US20200169771A1

US20200169771A1 - Device Provisioning

Info

Publication number: US20200169771A1
Application number: US16/526,437
Authority: US
Inventors: Kevin Taylor; Richard M. Woundy
Original assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC
Current assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC
Priority date: 2004-04-05
Filing date: 2019-07-30
Publication date: 2020-05-28
Also published as: US8595758B2; US20100228838A1; CA2562180C; US20070209052A1; US10412433B2; US7827573B2; WO2005096767A2; WO2005096767A3; CA2562180A1; US20140053184A1

Abstract

A method and system of provisioning a set-top box (STB) with a STB provisioning system are provided which include storing STB profile information in a provisioning datastore, receiving a customer order at a service provisioning system, notifying a billing system of the customer order, and notifying a conditional access system of the customer order. The method and system further include storing information from the customer order in a provisioning datastore, notifying a video device manager about the STB, and delivering a cable operator configuration message from the video device manager to the STB, the configuration message being based on information from the provisioning datastore, thereby provisioning the STB without essential involvement of the conditional access system.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/062,503, filed Oct. 24, 2013, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/785,190, filed May 21, 2010, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/599,498, filed Sep. 29, 2006, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,827,573 issued on Nov. 2, 2010, which is a national phase filing of international application No. PCT/US05/011481 filed Apr. 5, 2005, which claims priority to U.S. provisional application No. 60/559,554 filed Apr. 5, 2004, the entire disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a method and system for provisioning a set-top box (STB). The invention further relates to content distribution networks for audio and video programming that involve conditional access systems and set-top boxes.

Background Art

In a traditional STB provisioning system, the billing system provides all order functionality, and the conditional access controller provides all STB authorization and configuration management functionality. More specifically, any STB configuration parameters must be supported by the conditional access controller software and signaling protocols. This arrangement, although suitable in many applications, limits flexibility in deploying new services that involve the STB.
There are also traditional high speed data provisioning systems. These high speed data provisioning systems tend to treat the devices being provisioned as commodity devices (for example, DOCSIS cable modems). As such, these traditional high speed data provisioning systems do not differentiate among devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved method and system for provisioning a set-top box (STB) that allows for greater flexibility in implementing STB features. The invention comprehends arrangements that enable STB provisioning independently of the conditional access system. In this way, some STB configuration parameters may be configured without requiring support from the conditional access controller software and signaling protocols. This provides greater flexibility at the STB. This also allows the provisioning system to differentiate among STB devices.
In carrying out the invention, a method and system for provisioning an STB are provided. Comprehended features include enabling common provisioning of STBs independently of the conditional access system, incorporating hardware and software profile information (including, for example, product certification) for STBs manufactured by one or more vendors, and accepting customer orders from retail affiliates and/or user activation websites.
At a more detailed level, the invention involves various different aspects. A method and system for provisioning an STB utilize a STB provisioning system. The system receives STB profile information, STB certification information and STB customer orders. It is appreciated that the information and orders received by the system may be presented in any suitable way. The STB profile information and STB certification information are preferably instantiated as XML formatted documents. An STB profile import tool imports the STB profile information and STB certification information. The imported information is stored in a provisioning datastore.
The STB customer orders are preferably instantiated as XML formatted documents. A service provisioning system receives the STB customer orders.
A number of provisioning activities take place after an STB customer order is received. In more detail, the service provisioning system checks the customer order and notifies the billing system. The billing system notifies the conditional access controller. In an alternative, the service provisioning system directly notifies the conditional access controller. Information relating to the STB device and customer order is stored in the provisioning datastore. The device manager and video device manager are notified about the STB device.
The video device manager delivers the cable operator information to the STB in the customer's home. Any suitable delivery mechanism may be used to deliver the configuration to the STB from the video device manager. Further, a preferred format for the configuration data uses XML.
It is appreciated that the invention comprehends a collection of innovations that may be used together in various arrangements to achieve STB configuration/provisioning independently of the conditional access mechanism. Many various implementations of the concepts of the invention are possible.
It is appreciated that the various components discussed herein including the STB profile import tool, provisioning datastore, service provisioning system, billing system, conditional access controller, video device manager and IP device manager may be implemented in any suitable way as appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the relevant art. For example, various software and hardware devices may be utilized in the implementation of the components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a STB provisioning system according to the present invention with the service provisioning system interacting with the conditional access controller via the billing system;

FIG. 2 illustrates a method of the invention; and

FIG. 3 illustrates a STB provisioning system according to the present invention with the service provisioning system interacting directly with the conditional access controller.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIGS. 1-3 illustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention. Accordingly, these detailed features are the preferred features, and other embodiments consistent with the concepts of the invention are possible.
FIG. 1 illustrates a STB provisioning system 10 that enables configuration of STBs 26 independently of the STB conditional access (CA) system 12. System 10 includes STB profile import tool 14, provisioning datastore 16, service provisioning system 18, device manager 20, and video device manager 22. Billing system 24 and STB 26 are also shown.
There are at least three sources of input into the STB provisioning system 10, namely, STB profile information, STB certification information and STB customer orders.
Profile information may include generic make and model identification, hardware and software image identification, available STB interfaces (for example, network, video, audio), hardware capabilities (for example, hard drive characteristics), and software capabilities (for example, multi-lingual support). The ultimate source of STB information is the manufacturer, although this information may be redistributed by others as appropriate.
STB certifications by CABLELABS and/or the cable operator may be granted to a particular STB hardware make/model and software image version. Certification may also be granted for a particular subset of interfaces and hardware/software capabilities that have been implemented in the STB 26. For the cable operator, certification may imply operator support for the generic and vendor-specific features in the STB profiles.
Customer orders may include customer address and contact information, device information (for example, make and model, serial number, MAC address, software image version), CABLECARD device information (if applicable), and a list of one or more cable operator services to enable for the STB 26 (for example, analog/digital tiers, premium channels, interactive services, Internet access). Customer orders may originate from retailer kiosks, affiliates, or a cable operator's own STB activation website for customer self-provisioning.
The STB profile information and STB certification information are instantiated as XML formatted documents (using a well-known XML schema definition that permits vendor extensions). These XML documents are transmitted to the operator as email attachments, as documents that are uploaded to a cable operator web portal, or as data in a web services API invocation (or any alternative EDI transaction). The XML documents are ultimately submitted to the STB profile import tool 14, which imports the XML document information with knowledge of the document source—for example, the import tool might ignore certification attributes in an STB profile XML document that was received from a previously unknown manufacturer. The STB profile information and STB certification information are stored in the provisioning datastore 16.
The STB customer orders are instantiated as XML over HTTPS posts to a cable operator web portal (HTTPS provides TLS authentication and encryption of the HTTP transport protocol). Unlike the STB profile information and STB certification information, the STB customer orders are processed in real-time (or in near real-time). The cable operator web portal forwards each STB customer order to the service provisioning system 18.
Once the service provisioning system 18 has received the customer order, a number of provisioning activities occur. As best shown in FIG. 2, at block 30, the service provisioning system 18 verifies that the customer order is syntactically correct. Further, the service provisioning system verifies the serviceability of the customer order, ensuring that the desired cable services are available at the customer's home location. The service provisioning system 18 also verifies that the STB device information (make, model, and software image version) corresponds to an approved, certified device, and verifies the CABLECARD device information (if applicable). With further reference to block 30, the service provisioning system 18 notifies the billing system 24 of the new customer order. The customer's desired cable operator services are translated to billing system rate codes or service codes (depending on the billing vendor). At block 32, the billing system 24 notifies the conditional access controller 12 of the new customer order. The rate codes or service codes are translated to authorizations in the conditional access system. At block 34, the service provisioning system 18 stores the STB device information (and CABLECARD device information, if applicable) and other customer order information in the provisioning datastore 16. At block 36, the service provisioning system 18 notifies the IP device manager 20 and video device manager 22 about the STB device 26 (and CABLECARD device, if applicable).
An alternative STB provisioning system is shown in FIG. 3, in which the service provisioning system 18 directly notifies (link 50) the conditional access controller 12 of the new customer order.
Referring again to FIG. 2, a key component in the STB configuration of the present invention is the video device manager (VDM) 22. The video device manager 22 delivers cable operator configuration to the STB 26 in the customer's home using XML over HTTP/HTTPS, as well as using XML over a UDP-based protocol (block 38).
The VDM messages use a well-known XML schema definition that permits vendor extensions, similar to the XML schema definition for STB profile information—this approach enables straightforward configuration of vendor-specific features in the vendor-specific portions of the STB profile. Additional information items in the XML configuration messages include SCTE 18 Emergency Alert Signaling (EAS) configuration of the STB geographical location (state_code, county_code, and county_subdivision), and possibly SCTE 65 Service Information (SI) configuration of the appropriate Master Guide Table for the STB (map_id) to enable multiple channel lineups. The authoritative source of the STB configuration information for the VDM 22 is the provisioning datastore 16, which has been previously populated by the service provisioning system 18.
There are at least three delivery mechanisms from the VDM 22 to the STB 26.
In a first mechanism, the VDM 22 uses bi-directional IP unicast messaging (e.g. XML over HTTPS) to send the configuration to the STB 26. This mechanism relies on a functioning bidirectional network between the VDM 22 and the STB 26, but it enables STB acknowledgment of the new configuration. The VDM 22 discovers the IP address of the STB 26 via DNS lookups (using the device serial number or MAC address as the DNS hostname), leveraging the DNS server within the IP Device Manager 20.
In a second mechanism, the VDM 22 uses uni-directional IP multicast messaging (e.g. XML over a UDP-based protocol) to send the configuration to the STB via a DOCSIS Set-top Gateway (DSG) Broadcast Tunnel. Because acknowledgments may be unreliable or non-existent, the VDM 22 sends such messages multiple times. All DSG-aware STBs receive such DSG Broadcast Tunnel messages, so each XML message encodes the unique device information (e.g. serial number or MAC address) corresponding to the intended message target.
In a third mechanism, at boot-time, the STB 26 requests configuration information from the VDM 22, assuming bidirectional IP unicast messaging (e.g. XML over HTTPS over TCP). The STB 26 discovers the DNS hostname (or IP address) of the VDM 22 from its DOCSIS initialization process (e.g. via a DHCP option or sub-option value). The VDM 22 determines the source STB 26 by reverse-resolving the source IP address into the DNS hostname (which refers to the device serial number or MAC address) via DNS lookups. By leveraging this message exchange, the STB 26 does not have to store its configuration information in nonvolatile storageZ—although leveraging NVRAM might provide more reliable service to the customer.
The targeted STB devices at this time for embodiments of the invention are proprietary DOCSIS STBs and OPENCABLE Advanced Host devices. In the former case, it is assumed that the proprietary STB software image includes a (lab certified) application that manages the XML protocol exchanges with the VDM 22. In the latter case, it is assumed that the OCAP Monitor App manages the XML protocol exchanges with the VDM.
In another aspect of the illustrated implementation, the video device manager 22 may enable Internet access on the STB 26, if the customer order includes a request for Internet service, and if the STB hardware/software profile indicates that the STB 26 includes an Ethernet and/or USB data port that has been certified for Internet operation. The video device manager 22 would include configuration information (in its XML over HTTP(S) or in its XML over UDP message) that signals the STB 26 to enable its Ethernet or USB data port, which may be electrically shut off by default. With the Ethernet/USB data port enabled, and with the appropriate DOCSIS configuration in the STB 26 (handled separately by the IP Device Manager 20), the customer can plug in a computer or game station and obtain Internet access.
It is appreciated that embodiments of the invention enable the cable operator to accommodate many new STB manufacturers and platforms, and to selectively partner with manufacturers to enable innovative STB features in a timely fashion. Embodiments of the invention ease the deployment of DOCSIS STBs (proprietary STBs and advanced hosts), and ease the deployment of standardized EAS and SI.
Embodiments of the invention have numerous advantages over a traditional provisioning system. Embodiments of the invention greatly enhance the cable operator's ability to configure new features on new STB vendor platforms. The video device manager 22 can support vendor-specific configuration parameters through provisioning datastore data and through server configuration.
Embodiments of the invention enable the cable operator to accommodate many new STB manufacturers that are offering many new STB interfaces and capabilities, while assisting the operator to track which interfaces and capabilities can be enabled and managed by the operator. Embodiments of the invention enable the cable operator to accept customer orders from consumer electronic retailers, rather than forcing the customer to call the operator directly. Embodiments of the invention enable the cable operator to configure SCTE 18 CEAS and SCTE 65 (SI) parameters in a standard fashion, independent of the conditional access system in place. Embodiments of the invention ease the integration of STB and DOCSIS device provisioning systems into one holistic provisioning system.
It is appreciated that embodiments of the invention are suitable for provisioning a retail STB but are also suitable for provisioning a leased STB or any other STB. Further, XML is appropriate for presenting information in embodiments of the invention but other techniques and formats could be used. It is also to be appreciated that the drawings illustrate examples for the implementation of the illustrated functionality but this is done only to facilitate an understanding of the concepts involved and one skilled in the art may implement a system or method in a variety of ways.
While embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it is not intended that these embodiments illustrate and describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, a service request for a first network device of a plurality of network devices, wherein the service request comprises a device identifier of the first network device; and

sending, by the computing device and to the plurality of network devices, a plurality of configuration messages comprising the device identifier, wherein at least one of the plurality of configuration messages is identifiable by the first network device based on the device identifier in the at least one of the plurality of configuration messages.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, device certification information relating to the first network device; and

verifying, by the computing device and based on the device certification information, that the first network device is a certified device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the service request or the plurality of configuration messages comprises an Extensible Markup Language (XML)-formatted document.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the service request for the first network device comprises receiving the service request from a web portal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of configuration messages comprise information signaling the first network device to enable an Ethernet data port of the first network device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of configuration messages further comprise a state code and a county code.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the device identifier comprises at least one of:

a device serial number associated the first network device; or

a media access control (MAC) address associated with the first network device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the plurality of configuration messages comprises sending the plurality of configuration messages via a Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification Set-top Gateway (DSG) Broadcast Tunnel.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the plurality of configuration messages comprises sending the plurality of configuration messages via uni-directional multicast messaging.

10. A system comprising:

a plurality of network devices comprising a first network device; and

a computing device,

wherein the computing device comprises:

one or more first processors; and

first memory storing first instructions that, when executed by the one or more first processors, cause the computing device to:

receive, for the first network device, a service request comprising a device identifier of the first network device; and

send, to the plurality of network devices, a plurality of configuration messages comprising the device identifier; and

wherein the first network device comprises:

one or more second processors; and

second memory storing second instructions that, when executed by the one or more second processors, cause the first network device to:

identify, based on the device identifier in at least one of the plurality of configuration messages, a response to the service request.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first instructions, when executed by the one or more first processors, cause the computing device to:

receive device certification information relating to the first network device; and

verify, based on the device certification information, that the first network device is a certified device.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the first instructions, when executed by the one or more first processors, cause the computing device to receive the service request for the first network device by:

receiving the service request from a web portal.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the second instructions, when executed by the one or more second processors, cause the first network device to:

enable, based on information in the response, an Ethernet data port of the first network device.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the device identifier comprises at least one of:

a device serial number associated the first network device; or

a media access control (MAC) address associated with the first network device.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the first instructions, when executed by the one or more first processors, cause the computing device to send the plurality of configuration messages by:

sending, via a Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification Set-top Gateway (DSG) Broadcast Tunnel, the plurality of configuration messages to the plurality of network devices.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the first instructions, when executed by the one or more first processors, cause the computing device to send the plurality of configuration messages by:

sending, via uni-directional multicast messaging, the plurality of configuration messages to the plurality of network devices.

17. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:

receive a service request for a first network device of a plurality of network devices, wherein the service request comprises a device identifier of the first network device; and

send, to the plurality of network devices, a plurality of configuration messages comprising the device identifier, wherein at least one of the plurality of configuration messages is identifiable by the first network device based on the device identifier in the at least one of the plurality of configuration messages.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the device identifier comprises at least one of:

a device serial number associated the first network device; or

a media access control (MAC) address associated with the first network device.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to send the plurality of configuration messages by:

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to send the plurality of configuration messages by: