System And Method For Providing Network Support Services And Premises Gateway Support Infrastructure
Patent No. US11489689 (titled "System And Method For Providing Network Support Services And Premises Gateway Support Infrastructure") was filed by Xmatrix Llc on Mar 3, 2021.
What is this patent about?
’689 is related to the field of service management systems for digital homes and small enterprises. Traditionally, application service logic resided on servers in network operation centers. Managing the increasing complexity of digital homes, with numerous interconnected devices and services, presents a challenge for both users and service providers. Existing solutions often require significant user intervention and lack simplified management and provisioning.
The underlying idea behind ’689 is to move application service logic from a remote server to a gateway device located within the user's premises. This gateway device provides server functionality for service delivery to endpoint devices on the local network, while still allowing for remote management by a service management center. This architecture aims to simplify service management, reduce complexity for users, and enable easier provisioning and upgrades for service providers.
The claims of ’689 focus on a management device (gateway) operating at a user's premises. This device has a processor, application service logic to manage endpoint devices, and two sets of communication interfaces. One set enables local communication with endpoint devices, and the other enables communication with a remote service management center via a wide area network. The gateway establishes a communication channel with either another gateway device or a home automation networking device, exchanges resource availability information, receives home automation information for an endpoint device, processes it locally, and transmits the results.
In practice, the gateway device acts as a central hub for managing various services and devices within the user's premises. It receives home automation commands, processes them locally, and then sends the results back to the appropriate endpoint device. This local processing reduces latency and reliance on the wide area network. The communication channel with another gateway device enables peer-to-peer communication and resource sharing, further enhancing the system's capabilities.
This approach differs from prior solutions that rely on centralized servers for application service logic. By distributing the processing to the gateway device, ’689 reduces the load on the network and improves responsiveness. The remote service management center can still manage and update the gateway device, ensuring that it has the latest software and configuration data. This combination of local processing and remote management provides a more efficient and user-friendly solution for managing digital homes and small enterprises.
How does this patent fit in bigger picture?
Technical landscape at the time
In the mid-2000s when ’689 was filed, home networks were becoming more complex, with an increasing number of digital devices. At a time when application service logic was typically located on network servers, users faced challenges in managing and provisioning these services within their homes. The protection of media content and the integration of internet content with home entertainment systems were also non-trivial problems.
Novelty and Inventive Step
The examiner allowed the claims because the prior art, whether considered individually or in combination, did not disclose or suggest the specific combination of limitations found in independent claims 1, 28, and 46. These limitations include establishing a communication channel with a second management device via at least two communication interfaces, communicating with the second management device regarding resource availability, receiving home automation information from the second management device for an endpoint device, locally processing this information, and transmitting the results back to the second management device. The examiner concluded that these limitations, within their environment, constituted allowable subject matter over the prior art.
Claims
This patent contains 63 claims, with independent claims numbered 1, 28, and 46. The independent claims are generally directed to a management device operating at a user's premises, providing local application services for multiple endpoint devices, and involving communication with other devices for home automation. The dependent claims generally elaborate on and refine the features and functionalities described in the independent claims.
Key Claim Terms New
Definitions of key terms used in the patent claims.
Patent Family
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Date
Description
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US11489689
- Application Number
- US17190855
- Filing Date
- Mar 3, 2021
- Status
- Granted
- Expiry Date
- Sep 7, 2027
- External Links
- Slate, USPTO, Google Patents