SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING NETWORK SUPPORT SERVICES AND PREMISES GATEWAY SUPPORT INFRASTRUCTURE

• US 20180227140A1
• Filed: 04/03/2018
• Published: 08/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kip Prod P1 LP
• Original Assignee: Kip Prod P1 LP
• Inventors: Ansari, Amir, Cowgill, George A., Nicholls, Leon E., Ramayya, Jude P., Masina, Ramprakash, McQuarters, Alvin R., Raissyan, Atousa
• Granted Patent: US 10,530,600 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 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 63/08 : 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, which can be voice controlled, by a gateway, e.g. by selectively activating/deactivating service logic modules in the gateway. 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

1-27. -27. (canceled)

28. A method for managing voice-controlled services via gateway devices configured to provide server functionality for one or more endpoint devices, the method comprising:

authenticating each of the gateway devices;

establishing a communication link through a wide area network with each of the gateway devices based on authentication of each respective gateway device;

sending service specific configuration data to authenticated gateway devices via the wide area network based on subscription information associated with the respective authenticated gateway device, the service specific configuration data is stored by the respective authenticated gateway device for server functionality;

executing voice-controlled application services associated with a remote application service provider to provide application services at a user premises independent of application services executing on the application service provider'"'"'s network, wherein executing the voice-controlled application services includes

receiving a request to execute an application service at the user premises,

communicating with a subscription manager to verify that the request conforms with policy and usage rules associated with the requested application service in order to authorize execution of the requested application service, and

causing a graphical user interface to be rendered on a display associated with a computer platform, at least one of the gateway devices and/or at least one of the endpoint devices, the graphical user interface enables voice-controlled management and/or control of application services executed by a remote server in communication with the gateway devices and/or the one or more endpoint devices.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein executing the voice-controlled application services includes enabling one or more 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 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; and

management of context sensitive advertising that is available for rendering on the one or more endpoint devices.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

receiving subscription requests from the authenticated gateway devices, wherein each subscription request from each respective authenticated gateway device represents a request from that respective authenticated gateway device to update information involving service components associated with that authenticated gateway device and update information involving service components associated with any of the one or more endpoint devices associated with the authenticated gateway device.

31. The method of claim 28, further comprising managing, via one or more of the voice-controlled application services, operation of the one or more endpoint devices.

32. A method for managing voice-controlled services via a gateway device at a user premises, the gateway device providing connectivity to a wide area network and at least some server functionality to one or more endpoint devices, the method comprising:

communicating, via the wide area network, with a remote server having an authentication manager;

sending at least one signal for gateway authentication by the authentication manager, the authentication manager authenticates the gateway device to establish a signaling communication link through the wide area network between the remote server and the gateway device upon authentication;

receiving, via the wide area network, configuration data for voice-controlled operation;

storing the configuration data;

sending, via the wide area network, a request to execute a voice controlled application service at the user premises; and

after verification that the request conforms with policy and/or usage rules associated with the voice controlled application service based on subscription information, executing the voice-controlled application service at the user premises independent of voice controlled application services executing on at least one remote application service provider network.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface on a screen associated with at least one of the gateway device and/or the one or more endpoint devices, the graphical user interface enables voice controlled management and control of the voice controlled application services executed by the remote server and/or the one or more endpoint devices.

34. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

sending an updated request for any update information involving the one or more endpoint devices.

35. The method of claim 32, further comprising managing one or more of:

home automation of connected devices at the user premises;

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

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

management of sensors located at the user premises;

management of monitors at the user premises;

home automation of connected devices at the user premises;

medical devices at the user premises;

wired and wireless connections to endpoint devices at the user premises;

digital rights utilized by endpoint devices at the user premises; and

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

36. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

storing endpoint data associated with at least one of the endpoint devices;

processing the endpoint data; and

providing the processed endpoint data to the remote server via the wide area network.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the endpoint data includes billing data, alarm data, and/or statistical information.

38. The method of claim 32, further comprising communicating with a remote control at the user premises to operate voice-controlled services.

39. The method of claim 32, further comprising managing one or more services from a third-party service provider to control operation of the at least one of the endpoint devices.

40. The method of claim 32, further comprising a service logic module that communicates with a router to communicate with a remote management application.

41. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

sending one or more voice automation protocols to at least one of the endpoint devices to enable interactive voice-enabled control of the at least one of the endpoint devices.

42. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

locally storing IP protocol standards, non-IP protocol standards, and/or vendor specific protocols, and

managing in-premise protocol messaging with at least one of the endpoint devices, retrieval of presence and/or a status information from the at least one endpoint device, and/or remote monitoring and control of vendor diverse devices located within the user premises.

43. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

storing voice automation protocols for interactive voice-enabled control of one or more applications accessed via the one or more endpoint devices and voice commands provided from a user, and

communicating with a user-operated controller configured to enable the user to provide voice commands for controlling automation functions associated with the one or more endpoint device or the gateway device.

44. The method of claim 32, further comprising managing authorization, authentication, configuration, and/or use of at least of the one or more endpoint devices.