Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L9/00—Cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communications; Network security protocols
  • H04L9/40—Network security protocols
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L12/00—Data switching networks
  • H04L12/28—Data switching networks characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks]
  • H04L12/2854—Wide area networks, e.g. public data networks
  • H04L12/2856—Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access
  • H04L12/2869—Operational details of access network equipments
  • H04L12/287—Remote access server, e.g. BRAS
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L67/00—Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications
  • H04L67/34—Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications involving the movement of software or configuration parameters 
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L69/00—Network arrangements, protocols or services independent of the application payload and not provided for in the other groups of this subclass
  • H04L69/30—Definitions, standards or architectural aspects of layered protocol stacks
  • H04L69/32—Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
  • H04L69/322—Intralayer communication protocols among peer entities or protocol data unit [PDU] definitions
  • H04L69/329—Intralayer communication protocols among peer entities or protocol data unit [PDU] definitions in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
  • G06F8/00—Arrangements for software engineering
  • G06F8/60—Software deployment
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L67/00—Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications
  • H04L67/50—Network services
  • H04L67/75—Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Definitions

• the present invention relates to the field of systems comprising the network of an operator and terminals.
• the network of the operator delivers services to subscribers. Subscribers have access to these services from user interfaces that endow terminals.
• the services provided by the operator are, for example, TV broadcasting, voice over IP, internet browsing, etc.
• the present invention more specifically deals with cases where a gateway device is disposed between the operator's network and the terminal or terminals of the same subscriber.
• a gateway device For example, for the same subscriber, two PCs (Personal Computer) fixed, a laptop PC, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) are connected via a LAN to the gateway device.
• PCs Personal Computer
• laptop PC Personal Computer
• PDA Personal Digital Assistant
• the gateway device On a request by the user to access the services provided by the operator and established from the user interface of the terminal used by the user, the gateway device sets up a communication channel between the network of the user. operator and the user, by which the latter has access to the services.
• the gateway device does not have a user interface allowing a user to use the services provided by the operator. This only takes place from the user interfaces of the terminals.
• a gateway device comprises among others a set of software applications. Some of these software applications are executed for example when establishing a communication channel required by a user. Others concern exchanges between the operator's network and the gateway device itself, regardless of the operator's consultation of the services. For example, they relate to maintenance operations or to the configuration of the gateway, in particular to fix the characteristics of the channel to be established (speed, maximum allowed failure threshold, etc.).
• the operator of the service network is obliged to regularly download on gateway devices in place at subscribers' new software applications, or software application updates already installed. For example, such downloads can be made to be able to then deliver to subscribers new services, such as Broadband Internet etc.
• the gateway devices may, depending on the circumstances, belong to the network operator or subscribers. In a system with a homogeneous fleet of gateway devices, all these devices belong either to the subscribers or to the operator. In a system with a heterogeneous network of gateway devices, part of the gateway devices belongs to the subscribers, another part belongs to the operator.
• the present invention proposes, according to a first aspect, a method of software update of a system comprising a network of an operator delivering services to users, and at least one local network.
• Each local network comprises at least one terminal with a user interface, which allows communication with a user of said terminal.
• Each local network further comprises a gateway device connected to the operator's network and establishing, at the request of the user of a terminal of said local network, a communication channel between the network of the operator and the user. The communication channel thus established enables the user to access the services delivered on the operator's network.
• the gateway device has no user interface for accessing these services and includes a set of software applications.
• the method includes at least one step of updating the set of software applications on the gateway device of a local area network. This update step comprises at least one preliminary step during which an event is triggered to transmit, on a communication channel established following a user request, a message relating to this update and to communicate the message. auditing the user through the terminal user interface.
• the method further comprises a download step during which an update of the set of software applications is downloaded to the gateway device.
• Such a method thus makes it possible to carry out the software updates downloaded by the operator in gateway devices, within systems with a heterogeneous or homogeneous network of gateways, by making it possible to inform subscribers and / or by asking them for their agree on this update.
• updating the software application set of the gateway device is meant the downloading of one or more new software applications to the device, or the download update of one or more software applications already present in the gateway device, or remotely controlled removal of one or more software applications present on the device.
• the method includes one or more of the following:
• the message is a request for the user's agreement to update the software application set of the LAN gateway device
• the update of the software application set of the gateway device takes place only after communication of the agreement of the user entered from the user interface of the terminal and transmitted via the communication channel. communication;
• the software application set of the gateway device will be updated even without the user's consent; an identification of the user is also carried out during the communication of the agreement;
• the services delivered by the operator include the Internet connection; - The update of the software application set of the gateway device is done automatically.
• the invention proposes a software update module for a system comprising a network of an operator delivering services to users, and at least one local network.
• Each local network comprises at least one terminal with a user interface for communication with a user of said terminal, and a gateway device connected to the operator's network.
• the gateway device establishes, at the request of the user of a terminal of the local network, a communication channel, between the network of the operator and the user, allowing the access of the user to the services delivered on the network of the operator.
• the gateway device has no user interface for accessing these services and includes a set of software applications.
• The. Update module according to the invention comprises means for implementing a method according to the first aspect of the invention.
• a system 1 comprises the network 2 of a service operator delivering to its subscribers different services according to the options chosen by them.
• the network 2 of the operator comprises a plurality of computer servers S adapted to render all services. It further includes application delivery servers Sa, configuration file servers Sc and mail sm servers.
• the operator delivers services to a plurality of subscribers.
• Each subscriber has a local network RL.
• a local area network RL includes a gateway P and at least a user terminal T.
• the gateway P of a local network has a link with the operator network 2. This link allows exchanges between the operator network 2 and the gateway P of a local network and contributes to the provision of services to the subscriber.
• Each gateway P has a number of software applications necessary for its operation. This set of software applications will be named globally "A”.
• the gateway P of a local network is also connected to each terminal of the local network.
• the operator network 2 also comprises a server 4 with which the gateways P1 ... Pn are in regular contact. This consultation enables the operator network 2 to regularly provide the gateways with instructions relating to the loading operations of software applications by the application server Sa, to the configuration modifications to be made by the configuration server, and so on. necessary for the smooth running of the network 2
• the user terminals are provided at least for some of them with a user interface.
• a user of a local network requires, through the user interface of a terminal, access to a subscribed service. Following this request, exchanges relating to the verification of the rights of the subscriber take place between the gateway P and the operator network 2, then if necessary, the gateway P establishes a communication channel between the subscriber and the network 2 , allowing the provision of the required service to the user.
• the local networks RL-i, RL2 ... RL n of n subscribers have been represented.
• the network RL1 comprises four terminals T11, T12, T13 and T14.
• the network RL1 further comprises the gateway P1.
• the terminal T11 is a fixed PC
• the terminal T12 is a portable PC
• the terminal T13 is a PC with a headset and a microphone.
• the terminal T14 is a printer.
• the subscriber corresponding to the local network RL1 benefits from Internet browsing and telephony services provided by the network operator 2.
• the gateway P1 comprises software applications grouped under the name A1. It is for example connected to each of the terminals with a Wi-Fi link.
• the gateway P1 belongs to the subscriber of the network RL1.
• the network RL2 comprises two terminals T21 and T22 and a gateway P2.
• the terminal T21 is for example a fixed PC.
• the terminal T22 is a PDA.
• the PC T21 is for example connected to the P2 gateway by a wired link while the PDA T22 is connected to the P2 gateway with a Bluetooth connection.
• the P2 gateway includes software applications grouped under the name A2. It belongs to the network operator.
• an information message relating to an upcoming loading on the gateways of a new version of a residual application is prepared in the messaging server Sm of the network of the operator 2.
• the gateways P1 to Pn, during the exchanges with the server 4 are caused to be configured by the configuration servers Sc so that the information message is presented to the next user of each local network that will request access to the services of the operator.
• This configuration includes in particular the recording, in a nonvolatile memory that the gateway has, of the address of the message to be presented, the message being stored in the mail server Sm of the network of the operator 2.
• the configuration of the gateway may include recording, in a memory (volatile or nonvolatile) of the gateway, the message to present itself.
• the time of launching the update will be decided exclusively by the operator.
• the update will be performed by downloading from the Sa application server to the gateways PL..Pn, the software application. Following this download, the set of software applications Ai, ... An of each gateway is updated.
• the information may be communicated only once, and this on the terminal of the user on which the first access to services took place after the launch of the information operation by the operator. On the contrary, it can be communicated only once, but on all terminals through which access to services is available. In one embodiment of the invention, the information may be communicated during each access to services during a given period and so on.
• the communication of the information message can be done in forms adapted to the required services: for example a voice message on the terminal T13.
• the network operator in another embodiment of the invention, the network operator
• a first message and a second message are prepared in the messaging server Sm of the network of the operator 2.
• the first message is an information and request message of agreement intended for the users of the local networks whose gateway belongs to the subscribers and the second message is an informational message only to users of local networks whose gateway belongs to the operator.
• the first message must be sent to the gateway P1 and that the second message must be sent to the P2 gateway when accessing the services of the network 2 by a user.
• the communication of the messages to the users will be realized according to what has been exposed above
• a user of the local area network P1 when accessing the services of the operator thus sees a dialogue window open on the user interface of his terminal displaying the information message and request agreement.
• Concerning the update of the software applications A1 appearing on the gateway P1 he can validate his agreement or announce his refusal by validating the appropriate fields of the open window. Then its response is transmitted towards the network 2 via the communication channel.
• the update may be according to his immediate choice or postponed.
• the immediate download of the new software application is for example proposed to each access of a user. Then it is finally triggered automatically at a maximum date and time defined by the operator, on the gateways belonging to the operator. For example, at a given date, the updating of the software applications A2 residing in the P2 gateway of the local network RL2 is carried out by downloading from the network, whether the users of the local network have read the message or not. In addition, the download is not made on the gateways belonging to the subscribers who refused or did not provide their agreement.
• the download on a gateway belonging to a subscriber of the new software application is triggered upon receipt of the agreement of the subscriber in response to the request for agreement.
• the sending by the user of his agreement towards the network 2 may be conditioned by the identification and authentication of the user (to prevent for example that the children of a subscriber 'accept by validating the message without notifying the subscriber).
• system 1 may comprise several networks of service operators and the invention may be implemented using the same gateway device of a subscriber in the context of exchanges between the service provider. subscriber and one or more of these operator networks.
• Selective downloads based on one or more criteria such as subscribed services or other parameters characterizing the user profile or the technical characteristics of the gateway can also be implemented.
• a software update method as presented above thus makes it possible to download software applications on gateway devices even in a heterogeneous park of such devices, by making it possible to inform the subscribers and / or collect their data. agree for these changes.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Computer Security & Cryptography (AREA)
• Information Transfer Between Computers (AREA)
• Data Exchanges In Wide-Area Networks (AREA)
• Stored Programmes (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

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Family Cites Families (8)

• 2004
  • 2004-06-09 FR FR0406243A patent/FR2871638A1/fr active Pending
• 2005
  • 2005-04-01 WO PCT/FR2005/000800 patent/WO2006005818A1/fr not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2005-04-01 CN CN200580017820.0A patent/CN1965556B/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2005-04-01 BR BRPI0511507-8A patent/BRPI0511507A/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2005-04-01 JP JP2007526481A patent/JP2008502063A/ja active Pending
  • 2005-04-01 US US11/628,936 patent/US20070243861A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2005-04-01 EP EP05750014A patent/EP1754360A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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