Method and apparatus for associating a client device with a hosted service
A set-top appliance for a video on demand service through which Internet content is available for download is identifiable through a unique identification number but becomes associated with the service (e.g., during an installation of the set-top appliance) using a pass phrase automatically generated from a database (e.g., dictionary of words and phrases) and provided to a customer of the VOD service via the set-top appliance. Use of such a pass phrase during the installation process relieves the user from having to remember the often lengthy and complex unique identification number for the set-top appliance.
1 . A method, comprising associating a set-top appliance identifiable with a unique identification number with a hosted service through which Internet content is available for download to the set-top appliance using a pass phrase automatically generated from a database and provided to a customer of the hosted service via the set-top appliance.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the database comprises a dictionary of words and/or phrases.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the pass phrase is organized as adjective-adjective-noun.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the pass phrase is provided to the customer when the set-top appliance makes initial contact with a server associated with the hosted service.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein when the set-top appliance makes initial contact with the server, the set-top appliance identifies itself using the unique identification number.
6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the server responds to the set-top appliance identifying itself, in part by issuing the pass phrase to be displayed to the customer via a display device coupled to the set-top appliance.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the set-top appliance is associated with the hosted service after entry of the pass phrase via a user interface to the hosted service.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the user interface to the hosted service comprises one or more Web pages accessible via a Web browser not associated with the set-top appliance.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the set-top appliance is associated with the hosted service after entry of the pass phrase via a communication channel to the hosted service other than that used between the set-top appliance and a server from which the pass phrase is issued.
10 . A method, comprising establishing a first communication session between a set-top appliance and a hosted service using a unique identifier associated with the set-top appliance; and establishing a second communication session between the hosted service and a customer thereof using a pass phrase provided to the customer as part of the first communication session.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the pass phrase comprises a human readable phrase.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the pass phrase is reusable by the hosted service upon completion of the second communication session.
13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the pass phrase is organized as adjective-adjective-noun.
14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the pass phrase is provided to the customer via a display device communicatively coupled to the set-top appliance.
15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the pass phrase is stored on a computer readable medium at the set-top appliance at least until completion of the second communication session.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the set-top appliance is advised of the completion of the second communications session via the hosted service.
17 . A method of registering an appliance with a hosted service, comprising providing the hosted service with a unique identifier associated with the appliance in a first communications session; providing the appliance with a human readable pass phrase that is at least temporarily uniquely associated with the unique identifier; and providing the pass phrase to the hosted service as part of a second communications session during which registration will be completed.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the pass phrase is provided to the hosted service by a human customer thereof using a Web-based user interface for the hosted service.
19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the pass phrase is generated using a dictionary of terms and is arranged as adjective-adjective-noun.
20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein upon completion of the second communication session the pass phrase is no longer uniquely associated with the unique identifier.
21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the appliance comprises a set-top box configured to download multimedia content available through the hosted service and further comprising presenting the pass phrase to a human user of the appliance via a display device coupled to the appliance.