Claims
- 1. In a Home Network telephone system, a method for backing up user data, the method comprising:
establishing a gateway to serve at least one Home Network endpoint; and, at the gateway, storing a copy of user data associated with each endpoint.
- 2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
supplying the user data to the endpoints; and, locally storing a copy of the user data at the endpoints.
- 3. The method of claim 2 wherein supplying the user data to the endpoints is an action selected from the group including:
supplying the endpoint with an initial start-up configuration of user data; and, resupplying the endpoint in response to the endpoint losing the locally stored copy of the user data.
- 4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:
generating user data at an endpoint; and, wherein storing a copy of user data associated with each endpoint at the gateway includes storing the user data generated at the endpoint.
- 5. The method of claim 4 wherein establishing a gateway includes:
transceiving calls on an external telephone line that communicate call information in a first format; converting between the first format and a digital Home Network format; establishing traffic channels to communicate information in the Home Network format; and, establishing a control channel to manage storage and supply of the user data.
- 6. The method of claim 5 wherein storing a copy of user data associated with endpoint at the gateway includes storing user data selected from the group including telephone directories, calling line ID (CLID) lists, call-logs, and user preferences for organizing the stored data.
- 7. The method of claim 6 wherein storing user data associated with each endpoint at the gateway includes storing the user data in nonvolatile gateway memory.
- 8. The method of claim 6 wherein establishing a gateway to serve at least one Home Network endpoint includes establishing a unique identifier for each endpoint; and,
wherein storing user data associated with each endpoint at the gateway includes storing the user data cross-referenced to endpoint identifiers.
- 9. The method of claim 8 wherein establishing a control channel to manage storage and supply of the user data includes:
the endpoint inquiring if the gateway supports user data backup functions; and, the endpoint receiving communications from the gateway that the backup function is supported.
- 10. The method of claim 9 wherein establishing a control channel to manage storage and supply of the user data includes:
at an endpoint, setting an archive flag to the on position; communicating user data to the gateway for backing up; receiving an acknowledgement from the gateway; and, setting the archive flag to the off position.
- 11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
initially powering on a first endpoint; wherein establishing a control channel to manage storage and supply of the user data includes: following the initial powering, inquiring if the gateway supports user data backup functions; receiving communications from the gateway that the backup function is supported, but that no user data is stored for the first endpoint; and, at the first endpoint, setting an archive flag to the on position; wherein storing a copy of user data associated with each endpoint at the gateway includes communicating first endpoint user data to the gateway for backing up; wherein establishing a control channel to manage storage and supply of the user data further includes: receiving an acknowledgement from the gateway; and, setting the archive flag to the off position.
- 12. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
powering on a first endpoint after its locally stored copy of user data has been lost; wherein establishing a control channel to manage storage and supply of the user data includes: following powering on, inquiring if the gateway supports user data backup functions; receiving communications from the gateway that the backup function is supported, and that user data has been stored for the first endpoint; and, wherein supplying the user data to the endpoints includes communicating the stored user data to the first endpoint from the gateway.
- 13. The method of claim 12 wherein storing user data associated with each endpoint at the gateway includes storing a generic user data configuration in the gateway memory; and,
wherein communicating the stored user data to the first endpoint from the gateway includes communicating the generic user data configuration.
- 14. The method of claim 10 wherein establishing a control channel to manage storage and supply of the user data includes:
receiving a copy of the user data at the gateway from an endpoint; sending an acknowledgement from the gateway to the endpoint that the user data has been received; and, wherein storing a copy of user data associated with each endpoint at the gateway includes storing the user data received from the endpoint.
- 15. The method of claim 10 wherein generating user data at an endpoint includes modifying user data at a first endpoint;
the method further comprising: at the first endpoint, setting an archive flag to the on position; wherein storing a copy of user data associated with each endpoint at the gateway includes sending a copy of the modified user data to the gateway from the first endpoint; and, the method further comprising: sending an acknowledgement from the gateway to the first endpoint that the modified user data has been received.
- 16. The method of claim 10 wherein establishing a control channel to manage storage and supply of the user data includes:
an endpoint requesting user data from the gateway; the gateway supplying a copy of the user data to the requesting endpoint; and the endpoint sending an acknowledgement to the gateway that the user data has been received.
- 17. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
a first endpoint losing its locally stored copy of user data; the first endpoint requesting user data from the gateway; the gateway supplying a copy of the user data to the requesting first endpoint; and the first endpoint sending an acknowledgement to the gateway that the user data has been received.
- 18. The method of claim 8 wherein storing user data associated with each endpoint at the gateway includes:
each endpoint periodically transmitting user data to the gateway for backing up; and, the gateway updating stored user data in response to the periodic transmissions from each endpoint.
- 19. A Home Network telephone system for backing up user data, the system comprising:
at least one endpoint having a port to transceive telephone communications; and, a gateway having a port to transceive telephone communication with the at least one endpoint, the gateway having a memory to store a copy of user data associated with each endpoint.
- 20. The system of claim 19 wherein the gateway supplies the user data to the endpoint; and,
wherein the endpoint receives the user data from the gateway and stores a copy of the user data in a local memory.
- 21. The system of claim 20 wherein the gateway resupplies the endpoint in response to the endpoint losing the copy of the user data stored in its local memory.
- 22. The system of claim 21 wherein the endpoint has a user interface to generate user data, the endpoint storing the generated user data in local memory; and,
wherein the gateway stores a back-up copy of the user data generated by the endpoint in the gateway memory.
- 23. The system of claim 22 wherein the gateway has a port for transceiving calls on an external telephone line that communicate call information in a first format, the gateway converting between the first format and a digital Home Network format, establishing traffic channels to communicate information in the Home Network format, and establishing a control channel to manage storage and supply of the user data.
- 24. The system of claim 23 wherein the gateway stores user data selected from the group including telephone directories, calling line ID (CLID) lists, call-logs, and user preferences for organizing the stored data.
- 25. The system of claim 24 wherein the gateway memory is a nonvolatile memory.
- 26. The system of claim 24 wherein the gateway establishes a unique identifier for each endpoint and stores the user data cross-referenced to endpoint identifiers.
- 27. The system of claim 26 wherein the endpoint uses the control channel to inquire if the gateway supports user data backup functions; and,
wherein the gateway uses the control channel to communicate to the endpoint that the backup function is supported.
- 28. The system of claim 27 wherein the endpoint uses the control channel to set an archive flag to the on position and communicates user data to the gateway for backup;
wherein the gateway uses the control channel to send an acknowledgement that the user data has been received; and, wherein the endpoint sets the archive flag to the off position in response to receiving the acknowledgement.
- 29. The system of claim 28 wherein a first endpoint initially powers up and uses a control channel to inquire if the gateway supports user data backup functions;
wherein the gateway uses a control channel to send communications to the endpoint that the backup function is supported, but that no user data is stored for the first endpoint; and, wherein the first endpoint sets an archive flag to the on position, communicates first endpoint user data to the gateway for backup, and sets the archive flag to the off position in response to receiving an acknowledgement from the gateway.
- 30. The system of claim 28 wherein a first endpoint powers up after its copy of user data stored in local memory has been lost and uses the control channel to inquire if the gateway supports user data backup functions;
wherein the gateway uses the control channel to send communications that the backup function is supported, and that user data has been stored for the first endpoint; and, wherein the first endpoint uses the control channel to receive the stored user data from the gateway and to send an acknowledgement to the gateway.
- 31. The system of claim 30 wherein the gateway stores a generic user data configuration for the first endpoint in the gateway memory and uses the control channel to communicate the generic user data configuration to the first endpoint.
- 32. The system of claim 28 wherein the gateway uses the control channel to request a copy of the user data from an endpoint, receives a copy of the user data from the endpoint, sends an acknowledgement to the endpoint that the user data has been received, and stores the user data received from the endpoint.
- 33. The system of claim 28 wherein a first endpoint modifies the user data, uses a control channel to set an archive flag to the on position, and sends a copy of the modified user data to the gateway; and,
wherein the gateway uses the control channel to send an acknowledgement to the first endpoint that the modified user data has been received.
- 34. The system of claim 28 wherein the endpoint uses the control channel to request user data from the gateway, receives the copy of the user data from the gateway, and sends an acknowledgement to the gateway that the user data has been received.
- 35. The system of claim 28 wherein a first endpoint loses its copy of user data stored in local memory, uses a control channel to request user data from the gateway, and sends an acknowledgement to the gateway in response to receiving a copy of the user data from the gateway.
- 36. The system of claim 26 wherein the endpoint periodically transmits user data to the gateway for backing up; and,
wherein the gateway updates stored user data in response to the periodic transmissions from the endpoint.
- 37. The system of claim 19 wherein the endpoint is selected from the group of devices including hardwired devices, wireless devices, telephones, fax machines, video telephones, multifunction peripherals (MFCs), and computers.
- 38. The system of claim 19 wherein the gateway supplies the endpoint with an initial start-up configuration of user data.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/312,367, filed Aug. 14, 2001.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60312367 |
Aug 2001 |
US |