Client device configuration with hooks

• US 7,398,305 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2003
• Issued: 07/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Burkhart, Michael John, Bodin, William Kress
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne; Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): BURGESS, BARBARA N
• Application Number:
  US10/361,198
• Publication Number:
  US 20040158624A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,979 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/221, 709/222, 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 709/226, 709/228
• US Class Current: 709/222
• 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 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2845 Telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/567 Integrating service provisioning from a plurality of service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

Configuring a client device including associating a hook in a configuration bundle with customized programming, downloading the configuration bundle for a client device to a services gateway, and executing the configuration bundle on the services gateway, including calling the hook.

Claims

1. A system for configuring a client device, the system comprising:

means for detecting a client device and means for requesting a configuration bundle for the client device;

means for associating a hook in a configuration bundle with customized programming;

wherein means for associating a hook in a configuration bundle with customized programming comprises;

means for receiving a description of the hook from a manufacturer; and

means for integrating the customized programming with the configuration bundle through the hook in dependence upon the description; and

means for downloading the configuration bundle for a client device to a services gateway;

wherein means for downloading a configuration bundle for a client device to a services gateway comprises means for downloading a generic configuration bundle to a services gateway;

means for executing the configuration bundle on the services gateway, including means for calling the hook; and

wherein means for executing the configuration bundle comprises means for executing the generic configuration bundle;

wherein means for executing the generic configuration bundle comprises;

means for reading a configuration prompt from a client device;

means for providing the configuration prompt to a user;

means for receiving configuration parameters from a user; and

means for writing the configuration parameters to the client device.

2. A computer program product for configuring a client device, the computer program product stored on a computer-readable medium comprising:

means, recorded on the computer-readable medium, for detecting a client device and means, recorded on the recording medium, for requesting a configuration bundle for the client device;

means, recorded on the computer-readable medium, for associating a hook in a configuration bundle with customized programming;

wherein means, recorded on the computer-readable medium, for associating a hook in a configuration bundle with customized programming further comprises;

means, recorded on the computer-readable medium, for receiving a description of the hook from a manufacturer; and

means, recorded on the computer-readable medium, for integrating the customized programming with the configuration bundle through the hook in dependence upon the description; and

means, recorded on the computer-readable medium, for downloading the configuration bundle for a client device to a services gateway;

means, recorded on the computer-readable medium, for downloading a configuration bundle for a client device to a services gateway comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for downloading a generic configuration bundle to a services gateway; and

means, recorded on the computer-readable medium, for executing the configuration bundle on the services gateway, including means, recorded on the recording medium, for calling the hook; and

wherein means, recorded on the computer-readable medium, for executing the configuration bundle comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for executing the generic configuration bundle;

wherein means, recorded on the computer-readable medium, for executing the generic configuration bundle comprises;

means, recorded on the computer-readable medium, for reading a configuration prompt from a client device;

means, recorded on the computer-readable medium, for providing the configuration prompt to a user;

means, recorded on the computer-readable medium, for receiving configuration parameters from a user; and

means, recorded on the computer-readable medium, for writing the configuration parameters to the client device.