Application for in-field discovery, diagnosis and repair of a set-top device

1. A method, comprising the steps of:

determining that at least a first set-top device is non-responsive to a head-end via a communication channel established between the head-end and the first set-top device, when the first set-top device status is not received in the head-end when expected, wherein the first set-top device is capable of loading and executing an SAR module;

executing a search and rescue (SAR) module on the first set-top device upon determining that the first set-top device is non-responsive to the head-end;

attempting to re-establish communications between the first set-top device and the head-end by the SAR module executing on the first set-top device;

determining that said SAR module executing on the first set-top device is unsuccessful in re-establishing communications between the first set-top device and the head-end;

executing the same SAR module on at least a second set-top device operatively connected with the first set-top device via a local network upon determining that said SAR module executing on the first set-top device is unsuccessful in re-establishing communications between the first set-top device and the head-end, the second set-top device being responsive to the head-end;

collecting, by the SAR module executing on the first set-top device, information relating to an operational status of the first set-top device;

obtaining, by the same SAR module executing on the second set-top device, said information relating to the operational status of the first set-top device; and

sending, through the second set-top device, said information relating to the operational status of the first set-top device to the head-end.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein attempting to re-establish communications between the first set-top device and the head-end comprises:

designating a port on which to re-establish a server running on the first set-top device; and

starting, by the SAR module executing on the first set-top device, a new instance of said server running on the first set-top device on the designated port.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the first set-top device is non-responsive to the head-end comprises at least one of:

determining, by the SAR module executing on the first set-top device, whether a connection can be established between said first set-top device and a local web server running on the first set-top device; and

determining, by the SAR module executing on the first set-top device, whether the first set-top device is operating in two-way communications mode.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the first set-top device is non-responsive to the head-end comprises:

monitoring, by said head-end, status reports transmitted by the first set-top device; and

determining that said first set-top device is non-responsive when said status reports are not received within a prescribed time period.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining said information relating to the operational status of the first set-top device comprises configuring said first set-top device to push at least one log file, including the information relating to the operational status of the first set-top device, to the second set-top device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining said information relating to the operational status of the first set-top device comprises configuring the first set-top device to push at least one log file including said information relating to the operational status of the first set-top device to a prescribed universal resource locator address, the universal resource locator address identifying at least one set-top device operatively connected with the first set-top device on said local network.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the universal resource locator address is specified by a user through a web server generated by the SAR module executing on the first set-top device.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

scanning, by the SAR module executing on said first set-top device, a local network on which the first set-top device is connected, for connected set-top devices; and

generating, by the SAR module executing on the first set-top device, a list of set-top devices discovered on the local network.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

scanning, by at least a given one of the SAR modules executing on the first and second set-top devices, said local network for connected set-top devices; and

generating, by the given one of the SAR modules, a list of set-top devices discovered on the local network.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising generating, by the given one of the SAR modules, a plurality of links, each of the links identifying a corresponding one of the set-top devices discovered on the local network.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending a request, by the head-end, to load said SAR module onto each of at least a subset of the set-top devices connected on the local network.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating, by the SAR module executing on the second set-top device, one or more selectable links for each of at least a subset of connected set-top devices on the local network, said one or more selectable links being configured to enable connection to the first set-top device on the local network;

initiating a request, by the head-end, for the second set-top device to display a list of discovered set-top devices on the local network;

displaying, by the SAR application executing on the second set-top device, said list of discovered set-top devices on the local network;

selecting, by the head-end, at least a first link in said list of links, said first link being indicative of a request to access the first set-top device; and

intercepting, by the SAR module executing on the second set-top device, said request to access the first set-top device, the second set-top device, acting as a proxy, making said request to access the first set-top device on behalf of the head-end.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising, upon re-establishing communications between said head-end and the first set-top device, the SAR module executing on the second set-top device halting interception of said request to access the first set-top device, whereby requests by the head-end to access the first set-top device are routed directly to the first set-top device.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein executing the search and rescue (SAR) module on the first set-top device upon determining that the first set-top device is non-responsive to the head-end comprises pushing the SAR module by the head-end through the second set-top device to the first set-top device when the first set-top device is non-responsive to the head-end.

15. An apparatus for performing at least one of in-field discovery, diagnosis and repair of a set-top device that has become inaccessible to a head-end through a communication channel established between the head-end and said set-top device, the apparatus comprising:

a memory;

at least one processor coupled to said memory; and

a non-transitory persistent storage medium that contains instructions which, when loaded into said memory, instruct said at least one processor:

to determine that at least a first set-top device is non-responsive to a head-end via a communication channel established between the head-end and the first set-top device, when the first set-top device status is not received in the head-end when expected, wherein the first set-top device is capable of loading and executing an SAR module;

to cause a search and rescue (SAR) module to execute on the first set-top device upon determining that the first set-top device is non-responsive to the head-end, said SAR module executing on the first set-top device for the purpose of re-establishing communications between the first set-top device and the head-end;

to determine that said SAR module executing on the first set-top device is unsuccessful in re-establishing communications between the first set-top device and the head-end;

to search for at least a second set-top device, connected with the first set-top device on a local network and responsive to the head-end, upon determining that said SAR module executing on the first set-top device is unsuccessful in re-establishing communications between the first set-top device and the head-end; and

to cause the same SAR module to execute on the second set-top device, said SAR module executing on the second set-top device obtaining information regarding an operational status of the first set-top device from the first set-top device, whereby the head-end obtains said information relating to the operational status of the first set-top device via the second set-top device.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein said instructions, when loaded into said memory, further instruct said at least one processor to instruct said first set-top device to push at least one log file, including the information regarding the operational status of the first set-top device, to the second set-top device.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein said instructions, when loaded into said memory, further instruct said at least one processor to instruct said first set-top device to push at least one log file, including the information regarding the operational status of the first set-top device, to a prescribed universal resource locator address, the universal resource locator address identifying at least one set-top device operatively connected with the first set-top device on said local network.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein said instructions, when loaded into said memory, further instruct said at least one processor to designate a port on which to re-establish a server running on the first set-top device, the SAR module executing on the first set-top device re-establishing communications between the first set-top device and the head-end by starting a new instance of said server running on the first set-top device on the designated port.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein said instructions, when loaded into said memory, further instruct said at least one processor:

to monitor status reports generated by the first set-top device; and

to determine that the first set-top device is non-responsive when said status reports are not received by the apparatus within a prescribed time period.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein said instructions, when loaded into said memory, further instruct said at least one processor:

to scan a local network for connected set-top devices, the first set-top device being operatively coupled to the local network; and

to generate a list of set-top devices discovered on the local network.

21. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein at least a portion of said apparatus is incorporated into the first set-top device.

22. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein causing the search and rescue (SAR) module to execute on the first set-top device upon determining that the first set-top device is non-responsive to the head-end further comprises pushing the SAR module by the head-end through the second set-top device to the first set-top device when the first set-top device is non-responsive to the head-end.

23. A first set-top device, comprising:

a memory;

at least one processor coupled to the memory; and

a non-transitory persistent storage medium that contains instructions which, when loaded into said memory, instruct the at least one processor:

to determine that the first set-top device is non-responsive to a head-end via a communication channel established between the head-end and the first set-top device, when the first set-top device status is not received in the head-end when expected, wherein the first set-top device is capable of loading and executing an SAR module;

to execute a search and rescue (SAR) module on the first set-top device upon determining that the first set-top device is non-responsive to the head-end via the communication channel established between the head-end and the first set-top device, said SAR module executing on the first set-top device for the purpose of re-establishing communications between the first set-top device and the head-end;

to determine that said SAR module is unsuccessful at re-establishing communications between the first set-top device and the head-end;

upon determining that said SAR module is unsuccessful at re-establishing communications between the first set-top device and the head-end, to search for at least a second set-top device, connected with the first set-top device on a local network, said SAR module executing on the first set-top device providing information regarding an operational status of the first set-top device to said second set-top device, whereby the head-end obtains said information relating to the operational status of the first set-top device via the second set-top device.

24. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions which when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform the steps of:

when the first set-top device status is not received in the head-end when expected, wherein the first set-top device is capable of loading and executing an SAR module;

executing a search and rescue (SAR) module on the first set-top device upon determining that the first set-top device is non-responsive to the head-end;

attempting to re-establish communications between the first set-top device and the head-end by the SAR module executing on the first set-top device;

determining that said SAR module executing on the first set-top device is unsuccessful in re-establishing communications between the first set-top device and the head-end;

upon determining that said SAR module executing on the first set-top device is unsuccessful in re-establishing communications between the first set-top device and the head-end, executing the same SAR module on at least a second set-top device operatively connected with the first set-top device via a local network, the second set-top device being responsive to the head-end;

collecting, by the SAR module executing on the first set-top device, information relating to an operational status of the first set-top device;

obtaining, by the same SAR module executing on the second set-top device, said information relating to the operational status of the first set-top device; and

sending, through the second set-top device, said information relating to the operational status of the first set-top device to the head-end.

25. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 24 , wherein executing the search and rescue (SAR) module on the first set-top device upon determining that the first set-top device is non-responsive to the head-end comprises pushing the SAR module by the head-end through the second set-top device to the first set-top device when the first set-top device is non-responsive to the head-end.