Multi-Services Application Gateway And System Employing The Same

What is this patent about?

’366 is related to the field of managed services for digital homes and small businesses, specifically addressing the challenge of managing and supporting the increasing number of interconnected digital devices. The background highlights the complexity faced by users in managing their home networks, media content, and various siloed services like home automation, energy management, and security. Existing solutions lack integration and personalized coaching, leaving users struggling to leverage the full potential of their connected devices.

The underlying idea behind ’366 is to provide an intelligent gateway that acts as a central point for managing application services and communications for digital devices within a premise. This gateway integrates a communications and processing infrastructure with a peer-to-peer messaging protocol, enabling communication between the gateway, an external support network, and connected digital devices. The key insight is to move service logic and intelligence to the user's premises, creating a distributed soft-switch architecture and simplifying the management of digital devices for the technically challenged.

The claims of ’366 focus on a wireless camera control system residing at a user's home. This system includes interfaces for both wide area networks (WAN) and local area networks (LAN). The core of the claims centers around the ability to store trigger settings for a camera, enabling it to detect specific events. Furthermore, the claims cover the user's ability to control the storage of captured data, selectively invite individuals to access this data via the WAN, and manage secure access through authentication.

In practice, the invention allows a user to set up a camera to monitor their home for specific events, such as motion detection. When an event is triggered, the camera captures data (video, images, etc.), and the gateway allows the user to control where this data is stored – locally or remotely. The user can then invite specific individuals, like family members or security personnel, to view the stored footage, ensuring that only authorized people can access the sensitive information. This is achieved through a secure authentication process managed by the gateway.

This approach differs significantly from prior solutions that often rely on external service providers for each individual device or service. ’366 provides a unified platform for managing various aspects of the digital home, including security, media, and communication. By integrating a peer-to-peer messaging protocol, the invention also enables real-time communication and file sharing among peers, creating a more connected and manageable digital environment. The virtual demarcation further allows for flexible control between the user and service provider.