Patent Application
20090055534
The present invention relates generally to tiered network structures for large consumer electronic (CE) device populations, such as but not limited to Internet-enabled TVs.
Consumer electronic (CE) devices such as televisions in the past have not required a network support structure. Instead, a TV, for instance, simply required a receiver and tuner in the proper frequency bands to receive signals from a broadcast or from a cable head end or satellite.
As understood herein, such non-computer consumer devices increasingly have become networked. For example, so-called Internet TVs not only receive conventional TV signals but also access the Internet as a way to increase the variety and numbers of programs that can be made available to a viewer.
As also understood herein, unlike computers, which have various forms of user input (keyboard, mouse, etc), many CE devices have simple interfaces which make entering a network address or location difficult. Thus, the present invention recognizes the desirability for CE devices that are intended to be networked to leave the factory with some knowledge of the network structure they will be communicating with. Moreover, such information typically can be expected to be hard-coded and unchangeable once production begins. However, the present invention critically recognizes that hard-coding in advance every possible network address that might be required during the lifetime of the CE device is problematic.
By creating a tiered network infrastructure, the amount of hard-coded information that must be stored on resource limited devices is reduced, allowing for maximum flexibility. The invention thus supports large populations of CE devices such as Internet-enabled TVs with a tiered network structure having a root node.
In one aspect, a single network address is provided at manufacturing time on a data storage of a CE device such as a TV having a model number. A user of the CE device can use the single network address to access a central information server (CIS), which informs the CE device, based at least in part on the model number or other device-specific information, of network addresses of, e.g., a news feed server and a video/music server.
In another aspect, a consumer electronic (CE) device such as a TV has a processor in a housing and a data storage in the housing and accessible to the processor. The storage contains a hard-coded network address of a centralized information server (CIS) accessible to the CE device over a wide area computer network to receive a list of resources available to the CE device.
In still another aspect, plural consumer electronic (CE) devices, each having a respective memory with a concierge network address stored therein, can access a centralized information server (CIS) accessible to a CE device over a wide area computer network and associated with the concierge network address. The CIS receives a model number or other device-specific information of the CE device and returns to the CE device a list of resources available to the CE device. The list can include network addresses for an update list server, a news link server, and a video/music list server. The update list server can provide the CE device with a list of current software available for download to the CE device. On the other hand, the news link server can provide the CE device with a list of news feeds available to the CE device, with the video/music list server providing the CE device with a list of video and/or music available to the CE device.
The list of resources provided by the CIS to the CE device preferably is based on the model number of the CE device and, if desired, on a geographic region of the CE device.
In specific embodiments, the CE device, using the list of resources from the CTS, may provide a model number of the CE device to the update list server, and the update list server in response can provide the CE device with a list of current software available for download to the CE device based on the model number. The list of current software may include network addresses of sites where updates can be obtained. The CE device can use a network address of a site where updates can be obtained to establish communication with the site and obtain software updates over the wide area computer network.
In some embodiments the news link server provides the CE device with a list of news feeds available to the CE device based on the model number. The list of news feeds may include network addresses of sites where news feeds can be obtained, and the CE device can use a network address of a site where news feeds can be obtained to establish communication with the site and obtain a news feed over the wide area computer network. In such embodiments, an entity associated with the site where news feeds can be obtained may pay remuneration to an entity associated with the CIS in response to the CE device obtaining a news feed from the site where news feeds can be obtained.
In some embodiments the video/music list server can provide the CE device with a list of video and/or music available to the CE device based on the model number. The list of video and/or music can include network addresses of sites where video and/or music can be obtained, and the CE device can use a one network address of a site where video and/or music can be obtained to establish communication with the site and obtain at least one video and/or music file over the wide area computer network. In such embodiments, the CE device may send account information to the video/music list server. In return, the video/music list server can provide an authorization token to the CE device. The token can be sent from the CE device to the site where video and/or music can be obtained. An entity associated with the site where video and/or music can be obtained can then bill an entity associated with the video/music link server in accordance with the token.
The details of the present invention, both as to its structure and operation, can best be understood in reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, and in which:
Referring initially to
As set forth further below, the CIS 22 provides CE products 12 with a list of network addresses where additional services can be found. The addresses can correspond to an update list server 24, which in turn can provide a list of addresses of update servers 25. In other words, the update list server 24 can itself maintain a list of updates, and if desired the update binaries may reside on a separate server 25 for added flexibility. The addresses provided by the CIS server 22 can also include the address of a news link server 26 and a video/music server 28. At least the update list server 24 and news link server 26 can be integrated into the CIS server 22 if desired. The news link server 26 can in turn provide lists of addresses of resource description framework (RDF) site summary (RSS) servers 30, while the video/music server 28 can in turn provide lists of addresses of video/music provider servers 32 at which music and/or video programs/files can be obtained.
With the above architecture in mind and as described further below, the CIS 22 recognizes a contacting CE device 12 and provides redirection to the various resources the device requires. Unlike the CIS 22 address that is permanently stored on the device 12, the resource list provided by the CIS 22 to the device 12 can be updated when a service must be relocated or updated, with no need for a software upgrade on the CE device 12. The list of resources the CIS 22 maintains may contain a single location per service, or the CIS 22 may keep a list of multiple locations per service. In this way, the CIS 22 can act as a software load balancer, localizer, and an automated failure solution by decisively choosing which address a particular device will receive in its server list.
The format of the above-mentioned lists can be proprietary or based on open standards. In one implementation, extensible markup language (XML) is used for the lists to provide an easily readable solution both to CE devices 12 and to developers of the system.
The communication protocol used in the below-described logic can be transmission control protocol (TCP), hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), extensible messaging and presence protocol (XMPP), or other appropriate protocol. Because many networks have firewalls that limit inbound and outbound traffic, the use of a standard port for communication (e.g., port 80) simplifies integration into the home or office environment. The servers mentioned above all contain respective processors and data stores.
Turning now to
In response, at block 36 the CIS 22 returns to the CE device 12 the above-discussed resource list in, e.g., XML. The resource list thus may be tailored to the model number of the CE device 12 and further, in some embodiments, to passively-supplied or actively-supplied information related to the device 12 such as, e.g., the geographic region of the device, rating preferences, and language preferences. The resource list is stored by the CE device 12 at block 38.
Now considering the update list server 24 and the logic of
Moving to
Proceeding to block 54, the CE device 12 automatically sends its model number and, in some embodiments, its geographic region to the news link server 26. This automatic transmission, which can be in HTTP, can be effected in response to the user making the selection at block 52. In response and based on the model number and if desired geographic region of the CE device 12, at block 56 the news link server 26 sends (via, e.g., XML) to the device 12 a list of news feeds and corresponding addresses of servers 30 at which desired news feeds may be obtained. The addresses may not necessarily be presented to the user, only the names of the news feeds. The user can select a news feed from the list at block 58 using, e.g., the remote commander 20 to obtain the news feed, which can be presented on the display 18. At block 60, the owner or other affiliate of the RSS server 30 from which the news feed is obtained can pay the owner or other affiliate of the CIS server 22 for the referral.
Concluding with
While the particular TIERED NETWORK STRUCTURE FOR LARGE CE DEVICE POPULATIONS is herein shown and described in detail, it is to be understood that the subject matter which is encompassed by the present invention is limited only by the claims.
