System and method for providing network support services and premises gateway support infrastructure
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.
1. 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 via a gateway device at a user premises, the gateway device providing connectivity to a wide area network and at least some server functionality to one or more endpoint devices, the operations comprising:
communicating, via the wide area network, with a remote server having an authentication manager;
sending at least one signal, for gateway authentication by the authentication manager, wherein the authentication manager authenticates the gateway device, and the remote server establishes a signaling communication link through the wide area network between the remote server and the gateway device;
receiving, via the wide area network, configuration data for voice-controlled operation;
storing the configuration data;
sending, via the wide area network, a request for a voice-controlled streaming service to stream media, at the user premises;
causing a graphical user interface to be rendered on a display of a television that is one of the one or more endpoint devices by sending a signal to the television over a wired interface, wherein the graphical user interface enables controls for the voice-controlled streaming service;
after a verification that the request conforms with policy and/or usage rules associated with the voice-controlled streaming service based on subscription information, providing media, from the voice-controlled streaming service, at the user premises, wherein the voice-controlled streaming service is independent of streaming services executing on at least one remote application service provider network; and
sending one or more update requests from the authenticated gateway device, wherein each update request from the authenticated gateway device represents a request to update information involving service components associated with the authenticated gateway device and/or associated with any of the one or more endpoint devices associated with the authenticated gateway device.
2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the streaming services executing on at least one remote application service provider network, for which the voice-controlled streaming service is independent, are provided for one or more second users other than a first user for which the at least one voice-controlled streaming service is provided.
3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise storing the configuration data at the user premises to provide voice control of the one or more endpoint devices or the gateway device.
4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , 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.
5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the voice-controlled streaming service is configured to stream video and/or audio.
6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise communicating with a remote control at the user premises to control the voice-controlled streaming service.
7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the communication link through the wide area network is established using a local router.
8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , 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.
9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , 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.
10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the storing the configuration data comprises storing the configuration data in a message queue, RAM, or non-volatile memory.
11. A device for managing voice-controlled services at a user premises, the device providing connectivity to a wide area network and at least some server functionality to one or more endpoint devices, the device comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more memories storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the device to perform operations comprising:
communicating, via the wide area network, with a remote server having an authentication manager;
sending at least one signal, for device authentication by the authentication manager, wherein the authentication manager authenticates the device, and the remote server establishes a signaling communication link through the wide area network between the remote server and the device;
receiving, via the wide area network, configuration data for voice-controlled operation;
storing the configuration data;
sending, via the wide area network, a request for a voice-controlled streaming service to stream media, at the user premises, using voice control;
causing a graphical user interface to be rendered on a display of a television that is one of the one or more endpoint devices by sending a signal to the television over a wired interface, wherein the graphical user interface enables controls for the voice-controlled streaming service;
after a verification that the request conforms with policy and/or usage rules associated with the voice-controlled streaming service based on subscription information, providing media, from the voice-controlled streaming service, at the user premises, wherein the voice-controlled streaming service is independent of streaming services executing on at least one remote application service provider network; and
sending one or more update requests from the authenticated device, wherein each update request from the authenticated device represents a request to update information involving service components associated with the authenticated device and/or associated with any of the one or more endpoint devices associated with the authenticated device.
12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the streaming services executing on at least one remote application service provider network, for which the voice-controlled streaming service is independent, are provided for one or more second users other than a first user for which the at least one voice-controlled streaming service is provided.
13. A method for managing voice-controlled services via one or more gateway devices configured to provide server functionality for one or more endpoint devices, the method comprising:
authenticating each of the one or more gateway devices;
establishing a communication link through a wide area network with each of the one or more gateway devices;
sending configuration data to the authenticated one or more gateway devices via the wide area network, wherein the configuration data is based on subscription information associated with the respective authenticated gateway device, and wherein the configuration data is stored by the respective authenticated gateway device;
authorizing at least one voice-controlled streaming service associated with a service provider to stream video and/or audio at a user premises, wherein the authorizing is independent of application services executing on an application service provider's network, and wherein authorizing the voice-controlled streaming service includes:
receiving a request, for the voice-controlled streaming service, from the user premises,
using a subscription manager to verify that the request conforms with policy and usage rules associated with the requested voice-controlled streaming service in order to authorize the requested voice-controlled streaming service, and
causing, by sending a signal to a television over a wired interface, a graphical user interface to be rendered on a display of the television, wherein the graphical user interface enables streaming management and/or control of streaming services provided by a remote server in communication with the gateway devices and/or the one or more endpoint devices; and
receiving one or more update requests from the one or more authenticated gateway devices, wherein each update request from each respective authenticated gateway device represents a request from that respective authenticated gateway device to update information involving service components associated with that authenticated gateway device and/or associated with any of the one or more endpoint devices associated with the authenticated gateway device.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the service components include components for one or more 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 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 the one or more endpoint devices; or any combination thereof.
15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising managing, via the at least one voice-controlled streaming service, operation of the one or more endpoint devices.
16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the voice-controlled streaming service is configured to stream video and/or audio.
17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the application services executing on an application service provider's network, for which the authorizing is independent, are provided for a second user other than a first user for which the at least one voice-controlled streaming service is provided.