystem is operable to perform video transcoding and/or audio transcoding of the content.

29. The services platform of claim 27, wherein the content aggregation subsystem is further operable to cache the content.

30. The services platform of claim 27, wherein the content aggregation subsystem is further operable to filter and/or modify the content based on end user preferences.

31. The services platform of claim 27, wherein the content aggregation subsystem is further configured to insert advertisements into the content.

8. The services platform of clam 1, wherein the device monitoring subsystem is operable to provide firmware history information about one or more devices in the plurality of devices.

32. A method comprising:

providing a services platform implemented on one or more computers and communicatively connected via a network to a plurality of devices that provide telephony and digital media services to one or more end users, the services platform including a device monitoring subsystem operable to monitor each of the plurality of devices and a device management subsystem operable to manage each of the plurality of devices; and

providing access to functionality of at least one of the subsystems via a computer-implemented user interface communicatively connected to the services platform.

33. A system, comprising:

a plurality of devices that provide telephony and digital media services to one or more end users;

a services platform implemented on one or more computers and communicatively connected to the plurality of devices via a network, the services platform including

a device monitoring subsystem operable to monitor each of the plurality of devices, and

a device management subsystem operable to manage each of the plurality of devices; and

a computer-implemented user interface communicatively connected to the services platform and operable to provide access to functionality of at least one of the subsystems.