U.S. patent application number 17/380312 was filed with the patent office on 2022-03-31 for system and method for providing network support services and premises gateway support infrastructure.
The applicant listed for this patent is KIP PROD P1 LP. Invention is credited to Amir Ansari, George A. Cowgill, Ramprakash Masina, Alvin R. McQuarters, Leon E. Nicholls, Atousa Raissyan, Jude P. Ramayya.
Application Number | 20220103393 17/380312 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000006025970 |
Filed Date | 2022-03-31 |
View All Diagrams
United States Patent
Application |
20220103393 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ansari; Amir ; et
al. |
March 31, 2022 |
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING NETWORK SUPPORT SERVICES AND
PREMISES GATEWAY SUPPORT INFRASTRUCTURE
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.
Inventors: |
Ansari; Amir; (Plano,
TX) ; Cowgill; George A.; (Farmersville, TX) ;
Nicholls; Leon E.; (Santa Clara, CA) ; Ramayya; Jude
P.; (Richardson, TX) ; Masina; Ramprakash;
(Plano, TX) ; McQuarters; Alvin R.; (Euless,
TX) ; Raissyan; Atousa; (Potomac, MD) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
KIP PROD P1 LP |
New York |
NY |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000006025970 |
Appl. No.: |
17/380312 |
Filed: |
July 20, 2021 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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16678944 |
Nov 8, 2019 |
11102025 |
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17380312 |
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15944620 |
Apr 3, 2018 |
10530600 |
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16678944 |
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15799552 |
Oct 31, 2017 |
10027500 |
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15944620 |
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15357959 |
Nov 21, 2016 |
10225096 |
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15799552 |
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15047976 |
Feb 19, 2016 |
9736028 |
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15357959 |
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13618047 |
Sep 14, 2012 |
9270492 |
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15047976 |
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12521758 |
May 3, 2010 |
8281010 |
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PCT/US2007/019544 |
Sep 7, 2007 |
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13618047 |
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60882865 |
Dec 29, 2006 |
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60882862 |
Dec 29, 2006 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N 7/181 20130101;
Y10S 370/911 20130101; G10L 15/22 20130101; H04L 61/1552 20130101;
H04L 29/12132 20130101; H04L 12/2807 20130101; H04L 29/06027
20130101; H04L 63/08 20130101; H04W 12/06 20130101; H04W 12/0431
20210101; H04L 29/12169 20130101; G06F 16/64 20190101; H04W 4/80
20180201; H04L 2012/2849 20130101; H04N 21/00 20130101; H04L 67/42
20130101; G08B 13/19656 20130101; H04L 41/22 20130101; H04W 12/00
20130101; H04W 12/35 20210101; H04L 67/125 20130101; G06Q 30/04
20130101; H04L 63/10 20130101; H04L 41/12 20130101; H04L 12/2812
20130101; G05B 2219/2642 20130101; H04L 67/16 20130101; G10L
2015/223 20130101; H04L 61/1576 20130101; H04L 63/02 20130101; H04L
67/104 20130101; G05B 19/042 20130101; H04L 65/102 20130101; H04L
69/325 20130101; H04W 12/08 20130101; G05B 15/02 20130101; H04L
41/0803 20130101; H04L 12/2803 20130101; H04L 49/25 20130101; H04L
47/80 20130101; H04L 12/2818 20130101; H04W 12/033 20210101; H04W
12/065 20210101; H04L 12/2814 20130101; G06F 16/68 20190101; H04N
21/40 20130101; H04L 67/141 20130101; H04L 63/20 20130101; H04L
12/66 20130101; H04L 67/20 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H04L 12/28 20060101
H04L012/28; H04L 12/24 20060101 H04L012/24; H04L 29/06 20060101
H04L029/06; G06Q 30/04 20060101 G06Q030/04; H04L 29/12 20060101
H04L029/12; G06F 16/68 20060101 G06F016/68; G06F 16/64 20060101
G06F016/64; H04W 12/033 20060101 H04W012/033; H04W 12/30 20060101
H04W012/30; H04W 12/065 20060101 H04W012/065; H04W 12/0431 20060101
H04W012/0431; H04L 12/66 20060101 H04L012/66; H04L 29/08 20060101
H04L029/08; H04L 12/927 20060101 H04L012/927; H04L 12/947 20060101
H04L012/947; G10L 15/22 20060101 G10L015/22; G05B 15/02 20060101
G05B015/02; G08B 13/196 20060101 G08B013/196; G05B 19/042 20060101
G05B019/042 |
Claims
1-19. (canceled)
20. A computing system for performing operations for managing
voice-controlled services at a user premises, the computing system
comprising: at least one processor; at least one memory storing
instructions corresponding to an application that, when executed by
the at least one processor, cause the computing system to perform
operations comprising-- receiving, via gateway device connected to
a wide area network, configuration data for at least a portion of
the voice-controlled services; storing the configuration data;
sending, via the wide area network, a request for a streaming
service to stream media, at the user premises, wherein the request
corresponds to the at least a portion of the voice-controlled
services; communicating with one or more endpoint devices over a
communication interface for implementing a user interface for the
streaming service; and after a verification that the request
conforms with policy and/or usage rules associated with the
streaming service based on subscription information, providing
media, from the streaming service, at the user premises, wherein
the streaming service is independent of other streaming services
accessible from the user premises.
21. The computing system of claim 20, wherein the user interface is
a graphical user interface rendered on a display screen of one of
the one or more endpoint devices via a signal over the
communication interface, wherein the graphical user interface
enables controls for the streaming service.
22. The computing system of claim 20, wherein the at least one
memory includes instructions for: communicating with a remote
server over the wide area network to authenticate the gateway
device; and establishing a communication link over the wide area
network with the remote server based on the authentication of the
gateway device, wherein the configuration data, the request, the
media, or a combination thereof is communicated using the
established communication link.
23. The computing system of claim 20, wherein the at least one
memory includes instructions for receiving a service request from
the gateway device, wherein the service request represents a
request to update information involving one or more service
components associated with (1) the gateway device and/or (2) any of
the one or more endpoint devices communicatively coupled to the
gateway device.
24. The computing system of claim 23, wherein: the gateway device
is one of at least two gateway devices that are configured to
provide server functionality for the one or more endpoint devices
in place of a remote server; the at least one memory includes
instructions for receiving service requests that each correspond to
one of the at least two gateway devices, wherein each of the
service requests represents the request associated with the
corresponding one of the at least two gateway devices and/or one or
more instances of the one or more endpoint devices communicatively
coupled to the corresponding one of the at least two gateway
devices.
25. The computing system of claim 23, wherein the at least one
memory includes instructions for sending an update request from the
gateway device, wherein the update request represents the request
to update the information involving the one or more service
components.
26. The computing system of claim 23, wherein the service
components comprise components for 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.
27. The computing system of claim 20, wherein the streaming service
is one of a plurality of independent streaming services on at least
one remote application service provider network.
28. The computing system of claim 20, wherein the streaming service
is provided for a first user different than a second user
associated with one or more of the other streaming services.
29. The computing system of claim 20, wherein the configuration
data is stored locally at the user premises to provide voice
control of the one or more endpoint devices, the gateway device, or
a combination thereof.
30. The computing system of claim 20, wherein communications to
and/or from the wide area network is facilitated using a local
router.
31. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing
instructions that, when executed by a computing system, cause the
computing system to perform operations for managing
voice-controlled services at a user premises, the operations
comprising: receiving, via a gateway device connected to a wide
area network, configuration data for at least a portion of the
voice-controlled services, wherein the gateway device is configured
to provide connectivity to the wide area network and at least some
server functionality to one or more endpoint devices; storing the
configuration data; sending, via the wide area network, a request
for a streaming service to stream media, at the user premises,
wherein the request corresponds to the at least a portion of the
voice-controlled services; communicating with the one or more
endpoint devices over a communication interface for implementing a
user interface for the streaming service; and after a verification
that the request conforms with policy and/or usage rules associated
with the streaming service based on subscription information,
providing media at the user premises, wherein the media is received
from the streaming service.
32. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim
31, wherein the operations further comprise sending at least part
of 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.
33. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim
31, wherein the operations further comprise 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.
34. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim
31, wherein the configuration data is stored in a message queue,
RAM, or non-volatile memory.
35. A method for managing voice-controlled services, the method
comprising: receiving, via a gateway device connected to a wide
area network, configuration data for at least a portion of the
voice-controlled services, wherein the gateway device is configured
to provide connectivity to the wide area network and at least some
server functionality to one or more endpoint devices; storing the
configuration data; sending, via the wide area network, a request
for a streaming service to stream media, at the user premises,
wherein the request corresponds to the at least a portion of the
voice-controlled services; communicating with the one or more
endpoint devices over a communication interface for implementing a
user interface for the streaming service; and after a verification
that the request conforms with policy and/or usage rules associated
with the streaming service based on subscription information,
providing media at the user premises, wherein the media is received
from the streaming service that is independent of other streaming
services.
36. The method of claim 35, wherein the user interface is a
graphical user interface rendered on a display screen of one of the
one or more endpoint devices via a signal over the communication
interface, wherein the graphical user interface enables controls
for the streaming service.
37. The method of claim 35, further comprising receiving a service
request from the gateway device, wherein the service request
represents a request to update information involving one or more
service components associated with (1) the gateway device and/or
(2) any of the one or more endpoint devices communicatively coupled
to the gateway device.
38. The method of claim 35, further comprising: communicating with
a remote server over the wide area network to authenticate the
gateway device; and establishing a communication link over the wide
area network with the remote server based on the authentication of
the gateway device, wherein the configuration data, the request,
the media, or a combination thereof is communicated using the
established communication link.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser.
No. 16/678,944 filed on Nov. 8, 2019, which is a continuation U.S.
application Ser. No. 15/944,620 filed on Apr. 3, 2018, now U.S.
Pat. No. 10,530,600, which is a continuation of U.S. application
Ser. No. 15/799,552 filed on Oct. 31, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No.
10,027,500, which is related to and a continuation of U.S.
application Ser. No. 15/357,959 filed on Nov. 21, 2016, now U.S.
Pat. No. 10,225,096, which is a continuation of U.S. application
Ser. No. 15/047,976 filed on Feb. 19, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No.
9,736,028, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.
13/618,047 filed on Sep. 14, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,270,492,
which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/521,758
filed on May 3, 2010, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,281,010, which is a
United States national phase application of International
Application No. PCT/US2007/019544 filed on Sep. 7, 2007, which
claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/882,865
filed on Dec. 29, 2006 and of U.S. Provisional Application No.
60/882,862 filed on Dec. 29, 2006. Each of these applications is
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present subject matter relates to a service management
system, for remotely managing delivery of voice controlled
application services by one or more gateway devices at respective
user premises, which may also selectively provide secure
communications and exchange of information among gateway devices
and among endpoint devices associated with the gateway devices.
BACKGROUND
[0003] The digital home is now becoming more complex with the
myriad of new and emerging digital devices intended to address many
user and consumer needs such as communication, entertainment,
privacy and security, etc. However, given the complexity of the
emerging digital home and digital environments generally, users who
are technologically challenged may find it a daunting and
intimidating task to manage their home networks and interconnected
digital devices. Moreover, new paradigms are emerging oriented to
delivering media content to and the consuming of media content at
the home. Many of these paradigms rely on communication of
application specific data to and/or from the Internet, as opposed
to conventional telephone or broadcast video type applications. The
protection of received Internet-sourced media content in addition
to user-generated media content is additionally an important aspect
that may be inadequately addressed by the technologically
challenged user. Furthermore, with respect to Internet based data,
most of the content delivery solutions are provided to the digital
home networks through availability of the "two-foot" interface
(i.e. the PC). It is relatively cumbersome to bring this content to
the "ten-foot" interface (e.g. the television).
[0004] Thus, a need exists for a technique or devices to simplify
the overall management of services and applications available to
the digital home or even the small enterprise. Such a technique or
devices would reduce the complexity of the maintenance, upgrading,
and operation of even the more basic needs addressed by emerging
digital endpoint devices and networks. Approaches that suggest
greater functionality in home-based appliances fail to reduce or
address the complexity of managing and provisioning those
appliances. For example, while the home gateway server appliance
described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,930,598 enables networked electronic
devices to communicate with each other without the direct
interaction with external networks, and provides a mechanism
whereby a member of the household may be informed of certain
network related events without having to use their home computer or
other client devices, it does not provide a convenient or
simplified way of managing the services and applications executed
by, or associated with, that device. Thus, an unmet need exists for
a device associated with a user premises that has robust
functionality but does not require sophisticated or inordinate
attention from the user to manage, provision and utilize them.
[0005] In practice, a customer typically subscribes to basic
transport services from a network "Service Provider" (e.g.
ISP--Internet Service provider, cable provider, fixed wireless
providers, ILEC--Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier, or
CLEC--Competitive Local Exchange Carrier). For example, a customer
may have broadband Internet access, via cable modem, digital
subscriber line service or the like. Digital video service may be
provided separately. The network service provider manages these
basic services, at the logical network layer, typically at layers
1, 2 or 3 of the OSI model. While network services and associated
devices may operate minimally at those levels, they operate at
those levels only to support operations at OSI layers 1, 2 or 3.
Many applications, however, involve higher level service logic for
applications that view the network transport as a transparent pipe.
The current internet applications delivery and management
architecture, and many devices or management systems based on it,
require a server with robust processing and storage capability to
be located at the network operations center, not in the home. For
voice over internet protocol (VoIP) type telephone service, for
example, the VoIP service provider operates a session initiation
protocol (SIP) server or the like, and each user has only client
functionality. The network transport layers are transparent to the
IP packets containing the voice and related signaling. The SIP
server, however, controls the call set-up, tear-down, billing and
the like for the voice call services. With such an architecture,
the major capabilities and functionalities connected with providing
application services from the server throughout the network reside
on the server and supporting elements, all of which are located in
the network operations center.
[0006] It might be helpful to walk through examples of the
configuration for application services delivery to a client of an
application within a user premises under the typical, current
network configuration. FIG. 10 depicts one possible configuration
for a client application to access a particular service that is
being hosted of served outside of the user premises based on the
typical, and currently employed, network application service
configuration. We identify two regimes in the overall architecture,
the Service Provider Network regime (WAN side), and the User
Premises Network regime (LAN side). The association between the
Service Provider Network and the User Premises Network is broken
down into three layers; Network Interconnect Layer (NI), Network
Function Layer (NF), and the Application Services Layer (AS). These
layers do not represent physical communication pathways, but are a
logical representation of pathways and elements employed in a
network-based communication.
[0007] The separation between the managed Service Provider Network
(WAN side) and the User Premises Network (LAN side) is depicted as
the Network Service provider Demarcation. The Network Service
Provider Demarcation at the Network Interconnect Layer represents
the logical and physical separation between the user premises and
the broad-band network. In the present representation of the three
functional layers, the Network Service Provider Demarcation is
extended into the Services and Application Layer to emphasize the
functional barrier at that layer between the Service Provider
Network and the User Premises Network, in currently configured
networks.
[0008] The NI Layer depicts how the connectivity between a User
Premises Network and the Public/Service Provider Network is
established. On the Service Provider Network side, the Wide Area
Network services are terminated onto a WAN termination device with
the appropriate interface (e.g. a Broadband internet service such
as ADSL would terminate on to a managed ADSL Terminal Adapter). The
WAN termination layer adapts the WAN interface into a compatible
LAN interface (e.g. Ethernet or WiFi). On the User Premises Network
side the LAN Termination interfaces are used to connect to the
Local Area Network via a variety of interfaces, such as Ethernet,
WiFi, MOCA, etc.
[0009] The LAN Termination interfaces and the WAN Termination
interface could reside on two separate physical devices or they
could reside on one physical device. In either case, on the User
Premises Network side, packets or data must flow through the NF
Layer between the WAN Termination Interface and the LAN Termination
Interface. One or both of these interfaces may reside on a
"gateway" device. Gateway and like router devices are currently
available for various premises that allow several computers to
communicate with one another and to share a broadband Internet
connection. These devices function as routers by matching local
network addresses and the hostnames of the local computers with the
actual networking hardware detected. As gateways, these devices
translate local network addresses to those used by the Internet for
outgoing communications, and do the opposite translation for
incoming packets.
[0010] The User Premises NF Layer allows for switching of packets
between LAN devices and routing or bridging of packets between the
LAN and WAN interfaces. It could physically reside on the same
device(s) with the LAN Termination or it could exist at an
independent device that could interconnect to the LAN Termination
interface via a variety of physical interfaces (e.g. Ethernet,
MOCA, etc.). The Service Provider NF Layer provides the Wide Area
Network access between the WAN Termination device and the AS Layer
where all the applications servers are being hosted. The Internet
could be used for this connectivity as could a private packet/cell
network (e.g. Cellular packet network, or a private ATM or packet
backbone).
[0011] The AS Layer represents the functional layer that provides
access to applications services by application clients. On the User
Premises side, the AS Layer provides a Firewall to protect the
application client from application level attacks from the open
Internet. On the Service Provider side, the AS Layer encompasses
application services such as Parental Control, Backup, and Call
Processing. These application services exist on a managed
Application Service Delivery Platform (ASD) on a secure network
server that can be hosted at a facility that has private and or
public data connection paths. The ASD may include three functional
modules, namely the Application Service Enforcement (ASE) module,
the Application Service Logic (ASL) module, and the Application
Service Management (ASM) module.
[0012] The ASE module is responsible for enforcing the relevant
Application Client privileges to the application services. It gets
the policies and permissions of each application client from the
ASM module (such as provisioning data and subscription data) and
enforces those policies against the requested actions by the client
application.
[0013] The ASL module executes the application services that the
Application Clients request. Such services could be Call
Processing, Parental Control, Peered Networking, Backup, etc. The
ASL module must interact with the ASM module for monitoring
purposes and status information such as Call Data Recording and
Billing. It must also interact with the ASE module to provide
access to the client applications that have passed the policy
enforcement procedures.
[0014] The ASM module, as described above, provides the necessary
data to the ASE and ASL modules for them to carry out their
respective functions. It also oversees the overall integration and
communication among all the modules and the services that are
managed by the ASM. The ASM also manages the overall security and
integrity of the ASD.
[0015] All ASD modules are in constant communication with each
other, preferably through secure connections. The inter-module
communication may be managed by the ASM, or may be independent of a
central management function. Note that the ASE, ASL and ASM modules
are only examples of functions that may be logically bundled; other
bundles, and other means of bundling these functions, are
possible.
[0016] FIG. 11 depicts a logical flow of how a specific Application
Client residing at a user premises could interact with an
Application Service that is being managed in the typical network
configuration. Traditionally, as depicted in this example, an
Application Client (e.g. Telephony) that needs to connect to an
Application Service (e.g. call processing) must first connect to
the Local Area Network termination interface (1). Depending on the
specific deployment, a switching function, routing function or
bridging function is used to establish the connection path between
the application client (2) and the Firewall service (3). The
Firewall Service works in conjunction with the router function (4)
to permit access to the Wide Area Network interface (5) and
maintain a level of security to the Application Client. The
firewall service in this example is not aware of either the type of
application client or the specific application service that is
being targeted. There is no feedback mechanism between the
Application Service Delivery Platform and the Firewall function.
Once connectivity to the WAN termination interface is established,
routing mechanisms are used to establish a connection through the
Service Provider Network. Function Layer (6) to the Application
Service Layer (7). At the Application Service Layer, the client
application goes through application validation procedures and
privilege and permission checks by the ASE prior to allowing the
application client to connect to the desired application
service.
[0017] In the logical hierarchy, such as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11,
a home gateway device may implement the NI layer functions and the
user premises side NF layer functions. The firewall functionality
may reside in the gateway or in one or more other elements on the
premises network. For example, many PCs internally implement
firewalls, e.g. in close association with the client programming of
the endpoint device. As can be seen by the illustrations in FIG.
11, however, even with a home gateway deployment for a premises
network, the application services functionality still requires the
support and service logic to reside on a server in the network.
That is, for service provisioning, service management and upgrades,
remote diagnostics, for a digital endpoint device such as a PC or
SIP phone, the home premises still must rely on the application
service logic executed by the service providers in their server
networks, typically according to proprietary platforms. Moreover,
many other core services, e.g. file storage, media content access
and delivery, are offloaded to other 3rd-party service providers
that provide service logic and support applications at their
network server devices.
[0018] With the paradigm discussed above relative to FIGS. 10 and
11, it is currently the case that many of the application service
providers also find it difficult to provide and support new
emerging technologies at the home. That is, service providers are
challenged to select a platform that can evolve with their
applications. With existing service architectures, the launch of
new services compounds complexity to the core network, adding to
both capital and operating expenditures.
[0019] Thus, as new services come to the fold, often with the
requirement of new equipment, e.g. integrated access devices (IADs)
for VoIP and set-top boxes for streaming video, the management of
the customer premises equipment (both hardware and software)
complicates customer support requirements. Managing the home
network environment can be an inhibitor to the adoption of new
services, both from the user perspective and from the perspective
of management by the service providers.
[0020] A need exists for a new paradigm, with improved convenience
for the user and easier management for the application service
provider. In that regard, it would be desirable to provide an
arrangement in which one or more aspects of application service(s)
facilitated by gateway devices within the user premises are
centrally managed.
SUMMARY
[0021] The disclosure herein addresses one or more of the issues
outlined above from a system perspective. The disclosure
encompasses a service management system as well as combinations of
such a system with one or more gateway devices at user
premises.
[0022] For example, a service management system is disclosed for
managing voice controlled services through gateway devices at
respective user premises. The gateway devices provide gateway
connectivity to a wide area network and at least some server
functionality for service delivery for one or more digital endpoint
client devices associated with the gateway device, one or more of
which may be at respective customer premises. Gateway devices
communicate with endpoint devices within respective premises over
networks within the customer premises. The service management
system can include a router for connection to the wide area network
for communications with the gateway devices, and one or more
computer platforms coupled to the router. The platform can also
provide an authentication manager for authenticating each of the
gateway devices and controlling the connection manager to establish
a signaling communication link through the wide area network with
each of the gateway devices upon successful authentication of each
respective gateway device. The computer platform can also be
configured for implementing a service manager for distributing
service specific configuration data to logic implementing the
server functionality in authenticated gateway devices, via the wide
area network, responsive to the subscription manager. An
application gateway can be configured to execute the voice
controlled application services provided from the application
service provider, wherein the application gateway can execute the
application services at the user premises independent of
application services executing on the application service
provider's network, and wherein upon receiving a request to execute
the application service on the application gateway at the user
premises, the service manager can communicate with the subscription
manager to verify that the request conforms with policy and usage
rules associated with the application services in order to
authorize execution of the application services on the application
gateway. A graphical user interface rendered on a display can be
associated with at least one of the at least one computer platform,
gateway devices and one or more endpoint devices, for enabling
voice controlled management and control of application services
executed by the application gateway on at least one of the computer
platform and the one or more endpoint devices.
[0023] Application services can include a service application
executed at the application gateway that enables at least one 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, including monitoring, 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; management of context sensitive
advertising that is available for rendering on endpoint devices at
or within the user premises.
[0024] In the disclosed example, the authentication manager can
confirm authentication of the respective gateway device and of
application services provided or executed by each respective
gateway device, from time to time. The authentication manager can
control the connection manager to maintain a logical session for
the signaling communication link through the wide area network with
each respective gateway device as long as the authentication
manager continues to confirm the authentication of the respective
gateway device. Typically, this signaling link remains logically on
through the wide area network, so long as the gateway device is
powered-on and can be authenticated by the service management
system.
[0025] The signaling communications between the gateway devices and
the service management center may utilize a variety of different
types of protocols. In the examples, the system is configured to
communicate via the signaling communication link through the wide
area network with each respective gateway device, using a peer and
presence messaging protocol.
[0026] In an example, the computer platform comprises a plurality
of computers coupled to the router, to arrange the system to form a
service management center network. Such a network may implement a
variety of additional functionalities. For example, the service
management center network can include a gateway device updater
implemented on the at least one computer platform. The updater can
be configured for downloading service logic modules for
implementing voice controlled application services and/or service
features to the gateway devices, via the wide area network, for
enabling voice controlled application services and/or service
features identified by the service manager at respective gateway
devices. The service management center network can also include a
location server functionality, responsive to the service manager,
for maintaining information as to accessibility of authenticated
gateway devices for enabling peer-to-peer communications among
gateway devices via the wide area network. Another functionality
that may be provided is an accessibility test server. Such a server
communicates via signaling communication link through the wide area
network with each of the gateway devices, to determine nature of
accessibility of each gateway device through the wide area network.
The service management center network can also include a Session
Initiation Protocol (SIP) proxy server functionality and a Session
Border Controller functionality, configured to support SIP based
voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) telephone services through the
wide area network for endpoint devices communicating through a
plurality of the gateway devices.
[0027] The disclosure also encompasses systems that can include
both a service management center and one or more of the gateway
devices.
[0028] In a first example, such a disclosed system can provide
managed services for a plurality of endpoint devices associated
with a premises having a local area network, and the system can
include a gateway device located at the premises coupled for
communication with at least one of the endpoint devices which is
located at the premises, via the local area network. The gateway
device can also be coupled for communication with a wide area
network outside the premises. The gateway device can be operable to
deliver one or more application services to the plurality of
endpoint devices. The gateway device can include one or more
service logic modules for causing the gateway device to provide the
one or more application services respectively, and configuration
data for configuring the one or more service logic modules to
enable the gateway device to deliver the one or more application
services. The service logic modules and the configuration data can
be logically positioned on the user premises side of a logical
Network Service Provider Demarcation, between the wide area network
and the user premises. Also, the gateway device can be further
operable to provide interoperability among two or more of the
endpoint devices. The service management system can be coupled to
the wide area network for communication with the gateway device.
This can enable the service management system to remotely manage
the delivery of the one or more voice controlled application
services by the gateway device. The service management system can
selectively activate or deactivate one or more of the service logic
modules in the gateway device.
[0029] As noted, the disclosure also encompasses a system having a
number of the gateway devices. In such an arrangement, the service
management system can be further operable to selectively provide
secure communications and exchange of information among the gateway
devices and among the endpoint devices associated therewith.
[0030] The detailed description below also discloses examples of
implementations of the gateway devices. For example, a gateway
device can include a first interface for enabling bi-directional
communications within the premises via the local area network, with
one or more of the endpoint devices. A second interface enables
bi-directional communications for the one or more endpoint devices
via the wide area network, and for enabling at least some
bi-directional communications with the service management system
via the wide area network. The gateway device can include a
processor coupled to the interfaces and storage coupled to the
processor, for storing programming for the processor including the
one or more service logic modules and for storing the configuration
data.
[0031] In one arrangement, for each voice controlled application
service, processor execution of the programming provides a number
of functions in relation to a respective service for one or more
endpoint devices. Examples of such functions can include
application server communication with a client functionality of one
or more endpoint devices, for the respective service, communicated
on top of network layer communications of one or both of the
interfaces. The program implemented gateway functions can also
include enforcement regarding authorization, authentication,
configuration, or use of the respective service via the one or more
endpoint devices. The voice controlled application service can be
managed based upon the communications with the service management
center via the wide area network through the second interface.
[0032] A specific example of the software architecture for the
gateway devices utilizes a layered approach. Such an architecture
can include the service logic modules, which provide logic for the
application services. The programming can further include logic for
interfaces for the application services, logic for a services
framework, and logic for platform management. The interaction and
interoperability of the application service interfaces logic, the
application services logic, the services framework logic, and the
platform management logic can be managed responsive to the
communications with the service management center via the wide area
network through the second interface.
[0033] Additional advantages and novel features will be set forth
in part in the description which follows, and in part will become
apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the
following and the accompanying drawings or may be learned by
production or operation of the examples. The advantages of the
present teachings may be realized and attained by practice or use
of various aspects of the methodologies, instrumentalities and
combinations set forth in the detailed examples discussed
below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0034] The drawing figures depict one or more implementations in
accord with the present teachings, by way of example only, not by
way of limitation. In the figures, like reference numerals refer to
the same or similar elements.
[0035] FIG. 1 is a layered logical block diagram with arrows
representing steps of a sample logical flow, for an application
client to access a specific managed application service, in a
gateway device-service management center type network
configuration.
[0036] FIG. 2 depicts the managed application services delivery
platform.
[0037] FIG. 3 is a network diagram, depicting a gateway device,
endpoint devices at the user premises, one or more wide area
networks and a service management center.
[0038] FIGS. 4A-4D depict the software and hardware architectures
of the multi-services applications gateway device.
[0039] FIG. 5 depicts the networked operations services support
infrastructure of a network implementation of the service
management center, for delivering service capabilities to the
multi-services applications gateway device of FIG. 3.
[0040] FIGS. 6A-6C illustrate aspects of an initialization
technique for establishing a gateway device's connection to and
enabling communication with the service management center
network.
[0041] FIGS. 7A-7F depict more detailed interactions for functions
and services to illustrate the core network elements of the service
management center.
[0042] FIGS. 8A-8E depict exemplary call flow diagrams detailing
TCP control channel setup, subscription and software updates
regarding provisioning for a gateway device.
[0043] FIGS. 9A-9B illustrate details of service provisioning.
[0044] FIG. 10 is a layered logical block diagram of one possible
configuration for service delivery to a client of an application
within a user premises based on a typical current network
architecture.
[0045] FIG. 11 is similar to FIG. 10, but overlaid with arrows to
show a sample flow of logical steps taken by an Application Client
to access a specific managed Application Services in the typical
current network configuration.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0046] In the following detailed description, numerous specific
details are set forth by way of examples in order to provide a
thorough understanding of the relevant teachings. However, it
should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present
teachings may be practiced without such details. In other
instances, well known methods, procedures, components, and
circuitry have been described at a relatively high-level, without
detail, in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring aspects of the
present teachings.
[0047] The various technologies disclosed herein move application
service logic, formerly resident in a network node, into a gateway
device in the customer premises. The gateway device is implemented
in such a manner as to offer its user many of the applications
services, such as were previously offered from network side
servers, from the user premises. As further described below, these
application services comprise, by way of example, programming to
simplify support services in the digital home including one or more
of: media delivery, content management, access control and use
tracking, file sharing, and protection and back-up services of both
Internet/Web-generated digital media content and user generated
digital media content. The novel gateway device is programmed to
simplify various aspects of managing the emerging home/business
digital networks including the myriad of interconnected digital
endpoint devices associated with the gateway device. It is
important to note that the endpoint devices need not reside within,
or be located at, the premises to maintain their association with
the gateway device.
[0048] Therefore, although based on a Client-Server architecture,
the exemplary gateway device and service management center move
substantial functions performed by the typical network server into
the user premises by incorporating those functions into the gateway
device, but in a way that allows for the server functionality to be
externally managed by the service management center from the
network side, which may be operated by a third-party service
provider. In this novel architecture, both the server functionality
and the application services, which can be voice controlled,
offered via the gateway device may be managed by the service
management center. Moreover, the server function residing in the
gateway device is not only located in the premises but it now
resides logically on the premises side of the Network Service
Provider demarcation.
[0049] The gateway device and the system architecture effectively
place a set of application services on a tightly coupled (e.g.
always-on or always-available basis), secure hardware platform that
is externally managed. The gateway device comprises application
services programming, and associated hardware, that is positioned
on the user premises side of the Network Service Provider
Demarcation, which is configured to be managed by an external
service management center.
[0050] Reference now is made in detail to the examples illustrated
in the accompanying drawings and discussed below. FIG. 1 is a
high-level diagram of the architecture of the gateway-service
management center network as disclosed herein, as well as the
logical flow of how a specific Application Client residing at a
User Premises could interact with an Application Service in a
gateway device that is being managed in the gateway-service
management center network configuration. Heretofore, as described
above, many application services that form part of the Application
Service Delivery Platform were logically positioned at the AS Layer
but on the network side of the Network Service Provider
Demarcation. FIG. 1 shows that, in the novel architecture, many of
these application services that were previously offered from
network-side servers have now been moved across the Network Service
Provider Demarcation and now logically reside at the AS Layer in
the User Premises Network, i.e., on the hardware components located
in the user premises, such as, by example, a gateway device. In
particular, the programming that implements application services is
logically positioned on the user premises side of the Network
Service Provider Demarcation. The application service on the user
premises side that enforces authorization, authentication,
configuration, or use of the respective service via an endpoint
device is logically depicted in FIG. 1 as the ASE module in the AS
Layer of the User Premises Network. The ASE module may also
communicate via the wide area network with the ASM logic residing
in the service management center.
[0051] FIG. 1 depicts an approach in which the ASL and the ASE
functions have moved to the User Premises side (compare to FIGS. 10
and 11 discussed above). As discussed more below, the ASL and the
ASE functions are implemented as high-level server type logic
within a home gateway device at a user premises. Other elements
shown in FIG. 1 that may reside in the user premises gateway device
include the user-premises-side network function or NF (switch,
router or bridge) and the LAN termination for communication with
the endpoint devices implementing the application client functions.
Thus, with reference to FIG. 1, the first interface, as described
above, for enabling bi-directional network layer communications on
the user's side of the premises with one or more of the associated
endpoint devices resides at the NI Layer and provides the LAN
Termination referenced therein. FIG. 1 also depicts the WAN
termination providing connectivity to the wide area network
(network-side NF--Internet or private wide area data network). The
gateway device's second interface, as described above, for enabling
bi-directional network layer communications for the associated
endpoint devices via a wide area network resides at the NI Layer
and provides the WAN Termination referenced therein. The gateway
device's second interface also enables bi-directional
communications between it and the service management center via the
WAN.
[0052] With reference to FIG. 1, the core of the logical capacities
of the service management center resides on the Service Provider
Network, and is depicted as the Application Service Management
(ASM) portion of the Application Service Delivery Platform in the
AS Layer. The ASM function is implemented in the service management
center, which is external to the user premises, and, perforce, on
the network side of the demarcation line. The ASL and ASE functions
maintain logical connectivity or interaction with the Application
Service Management (ASM) function in the service management center,
typically via communication through a wide area network. This
logical connectivity is established through an always-on (or on an
as needed, periodic basis), secure communication channel between
the User Premises AS Layer (ASL and ASE) and the Service Provider
AS Layer (ASM) at the service management center. The service
management center and the communications of the center with one or
more of the gateway devices provides an infrastructure support
and/or management of the application services offered to endpoint
devices and their users by the logic implemented in the gateway
device(s). Effectively, the ASD, considered in its entirety,
extends all the way to the User Premises and traverses the Network
and Network Service Provider Demarcation. The secure communications
channel is established through the NF Layer and the NI layer.
[0053] The examples discussed herein also introduce a logical
platform management layer to the user premises-side, which allows
for inter-layer allocation of local resources. This function
guarantees access between the Application Service Logic function on
the user premises network and the applications service management
function in the service management center by assuring that the
local user premises hardware and software modules are functioning
at a required state (CPU and memory usage, bandwidth usage, QoS
settings, etc.) in order for the ASL to have the necessary
resources to establish its required communications path to the
ASM.
[0054] The platform manager is also responsible for implementing
that part of the managed application services to be performed by
the gateway device. In that regard, the platform manager secures
and manages the overall hardware platform, given that in this
scenario, the NF layer and the AS layer reside on one hardware
platform. This secure hardware platform provides a robust and
secure operating environment for the AS Layer. So, to establish a
secure and robust hardware operating environment, the platform
manager must interface with all the layers above it and allow for
bi-directional management information flow among all of the
functions. For example, if the Application Client is a telephony
application and the desired application is call processing, the
application must first connect to the LAN termination interface
(1). Then a connection must be established to the AS Layer through
the NF layer (2). At this point the platform manager determines if
there are sufficient resources available for this to take place on
the routing and switching modules and if there is not sufficient
resources on either the LAN Termination interface or the NF layer
functions, it would take the necessary corrective measure to free
up the required resources so that the application can execute
properly (e.g. prioritize packets, throttle bandwidth, attempt to
reduce noise on an RF interface, or free up time slices on a TDMA
interface such as MoCA). Once that is done, the connection is
established to the AS Layer (3), where the ASE and ASL, having been
updated by the ASM in the network, respond instantaneously to the
Application Client, completing the service request.
[0055] Application services represent functionalities, implemented
in the higher layer(s) of the protocol or logical stack above the
network layer(s) that may extend up to the top application layer
(layer 7 of the OSI model). An application service, for example,
provides application server communication with a client
functionality of one or more endpoint devices, for the respective
service, communicated on top of network layer communications
through the interfaces. In the examples, the services are provided
on a subscription service basis to users at the premises. Hence,
the application service logic provides enforcement regarding
authorization, authentication, configuration, and/or use of the
respective service via the endpoint devices. The application
service includes service and feature functions, implemented and
controlled by the application service logic. Management of the
application service is based on communications with the service
management center via the wide area network.
[0056] The illustrated architecture of the gateway device-service
management center network enables other features and capabilities
that have not previously been available to the user. For instance,
peer-to-peer application communication between or among gateways is
possible without the need to go through, or utilize resources at,
an external service management center. Communications through the
service management center are also possible. In addition, given the
considerable functionality present in the gateway device, and its
ability to manage the various endpoint devices associated with it
(as explained below), the user interface with the gateway can be
presented and utilized on the home TV. Additionally, information
from other endpoint devices, such as the PC, network sources (such
as an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) service), may now be overlaid
on the TV screen so that, for example, PC messages, or weather
information, can be viewed on the TV screen, and the functionality
of the PC (or other home networked endpoint devices) can be
accessed from the TV screen.
[0057] FIG. 2 depicts, at the Physical/Network layer shown therein,
an example of user premises hardware components required for
delivering data services (i.e. Internet connectivity) along with a
separate, non-integrated managed hardware used in delivering a set
of managed application services (i.e. IP telephony). The Network
Service Provider Wide Area Network Termination Apparatus (NSP-TA)
allows for a typical termination of Wide Area Network Services,
such as DSL, Cable, Fiber, etc., by a network services provider.
The NSP-TA provides the WAN Termination in the NI Layer (FIG. 1).
The NSP-TA may be an existing user-premises device, provided by the
carrier supplying network services to the premises. FIG. 2 also
depicts the Network Service Provider Demarcation at the hardware
level.
[0058] If configured as a standalone device, the NSP-TA device is
required to have its own CPU, Memory, physical interfaces and logic
control. In order for Network Service Providers to deliver managed
services, they typically require a management element controlled by
the CPU on the NSP-TA. To depict these logical elements residing on
the hardware components, FIG. 2 includes an Application/Services
Layer above the hardware layer. This layer corresponds to the AS
Layer of FIG. 1, but without reference to any logical elements
residing at the network services provider. The management element,
represented by the Network Service Provider Managed Application,
allows the network service provider to determine the status of the
network hardware device and interfaces as well as maintain a
certain degree of security enforcement at the customer premises. As
noted, the network service functionality is at the NI and NF Layers
and generally does not extend to the AS Layer(s) beyond basic
authentication authorization and state management. As with the
hardware components, the logical elements also have a Network
Service Provider Demarcation as shown in FIG. 2. On the WAN side,
depicted as the Network Service Provider Managed Applications side,
of the Network Service Provider Demarcation, resides the
applications that are managed, and under the exclusive control, of
the network service provider (the Network Service Provider Logic).
The User Interface to Managed Applications is present on the LAN
side of the Network Service Provider Demarcation within the
Application/Services Layer. Within this interface resides
programming and logic available to users other than the network
service provider referred to as the Network User Controlled Logic.
The Network. User Controlled Logic, which is depicted at the
Application/Services Layer in FIG. 2, provides a user interface to
the Network Service Provider Logic and, to the extent permitted by
the Network Service Provider Logic, interaction with or
communication between the user and network service provider through
the Network User Controlled Logic and the Network Service Provider
Logic, and to the NSP-TA hardware components. The Network User
Controlled Logic allows for the User of the hardware to make
certain, minimal programming changes relevant to their preferences
(e.g., user name and password changes, local IP addresses changes,
local interface selection). All user devices typically can only
communicate with the NSP-TA through one or more of the User
Premises Network Interfaces. The user can modify the Network User
Controlled Logic through the User Premises Network Interface. The
Network Service Provider Demarcation is typically within the
NSP-TA, logically dividing the Network Service Provider Interface
and the User Premises Network Interface modules. The network
service provider does not have any in depth visibility or
significant responsibility beyond the Network Service Provider
Demarcation.
[0059] The User Network and Application Delivery Apparatus
(UNA-DA), shown on the right hand side of FIG. 2, is a separate
managed gateway device that a managed service provider (which may
be different than the network service provider) would control in
delivering a set of application services to the user premises. This
device is required to have its own dedicated CPU, memory, logic
control, as well as its own dedicated set of interfaces. The UNA-DA
includes one or more Network Interfaces providing connectivity to
the NSP-TA as well as to user premises endpoint devices. The
interfaces provide the LAN Termination functionality at the NI
Layer (FIG. 1). One skilled in the art will readily recognize,
however, that the physical connection that connects the UNA-DA to
the NSP-TA also provides connectivity for the UNA-DA to the public
(WAN side) network, and is the means by which the UNA-DA accesses
the public network. The end point devices connected to the LAN
Interface are on the private (LAN) side of that interface. The
UNA-DA also includes a switch, router or bridge for the NF
Layer.
[0060] Programming elements of the UNA-DA are depicted at the
Application/Services Layer of the UNA-DA. Certain logical elements,
depicted as the Application Service Provider Managed Applications
and Platform in FIG. 2, on which resides, inter alfa, the
programming corresponding to the ASL and ASE of FIG. 1, are managed
by the managed application service provider's network control
center, e.g. by the ASM through a wide area network (WAN) by means
of a control channel to the Application Service Provider Managed
Applications and Platform. The Application Service Provider Managed
Applications and Platform includes a platform management logic
module that, with other programming in the Platform and the ASM,
allows the managed application service provider to control the
hardware elements of the UNA-DA in addition to any other relevant
application services logic or hardware that may reside on the user
premises. For example, this programming enables managed application
service provider to control and manage the hardware elements on the
UNA-DA to ensure proper use and allocation of the UNA-DA's
processing, memory, storage, and bandwidth, to monitor local
hardware security and generate needed alarms or protection
sequences, and to prioritize applications based on a set of
established policies. The user would have control over specific
parameters of the UNA-DA through the User Interface and Platform to
Managed Applications (User Controlled Logic) shown in FIG. 2. These
parameters allow the user to control the local behavior of the
interfaces and to configure the specific applications to
accommodate the user network as configured by the user and to
implement the user preferences for those applications.
[0061] To identify the separation of, and distinguish between, the
programming and hardware components subject to control by the
managed service provider and those subject to control by the user
premises, FIG. 2 identifies a dividing line across the logical
elements of the UNA-DA, and a corresponding dividing line across
hardware components, referred to as the Applications Service
Provider Demarcation. The Applications Service Provider Demarcation
is flexible in that it may extend logically through the Application
Services Interface (and, in a hardware context, through the Network
Interface) to other devices that are under the logical control of
the Application Services Provider Managed Applications and
Platform, given that "services" are not restricted to a specific
hardware boundary.
[0062] There is no hard requirement for cross management between
the UNDA-DA and the NSP-TA. Under this first scenario the user is
responsible for making the configuration changes in the specific
user controlled logic modules in order to get the two devices to
Communicate with each other. Optionally the two sub-systems can be
combined together, either physically in one hardware device, or
logically as two separate hardware devices, but having one user
managed interface.
[0063] The two hardware regimes described above (NSP-TA and the
UNA-DA) may be combined into one managed hardware platform and,
thereby, replace the need for the user to have access to the User
Premises Network Interface with the logic residing in the Platform
Management logic module of the Application Service Provider Managed
Applications and Platform (compare to above-discussed FIG. 12).
This would in effect replace the "user" access with a managed
"machine" access, for aspects of the NSP-TA, as well as aspects of
the application services offered through the UNA-DA. Thus, the
combination creates an integral gateway device providing both
network service and application services, under centralized
management. Although integrated, network interconnect functions of
the NSP-TA may still be managed by the network service provider, as
in the example of FIG. 2. Those skilled in the art will readily see
additional combinations and configurations for the hardware
comprising the NSP-TA and the UNA-DA. For example, in a further
embodiment, all the hardware dedicated to the Network Service
Provider Interface may reside and be integral with the hardware
comprising the UNA-DA. Thus, the hardware for the WAN interface may
reside on the UNA-DA.
[0064] It may be helpful now to consider more detailed examples of
the gateway device-service management center network.
[0065] Gateway Device and Service Management Center
Elements--Overview
[0066] Those skilled in the art will recognize that functions of
the service management center, which reside in the Application
Service Management node on the Service Provider Network, as
depicted in FIG. 1, may be implemented in a variety of different
ways, on one or more computer hardware platforms connected to the
gateway devices via a wide area network. FIG. 3 depicts an example
wherein the implementation is on Internet or other wide area IP
network 99. The example uses a distributed processing approach, in
which the elements/platforms implementing the service management
center are interconnected for communication and for wide area
communication, and in this way, those elements form a network 50
for implementing the service management center.
[0067] As shown in FIG. 3, the service management center network,
through the logical capabilities earlier depicted in FIG. 1 as the
ASM module of the ASD Platform at the AS Layer, manages application
services for a number of gateway devices 10, 10.sub.1 . . .
10.sub.n located at various users' premises. These application
services, shown as ASL and ASE in FIG. 1, implement their
functionality within the Application Services Layer (FIG. 1),
through programming that at least in part, within, the Application
Service Provider Managed Applications and Platform of the UNA-DA
(FIG. 2). As shown in FIG. 3, secure connectivity to the service
management center network 50 is provided, in one embodiment, via a
WAN Termination interface, such as Ethernet WAN 53 over a broadband
connection via the public Internet 99, or, for example, via a
wireless EvDO (Evolution Data Optimized) Internet data interface
embodied as a PCMCIA (personal computer memory) wireless card 56.
When the WAN Termination interface 53 is used, for example, it may
provide connectivity to a broadband modem serving as the NSP-TA of
FIG. 2, either as a separate unit or on a board included within the
gateway device 10. If the wireless WAN interface is used, there may
be no physical NSP-TA device, and the logic of the gateway device
would implement functions of the NSP-TA as well.
[0068] As will be described in greater detail herein below, the
service management center 50 generally provides a communications
and processing infrastructure for supporting the variety of
application services and related communications residing at the
gateway devices 10, 10.sub.1 . . . 10.sub.n. In an exemplary
embodiment, this infrastructure may be configured to provide a
secure environment and may be IP-based. Preferably, this support
architecture is designed for high availability, redundancy, and
cost-effective scaling.
[0069] The secure platform for building and providing multiple
application services for digital endpoints associated with a
gateway device requires connectivity between the gateway device 10
and each of a user's devices (referred interchangeably herein as
"endpoint devices" or "digital endpoint devices"). This
connectivity may be provided by implementation of one or more USB
ports (interfaces) 13, a wired Local Area Network connection such
as provided by an Ethernet local area network (LAN) interface 16,
or, a wireless network interface via a WiFi LAN access point 62
provided, for example, in accordance with the I.E.E.E. 802.11b/g/n
wireless or wireless network communications standard. These
physical interfaces provide the required network interconnectivity
for the endpoint devices to connect to the multiple application
services. Although not shown in FIG. 3, this connectivity between
digital endpoint devices and the gateway device may be accomplished
by other means, including, by way of example, through of a virtual
private area network connection accessed through a WAN
interface.
[0070] That is, the gateway device 10 interfaces with digital
endpoint devices including, but not limited to: a home automation
networking device 20 (e.g. X10, Z-Wave or ZigBee) for wired or
wireless home network automation and control of networked home
devices such as a switch controller 22, sensor devices 23,
automatically controlled window blinds 24, a controlled lighting or
lamp unit 25 etc, individual or wired or wireless network of
personal computing (PC) and laptop/mobile devices 30a, . . . ,30c
that serve as file sources, control points and hosts for various
other client endpoints, one or more television display devices 32
including associated set top boxes (STB) 35a or digital media
adapters (DMA) 35b, one or more VoIP phone devices (e.g. SIP
phones) 40, or other devices (not shown) that convert IP interfaces
to PSTN FXO and FXS interfaces.
[0071] As noted earlier, the gateway device 10 may provide an
interface 35b to the Digital Media Adapter (DMA) for television
(TV) 32, which enables bidirectional wireline or wireless
communication. This interface supports several functions for
multiple services including, but not limited to: media (e.g., video
and music) by enabling the transfer of media (e.g., video and
music) to the TV; voice services, by providing for Called Line ID
and for voice mail control; and provide Home Automation Services
including status and control of networked home automation devices.
The DMA element 35b converts audio and video (optionally) to a
format suitable for a TV. In addition, the Digital Media Adapter
35b may be capable of receiving context-sensitive commands from a
remote control device (not shown) and forwarding those commands to
the gateway device 10. This enables the use of menus on the TV 32
for controlling application services and various features functions
thereof, as offered by the gateway device 10. For example, the
Media Adapter/TV combination is able to provide the following
features including, but not limited to: display of media; media
control functions, when enabled (FF, REW, STOP, PAUSE, etc);
display of Calling Line Identification (CLID); control of
voicemail; picture viewing; control of home automation; and user
functions for the gateway device 10.
[0072] A Set Top Box 35a as shown in FIG. 3 also may handle media
format conversion (for example NTSC to ATSC television RF signals),
digital decryption and other DRM (digital rights management)
functions, and Video On Demand Purchases, etc. The Set Top Box/TV
combination may thus enable, by way of example: Media format
conversion (for example NTSC to ATSC); decryption; other DRM
functions (such as expiry of leases), prohibition of copying to
digital outputs, function restriction, etc.; Video On Demand
Purchases; and media control functions (e.g., FF, REW, STOP, PAUSE,
etc.). Whether provided by the DMA interface 35b and the TV 32 or
by the set top box 35a and the TV 32, the communications to and
from the TV provide a user interface for interaction with the
gateway device 10. The programming of the gateway device supports,
among other things, a graphical user interface (GUI) via the TV,
sometimes referred to as the "ten-foot" interface.
[0073] With respect to PCs interfacing with the gateway device 10,
PCs may serve as, among other things, file sources, control points
and hosts for various software clients. Thus, the PC programming
may work in conjunction with the ASL and ASE programming of the
gateway device. Together, the PC programming and the ASL and ASE
programming provide a more comprehensive and robust user
experience. The gateway device 10 may further provide a
bidirectional wireline or wireless interface 35c to a PC device 306
for supporting the transfer of media (e.g., video and music) to the
computer for storage and viewing; for supporting voice services,
e.g., by providing for calls from SIP soft clients; for file
sharing, file back-up and home storage and home automation control
functions. The access point 62 offers wireless data communications
with a PC 30c. The gateway device interface through any PC may
provide for the bidirectional moving of files, and status and
control for the endpoint devices, including for example, status and
control of networked home automation devices. In addition, using
the PC interface, users may, for example, share files on the
gateway devices, back-up or transfer files to the gateway devices
or other storage; access personal page for notifications, RSS,
shared photos, voicemail, etc. In addition to the IM and SIP
capabilities of the gateway device, as described more below, PCs
may also serve as a host for IM and SIP soft phone clients and
other client devices. The client-server interaction of the PC with
the application service logic of the gateway device 10 offers an
alternative GUI for at least some of the services. The PC based GUI
is sometimes referred to as the "two-foot" interface.
[0074] Although not shown in FIG. 3, other digital endpoint devices
for which connectivity may be established with the gateway device
10 include, but are not limited to: personal music or media
players, hi-fi audio equipment with media streaming capability,
game stations, Internet radio devices, WiFi phones, WiFi or other
wirelessly enabled digital cameras, facsimile machines, electronic
picture frames, health monitors (sensor and monitoring devices),
etc.
[0075] As described in greater detail herein, the gateway device 10
includes both a hardware and software infrastructure that enables a
bridging of the WAN and LAN networks, e.g. a proxy function, such
that control of any digital endpoint device at the premises from
the same or remote location is possible via the gateway device 10
using, optionally, a secure peer and presence type messaging
infrastructure or other communications protocols, e.g., HTTPS. For
example, via any IM-capable device or client 80a, 80b respectively
connected with an Instant Messaging (IM) or XMPP (Extensible
Messaging and Presence Protocol) network messaging infrastructure,
e.g. IM networks 99a, 99b such as provided by Yahoo, Microsoft
(MSN), Skype, America Online, ICQ, and the like, shown for purposes
of illustration in FIG. 3, a user may access any type of
functionality at a subordinate digital endpoint device at the
premises via the gateway device 10 and service management center 50
by simple use of peer and presence messaging protocols. In one
exemplary embodiment, a peer and presence communications protocol
may be used such as Jabber and/or XMPP. Particularly, Jabber is a
set of streaming XML protocols and technologies that enable any two
entities on the Internet to exchange messages, presence, and other
structured information in close to real time. The Internet
Engineering Task Force (IETF) has formalized the core XML streaming
protocols as an approved instant messaging and presence technology
under the name of XMPP (Extensible Messaging and Presence
Protocol), the XMPP specifications of which are incorporated by
reference herein as IETF RFC 3920 and RFC 3921. Thus, the gateway
device is provided with functionality for enabling a user to
remotely tap into and initiate functionality of a digital endpoint
device or application at the premises via the IM-based messaging
framework. In addition, the gateway device 10 and network
connectivity to the novel service management center 50, provides,
in a preferred embodiment, a secure peer and presence messaging
framework, enabling real-time communications among peers via other
gateway devices 10.sub.1 . . . 10.sub.n. For instance, the device
10 provides the ability to construct communication paths between
peers with formal communications exchanges available between, for
example, one gateway device 101 at a first premises and a second
gateway device 10.sub.n located at the remote premises. Thus, such
an infrastructure provides for content addressing, enabling peers
through remote gateway devices 10.sub.1 . . . 10.sub.n to supply
and request content such as files, media content or other resources
of interest to a community of interest.
[0076] As noted above, the novel system architecture allocates the
logical functionality of the ASD Platform (FIG. 1) between the
gateway device 10 and the service management center 50 within an
environment that enables communication and feedback at the AS Layer
(FIG. 1) between the gateway device 10 and service management
center 50. Thus, the gateway device 10, when operable with the
service management center 50, makes possible the management of
services for the digital home and facilitates the easy addition of
new services or modification of existing services. Such services
may include, for example, facility management (home automation),
media content downloading and Digital Rights Management (DRM),
device updates, data backups, file sharing, media downloading and
transmission, etc., without the intermediary of a plurality of
external service providers who may typically provide these
individual services for every digital endpoint device in the home
or premises. The programming for these services resides in the
Application Service Provider Managed Applications and Platform of
the UNA-DA (FIG. 2). That is, as earlier shown, the gateway device
10 is integrated with hardware and software modules and respective
interfaces that handle all aspects of home automation and digital
endpoint service and management for the home in a manner without
having to rely on external service providers and, in a manner that
is essentially seamless to the user. This, advantageously is
provided by the service management center 50 which is able to
access regions of the gateway device 10 that are not accessible to
the user, e.g. for controlling the transport and storing of digital
content and downloading and enabling service applications and
upgrades and providing largely invisible support for many tasks
performed by users.
[0077] For example, with the robust capabilities of the Application
Service Provider Managed Applications and Platform (FIG. 2), the
gateway device 10 is capable of handling all aspects of the digital
home communications, e.g. IP, voice, VoIP, phone connectivity. In
this example, the service logic located and stored at the gateway
device 10 may provide soft-switch functionality for implementing
call-processing features at the premises (rather than the network)
for voice communications, and enabling management of other service
features to be described. With the provision of central office type
call services and other service features provided at the gateway
devices 10.sub.1 . . . 10.sub.n, a distributed soft-switch
architecture is built. The ASM logical functionality of the service
management center 50, in cooperation with the ASE logical
functionality of the gateway device, may, among other things,
provide, manage and regulate, for example, service
subscription/registration, authentication/verification, key
management, and billing aspects of service provision, etc. With all
of the service logic and intelligence residing at the gateway
device a service provider can offer customers a broad spectrum of
services including, but not limited to: media services, voice
services, e.g. VoIP, automated file backup services, file sharing,
digital photo management and sharing, gaming, parental controls,
home networking, and other features and functions within the home
or premises (e.g. home monitoring and control). Users can access
their content and many of the solution's features remotely.
Moreover, software updates for the in-home devices that require
updating are handled in an automated fashion by the system
infrastructure. The service management center infrastructure
additionally provides a web interface for third-party service
providers to round out the service solutions provided at the
gateway device for the premises. For example, a third-party service
provider other than the managed service provider associated with
the service management center may be allowed access through the
infrastructure to particular endpoint devices to provide additional
services such trouble shooting, repair and update services.
[0078] Gateway Device Software and Hardware Architecture
[0079] The composition of the premises gateway device 10, earlier
described with reference to FIG. 2, is now described in greater
detail with reference to FIGS. 4A-4D. As shown in FIG. 4A, the
gateway device 10 utilizes a layered architecture 100, which
enables the encapsulation of similar functionality and the
minimization of dependencies between functions in different layers.
FIGS. 4B and 4C depict exemplary functionality (hardware and
logical) resident in, or corresponding to, each of the layers shown
in FIG. 4A. The layers include a hardware layer 102, and device
driver software 104 for allowing the processor to operate other
hardware elements of the gateway device 10. FIG. 4D is a functional
block diagram illustrating interconnection of exemplary elements of
the hardware layer 102. The logical elements of the NI Layer
residing on the gateway device 10 (FIG. 3) are found in the
Hardware Drivers 104 which govern the operation of the Hardware
Components 102. The processor runs an operating system shown at
layer 106, which plays a role in each of the NI, NF, AS and
Platform Management Layers (FIG. 1). The layered architecture 100
also includes software for systems services 108 and for the
platform management layer shown at 110 in this drawing. Logical
elements represented by the NF Layer depicted in FIG. 1 are
comprised of elements from the system services 108 of FIG. 3. In a
similar fashion, the Platform Management Layer depicted in FIG. 1
is implemented in the exemplary architecture of FIGS. 4A-4D by the
platform modules 109 and the platform management layer 110.
[0080] Particular logical elements comprising the ASL and ASE
functionalities of the AS Layer represented in FIG. 1, and that
reside on the gateway device 10 (predominately in the Application
Service Provider Managed Applications and Platform of the UNA-DA
shown in FIG. 2) are depicted, in FIG. 4C, and comprise logical
elements from each of services framework 120 and application
services 130. The layered architecture in FIG. 4C facilitates reuse
or sharing of logic across the layers to provide a managed service
framework 120. The service management functionality provided by the
framework 120 enables deployment of new services as pluggable
modules comprising computer readable instructions, data structures,
program modules, objects, and other configuration data, in a plug
and play fashion. The layered service architecture 100 additionally
provides the gateway device 10 with intra-process communication and
inter-process communication amongst the many services and modules
in the service framework layer 120 that enables the provisioning,
management and execution of many applications and services 130,
depicted e.g. services A, B . . . N at the gateway device 10.
Additionally provided are the application service interfaces 140
that enable communications from user endpoint devices with service
environments. In that regard, the interfaces 140 enable the
application service logic 130 to act as an appropriate server with
respect to client device application or service functionality of
the endpoint devices. The application service interfaces 140 also
enable corresponding interfaces for the application services with
aspects of service environments implemented outside the user
premises. In that regard, the interfaces 140 enable the application
service logic 130 to act as an appropriate client, for extending
the application or service related communications to a server
accessed via the wide area network 99, such as a server of the
service management center 50. For example, the gateway device may
appear as a SIP server to a SIP client in an end point device, e.g.
for a VoIP telephone service; but the gateway device will appear as
a SIP client with respect to some related functions provided by a
server (such as a SIP directory server) provided by the service
management center 50.
[0081] FIG. 4A thus depicts a high level service framework upon
which are built services, e.g. downloaded via the service
management center network 50 and wide area network 99 as packages
that are developed and offered by a service entity for customers.
These services may be offered as a part of a default service
package provisioned and configured at the gateway device 10, or
provisioned and configured subject to user subscription and may be
added time as plug-in service modules in cooperation with the
service management center 50. It is understood however, that while
the gateway device 10 includes much of the intelligence or service
logic for providing various services, it is also possible that for
some services, some or all of service logic may reside in the
service management center network and/or with a third party
provider.
[0082] As shown in more detail in FIGS. 4B and 4D, the base support
layer 102 comprises hardware components including a processor
device 152, e.g. a system on chip central processing unit ("CPU")
that includes processing elements, digital signal processor
resources and memory. The CPU 152 is also coupled to a random
access memory ("RAM") and additionally, non-volatile hard
drive/disk magnetic and/or optical disk memory storage 154.
Generally, the above-identified computer readable media provide
non-volatile storage of computer readable instructions, data
structures, program modules, objects, service configuration data
and other data for use by the gateway device. The non-volatile hard
drive/disk magnetic and/or optical disk memory storage 154 may be
partitioned into a network side which is the repository for storing
all of the service logic and data associated with executing
services subscribed to by the user, and, is invisible to the user,
and, a user side for storing user generated content and
applications in which the user has visibility. Although not shown,
the CPU 152 may be coupled to a microcontroller for controlling a
display device.
[0083] Additional hardware components include one or more Ethernet
LAN and WAN interface cards 155, 156 (e.g. 802.11, T1, T3, 56 kb,
X.25, DSL or xDSL) which may include broadband connections (e.g.
ISDN, Frame Relay, ATM, Gigabit Ethernet, Ethernet over SONET,
etc.), wireless connections, or some combination of any or all of
the above. The card 155 referred to as the LAN interface card
provides data communication connectivity within the user premises,
essentially, for communication via a user premises network 60 with
any endpoint devices operating within the premises. The card 156
referred to as the WAN interface card provides data communication
connectivity for the gateway device 10 and endpoint devices
communicating through the device 10, with the wide area IP network
99. For additional or alternative customer premises communications,
the hardware components 102 may also include one or more USB
interfaces 158; and for additional or alternative communications
with the wide area network, the hardware components may also
include the PCMCIA EvDO interface card 160.
[0084] A data encryption/decryption unit 162 is additionally
provided as part of the architecture for providing data security
features. A watchdog timer element or like timer reset element 164
is provided as is one or more LED devices 166 for indicating status
and other usable information to users of the gateway device 10.
[0085] As mentioned above, the gateway device provides an
in-premises footprint enabling the service connectivity and local
management to client(s). The implementation of functions and the
related control such as a router (with quality of service (QoS)),
firewall, VoIP gateway, voice services and voice mail may be
embodied and performed within the CPU 152.
[0086] The discussion of the gateway hardware layer above and the
illustration thereof in the drawings provides a high-level
functional disclosure of an example of the hardware that may be
used in the gateway device. Those skilled in the art will recognize
that the gateway device may utilize other hardware platforms or
configurations. Continuing, as shown in FIG. 4B, the device driver
layer 104 comprises a multitude of driver interfaces including but
not limited to: a PCMCIA driver 104a, for enabling low level
communication between the gateway CPU 152 and the PCMCIA network
interface card wireless interface, an IDE driver 104b for enabling
low level communication between the gateway CPU 152 and the local
mass memory storage element, and LAN/WAN drivers 104c for enabling
low level communication between the gateway CPU 152 and the
respective network interface cards 155 and 156. The exemplary
driver layer also includes an LED driver/controller 104d for
driving LED(s) 166, a USB driver 104e allowing CPU 152 to
communicate via USB interface 158, and an 802.11b/g (or n) wireless
network driver 104f for allowing the CPU 152 to communicate via the
access point 62. The drivers provide the logical connectivity
between the low level hardware devices 102 and the operating system
106 which controls the execution of computer programs and provides
scheduling, input-output control, file and data management, memory
management, and communication control and related services for the
gateway device. With respect to the operating system 106, the
gateway computing may support any embedded operating system, any
real-time operating system, any open source operating system, any
proprietary operating system, or even any operating systems for
mobile computing devices as long as the operational needs of the
client discussed herein below can be met. Exemplary operating
systems that may be employed include Windows.RTM., Macintosh.RTM.,
Linux or UNIX or even an embedded Linux operating system. For
instance, the gateway device 10 may be advantageously provided with
an embedded operating system 106 that provides operating system
functions such as multiple threads, first-in first-out or round
robin scheduling, semaphores, mutexes, condition variables, message
queues, etc.
[0087] Built upon the system operating system 106 is a system
services support layer 108 providing both client-like and
server-like functions that enable a wide range of functionality for
the types of services capable of being managed by the gateway
device 10. For instance, there is provided a Dynamic Host
Configuration Protocol (DHCP) client and server software modules.
The DHCP client particularly requests via a UDP/IP (User Datagram
Protocol/Internet Protocol (e.g. Ipv4, Ipv6, etc.) configured
connection information such as the IP address that the gateway
device 10 has been dynamically assigned by a DHCP service (not
shown), and/or any the subnet mask information, the gateway device
should be using. The DHCP server dynamically assigns or allocates
network IP addresses to subordinate client endpoints on a leased,
e.g. timed basis. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) client may
communicate via a proxy server in the service control network 50,
according to a VPN protocol or some other tunneling or
encapsulation protocol. An SMPT client handles incoming/outgoing
email over TCP, in accordance with the Simple Mail Transfer
protocol. A Network Time Protocol (NTP) (RFC 1305) generates and
correlates timestamps for network events and generally provides
time synchronization and distribution for the Internet. A Domain
Name Server (DNS) client and server combination are used by the IP
stack to resolve fully-qualified host or symbolic names, i.e.
mapping host names to IP addresses.
[0088] An HTTP(S) server handles secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol
(HTTP) (Secure Sockets Layer) communications and provides a set of
rules for exchanges between a browser client and a server over TCP.
It provides for the transfer of information such as hypertext and
hypermedia, and for the recognition of file types. HTTP provides
stateless transactions between the client and server.
[0089] A Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) client and server
combination governs the ability for file transfer over TCP. A SAMBA
server is an open source program providing Common Internet Files
Services (CIFS) including, but not limited to file and print
services, authentication and authorization, name resolution, and
service announcement (browsing). An EvDO/PPP driver includes a
Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) daemon configuration for wireless
broadband services. A PPPoE (Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet)
client combines the Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP), commonly used in
dialup connections, with the Ethernet protocol; and it supports and
provides authentication and management of multiple broadband
subscribers in a local area network without any special support
required from either the telephone company or an Internet service
provider (ISP). The gateway device 10 is thus adapted for
connecting multiple computer users on an Ethernet local area
network to a remote site through the gateway and can be used to
enable all users of an office or home to share a common Digital
Subscriber Line (DSL), cable modem, or wireless connection to the
Internet. A Secure Shell or SSH server implemented with HTTP
protocol provides network protocol functionality adapted for
establishing a secure channel between a local and a remote computer
and encrypts traffic between secure devices by using public-key
cryptography to authenticate the remote computer and (optionally)
to allow the remote computer to authenticate the user.
[0090] Additionally provided as part of the system services layer
108 is intelligent routing capability provided by an intelligent
router device 185 that provides Quality of Service (QoS, guaranteed
bandwidth) intelligent routing services, for example, by enforcing
routing protocol rules and supporting unlimited multiple input
sources and unlimited multiple destinations and, particularly, for
routing communications to networked digital endpoint devices
subordinate to the gateway. A central database server 183 handles
all of the database aspects of the system. For example, the
database server 183 maintains and updates registries and status of
connected digital endpoint devices, maintains and updates service
configuration data, services specific data (e.g. indexes of
backed-up files, other service specific indexes, metadata related
to media services, etc.) and firmware configurations for the
devices. The database server 183 may also store billing and
transaction detail records and performance diagnostics. The
database server logic 183 also satisfies all other database storage
needs as will be described in greater detail herein.
[0091] Referring back to FIGS. 4A and 4B, built on top of the
system services layer 108 is the platform module layer 109. The
platform module layer 109 provides a software framework for
operating system and communications level platform functionality
such as CPU management; Timer management; memory management
functions; a firewall; a web wall for providing seamless WWW access
over visual displays via access technologies enumerated herein,
e.g. HTTP, SMS (Short Messaging Service) and WAP (Wireless Access
Protocol); QoS management features, bandwidth management features,
and, hard disk drive management features. The layered architecture
100 further provides a platform management layer 110 as shown in
FIG. 4C, which together with the platform modules 109 implement the
platform management layer/logic discussed earlier (with regard to
FIG. 1).
[0092] The features/functions in the layer 110 include a platform
manager module which will implement unique rules based notification
services. On operational failure, for example, when one of the
components or services fails, the platform manager would detect
this failure and take appropriate action such as implement a
sequence of rules to provide notification to a user. A scheduler
module manages scheduled device maintenance, managing scheduled
services, e.g. back-up services, etc. The layer 110 also includes a
diagnostics module and a firmware upgrades management module for
managing firmware upgrades. A resource management module manages
system resources and digital contention amongst the various
resources, e.g. CPU/Bandwidth utilization, etc. A display
management module and a logger management module store and track
gateway log-in activity of users and applications, e.g. voice call
logs, at the user premises. The platform management layer 110 in
concert with resource and service management components enforces
the separation of network side managed service control and user
side delegations depending upon service subscriptions and
configurations. For example, the platform and resource management
encompass rules and guidelines provided according to subscribed
services that act to enforce, manage and control input/output
operations, and use of hard drives space etc. A demarcation point,
logically depicted as the Application Service Provider Demarcation
in FIG. 2, is thus defined that provides a hard line between what
is owned by the customer and what is owned by the service
provider.
[0093] The logical platform management layer 110 allows for
inter-layer allocation of local resources. This function guarantees
access between the application service/management logic implemented
at the higher layers in the gateway device 10 and the applications
service management function in the service management center 50, by
assuring that the local user premises hardware and software modules
are functioning at a required state (CPU and memory usage,
bandwidth usage, QoS settings, etc.). The platform manager is also
responsible for implementing that part of the managed application
services to be performed by the gateway device. In that regard, the
platform manager secures and manages the overall hardware platform,
given that in this scenario, the network function layer and the
application service layer reside on one hardware platform. This
secure hardware platform provides a robust and secure operating
environment for the application services layer. So, to establish a
secure and robust hardware operating environment, the platform
management layer must interface with all the layers above it and
allow for bi-directional management information flow among all of
the functions.
[0094] Referring back to FIGS. 4A and 4C, built on top of the
platform management layer 110 is the Services Framework 120, which
provides a library of application support service processes that
facilitate data collection and data distribution to and from the
multimedia endpoint devices. The application support service
processes include, but are not limited to: an authentication
manager for use in authenticating devices connected to the gateway
device; a billing manager for collecting and formatting service
records and service usage by endpoint devices, e.g. calls, back-up
services etc.; a fault manager for detecting and managing
determined system and/or service faults that are monitored and used
for performance monitoring and diagnostics; a database manager; a
control channel interface via which the gateway initiates secure
communications with the operations support infrastructure; a
configuration manager for tracking and maintaining device
configuration; a user manager; a service manager for managing
service configuration and firmware versions for subscribed services
provided at the gateway device; and a statistics manager for
collecting and formatting features associated with the gateway
device. Statistics may relate to use of one or more services and
associated time-stamped events that are tracked.
[0095] Built on top of the Services Framework layer 120 is the
Application Services layer 130 providing library of user
application services and application support threads including, but
not limited to: file sharing functionality; backup services
functionality; home storage functionality; network device
management functionality; photo editing functionality; home
automation functionality; media services functionality; call
processing functionality; voice mail and interactive voice response
functionality; presence and networking functionality; parental
control functionality; and intelligent ads management
functionality. The multi-services applications gateway 10 further
provides application service interfaces 140 that are used to enable
a variety of user applications and communications modalities.
[0096] For instance, the SIP Interface 141 is an interface to the
generic transactional model defined by the Session Initiation
Protocol (SIP) that provides a standard for initiating, modifying
or terminating interactive user sessions that involve one or more
multimedia elements that can include voice, video, instant
messaging, online games, etc., by providing access to dialog
functionality from the transaction interface. For instance a SIP
signaling interface enables connection to a SIP network that is
served by a SIP directory server via a Session Border Controller
element in the service management center 50 (FIG. 3).
[0097] The Web Interface 142 enables HTTP interactions (requests
and responses) between two applications. The Web services interface
149 provides the access interface and manages authentication as
multi-services gateway devices access the service management center
50 (FIG. 3) via web services. The IM Interface 144 is a client that
enables the multi-services gateway device 10 to connect to one or
more specific IM network(s). As further shown in FIG. 4C, the UpNp
(Universal Plug and Play) interface enables connectivity to other
stand-alone devices and PCs from many different vendors.
[0098] The XMPP interface 145 is provided to implement the protocol
for streaming (XML) elements via the gateway device 10, in order to
exchange messages and presence information in close to real time,
e.g. between two gateway devices. The core features of XMPP provide
the building blocks for many types of near-real-time applications,
which may be layered as application services on top of the base
TCP/IP transport protocol layers by sending application-specific
data qualified by particular XML namespaces. In the example, the
XMPP interface 145 provides the basic functionality expected of an
instant messaging (IM) and presence application that enable users
to perform the following functions including, but not limited to:
1) Exchange messages with other users; 2) Exchange presence
information with other devices; 3) Manage subscriptions to and from
other users; 4) Manage items in a contact list (in XMPP this is
called a "roster"); and 5) Block communications to or from specific
other users by assigning and enforcing privileges to communicate
and send or share content amongst users (buddies) and other
devices.
[0099] As noted, FIG. 4D provides a functional block diagram of
exemplary elements of the hardware layer 102. For example, a system
on a chip provides the CPU 152 and associated system components.
The CPU 152 is also coupled to a random access memory ("RAM") and
flash memory. The system on a chip also includes a hard drive
controller controlling a hard disk drive, and together the
controller and drive form the hard disk example of the storage 154.
An Ethernet switch and associated LAN port(s) provide the Ethernet
LAN interface 155; and the Ethernet switch and associated WAN port
provide a landline implementation of the WAN interface 156L, for
connection to a broadband modem or the like implementing the
NSP-TA. The WAN interface may also be wireless, as implemented at
156w for example by a wireless WAN module and associated antenna.
An example of such an interface would be the EvDO interface
discussed earlier. If the gateway device uses the wireless WAN
interface 156w, there would be no separate NSP-TA.
[0100] In the example of FIG. 4D, a USB controller in the system on
a chip and one or more associated USB ports provide the USB
interface 158. The USB interface 158 may provide an alternate
in-premises data communication link instead of or in addition to
the wired or wireless Ethernet LAN communications. The system on a
chip includes a security engine, which performs the functions of
the data encryption/decryption unit 162.
[0101] The hardware layer 102 may also include an option module.
The UNA-DA hardware components at layer 102 have multiple
interfaces for connection to such an option module. These
interfaces, by way of example, could be a data bus (e.g. PCI, etc),
network interface (e.g. Ethernet (RJ45), MoCA/HPNA (Coax)) and
Power feeds. The option module allows additional functionality to
be added to the base UNA-DA functionality of the gateway device.
For example, this additional functionality could be everything from
support for a variety of extra Wide Area Network Interfaces (e.g.
xDSL, DOCSIS, Fiber (PON), Cellular Packet, WIMAX, etc.), Media
Processing (e.g. Cable TV termination, Digital Video Recording,
Satellite TV Termination, etc), to Voice Processing (FXS, FXO,
Speech Detection, Voice to Text, etc). The option module may have
its own standalone CPU, Memory, I/O, Storage, or provide additional
functionality by its use of the CPU, Memory, I/O, and storage
facilities off of the main hardware board. The option module may or
may not be managed directly by the Platform Management of the
UNA-DA.
[0102] Gateway Processing
[0103] For the in-home services, the multi-services gateway device
10 connects the various service delivery elements together for
enabling the user to experience a connected digital home, where
information from one source (for example, voicemail) can be viewed
and acted on at another endpoint (for example, the TV 32). The
multi-services gateway device 10 thus hosts the various in-home
device interfaces, and facilitates the moving of information from
one point to another. Some of the in-home endpoint device
processing duties performed by the gateway device 10 include, but
are not limited to: 1) detecting new devices and provide IP
addresses dynamically or statically; 2) functioning as a (Network
Address Translator) NAT, Router and Firewall; 3) providing a
centralized disk storage in the home; 4) obtaining configuration
files from the service management center and configuring all
in-home devices; 5) acting as a Registrar for SIP-based devices; 6)
receiving calls from and delivering calls to voice devices;
providing voicemail services; 7) decrypting and securely streaming
media having digital rights management (DRM) encoding; 8)
distributing media to an appropriate in-home device; 9) compressing
and encrypting files for network back-up; 10) backing-up files to
the network directly from gateway device; 11) handling home
automation schedules and changes in status; 12) providing in-home
personal web-based portals for each user; 13) providing Parental
Control Services (e.g. URL filtering, etc.); 14) creating and
transmitting billing records of in-home devices including,
recording and uploading multi-service billing event records; 15)
distributing a PC client to PCs in the home, used in support of the
various services such as monitoring events or diagnostic agents;
16) storing and presenting games that users and buddies can play;
17) delivering context-sensitive advertising to the endpoint
device; and, 18) delivering notifications to the endpoint device;
and, 19) enabling remote access through the web, IM client, etc.
Other duties the gateway device 10 may perform include: service
maintenance features such as setting and reporting of alarms and
statistics for aggregation; perform accessibility testing; notify a
registration server (and Location server) of the ports it is
"listening" on; utilize IM or like peer and presence communications
protocol information for call processing and file sharing services;
receive provisioning information via the registration server;
utilize a SIP directory server to make/receive calls via the SBC
network element to/from the PSTN and other gateway device devices;
and download DRM and non-DRM based content and facilitating the DRM
key exchanges with media endpoints.
[0104] Logical Architecture and Service Management Center
Network
[0105] While the gateway devices 10 as described above are each
equipped with various logic and intelligence for features that
enable the gateway devices to provide various integrated digital
services to the premises, as described herein with respect to FIG.
3, the network-based elements of the service management center 50
supports and manages multi-services gateway devices, for instance,
so as to control the accessibility to functionalities and service
features provisioned in the gateway devices and the ability to
communicate with other gateway devices and various digital endpoint
devices connected thereto. These elements that support and manage
the gateway devices 10 comprise the ASM module described above with
reference to FIG. 1. These ASM elements may, for example, provide
the necessary data to the ASE and ASL modules so that they may
carry out their respective functions, oversee the overall
integration and communication among all the modules and the
services that are managed by the ASM, manages the overall security
and integrity of the ASD, and maintains alarm, statistical,
subscription and provisioning data, and data necessary for the
integration of services from third-party service providers, e.g.,
media content aggregators.
[0106] Examples of various ASM functionalities performed at the
service management center 50, from the Service Provider Network
regime, include but are not limited to: service initialization of
the gateway devices, providing security for the gateway devices and
the network support infrastructure, enabling real time secure
access and control to and from the gateway devices, distributing
updates and new service options to the gateway devices, providing
service access to and from the gateway devices and remote access to
the gateway devices, but not limited to such. In support of these
services, the service management center 50 provides the following
additional services and features: authentication; multi-service
registration; subscription control; service authorization; alarm
management; remote diagnostic support; billing collection and
management; web services access; remote access to gateway devices
(e.g. via SIP or Internet/web based communications); reachability
to access challenged gateway devices; software updates; service
data distribution; location service for all services; SIP VoIP
service; media services; backup services; sharing services;
provisioning; gateway interfaces to other service providers
(Northbound and peering); load balancing; privacy; security; and
network protection.
[0107] The logical network architecture for the service management
center network delivering these capabilities is illustrated in FIG.
5. It should be understood that the functional components described
in view of FIG. 5 may be combined and need not be running on
discrete platforms or servers. Rather one server or component may
provide all the service management center functionalities for
providing managed network of gateway devices 10. In addition, any
one of the components shown in FIG. 5 may perform any one of the
functionalities described herein. Thus, the description in the
present disclosure associating certain functions with certain
components are provided for ease of explanation only; and the
description is not meant to limit the functionalities as being
performed by those components only. Thus, the network elements or
components shown in FIG. 5 illustrate logical architecture only,
and the present teachings do not require the specific components
shown to perform specific functionalities described. Moreover, the
functional components may use distributed processing to achieve a
high availability and redundancy capacity.
[0108] The one or more network elements of center 50 illustrated in
FIG. 5 support the gateway devices 10 that are services points of
presence in the user premises such as users homes, and the various
endpoint devices connected thereto. Examples of functionalities
provided in the service management center network 50 are discussed
below. Upgrades to gateway device firmware and various endpoint
devices may be managed in the service management center network 50,
for example, by a firmware updater server 51. VOD (video on demand)
functionalities, for example, serviced by VOD servers (VODs) 52,
ingest wholesale multi-media content and provide DRM-based premium
content to the multi-services gateway device and endpoint devices.
The service management center network 50 also may enforce DRM
(Digital Rights Management) policies, for example, by a conditional
access (CA) server 54, which provides key-based access and
initiating billing processes. The service management center network
50 may also provide functionalities such as collecting billing
information and processing billing events, which for instance may
be handled by billing aggregator sub-system 58. The service
management center network 50, for example, using one or more
connection manager servers 60, may establish and maintain a
signaling control channel with each active multi-service gateway
device 10. For message routing functionality of the service
management center network 50, for example, one or more message
router devices 62, may provide intelligent message touting service
for the network 50 and maintain gateway device presence and
registration status in an internal session manager sub-system of
the service management center 50. Publish and subscribe,
functionality of the service management center network 50, for
example, a Publish/Subscribe (Pub/Sub) server sub-system 65, may
provide publish and subscribe messaging services or the
multi-services gateway devices 10 and the elements service
management center network 50.
[0109] The service management center network 50 may provide
SIP-based directory services for voice and other multimedia
services, for example, via its SIP Directory Server 66. In
addition, location service functionality, for example, provided by
the Location Server 68, may include IP and Port level services for
all inbound services. As discussed more later, the location server
68 maintains information as to accessibility of authenticated
gateway devices 10, for enabling peer to peer communications among
gateway devices 10 via the wide area IP network 99. DNS services
functionality may be provided by a DNS server 69 for all inbound
services.
[0110] The service management center network 50 may also provide
virtual private network (VPN) functionalities, for example, handled
by its VPN server/subsystem 70, and provide VPN connection services
for certain inbound services on multi-services gateway devices 10.
VPN connection services may be provided on those multi-services
gateway devices that have accessibility challenges, for example,
those that are behind external firewalls and NATs. The service
management center network 50 may also include functionality for
determining the nature of the accessibility configuration for the
multi-services gateway devices 10. In one, embodiment accessibility
service may be performed by an accessibility test server 72 that
functions in cooperation with the multi-services gateway device 10
to determine the nature of the accessibility. For example, the
accessibility test determines whether the gateway devices are
behind a firewall, whether NATs is required, etc.
[0111] The service management center network 50 also functions to
provide provisioning services to all elements of service management
center network 50 and to multi-services gateway devices 10. Such
functionality of the network 50, for example, may be implemented by
the provisioning server 74 in one embodiment.
[0112] Authentication functionality of the service management
center network 50, for example, provided by an authentication
manager 71, provides authentication services to all service
management center network elements and to multi-services gateway
devices 10. As discussed more later, upon successful authentication
of a gateway device 10, the authentication manager 71 controls the
connection manager 60 to establish a signaling communication link
through the wide area IP network 99 with the authenticated gateway
device 10. The authentication manager 71 confirms authentication of
the respective gateway device 10 from time to time, and the
authentication manager 71 controls the connection manager 60 to
maintain a session for the signaling communication link through the
wide area IP network 99 with the respective gateway device 10 as
long as the authentication manager 71 continues to confirm the
authentication of the respective gateway device. The signaling
connection may be torn-down, when the device 10 no longer passes
authentication, either because it becomes inaccessible to the
authentication manager 71 or its service status changes.
[0113] The gateway devices 10 and service management center 50
implement several methodologies that allow the service provider to
manage various subscription application services provided for
endpoint devices associated with the gateway devices 10. In
general, one subscription management methodology involves sending
information indicating configuration data or software currently
needed for the one gateway device to implement server functionality
for an application service or a feature of an application service,
based on a service subscription of a customer associated with that
gateway device. Several different ways of sending this information
are discussed by way of example below. A request from a particular
gateway device 10 is received in the service management center 50,
indicating that the device 10 needs the configuration data or
software to implement the application service or feature thereof.
In response, the service management center 50 sends the necessary
configuration data or software through the wide area network 99 to
the gateway device 10. The gateway device 10 can install the
configuration data or software, to enable that device 10 to deliver
the server functionality for the application service or the feature
to its associated one or more endpoint device(s) that implement the
client functions regarding the particular application service.
[0114] Subscription functionality of the service management center
network 50, for example, provided by a subscription manager 73, is
one mechanism used to provide management of subscription services
to all multi-services gateway devices 10. The subscription manager
73 manages applications services and/or features of the server
functionality of the gateway device 10, to be enabled on each
respective authenticated gateway device, based on a service
subscription associated with the respective device 10.
[0115] The service management center network 50 may include
functionality for providing management services for each of the
services provided in the gateway device 10. For example, respective
service managers 75 store and serve to distribute service specific
configuration data to the multi-services gateway devices 10,
typically via the signaling communication links established through
the wide area IP network 10 upon successful device authentication.
The configuration data downloads by the service managers 75 are
based on the service subscription of the user or premises
associated with the particular gateway device 10, that is to say,
as indicated by the subscription manager 73.
[0116] The service management center network 50 also includes
elements to provide necessary software to the gateway devices 10
through the wide area network, as needed to implement customers'
subscription services. In the example, the service management
center network 50 includes an updater 51 for transmitting software
to the gateway devices. The software resident in the gateway device
is sometimes referred to as firmware. Software can be distributed
upon request from an individual gateway device 10 or as part of a
publication procedure to distribute upgrades to any number of the
gateway devices. For this approach, the publication/subscription
(Pub/Sub) server or like functionality 65 provides notifications of
available software updates. For example, upon detecting an update
regarding an application service, gateway devices 10 subscribing to
an update notification service with regard to the relevant
application service are identified. The Pub/Sub server 65 sends
notification messages through, the wide area network 99 to the
identified gateway devices 10. Assuming that a notified gateway
device does not yet have the software update installed as part of
its resident firmware, it sends a request indicating that the
gateway device needs the available update. In response to the
received request, the updater 51 sends the update of the software
through the wide area network 99 to the one gateway device 10. The
update enables the gateway device 10 to deliver the subscription
application service or feature thereof, based on the updated
software, to one or more endpoint devices implementing client
functions related to the subscription application service.
[0117] Service access test functionality of the service management
center network 50 performs tests to multi-services gateway devices
to verify the accessibility for each subscribed service. Such
functionality may be provided by service access test managers 77.
The service management center network 50, for example, in an alarm
aggregator subsystem 82 may aggregate alarms received from the
multi-services gateway devices. The service management center
network 50 also may include functionalities to support, for
instance by alarms, diagnostics and network management (NWM) server
85, network management and network management services. The service
management center network 50 enables web interface communication
mechanism, for example, via a web services interface server 90, to
for example provide access interface and manage authentication as
multi-services gateway devices access the service management center
for various services, including access to configuration data in the
service managers 75.
[0118] Additional service management center network functionalities
shown in FIG. 5 may include providing HTTP redirection services for
public web access to the multi-services gateway devices, which
function, for example, may be provided via a public web redirect
server 91. Public SIP Redirect/Proxy functionality provides, for
instance, via a Public SIP Redirect/Proxy server 92, SIP
redirection and proxy services to public remote SIP phones and
devices. The service management center network 50 also may include
functionalities to provide a SIP-based network border interface and
billing services for off-net voice calls. Such functionality in one
embodiment may be provided in a Session Border Controller device
93a. Another functionality of the service management center network
50 may be providing Session Border Control services to SIP roaming
SIP callers in certain situations, which functionality for example
may be provided by a Roaming Session Border Controller device 93b.
The service management center network 50 also functions to provide
dynamic NAT services during certain SIP roaming scenarios. Such
functionality may be implemented in the Roamer Dynamic NAT Server
94.
[0119] The service management center network 50 further may provide
off-site backup services for the service management center network
to a Wholesale Back-up Provider 96. The service management center
network 50 further interoperates with Wholesale VoIP Provider 97,
which may provide VoIP call origination/termination services for
off-net voice calls. For instance, the service management center
network 50 may provide VoIP/PSTN gateway that enables a
translation, between protocols inherent to the Internet (e.g. voice
over Internet protocol) and protocols inherent to the PSTN. Other
entities that may be partnered with the service management center
network 50 as shown in FIG. 5 include the content providers 98 that
provide media-based content (including, but not limited to music,
video, and gaming) to the service management center network 50,
gateway interfaces 101 for billing, alarms/diagnostic network
management (NWM), and provisioning interfaces for partnered
wholesale providers (e.g. peering interfaces) and service provider
customers (e.g. North bound interfaces).
[0120] In the illustrated example, a server or servers of the
service management center network 50 are intended to represent a
general class of data processing device commonly used to run
"server" programming. Such a device typically utilizes general
purpose computer hardware to perform its respective server
processing functions and to control the attendant communications
via the network(s). Each such server, for example, includes a data
communication interface for packet data communication. The server
hardware also includes a central processing unit (CPU), in the form
of one or more processors, for executing program instructions. The
server platform typically includes program storage and data storage
for various data files to be processed and/or communicated by the
server, although the server often receives programming and data via
network communications. The hardware elements, operating systems
and programming languages of such servers are conventional in
nature, and it is presumed that those skilled in the art are
adequately familiar therewith.
[0121] Gateway and Service Network Initialization
[0122] FIGS. 6A-6C describe high-level aspects of an initialization
technique 200 for establishing a gateway device's connection to and
enabling communication with the service management center network
50, and further the provisioning and management and maintenance of
services. After power is applied to the gateway device 10, a boot
sequence is executed that loads the software modules of the gateway
device at step 203.
[0123] As shown in FIG. 6A, a gateway device 10 is fully enabled if
a subscriber activation code and optionally, the WAN configuration
information is provisioned. Thus, optionally, at step 206, a
determination is made as to whether the necessary WAN configuration
information is provided. In an example, the gateway device 10 comes
preconfigured for a certain (default) WAN configuration, but this
may not match the appropriate configuration for the particular
subscriber. For example, the gateway device 10 might have a default
configuration to obtain a dynamic IP address from the network, but
the user may have subscribed to a static IP address, in which case
a DHCP request would fail and the user would need to input the
static IP address. As another example, the gateway device 10 might
come configured without a PPoE login, but the user's configuration
requires a PPoE login. In that example, the user would need to
input this data. Hence, in the process flow of FIG. 6A, if the
determination at step 206 is that the subscribers' WAN
configuration the default configuration already existing in the
gateway device 10, then no user input is required. However, if the
WAN configuration information is not properly provisioned in the
gateway device 10, the process proceeds to step 207 where the
system obtains from the user the gateway device's WAN
configuration. At step 210, a determination is made as to whether
the gateway device is fully enabled. If the gateway device 10 is
not fully enabled, the process is performed at step 213 to obtain
an activation identifier (ID) from the user. It should be
understood however, that before full activation, minimal
functionality could be provided.
[0124] Once the gateway device is fully enabled, at step 216, there
is initiated the process of initializing the router/firewall and
establishing the WAN connection. In one embodiment, a Transport
Layer Security (TLS) connection is established with the connection
manager server functionality 60 at the service management center
network 50 and communications with the service management center
network at step 218. This TLS connection in one embodiment is a
signaling channel that is always-on for transacting various
communications with the service management center network. For
example, the channel or session may remain logically on at least
while the device is authenticated and may remain on for the
duration that the gateway device 10 is powered on and providing its
services and functionalities as the in-premises or in-home platform
for endpoint devices associated with the premises.
[0125] Continuing to step 220, the gateway device 10 then sends an
authentication request including an authentication digest using a
hardware identifier, an activation code, and a subscriber ID, and
waits for an authentication response. At step 222, the process
waits until the authentication notice or like response is received.
If the authentication response is not received, the process
terminates as shown at step 225. If the gateway device becomes
authenticated, at step 228, the gateway device requests from the
service management center the authentication keys and stores them
at the gateway device. These keys are used whenever a gateway
device has to be authenticated, e.g. when conducting a transaction
or accessing the service management center network, for example,
through a web services interface or a control signal channel.
[0126] Continuing to step 230, FIG. 6A, the gateway device 10 sends
a request to the subscription manager functionality 73 or the like
of the service management center network 50, and the gateway device
10 waits until it receives a response. The request from the gateway
device 10 includes, for example, the gateway device identifier
information. In response, the subscription manager functionality 73
of the service management center network 50 replies with a service
descriptor indicating the latest software version and configuration
information for that gateway device 10, for example, information
associated with one or more services currently subscribed in that
gateway device 10, the latest software information for the gateway
and configuration for all subscribed services. There is also
provided an indicator that identifies a change in user specific
service data for all of the subscribed services, if any.
[0127] Continuing to FIG. 6B, at step 233, the gateway device 10
determines whether its firmware versions are up to date by checking
the received software version numbers with version numbers for the
firmware modules that currently reside in the gateway device 10. If
necessary, the gateway device 10 receives the actual software or
configuration data from the service management center, for
instance, through a web services interface 90 over a secure HTTPS
connection in one embodiment. At step 235, a determination is made
as to whether the configuration data 235a and user data 235b for
each service of up to N services that the user may be subscribed to
are up to date. For each service, if it is determined that the
configuration data 235a and user data 235b are not updated, the
gateway device 10 may receive such data from the service management
center network 50, for example, over the HTTPS connection.
[0128] Continuing to step 237, the gateway device may apply the
configuration/software updates immediately or, schedule them for
another time. A user may utilize a GUI to schedule the updates. If
certain firmware needs to be updated right away, there may be a
prompt presented to the user to acknowledge and approve the
updates.
[0129] At step 240, a gateway device accessibility test is
performed to determine if a VPN connection to the service
management center network is needed. This may happen if the gateway
device 10 is behind a firewall or the like that protects the
gateway device from the public access. The test, for example, may
be optional. In one embodiment, this test is done on start-up, and
for example, for cases when the gateway device is disconnected from
the WAN or a new IP address from the WAN is assigned. An
accessibility testing functionality of the service management
center network, for example, may send a connection request (such as
a ping) in order to try to reach the gateway device. Different port
numbers on a given IP address may be tested for reachability to the
gateway device.
[0130] Continuing to step 245, FIG. 6C, a determination is made as
to whether accessibility has been challenged, e.g. the device lies
behind a firewall at a private IP address. If accessibility has
been challenged, then at step 348, a connection with a VPN is
established. Step 250 represents the step of storing the WAN and
VPN IP addresses to be used for inbound services. Examples of
inbound services may include, but not limited to, voice service,
remote web access, etc. At step 253, the gateway device 10 sends a
message to the service management center network 50, for example,
which message is routed to service manager 75 and subscription
manager 73 of the service management center network 50. The message
informs the service manager 75 and subscription manager 73 about
the gateway device's current version and configuration information.
Registering with those server functionalities may initiate
notification services that enable asynchronous configuration,
firmware, and/or user data updates.
[0131] At step 255, a general multi-purpose registration is
performed, whereby a service register request message is sent from
the service manager 75 to a location server 68 of the service
management center network 50. This request message tells the
location server 68 that the gateway device 10 is ready to accept
inbound services on a given IP address and port number for the
respective service. Thus, the information may include the IP
Address (WAN/VPN) and/or other specific data for informing the
location server 68 how to route to the gateway device 10. In one
embodiment, a clock on a gateway device may be set when the gateway
device re-registers with the service management center network
50.
[0132] Architectural Overview for Establishing Connections and
Authentication Process
[0133] FIG. 7A is an architectural diagram illustrating a manner in
which the multi-services gateway device makes an initial connection
to the service management center network 50 in one example. It is
noted that the individual components shown in the service
management center network 50 illustrate logical components or
functionalities provided in the service management center network.
As mentioned above, a signaling channel in an exemplary embodiment
is established between the gateway device 10 and the service
management center network 50 during the gateway device's
initialization process, and in one embodiment this connection is
maintained for the duration that the gateway device is powered on
and is providing its functionalities. Thus, a connection is
established between the gateway device and the connection manager
server functionality 60 in the service management center network,
for example, to provide connection services prior to establishing a
session state and authenticating the gateway device. As shown in
FIG. 7A, a TCP/TLS connection 150 is made between the gateway
device using the gateway device's broadband connection and the IP
network to connection manager server functionality 60 of the
services service management center network. The connection manager
60 of the service management center network 50 receives the session
state of the network channel request where control is implemented
to initiate authentication. A message router 62 routes the request
message to an authentication manager 71 or the like as shown in
FIG. 7A. Prior to establishing any TCP/IP connection, an
authentication is performed, as indicated at 145.
[0134] In one embodiment, the connection manager 60 may aggregate a
plurality of connection channels 150 and multiplex these signaling
channels to the message router device 62. The connection manager 60
works with the message router 62 and the authentication manager 71
to authenticate the multi-services gateway device 10 and allow its
access to the network 50 by enabling the establishment of a control
channel 150 providing an "always on" control channel between the
multi-services gateway device and the services service management
center 50 once the gateway device is authenticated. The connection
managers 60 also provide network security and protection services,
e.g. for preventing flooding, denial of service (DOS) attacks, etc.
In one embodiment, there may be interfaces such as APIs for
interfacing the connection managers 60 or the like to the message
routers 62 and the multi-services gateway devices 10. As the
network of multi-services gateway devices grow, the number of
connection managers 60 may grow to meet the demand for concurrent
signaling control channel connections.
[0135] In one embodiment, a message router device(s) 62 provides
control signal message routing services and session management
services to the multi-services gateway device 10 and the other
network elements of the service management center 50. In one
embodiment, the message router device 62 has control channel
signaling access, via the control channel to the firmware upgrade
manager server or gateway firmware updater 51, VOD server(s) 52, a
billing system 58, content managers 98, pub/subs 65, service
accessibility test manager 77, authentication manager 71, service
manager 75, subscription manager 73, alarms aggregator 82, network
management (NWM) server 85 and public web proxy redirect 91, and
the multi-services gateway devices 10. The message router 62 may
also include a session manager subsystem that maintains control
channel state information about every gateway device client in the
gateway-service center network. The message router 62, and session
manager enable sessions to be established to each multi-services
gateway device 10 and each element of the service management center
50 and provide robust routing services between all the components.
The message routers 62 may additionally connect to other message
routers for geographic based scaling, creating a single
domain-based control channel routing infrastructure. The message
routers 62 may additionally connect to IM gateways and other
message routers that provide user based IM services, which may
enable users to interact directly with their multi-services gateway
device via IM user clients. Thus, besides providing routing and
session management for all the multi-services gateway devices and
the network elements, the message router element 62 enables control
signaling between all the network elements and the multi-services
gateway devices and, connects to IM gateways to provide
connectivity to other IM federations.
[0136] With respect to authentication functionality, the
authentication manager component 71 provides authentication
services for all the network elements of the service management
center network 50. The service management center network elements
query the authentication manager 71 to verify the identity of
elements, including the multi-services gateway device 10, during
inter-element communications. The gateway device 10 authenticates
the service management center 50 at the Web Services Interface 90.
The Web Services Interface 90, for example, may return data that
the multi-services gateway device 10 uses to confirm the identity
of the service management center 50.
[0137] The authentication manager functionality 71 may interface to
the multi-services gateway devices 10 and other network elements
such as the message router 62 and session manger servers, the
accessibility server or the like, the service accessibility test
mangers 77, the web services interface 90 or the like, the
provisioning manager server 74, the NWM server 85 or the like,
pub/sub 65 or the like, VODs 52, CA servers 54, and the billing
system 58 or the like.
[0138] Signaling Control Channel
[0139] As mentioned herein with respect to FIG. 7A, the connection
manager servers 60 or the like functionality in the service
management center network 50 provide connection services and enable
the establishment of a control channel, enabling an "always on"
control channel between the gateway device and the service
management center functions of the service management center
network. Thus, in one embodiment a gateway device 10 establishes a
TCP/TLS connection to the connection manager functionality 60 in
the service management center network 50, as shown at 150.
[0140] FIG. 8A illustrates details regarding TCP control channel
setup in one embodiment. Step 310 establishes TCP control channel
connection between the home gateway device and the service
management center network 50 via a TCP Connect request and TCP
Accept exchange. Once the control channel is established, an
InitiateComm Stream request is generated by the gateway device and
the network connection manager responds by establishing a TCP
session and associated TCP/Session ID for streaming applications.
Once the TCP communications session is established, a Transport
Layer Security (TLS) or like cryptographic protocol security
feature may optionally be established to secure endpoint
authentication by the connection manager of the service management
center network, e.g. by using public key certificates to verify the
identity of endpoints. In the handshake, example parameters TCP,
features and tlsinfo are exchanged to initiate the secure
communications session with the gateway device as indicated at step
314. Once the TLS negotiation is completed, a secure, encrypted
TCP/TLS communications session is established at 316 upon which may
be layered additional security features such as SASL- or
non-SASL-based. Those standards are described in detail in IETF RFC
2246 and RFC 2222.
[0141] Authentication
[0142] As mentioned above, once the gateway device 10 is physically
connected to the service management center 50 via the network 99,
it registers and authenticates itself on the service management
center network 50. In one embodiment, this registration and
authentication is done through the above established secure
connection. Further details regarding TCP control channel and
authentication are now described with reference to FIG. 8B. In one
optional embodiment data link layer security may be established by
implementing, for example, Simple Authentication and Security Layer
(SASL). The SASL framework provides authentication and data
security services in connection-oriented protocols via replaceable
mechanisms (IETF RFC 2222). This framework particularly provides a
structured interface between protocols and mechanisms and allows
new protocols to reuse existing mechanisms and allows old protocols
to make use of new mechanisms. The framework also provides a
protocol for securing subsequent protocol exchanges within a data
security layer. At step 320, after establishing the TCP/TLS
connection between gateway device 10 in the home and the service
management center network 50 (e.g. connection manager server 60 or
the like), the SASL authentication process is initiated whereupon
the gateway device 10 communicates authentication details to the
connection manager server 60. The connection manager server 60 of
the service management center network 50 routes the authentication
request to the authentication manager 71, via intermediary of the
control message router device 62 and session manager servers or the
like as shown at 324 in FIG. 8B. Once the authentication details
for the gateway device 10 reach the authentication manager 71, the
gateway device is authenticated. Additionally, control access
information is communicated to a Location server 68, which may
provide location and IP port information updates to, for example,
other network functionalities or elements such as a file sharing
server, remote web access server, other gateway devices 10, and
other elements.
[0143] In the example, with the security option, once secure
connection (e.g. XMPP connection) is established at step 326,
authenticated session state between the home gateway device and the
service management center network is ensured and messages can
safely flow to and from the gateway device 10. In one embodiment,
authentication credentials may include: user ID, subscriber ID, and
a unique identifier (id) that is hardware dependent. In an
alternate embodiment, a unique hardware based ID need not be sent,
however, may be used to hash a string or digest. At this point, any
requests originating from the gateway device 10 may be
serviced.
[0144] The authentication procedure between the gateway device 10
and the authentication manager 71 is repeated from time to time, to
allow the service management center network 50 to confirm
authentication of the respective gateway device 10. The
authentication manager 71 could initiate such a repeat
authentication, but typically, this would be initiated by a new
authentication request from the gateway device 10. The gateway
device 10 would be programmed to initiate the new request after
some predetermined period of time. In turn, the authentication
manager 71 would be programmed to terminate authentication of the
respective gateway device 10 if such a new request was not received
within some delay interval following expiration of the time for the
expected new request. The signaling connection would be torn-down,
when the device no longer passes authentication, in this example,
when it fails to send the expected new request for confirmation of
authentication in a timely manner. If the device 10 later attempts
to obtain authentication, it would go through the procedure to
communicate with the authentication manager 71 as outlined above
relative to FIG. 8B.
[0145] In one example, a presence and peering based messaging
protocol is used for the gateway device 10 to establish connection
with the service management center network 50. This may comprise an
SASL or NON SASL-based XMPP (Extensible Messaging and Presence
Protocol), described in IETF RFC 3920 and RFC 3921. For instance,
using XMPP, messages are sent and received between the gateway
device and the service management center network (e.g. via
connection manager and message router functionalities).
[0146] In one example, during the authentication, if the service
management center network 50 does not contain the gateway device
registration and subscription information, the service management
center network 50 may prompt the user via the gateway device 10 for
the information. Such information may include, but is not limited
to, gateway identifier such as the MAC address, name for a fully
qualified domain name (FQDN) which is a complete DNS name such as
johndoe.xxx.com, subscriber information such as name, address,
email, and phone number. Additionally, service plan information
such as file sharing, voice, file backup; media services, personal
page, home automation, billing, to which the user is subscribing or
desires to subscribe, user name and password for the subscriber and
billing options and information may be obtained.
[0147] In one example, before completing the authentication
process, the service management center network 50 optionally may
display to the user via the gateway device 10 a list of the enabled
services allowing the user to confirm the services enabled, and/or
allow the user to add to or delete from the services enabled. Once
the authentication process is completed, the service management
center network registers the gateway device with other
functionalities in the network for enabling different services. For
example, for phone service, there may be an optional registration
or authentication process on the SIP redirect server
functionality.
[0148] Authentication Keys, Service Keys, Dynamic Key Renewal
[0149] In one example, the gateway device 10 and the service
management center network 50 utilize keys or tokens for
authenticating the gateway device, web service interface requests,
and other services subscriptions, for instance, to verify that the
gateway devices are valid users of the system and services. In one
embodiment, the authentication keys (also referred to as tokens
herein) are renewable and may change dynamically for each gateway
device. For example, the authentication manager 71 or the like in
the service management center 50 may generate updated keys or
tokens for all or a selected number of gateway devices, notify
those gateway devices periodically or at predetermined times, to
retrieve the new authentication keys. In another embodiment, the
gateway devices themselves may request the authentication manager
or the like to provide a new or updated key. Yet in another
embodiment, the updated keys may be pushed to gateway devices. This
way the keys or tokens are periodically refreshed. Such dynamically
changing keys enhance security, for instance, making it difficult
for hackers to track the changing keys.
[0150] Each gateway device 10 may have more than one authentication
key, for instance, for different purposes. For example, there may
be different keys or tokens for allowing access to different
services or features provided by the gateway device. Thus
authentication keys are also referred interchangeably as service
keys or tokens. These service keys may also dynamically change and
are renewable. In one embodiment, the gateway device receives the
service keys or tokens when individual services are provisioned on
the gateway device. Thereafter, the service keys may be updated to
change periodically, at a predetermined intervals, or regular
intervals. The keys or tokens themselves, in one embodiment, may be
hardware based key. In another example, they may be implemented
independent of the hardware they are being used on.
[0151] Web Services Interface
[0152] In an example, the service management center network 50 may
also provide web services interface functionality (for example,
shown at 90 in FIG. 5) that forms an application programming
interface (API) between the gateway devices 10 and the service
management center network 50 as a mechanism to communicate between
the gateway devices and the service management center network. That
is, in addition to the established signaling control channel, the
gateway devices 10 and the service management center network 50 may
utilize web services interface 90 to communicate. For instance, the
gateway devices 10 and the service management center network 50 may
exchange information via secure HTTP or HTTPS using SOAP, XML,
WSDL, etc. or the like.
[0153] In one example, an authentication key is used or embedded in
the message in order to validate the communication between one or
more gateway devices 10 and the web services interface
functionality 90 in the service management center network 50. In
one embodiment, the gateway device 10 may request from the service
management center network 50, for instance, from its authentication
manager functionality 71, a temporary key, which is to be used when
the gateway device 10 requests services via the web services
interface 90. Preferably, this key is not a service specific key,
but rather identifies a particular gateway device 10 to enter the
service management center 50 through the web services interface 90.
Every time the gateway device 10 requests a key, the authentication
manager 71 functionality may store the key and the expiry time of
the key. A response message provided from the authentication
manager 71 has the key and expiry time. In one example, gateway
devices 10 are responsible to determine a status of the key
compared to the expiry and to request a new key before the expiry
time. In another embodiment, the web services interface
authentication key may be assigned during initial registration and
may be renewable as described above with reference to dynamic
renewable authentication and service keys.
[0154] The web services interface 90 subsequently directs message
requests to the appropriate functionality in the service management
center network 50. The incoming requests may be load balanced in
one embodiment by the DNS server 69, and loading and performance
information may be fed back to the DNS in support of this function.
The web services interface 90 may have interfaces (e.g. APIs) to
the gateway device 10, the authentication manager functionality 71
of the service management center network 50, DNS 69, the service
managers 75 of the service management center network 50, etc.
[0155] In an exemplary embodiment, a gateway device 10 may utilize
the web services interface to pull data, software or information
from the service management center network 50, while the service
management center network may utilize the signaling control channel
to push data such as various notification data to the gateway
devices. In an example discussed more below, the subscription
manager 73 notifies the gateway device 10 of configuration data
applicable to a service subscribed to by the customer associated
with the particular gateway device. If the gateway device 10
determines that it needs the configuration data (not yet resident
or not up-to-date), then the gateway device 10 sends a request to
the web services interface 90, which is forwarded to the
appropriate service manager 75. The service manager 75 in turn
sends the configuration data to the gateway device 10 for loading
and future use. A similar procedure can be used to download
software, e.g. from a gateway updater or other firmware server
based on a descriptor from the subscription manager or a published
notification from a Pub/Sub server.
[0156] Gateway Device Registration and Service Subscription
[0157] In one example, the service management center network 50
further includes provisioning manager functionality 74, which may
handle gateway device registration and subscription activation.
FIG. 7C depicts conceptually the process of subscriber provisioning
in one embodiment. The provisioning manager functionality 74 may
interface to 3.sup.rd party order entry or provisioning system 160
that is enabled to accept purchase orders for gateway devices and
services provided therein. In another aspect, the provisioning
manager 74 may interface with a user interface provided in the
service management center network 50 for entering and accepting
such orders. Thus, for example, gateway device registration or
subscriber provisioning may occur through an internal customer
service representative user interface application, or a
customer/subscriber self-provisioning web application, or through a
partner service provider application interface. Other registration
methods are possible and they are not limited to those listed
methods. For instance, the first time registration may occur during
power-up and initialization stage as explained above, or any other
way.
[0158] In each instance, the subscriber information may be input
via the provisioning manager 74 or the like functionality. As will
be described in more detail, provisioning input may include
attributes such as the gateway device identification information,
user information, and service plan information. In one embodiment,
the provisioning input data including subscriber provisioning
action/data may be classified as accounting/business and
operational data and may persist in the provisioning manager 74 as
shown at 162. This may be an optional step, for example, where
partner service providers have their own existing systems.
[0159] Examples of subscriber information include, but are not
limited to the following. In addition, not all information is
required as subscriber information. Examples are subscriber name,
address, billing information, email, phone, social security number
(SSN), etc.; gateway device ID, e.g. MAC address, FQDN such as e.g.
johnsmith@rosservice.com. This data may be generated and may have
different domain base depending on the provider. This ID may be
called the JID (jabber ID) or BIT) (Box ID) or Family ID); a
subscriber unique ID (Internal Generated Number); an assigned
gateway device serial number (the serial number may be an external
identifier of the gateway device); a gateway device model number
(e.g. to link the software, configuration to the model); a user
access password (this may be different from the gateway device
access key which is operational system generated); a user
service/gateway device binding identifier (this may be generated by
the system and mailed to user); a locale/region identifier; a list
of the subscribed services, e.g. voice, video, remote access,
backup; a list of service specific features, e.g. voice--call
forwarding allowed, voice feature 2, etc.; a list of service
specific user details, e.g. voice--DN, etc.; Backup--Max GB, Max
Bandwidth, etc.
[0160] In a further step, as shown at 163, FIG. 7C, the added
gateway device and/or user, e.g. new subscriber, is added to the
authentication manager functionality 71. Thus, for example, the
authentication manager functionality 71 may maintain the following
subscriber information/data for authenticating users and their
gateway device devices 10: the JID/BID; the gateway device's serial
number; a user access password; a user service/gateway device
binding identifier; the subscriber active/disable status; the
gateway device hardware ID; a subscriber/hardware binding: BOOL; a
Web interface access key; and associated Web interface access key
validity time.
[0161] In a further step, as shown at step 164, FIG. 7C, the added
gateway device and/or user, e.g. new subscriber, is added to the
subscription manager (server or functionality or the like) 73.
Thus, the subscription manager 73 for example may maintain the
following subscriber information/data for providing subscription
information to gateway devices 10: the model number, the JID/BID or
the like to be able to create and distribute the right package of
meta information and to identify the firmware ID, configuration and
configuration data to the gateway device. Additional exemplary data
made available at the subscription manager 73 may include, but not
limited to: user ID; gateway device serial number; the gateway
device model; the subscriber locale current gateway device firmware
version; and, a list of services and enabled features, for
example:
[0162] Service 1
[0163] Enable/Disable
[0164] Feature 1 Enable/Disable
[0165] Feature N Enable/Disable
[0166] Current Configuration Version
[0167] Service 2
[0168] Enable/Disable
[0169] Feature 1 Enable/Disable
[0170] Feature N Enable/Disable
[0171] Current Configuration Version
[0172] Service N
[0173] In a further step, as shown at step 165, FIG. 7C, the added
gateway device and/or user, e.g. new subscriber, is added to one or
more service manager (servers or devices or functionality or the
like) 75. Service data maintained at the service manager 75 may
include, but is not limited to information identifying:
configuration files, e.g. voice: dial plans; parental control:
black lists, etc., for the application services and features
thereof subscribed to by the customer associated with a gateway
device 10. This data may be in database or versioned files stored
on disk. Optionally, the following subscriber data may be
maintained at the service manager 75: the gateway device's JID/BID;
the provisioned subscriber data for each service (e.g. a list
comprising Data 1, Data 2, etc.); and the generated subscriber data
for each service (e.g. a list comprising Data 1, Data 2, etc.). It
is understood that some services are basic services and some
services may not have subscriber data at all. Thus, as an example,
if implementing provisioning of Backup Services, the service
management center network 50 may generate the following account on
behalf of the subscriber: Backup Acct ID, KEY. The provisioned
subscriber data and generated data are communicated to the gateway
device 10.
[0174] In a further step, as shown at step 166a, FIG. 7C, the added
gateway device and/or user, e.g. new subscriber, is added to a SIP
directory server or like functionality 66 and, additionally, to the
Session Border Controller device 93a or like functionality, as
shown at step 166b. For example, the SIP directory server 66 may be
provisioned with data such as the SIP user identifier (e.g.
www.gw10.ros.com); associated gateway DN numbers; and, any other
data as may be required by the Session Border Controller device
93a, e.g. realm data or, location data for the endpoint device.
Additional service data that may be provisioned may include:
OFFNET/ONNET DN Numbers; and, other SIP Service specific data.
[0175] In a further step, as shown at step 167; FIG. 7C, the added
gateway device and/or user, e.g. new subscriber, is added to the
publication/subscription (Pub/Sub) server or like functionality 65.
The new subscriber information maintained at the Pub/Sub may
include the subscriber for gateway device software/firmware update
events and for service configuration/locale events, e.g. U.S. dial
plans, parental controls, etc. The Pub/Sub server 65 may maintain
various event channels and the content for event channels (i.e.
events per channel) and subscribed users for the event channels
(i.e. users for channel). In a further step, as shown at step 168,
FIG. 7C, the added gateway device and/or user, e.g. new subscriber,
is added to the billing sub-system server 58 or like functionality.
The new subscriber information maintained at the billing sub-system
server may include, but not limited to: the subscriber name;
address; billing information; email; phone; SSN; user ID, e.g.
johnsmith@rosservice.com; a subscriber unique ID (Internal
Generated Number); an assigned gateway device serial number (the
serial number may be an external identifier of the gateway device);
a locale/region identifier; and, a list of the subscribed
services.
[0176] In a further step, as shown at step 169, FIG. 7C, the added
gateway device and/or user, e.g. new subscriber, is added to the
Alarms, Diagnostics and Network Management server 85 or like
functionality and alarm aggregator sub-system. The new subscriber
information maintained at the Alarms, Diagnostics and Network
Management Server 85 may include: alarms; user identifier and other
data required for alarms management system; and, diagnostics.
[0177] Thus, the provisioning functionality or the like 74
generally provides provisioning services to all service management
center network elements. The managers 74 may send and receive
provisioning information via a gateway interface (e.g. APIs) to and
from 3.sup.rd party provides such as wholesale VoIP and backup
service providers. The provisioning managers 74 may also send to
and receive from the branding customer service provider (aka "North
Bound" interfaces). The provisioning manager may provide a
graphical user interface for service provider users and customer
users to order; initialize and provision services. The provisioning
manager further may distribute the order or provisioning
information to the following functional elements: subscription
manager; authentication manager servers; service manager(s); SIP
directory server; Pub/Sub servers; VOD(s); CAs; billing system;
firmware update manager; location server; the NWM SBC's; content
provider(s); and wholesale providers via the gateway interfaces
(APIs).
[0178] While the provisioning service or functionality was
described with respect to registering new gateway devices or
subscribers, functionality for provisioning new services for
existing users or gateway devices may be provided in the similar
manner, for example, by the provisioning manager server 74 or like
functionality.
[0179] Automatic Discovery and Configuration of Endpoint
Devices
[0180] In one embodiment, a customer or user self-provisions
endpoint devices on a particular multi-services gateway device 10.
The provisioning system or like functionality 74 may provision how
many endpoints and the types of devices that can be
self-provisional by the user. In one embodiment, the gateway
devices are capable of automatically discovering and configuring
the gateway device compatible devices belonging to enabled services
in the premises such as the home or business, for instance, with
minimal human intervention (e.g. for security purposes some devices
may need administrator level prompting to proceed with
configuration actions). For instance, the gateway device compatible
endpoint devices are devices that the gateway device can
communicate with and thus become the center of management for the
services offered through these, endpoint devices. One or more of
these endpoint devices may have automatic configuration
capabilities such as universal plug and play (e.g. uPNP devices).
These endpoint devices may include but are not limited to, media
adaptors, SIP phones, home automation controllers, adaptors that
convert IP interfaces to PSTN FXO and FXS interfaces, etc. In one
example, the method of configuration, e.g. automatic discovery and
configuration may be based on the specific device's current
firmware or software or like version. The gateway device 10 in one
embodiment also may keep a record or table of configuration
information, for example, for those devices configured
automatically. Such information may include, for example, for media
adaptor, supported formats and bit rates, for home automation
controller, information pertaining to the type of controller such
as Insteon, Awave, etc.
[0181] As another example, if the phone service is enabled and if
the gateway device detects a new SIP device, the gateway device 10
may prompt a user to determine if the detected endpoint device
needs to be configured for association with the gateway device. If
it does, then the gateway device 10 may configure the detected
device on its network (home network or other premises network). Yet
as another example, when new drives are added to the gateway device
for storage expansion, the gateway device 10 may automate
initialization of the expanded device storage.
[0182] Subscription Management
[0183] The gateway device 10 may request information from the
service management center network 50 for services that the gateway
device 10 is subscribing to, for example, during initialization
stage as mentioned above or at any other time. The service
management center network 50 contains subscriber and gateway device
identification details. Thus, the service management center network
may respond to the request with the subscription information and
version numbers for various configuration data needed for the
services that are subscribed. FIG. 7B illustrates how a gateway
device 10 establishes a service subscription request
(service/request check), for instance, via the TCP/TLS/XMPP control
channel 150 to the service management center 50. This
service/request check may be available to ensure that the
multi-services gateway device 10 is in sync with the network
provisioning and subscription management systems as to what type(s)
of services are allowed for the user. This results in finite and
real time control of services allowed by the gateway device for a
user, by the application service provider via the service
management center 50. The service check may also be useful to keep
track of service configuration data and/or the firmware/software of
the gateway device 10, and to keep the same software base
irrespective of the country/region, but have the ability to load
configuration/customization information per user based on locale or
other criteria.
[0184] As an example, during the multi-services gateway device
initialization process, the multi-services gateway device 10
queries the subscription manager 71, for example, via the control
channel, to determine what services and features are enabled for
the multi-services gateway device 10, i.e. based on subscription by
the associated customer with the application service provider. The
service management center network 50, for example, using its
subscription manager functionality 73 responds with a descriptor
including the subscription information associated with this
particular gateway. Examples of data that subscription manager
functionality 73 may store in one embodiment May include but not
limited to JID/BID, gateway device model number, services
subscribed to, features subscribed to per service, revision
exception list, for each gateway device. The multi-services gateway
device 10 checks the received subscription information such as
version information against the current versions resident on the
multi-services gateway device 10. If the multi-services gateway
device 10 determines that the versions are different, it may start
initiating one or more downloads of the configuration data through
web services interface 90 and the applicable service manager(s) 75.
Preferably, the multi-services gateway device's firmware and
service configuration are implicit subscriptions and hence the
multi-services gateway device 10 will receive notifications via the
Pub/Sub server 65 when new versions of software and/or service
configuration data are available. The new version notifications
indicate the version to download, and the same logic of version
checking is performed in the multi-services gateway device 10. When
downloads are complete, the multi-services gateway device 10
subsequently enables the subscribed services and features.
[0185] The subscription manager functionality 73 also informs all
requesting service management center network elements what services
and features are enabled on a particular gateway device 10. The
subscription manager functionality 73 also determines what service
specific configuration data needs to be downloaded to the
requesting multi-services gateway device 10. In an exemplary
embodiment, the subscription manager functionality 73 determines
the data needed by interacting with service manager functionality
75, which stores and distributes specific configuration data for
services. The subscription manager functionality 73 may interface
to the multi-services gateway devices 10 (e.g. indirectly) and the
following functionalities of the service management center network
50: message routers and session manager(s), the accessibility
server, the service access test mangers, the provisioning manager,
the NWM, VOD's, CAs, pub/sub, service manager server and billing
sub-system. The subscription manager functionality 73 may
additionally support some internetworking to other service
providers via the gateway interfaces.
[0186] In one example, the service management center network 50
includes service manager functionality 75 for each specific
service. The service manager functionality 75 may store and
distribute service specific configuration data for each supported
service on a per multi-services gateway device basis. Thus, service
manager functionality 75 may include service specific configuration
managers for voice, back-up, or any other services that are
provided by the center 50 and the gateway devices 10. Examples of
this configuration data include, but are not limited to, VoIP
configuration data such as location-related dial plan information
and content/media configuration data such as URL links, etc. The
service manager functionality or servers 75 work with subscription
manager functionality 73 to resolve multi-services gateway device
version requests and ensure that the multi-services gateway devices
10 have the correct version of configuration data. In one
embodiment, there is a service manager for each supported service.
In addition, there may be a service manager or like functionality
for storing and distributing baseline multi-services gateway device
configuration data. Subscriber data per service may exist inside
the service manager and also, stored directly in the service
component, e.g. SIP Redirect/SBC device. The service managers 75 or
the like functionality or servers or devices may interact with the
subscription manager 73, provisioning, NWM, Web services interface
90, Pub/Sub, message routers and multi-services gateway device.
Additionally, third party wholesale providers, such as a backup
service, may interface to the service managers via a gateway
interface or an API.
[0187] In an exemplary application for gateway device services,
data and/or software are distributed to the gateway device 10 to
enable it to provide various services. Configuration data is
provided to the gateway device 10 from the service management
center network 50. For instance, subscription manager functionality
73 of the service management center network 50, for example as part
of initialization process, queries the service managers
functionality 75 to obtain configuration data that can be sent to
the gateway device 10 and which versions from configuration
perspective to report back to the gateway device 10. Such
configuration data may include a web service interface URL of the
service manager 75 for where the gateway device 10 should
communicate. The subscription manager functionality 73 then sends
the metadata of the configuration data, that is, information
associated with the configuration data back to the gateway device
10. The gateway device then may update its configuration if needed
by accessing the service manager functionality 75, for example, via
the web services interface 90 using the URL, and retrieving the
needed configuration data from the service manager(s) 75. In
another embodiment, the service management center network (e.g.
service manager functionality) may push the needed data to the
gateway device 10 via the signaling control channel. For each
service, the service management center network 50 provides
configuration data to the gateway device (e.g. via service manager
functionality) and posts a notification if new configuration data
is required. When the user invokes the service, the gateway device
10 will thus know all that it needs to invoke the service. For
instance, data that the gateway device needs may be obtained from
the service manager functionality 75. Login information and keys
may be obtained from manager for a particular service, e.g. for
service keys.
[0188] FIG. 9A describes details regarding provisioning service
onto the gateway device, in one example. A gateway device 10 at
step 350 initiates a sequence to obtain its subscription
information and determine whether any updates of configuration data
and/or software are available. In the illustrated example, the
query is launched in response to an instruction from the service
management center, although the gateway device could launch the
query under other circumstance. A subscription information query is
communicated from the gateway device, for example, via the control
channel to the message router 62, which is forwarded to the
subscription manager server 75. The subscription manager server 75
provides a service descriptor message containing the subscription
details (such as service list and latest version list) back to the
router 62, which in turn forwards the descriptor message to the
gateway device 10. The gateway device 10 makes a determination
whether any updates are available and if so, a service specific
manager 75 is employed to download the provisioning and
configuration information to implement that subscribed service at
the gateway device 10, for example, by communications using the web
services interface 90. An example of a sequence for downloading of
the information for the subscribed-to services and initializing the
subscribed-to services as well as the handshaking signals upon
completion as may be performed for each service is shown at 354,
FIG. 9A. At the end of the sequence, a notification is sent to a
Pub/Sub server 65 or like functionality to register that the
gateway device 10 has subscribed to receive any new provisioning
updates. For instance, a registration for updates may include the
gateway id, service id and matching criteria, which generally tells
the pub/sub that if there are changes that match the matching
criteria in the service identified by service id, to notify the
gateway device identified by the gateway id. The gateway device 10
may optionally send a message for the Pub/Sub server 65 that the
gateway device 10 is ready to receive future updates as shown at
357.
[0189] Pub/Sub and Updates
[0190] As previously mentioned in view of FIG. 5, the
Publisher/Subscribe (Pub/Sub) server or like functionality 65
accepts and maintains subscription requests for gateway device
upgrades and device upgrades from networked services support
elements, and particularly, from every gateway device 10 in the
system. Networked elements communicate with the Pub/Sub system or
like functionality and publish information that other elements may
have subscribed to. The Pub/Sub matching engine matches the
published information with users (typically gateway devices) that
have subscribed for notices of new specific information. If the
Pub/Sub matches a "pub" (publish) with a "sub" (subscription), a
notification message is sent, for example, via XMPP protocol or
like peer and presence messaging protocol on the signaling control
channel, to the subscribing user, notifying them of the new
information.
[0191] FIG. 7D highlights how the gateway device 10 and the service
management center network elements utilize the signaling control
channel and the Publisher/Subscribe (Pub/Sub) function to subscribe
for notification of certain events and publish notification of
these events in one embodiment. In this high-level example, the
gateway device subscribes for firmware or software updates for the
gateway device or endpoint devices that it connects, and is
subsequently notified when such an event occurs. It is understood
that the Pub/Sub system provides subscription and publication
matching and notification services for both the gateway devices and
the networked service management center elements or
functionalities. Thus, the logical Pub/Sub device 65 may have
interfaces to all elements that use this mechanism to communicate
with each other including, for example, firmware update manager 51,
provisioning manager 74, authentication manager 71, service
manager(s) 75, subscription manager 73, and the gateway devices
10.
[0192] In the scenario depicted in FIG. 7D, the updater 51 with
knowledge of updates to gateway firmware or software or the like,
endpoint device firmware or software or the like, or service
configuration files or the like, may publish the update information
to the Pub/Sub server or like functionality 65, for example, as
shown by the route 173. The gateway updater 51 may receive a
message or notification at 171 that updates are available from
other sources. Additionally, various service managers (or like
functionality) 75 that handle specific services and associated
configuration information and data may publish information in the
Pub/Sub 65 that updates are available for those services. Thus, in
one embodiment, update manager functionality 51 may publish
information on Pub/Sub 65 as to the availability of updates for
gateway devices and endpoint devices. Similarly, specific service
managers or like functionality 75. May publish information on
Pub/Sub 65 as to the availability of updates for the respective
specific services.
[0193] In one example, the update notice published by the updater
51, service managers 75, and/or other software/firmware update
manager 51 may include, but is not limited to, new configuration
version information for latest firmware or software for the
specific service or devices. A matching engine functionality of the
Pub/Sub server 65 identifies the gateway devices 10 that are
subscribed to receive these particular updates (e.g. for a
specified application service or related feature), and generates
and sends a notification message 175 to those identified gateway
devices that updates are available, for example, via IM-like
messaging (or any other presence and peering protocol) over the
public Internet.
[0194] FIG. 7E shows at step 260 the gateway device receipt of a
notify message indicating the published software or configuration
update with regard to a particular application service or feature
thereof, either for the gateway device or for a digital endpoint
device. At step 262, the gateway device 10 makes a comparison
against the current version(s) and, determines if the update is
needed. If the update is needed for application service software,
for example, the gateway device 10 initiates a pull operation to
retrieve the software update, for example, over a secure HTTPs
connection at step 265 and, may start or schedule application of
the software update to its resident firmware at step 267. In one
embodiment, a descriptor package in the published notification
message helps the gateway device interpret the command to obtain
the software update, e.g. at a certain location in the networked
service management center. In an orderly manner and optionally in a
secure manner, e.g. via HTTPS protocol, each of the subscribing
gateway devices 10 may seek out where in the network the published
software update resides and once authenticated, via authentication
manager server or like functionality, it will retrieve the
software. Referring to FIG. 7D, from the service management center
network perspective, a request is received from each of the gateway
devices 10, for example, via a web services interface 90, to pull
the new software version. In one embodiment this may be take place
according to a schedule or priority basis. Then, an authentication
process is performed, for example, via authentication manager 71,
and once the gateway device 10 is verified, the available software
update may be pulled from the updater functionality 51 (or from
individual service managers or firmware update manager or like),
and forwarded to the gateway device as shown at 177. A similar
approach to Pub/Sub notification and pull-down may be used to
distribute updates of configuration data, for respective
application services and/or features thereof, as will be discussed
in a later example.
[0195] As mentioned above, consumers may subscribe for updates to
digital endpoint devices connected to the gateway device 10 as well
in one embodiment. For example, a user has a certain type of phone
40 and, if there is an update, the Pub/Sub notification
functionality 65 will notify the gateway device 10 of the updates
available for that phone type. Thus, all of the gateway devices
that have that phone 40 will be informed with service upgrades. In
one embodiment, matching engine functionality of the Pub/Sub sends
notifications of all the update information concerning operation of
the phone device 40 to the subscribers and/or notifies the matching
gateway device (that is, the gateway device 10 determined as having
this type of phone 40 as one of its endpoint devices) of updates,
for example, via signal control channel (e.g. using XMPP), for
example, when news or updates are received for this particular
phone. The matching engine of the Pub/Sub determines all of the
subscribers that are subscribed for that service and will put out
update notifications to all of the identified subscribers' gateway
devices.
[0196] Thus, service managers 75 and/or update manager 51 publish
update information availability to the Pub/Sub functionality 65,
the gateway devices 10 subscribe to desired update publication
services, for example, by registering the current versions of its
configuration data and software/firmware to the Pub/Sub 65, and the
matching engine functionality of the Pub/Sub 65 matches the
published data with subscribing gateway devices 10 and sends a
notification to each subscribing gateway device 10.
[0197] FIG. 9B illustrates a configuration data update push model
in one embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9B, it is assumed that at step
360, the following steps have been performed: gateway registration,
any software/firmware updates and that service initialization has
been completed. At steps 363 the service specific managers or like
functionality 75 publish a service provisioning update to the
Pub/Sub server 65. The published information, for example, may
include but is not limited to, body of the notification, service
type, server id of the service manager 75 publishing the
information, matching criteria which may include keywords that
indicate service components for which the update is available,
update rate information rate or schedule at which the update
notification should be performed, for example, to mitigate the
effect of too many gateway devices retrieving the updates all at
once). The Pub/Sub server 65 optionally may check for the gateway
devices 10 that have subscribed for this configuration data update
and may calculate an update notification rate to ensure a
sustainable rate. At steps 365, the Pub/Sub server 65 sends a
message destined to all of the gateway devices 10 about the service
provisioning update, for example, via a XMPP control channel. Once
the update information download from the specific service 75 is
complete, the service management center 50 is notified and the
gateway device 10 is now responsible for the reconfiguring and
provisioning of the gateway device with the new data for the
particular service. As shown in FIG. 9B, the process may be
repeated at 367 for each gateway device 10 subscribed to that
service update.
[0198] In one example, the service management center network 50 may
include a software/firmware update manager functionality that keeps
the gateway devices 10 updated with compatible software and
configuration information for the gateway's and the endpoints
connected to the specific gateway device. This functionality is
similar to the service manager functionality that handles
configuration data and updates for specific services provided in
the gateway device. The firmware update manager (FUM) component or
the like functionality may utilize the underlying accessibility
framework of the service management center network to reach the
gateway device and interoperate with the in-home (in-premises)
digital devices. In embodiment as mentioned above, the gateway
devices subscribe for updates on behalf of its endpoint
devices.
[0199] In one example, the firmware update manager or the like
functionality and the gateway devices authenticate with each other
prior to any transactions. The updates are generally performed
automatically. The FUM sends a control signal to the target gateway
devices and the gateway device schedules and pulls the data
download from the FUM to the gateway device. In one embodiment, the
FUM may maintain a database of all gateway devices and endpoints
behind the gateway device, with firmware version information. This
database is indexed based upon the unique identifier and account
information for each gateway device. To provide this functionality,
the firmware update manager may have interfaces to the gateway's,
pub/sub, provisioning system, and network to management servers
that may further request a "forced update" of endpoint or gateway
software to the gateway device. The firmware update manager may
have network gateway interfaces to other third party partners to
gather updates for the partner endpoint devices connected to each
gateway.
[0200] In one example, after device authentication as in FIG. 8B,
as part of the gateway device registration process, the gateway
device 10 may be instructed to query for its version status as
indicated at 330 as shown at sequence 330 in FIG. 8C. The steps in
sequence 330 include the instruction and communication of the query
to the updater 51, including the software/firmware details of the
particular gateway device 10 and associated endpoint devices. This
information from the gateway device 10 is forwarded to the
connection manager server 60 and sent to the upgrade manager to
determine whether the gateway device 10 is performing with the
latest software/firmware versions and proper upgrades. Any upgrades
deemed necessary or available for the gateway device 10 are
forwarded back to the control message router 62 and sent back to
the gateway device 10 where the updates are installed. Optionally,
a package download status sequence 333 may be initiated where the
upgrade patch is installed at the gateway device 10. The gateway
device may be reregistered or restarted and the patch installation
is verified at step 336. As part of this sequence, the gateway
device 10 generates a notification 337 that it is ready to receive
firmware updates (e.g. future updates) which communications are
forwarded to the publication/subscription (pub/sub) server of the
services service management center network.
[0201] FIG. 8D illustrates software/firmware upgrading processing
to connected gateway devices in one embodiment. As mentioned, the
gateway device subscribes for certain endpoint software/firmware
updates and is subsequently notified when such an event occurs.
Thus, the processing illustrated in FIG. 8D may apply for endpoint
devices upgrades as well as the gateway devices. At steps 340, FUM
or like functionality notifies Pub/Sub server 65 or like
functionality of the available updates. The Pub/Sub server 65
checks whether one or more connected gateway devices 10 is
subscribed to that particular service upgrade. Optionally, the
Pub/Sub server 65 may calculate the notification rate for providing
the firmware update and sends the information back to the control
message router which forwards the firmware upgrade information to
the gateway device in the form of a data structure, for example,
including but not limited to IQSet (a type of XMPP message),
upgradeDetails (details for upgrade); downloadTime (time it takes
to download the upgrade), timeToUpgrade (time it takes to install
upgrade at the gateway device). The software/firmware updates are
then downloaded from the appropriate download server, via, e.g.
HTTPS connection, to the gateway device. Optionally, a package
download status message may be sent to the component or
functionality (e.g. FUM) from which the upgrades were downloaded
shown at 344. Further after instilling the upgrade at the gateway
device 10 or the associated endpoint device, package install status
message may be sent to the FUM or like functionality to notify the
status of the latest upgrade installation. The gateway device 10
may be reregistered or restarted and the patch installation
verified. The gateway device 10 may also generate a notification
347 that the firmware upgrade patch has been completed which notice
is forwarded to the FUM or the like functionality of service
management center network.
[0202] It should be understood that a software/firmware upgrade
throttling mechanism may be provided such that, dependent upon the
load status (resource utilization) as determined by the
provisioning firmware download server, the firmware update rate may
be modified on the fly. That is, as shown in FIG. 8E, when multiple
gateway devices 10' are connected and each are subscribed to
receive the firmware upgrades, the load status may be determined
based on a resource utilization parameter from the firmware
upgrades manager server. This update notification rate is then
recalculated to a sustainable rate depending upon the update server
load.
[0203] As described above, one or more gateway devices 10
communicate with the FUM or like functionality to download
compatible software for itself and the associated endpoint devices.
In one embodiment, the gateway device 10 is responsible for
updating endpoint devices with the downloaded software. A user of
the gateway device 10 may have an option that is configurable to
have updates automatically downloaded when available or be prompted
to initiate the download. For instance, when a new version of
gateway device firmware is available, the FUM or like functionality
notifies the gateway device either directly or via pub/sub. If the
user is configured for automation, then the gateway device would
initiate download of the firmware. If the user is configured to be
prompted then the gateway device notifies the user and waits for an
ok from the user. If the user agrees for the update then updater in
the service management center would initiate a download of the
firmware.
[0204] In one embodiment, once the software is downloaded, the
gateway device performs the automated firmware upgrade to install
the received software as part of its resident firmware, when
indications are clear that the upgrade will not be interrupting
other functions or services provided in the gateway device. For
determining compatibility with other existing functions or
services, the gateway device performs a basic set of "acceptance"
tests to make sure that the subscribed services are still
functional after the upgrade. This may be done, for example,
referring to a matrix or table of information regarding
compatibility or interoperability among software, firmware,
hardware or like of various services, gateway device components and
endpoint devices. In one embodiment, this matrix or table of
information is received as part of configuration data from the
service management center network 50, for example, during
initialization procedure and during other communication session and
may be maintained in the gateway device. In another embodiment, the
compatibility test may be performed before the upgrades are
downloaded, thus necessitating only the compatible versions of
upgrades to be downloaded. The gateway device 10 in one embodiment
has the capability to fall back to a previous release in the event
of a software upgrade failure. In one embodiment as described
above, FUM or like functionality keeps track of the various gateway
devices that it communicates with and the firmware version on each
gateway device 10. In another embodiment, FUM does not have
knowledge of which gateway devices 10 need which upgrade. Rather,
FUM simply publishes information regarding any updates to the
pub/sub server or like functionality and it is up to the pub/sub
server to notify the appropriate gateway devices.
[0205] Similarly, for the associated endpoint device a user may
have the option to automate the download or be prompted to initiate
the download when an update is available in the FUM, for example.
For each gateway device 10, the FUM or like functionality may be
responsible for tracking the software version status and upgrade
availability for the endpoint devices that each gateway device
communicates with. Thus, in one embodiment, the FUM or like
functionality may maintain a matrix that may include, but not
limited to the following information: the gateway device version;
the services enabled on each gateway device; currently connected
devices on each gateway device; the software version currently on
each device; the software versions of the endpoint devices that are
compatible with the existing gateway device version. When a new
version of software or firmware for an end device that is supported
on a gateway device 10 is available on the FUM or like
functionality, the FUM may do the following for each gateway
device: check to see if the new version is supported on the current
version of the gateway device firmware; and if the new software
load and gateway device version are compatible then FUM notifies
the gateway device 10 if that endpoint device is supported on the
gateway device. If the user is configured for automation, then the
gateway device may initiate download of the endpoint device
software. If the user is configured to be prompted then the gateway
device 10 notifies the user and waits for an OK from the user. If
the user agrees for the update then the gateway device may initiate
download of the firmware. If the gateway device chooses to download
the update, then the FUM or like functionality allows the gateway
device to download the new version. Once the software or firmware
or like is downloaded, the gateway device may perform the automated
upgrade of the endpoint device when indications are clear that it
will be not be interrupting the rest of the functions and services.
The gateway device may perform a basic set of "acceptance" tests to
make sure that the end device is still functional after the
firmware upgrade in the similar manner described above with
reference to the gateway device firmware upgrade. The gateway
device also may have the capability to fall back to a previous
release in the event of an upgrade failure.
[0206] In one example, as described above FUM or like functionality
keeps track of the various gateway devices that it communicates
with and the firmware version on each gateway device and/or its
endpoint devices. In another embodiment, FUM does not have
knowledge of which gateway devices need which upgrade. Rather, FUM
simply publishes information regarding any updates to the pub/sub
server or like functionality and it is up to the pub/sub server to
notify the appropriate gateway devices.
[0207] With respect to FUM and specific service managers providing
update and configuration information to various gateway devices
and/or network elements, there may be a plurality of ways in which
such notification may occur. In one embodiment, different methods
may depend on different categories of configuration and upgrade
data organized, for example, in the individual FUM or service
managers or like functionality. For example, data may be classified
into different categories such that for one class of data there
should be notification available to all gateway devices and/or
network elements. For this class of data, FUM or service managers
or like functionality may publish the available information via the
pub/sub functionality and allow Pub/Sub to determine which gateway
devices or network elements should be notified and handle sending
of notifications. Another class of data may be data that is
directed to a subset of elements, for example, regional data that
are directed to gateway devices located in certain regions or
locales. For this type of data, pub/sub-feature may also be
utilized. Yet another class of data may be data that is solely for
a specific gateway device or network element. For this type of
data, the service mangers or FUM or like functionality need not
utilize pub/sub feature, rather the data may be communicated
directly to the individual gateway device directly, for instance,
using an XMPP control channel, or to the individual network element
via interfaces.
[0208] Gateway to Gateway Device Communications
[0209] As mentioned earlier, the gateway devices and service
management center support a communication capability between the
appliances. This feature, for example, may be utilized for enabling
secure peer-to-peer sharing of data between or among the gateway
appliances. FIG. 7F is an architectural diagram, similar to FIG. 5,
that illustrates an overview for communicating or sharing between
the gateway devices. As shown at 1402, signaling information is
communicated via the signaling control channels, for instance using
XMPP. Then, the gateway appliances 10, 101 negotiate the subsequent
transfer of media over the data path, as represented logically by
the dotted line 1403. In the example, this media or data need not
travel via the signaling control channel. Thus, for example, a
HTTPS path may be negotiated between the appliances 10, 101. An
example of a process or service using this "peer-to-peer"
communication would be a file backup in which files are backed up
on different gateway devices.
[0210] Additional aspects of the peering capabilities enabled by
the gateway device-service management architecture include the
ability to store a roster or contact list of distant gateways on
either the gateway 10 or within the service management center 50
and utilizing these addresses to maintain the presence and routing
information of selected other gateways. This roster information is
used to establish and manage access and message routing, via XMPP
messaging, to gateways, to locate and address other gateways, and
set up peering relationships between the gateways.
[0211] A gateway may also expose other details about resources or
endpoints within the home to other gateways by communicating
resource information along with presence information. As an
example, a gateway may send presence information to selected
"buddies" via the signaling channel and also include information
about the resources available to the distant buddy. Examples of
resources include digital picture frames that the distant gateway
user may direct photos to, web cams, or other resources, enabling
direct interaction between an end user connected to one gateway, or
in automated scenarios, the gateway itself, and a distant device
connected to the local area network of another gateway.
[0212] When a user interacts with the resource sharing functions of
their gateway 10, the user may select a specific gateway 101 from
their roster, represented as a "buddy" list. When the user selects
a "buddy", additional resource details are displayed to the user,
providing information about any resources that the end user may
utilize via that selected peer gateway device 101.
[0213] The XMPP messaging protocol, combined with the roster and
XMPP addressing mechanisms may be utilized for either end user
interactions or automated interactions between gateways. Automated
use of the peering capabilities include directing utility data for
usage and network management information to designated collectors
within peering groups and then having the designated collector
forward the combined information to the service management center.
This distributes the collection processing to the gateways and
decreases the overall processing and bandwidth utilization in the
service management center. Of course, the XMPP protocol is
discussed here merely by way of example, and those skilled in the
art will recognize that the gateway to gateway device
communications may use other protocols.
[0214] The gateway device 10 and its interactions with various
endpoint devices and with the service management center 50 have
been described with reference to diagrams of methods, apparatus
(systems) and computer program products. It will be understood that
elements and functions illustrated in the diagrams, can be
implemented by computer program instructions running on one or more
appropriately configured hardware platforms, e.g. to operate as a
gateway device 10 or as one or more of the enumerated elements of
the service management center 50. Hence, operations described above
may be carried out by execution of software, firmware, or microcode
operating on a computer other programmable device of any type.
Additionally, code for implementing such operations may comprise
computer instruction in any form (e.g. source code, object code,
interpreted code, etc.) stored in or carried by any computer or
machine readable medium.
[0215] Program aspects of the technology may be thought of a
"products," typically in the form of executable code and/or
associated data for implementing desired functionality, which is
carried on or embodied in a type of machine readable medium. In
this way, computer program instructions may be provided to a
processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer,
embedded processor or other programmable data processing apparatus
to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via
the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing
apparatus, so as to implement functions described above.
[0216] Terms regarding computer or machine "readable medium" (or
media) as used herein therefore relate to any storage medium and
any physical or carrier wave transmission medium, which
participates in providing instructions or code or data to a
processor for execution or processing. Storage media include any or
all of the memory of the gateway device or associated modules
thereof or any of the hardware platforms as may be used in the
service management center, such as various semiconductor memories,
tape drives, disk drives and the like, which may provide storage at
any time for the software programming. All or portions of the
software may at times be communicated through the Internet or
various other telecommunication networks. Such communications, for
example, may enable loading of the software from one computer into
another computer, for example, from the updater 51 a hardware
platform for a gateway device 10 or from another source into an
element of the service management center 50. Thus, another type of
media that may bear the software elements includes optical,
electrical and electromagnetic waves, such as used across physical
interfaces between local devices, through wired and optical
landline networks and over various air-links. The physical elements
that carry such waves, such as wired or wireless links, optical
links or the like, also may be considered as media bearing the
software. Hence, the broad class of media that may bear the
instructions or data encompass many forms, including but not
limited to, non-volatile storage media, volatile storage media as
well as carrier wave and physical forms of transmission media.
[0217] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the teachings
of this disclosure may be modified, extended and/or applied in a
variety of ways. An extension of the system architecture, for
example, provides the ability of various and disparate third-party
application service providers to provide multiple application
services independently. Application services are managed by the
"managed" service provider through the service management center
50, meaning, generally, authorizing, provisioning, and monitoring
the usage of a particular application service. This can be
accomplished in, a variety of ways with varying degrees of
involvement of, or coordination with, the service management
center. The service management center 50 could manage these items
"soup-to-nuts" or have minimal involvement. For example, the
service management center 50 could deal directly with the third
party provider to acquire application services at the request of a
user and manage the delivery, authorization, usage-monitoring and
upgrading of the application service. At the other end of the
spectrum, the managed service provider may have arrangements with
the third-party application service provider by which orders or
requests from the users may come directly to the third-party
application service provider, and services are delivered to the
user by the third-party service provider who in turn coordinates
with the managed service provider to register and monitor the
particular application service placed in the gateway device 10. It
should be noted that this ability to manage application services
extends through the gateway device into the endpoint devices
registered or associated with the gateway or network.
[0218] While the foregoing has described what are considered to be
the best mode and/or other examples, it is understood that various
modifications may be made therein and that the subject matter
disclosed herein may be implemented in various forms and examples,
and that the teachings may be applied in numerous applications,
only some of which have been described herein. It is intended by
the following claims to claim any and all applications,
modifications and variations that fall within the true scope of the
present teachings.
* * * * *
References