System and method for providing network support services and premises gateway support infrastructure

Abstract

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 - 26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . A method comprising:
 communicatively coupling, via a management device at a user premises and using a wireless communication protocol, a plurality of endpoint devices at the user premises to a remotely located system external to the user premises, wherein the plurality of endpoint devices includes a first endpoint device configured to stream media, and
 a second endpoint device that includes at least one of a lighting unit or a media streaming device; 
   receiving, at the management device, endpoint device information from the first endpoint device;   managing one or more operations of the second endpoint device based on the received endpoint device information; and   in response to one or more communications with the remotely located system, controlling at least one of:
 one or more user interfaces, 
 application service logic, 
 services framework logic, 
 platform management logic, or 
 any combination thereof. 
   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the wireless communication protocol is an X10 protocol, Z-Wave protocol, Bluetooth protocol, WiFi protocol, or ZigBee protocol. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising:
 managing interactions between the management device and a television using one or more setting stored by the management device for synchronization between the first and second endpoint devices.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein managing the one or more operations of the second endpoint device is performed using application services provided by the remotely located system. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein managing the one or more operations of the second endpoint device includes one or both of accessing a bridge device and scheduling one or more actions. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the endpoint device information comprises one or more settings for the second endpoint device. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein
 the first endpoint device is a mobile phone, and   the management device is a gateway device, a home automation device, or a digital endpoint service and management device.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising receiving, at a home-automation control device, a command from a user device, wherein the command includes a selection of visual content to display on the first endpoint device and is based on the user making a selection of the home-automation control device from multiple home-automation control devices. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the method is performed by a home-automation control device configured to control at least one of the first endpoint device or the second endpoint device and further comprises receiving a command from a user device, wherein the command is sent in response to a user making a selection of the home-automation control device from multiple home-automation control devices. 
     
     
         36 . A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computing system, cause the computing system to perform a process comprising:
 communicatively coupling, via a management device at a user premises and using a wireless communication protocol, a plurality of endpoint devices at the user premises to a remotely located system external to the user premises, wherein the plurality of endpoint devices includes a first endpoint device configured to stream media, and
 a second endpoint device that includes at least one of a lighting unit or a media streaming device; 
   receiving, at the management device, endpoint device information from the first endpoint device;   managing one or more operations of the second endpoint device based on the received endpoint device information; and   in response to one or more communications with the remotely located system, controlling at least one of:
 one or more user interfaces, 
 application service logic, 
 services framework logic, 
 platform management logic, or 
 any combination thereof. 
   
     
     
         37 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 36 ,
 wherein the process further comprises receiving additional endpoint device information from at least one sensor located at the user premises; and   wherein the second endpoint device manages wireless home automation based on the additional endpoint device information.   
     
     
         38 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 36 , wherein the endpoint device information comprises settings specified for the second endpoint device. 
     
     
         39 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 36 , wherein the process further comprises managing home security at the user premises by interacting with a video camera and associated video data captured within the user premises by the video camera. 
     
     
         40 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 36 , wherein the wireless communication protocol is a mesh protocol used to communicate with the first and second endpoint devices. 
     
     
         41 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 36 , wherein the first and second endpoint devices are communicatively coupled to the remotely located system through a local network that is connected to a wide area network on which the remotely located system communicates. 
     
     
         42 . A computing system comprising:
 one or more processors; and   one or more memories storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing system to perform a process comprising:
 communicatively coupling, via a management device at a user premises and using a wireless communication protocol, a plurality of endpoint devices at the user premises to a remotely located system external to the user premises, wherein the plurality of endpoint devices includes 
 a first endpoint device configured to stream media, and 
 a second endpoint device that includes at least one of a lighting unit or a media streaming device; 
 receiving, at the management device, endpoint device information from the first endpoint device; 
 managing one or more operations of the second endpoint device based on the received endpoint device information; and 
 in response to one or more communications with the remotely located system, controlling at least one of:
 one or more user interfaces, 
 application service logic, 
 services framework logic, 
 platform management logic, or 
 any combination thereof. 
 
   
     
     
         43 . The computing system of  claim 42 , wherein the first endpoint device is a television or has a wired connection to a television. 
     
     
         44 . The computing system of  claim 42 , wherein managing the one or more operations of the second endpoint device is performed using application services provided by the system external to the user premises. 
     
     
         45 . The computing system of  claim 42 , wherein the first endpoint device is a mobile phone. 
     
     
         46 . The computing system of  claim 42 , wherein the endpoint device information comprises configuration settings specified for the second endpoint device.