System for monetizing resources accessible to a mobile device server

• US 9,544,627 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2015
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Christopher, David A., Hill, Nicholas Peter, Weber, Jeffrey G., Brown, William A., Meuninck, Troy C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chae, Kyu
• Application Number:
  US14/721,538
• Publication Number:
  US 20150256868A1
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 725 1- 8
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26225 involving billing parameters, e.g. priority for subscribers of premium services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4518 involving characteristics of one or more peripherals, e.g. peripheral type, software version, amount of memory available or display capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/63345 by transmitting keys key distribution for secret or secure communication H04L9/08; network support of key management H04L63/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium operating in a mobile device server. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium can include computer instructions to execute a web server application in the mobile device server. The web server application can be operable cause the mobile device server to detect a media resource center while roaming in a communication zone of the media resource center, transmit a pairing key to the media resource center, and receive from the media resource center authorization to pair with one or more resources selected by the media resource center according to the pairing key. In one embodiment a billing system can be operable to determine whether to apply a monetary charge to a subscriber account based on the pairing key. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A portable communication device, comprising:

a memory that stores executable instructions;

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor, responsive to executing the executable instructions, performs operations comprising;

detecting a resource control manager coupled to a wireless network at a media resource center responsive to a wireless broadcast message that requests identification of resource devices coupled to the wireless network, wherein the media resource center comprises a plurality of media and computing resources of a premises;

providing, to the resource control manager, a pairing key to enable the resource control manager to authenticate the portable communication device according to the pairing key, the pairing key further identifying a service grade associated with a type of subscriber service for authorizing access to one or more specific resources provided by the resource control manager;

providing, to the resource control manager, a request to delegate management of a resource of the plurality of media and computing resources under control of the media resource center to the portable communication device;

receiving, from the resource control manager, an acceptance to the request to delegate management in response to the resource control manager determining that the pairing key authorizes the portable communication device to manage the resource being requested according to the service grade identified by the pairing key;

receiving, from the resource control manager, information relating to the resource managed by the resource control manager to enable management of the resource; and

transmitting a message to a remote server by way of a customer premises equipment assigned to a first internet protocol address, wherein the message comprises an identifier of a software application and a second internet protocol address associated with the software application, wherein the transmitting of the message causes the remote server to identify the media resource center according to the first internet protocol address and to direct the media resource center to cause the software application to be executed at the portable communication device according to the second internet protocol address.

2. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, from the remote server, the pairing key that identifies a monetization model, wherein a monetary charge is applied to a subscriber account according to the monetization model.

3. The portable communication device of claim 2, wherein the monetary charge is according to a service type associated with the resource.

4. The portable communication device of claim 2, wherein the subscriber account is associated a user of the portable communication device.

5. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

transmitting the wireless broadcast message that requests the identification of resource devices coupled to the wireless network.

6. The portable communication device of claim 5, wherein the transmitting of the wireless broadcast message causes the media resource center to:

detect that the portable communication device and a second portable communication device are requesting a common resource managed by the media resource center; and

arbitrate, between the portable communication device and the second portable communication device, an assignment of the common resource.

7. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the resource is selected by the resource control manager from among the plurality of media and computing resources according to the pairing key.

8. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of media and computing resources comprises a set-top box, a memory storage device, a gaming console or a combination thereof.

9. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the customer premises equipment comprises a gateway, and wherein the software application is received from the remote server.

10. The portable communication device of claim 9, wherein the message transmitted to the remote server comprises a uniform resource locator with a plurality of descriptors that identify the software application and the second internet protocol address, and wherein the transmitting of the message causes the gateway to insert the first internet protocol address into a hypertext transfer protocol header of the message.

11. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein communications between the portable communication device and the resource control manager of the media resource center conform to an extensible markup language or a multimedia retrieval markup language.

12. A method comprising:

receiving, by a resource control manager comprising a processing system, a pairing key to enable the resource control manager to authenticate a portable communication device according to the pairing key, the pairing key further identifying a service grade associated with a type of subscriber service for authorizing access to one or more specific resources provided by the resource control manager, wherein the resource control manager is coupled to a wireless network at a media resource center and is detected by the portable communication device responsive to a wireless broadcast message that requests identification of resource devices coupled to the wireless network, wherein the media resource center comprises a plurality of media and computing resources of a premises;

receiving, by the resource control manager from the portable communication device, a request to delegate management of a resource of the plurality of media and computing resources under control of the media resource center to the portable communication device;

providing, by the resource control manager to the portable communication device, an acceptance to the request to delegate management in response to the resource control manager determining that the pairing key authorizes the portable communication device to manage the resource being requested according to the service grade identified by the pairing key; and

providing, by the resource control manager to the portable communication device, information relating to the resource managed by the resource control manager to enable management of the resource,

wherein a message is transmitted by the portable communication device to a remote server by way of a customer premises equipment assigned to a first internet protocol address, wherein the message comprises an identifier of a software application and a second internet protocol address associated with the software application, wherein the transmitting of the message causes the remote server to identify the media resource center according to the first internet protocol address and to direct the media resource center to cause the software application to be executed at the portable communication device according to the second internet protocol address.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the service grade is not based on a type of content.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein authenticating of the portable communication device is based on a database of pairing keys accessible to the resource control manager.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

storing, by the resource control manager, the pairing key received from the portable communication device to populate the database of pairing keys accessible to the resource control manager.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of resources communicatively coupled to and managed by the resource control manager comprises a set top box, and wherein the portable communication device comprises a cellular telephone.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

providing, by the resource control manager, the pairing key, the service grade, an indication of a type of service or a combination thereof to a billing system to apply a monetary charge.

18. A computer-readable storage device comprising instructions which, when executed by a processor of a portable communication device, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

detecting a resource control manager coupled to a wireless network at a media resource center responsive to a wireless broadcast message that requests identification of resource devices coupled to the wireless network, wherein the media resource center comprises a plurality of media and computing resources of a premises;

providing, to the resource control manager, a pairing key to enable the resource control manager to authenticate the portable communication device according to the pairing key, the pairing key further identifying a service grade associated with a type of subscriber service for authorizing access to one or more specific resources provided by the resource control manager;

providing, to the resource control manager, a request to delegate management of a resource of the plurality of media and computing resources under control of the media resource center to the portable communication device;

receiving, from the resource control manager, an acceptance to the request to delegate management in response to the resource control manager determining that the pairing key authorizes the portable communication device to manage the resource being requested according to the service grade identified by the pairing key;

receiving, from the resource control manager, information relating to the resource managed by the resource control manager to enable management of the resource; and

transmitting a message to a remote server by way of a customer premises equipment assigned to a first internet protocol address, wherein the message comprises an identifier of a software application and a second internet protocol address associated with the software application, wherein the transmitting of the message causes the remote server to identify the media resource center according to the first internet protocol address and to direct the media resource center to cause the software application to be executed at the portable communication device according to the second internet protocol address.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18, wherein a billing system determines whether to apply a monetary charge to a subscriber account associated with the portable communication device based on the pairing key, a service grade associated with the pairing key, a type of service, or a combination thereof.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18, wherein communications between the portable communication device and the resource control manager of the media resource center conform to an extensible markup language or a multimedia retrieval markup language.