Abstract:
A broadband gateway, which enables communication with a plurality of devices, handles at least one physical layer connection to at least one corresponding network access service provider. The broadband gateway determines network channel conditions for a requested service and identifies a user profile for a requesting device. The broadband gateway negotiates a service profile for the requested service with the at least one network access service provider based on the determined network conditions and the identified user profile. Content may be acquired and received for the requested service from the at least one network access service provider utilizing the negotiated service profile. The broadband gateway aggregates and assembles the received content. The resulting assembled content is communicated to the requesting device for the requested service. The broadband gateway may relay content among peer devices. Content conversion may be performed during the relay communication to match user profiles of subsequent peer devices.
Abstract:
Aspects of a method and system for managing power consumption utilizing inter-gateway communication are provided. In this regard, a first broadband gateway residing in a first location may determine past, present, and/or expected power consumption of the first location. The gateway may receive, from one or more other broadband gateways residing in one or more other locations, information that enables determining past, present, and/or expected power consumption of the other location(s). The gateway may control power consumption of the first location by controlling a state of operation of devices residing in the first location. The gateway may determine aggregate power consumption of the first location and the other location(s). The gateway may control power consumption of the first location by enabling operation of one or more devices during periods of lower aggregate power consumption and disabling operation the devices during periods of higher aggregate power consumption.
Abstract:
Aspects of customized delivery of content by a broadband gateway are provided. A broadband gateway may be operable to determine one or more characteristics of acquired content. The gateway may be operable to determine, based on the determined characteristics, whether the acquired content may be compatible with a device. In instances that the acquired content is not compatible with the device, the gateway may transcode the acquired content to make it compatible with the device. The one or more characteristics may comprise an identity or a type of a provider associated with the acquired content, a quality of the acquired content, power consumption associated with communicating the acquired content to a destination device, or power consumption associated with presenting or otherwise processing the acquired content on a destination device.
Abstract:
A broadband gateway may be used to authorize transactions associated with one or more accounts, which may be associated with a user of the broadband gateway. The transaction may be handled by the broadband gateway. The authorizations may be performed based on information associated with the accounts, whose storage may be controlled by the broadband gateway. The broadband gateway may block and/or terminate transactions failing authentication and/or validation, which may be performed based on the stored information. The transactions may be initiated within a network serviced by the broadband gateway. The transactions may also be initiated outside the serviced network. The stored information may comprise a user profile, which may comprise a plurality of settings for controlling and/or managing authorization performed by the broadband gateway. The user profiles may be configurable by users, wherein configuration may comprise initializing and/or modifying one or more of the transaction related settings.
Abstract:
A method and system are provided in which a broadband gateway may be operable to handle at least one physical layer connection to at least one corresponding network access service provider. The broadband gateway may receive content and associated metadata through the at least one network access service provider. The broadband gateway may determine, based on the received metadata and on one or more rules associated with a user profile, whether to enable access to at least a portion of the received content by a device connected in a peer-to-peer configuration with the broadband gateway. The broadband gateway may communicate to such device an indication that at least a portion of the received content is available for sharing. The metadata may comprise rating information, copyright information, language information, and privacy rules. The rating information may be modified based on information received by the broadband gateway from other users.
Abstract:
A broadband gateway, which enables communication with a plurality of devices, may be operable to identify an energy efficient certified device from the plurality of devices. The broadband gateway may handle at least one physical layer connection to at least one corresponding network access service provider. Information related to the identified energy efficient certified device, including usage information of the device, may be communicated to one or more entities. The broadband gateway may acquire the usage information of the energy efficient certified device by monitoring whether the device is operating in an energy efficient mode. The broadband gateway may obtain a credit and/or a reward from the one or more entities based on the usage information of the energy efficient certified device. The broadband gateway may deposit the credit and/or the reward to an account associated with the energy efficient certified device.
Abstract:
A gateway (e.g., a broadband gateway), which enables communication with a plurality of devices and handles at least one physical layer connection to at least one corresponding network access service provider, may be operable to receive one or more programs in preview formats from one or more program sources. Each of the one or more programs may be specified in a list. The programs specified in the list may be from different program sources. The broadband gateway may process the received one or more programs in the preview formats for presentation to one or more of the plurality of devices. The processed one or more programs in the preview formats may be communicated by the broadband gateway to the one or more of the plurality of devices, via a programming guide, for program preview by one or more users during program selections from the list.
Abstract:
A broadband gateway may provision services requested in a home network managed and/or serviced by the broadband gateway by a user associated with the broadband gateway, based on determination of criteria related to the requested service. The requested service may comprise obtaining and/or delivering content for consumption by one or more of a plurality of devices serviced by the broadband gateway in the home network. The criteria may comprise device related data, user preference related information, service performance related parameters, payment related information, and/or energy use related information. The broadband gateway may store information associated with the determined criteria. Provisioning requested services may comprise negotiating with at least one remote resource that may support at least a portion of the requested service. The negotiation may comprise brokering and/or arbitrating a plurality of options of remote resources utilized for providing the at least a portion of the requested service.
Abstract:
A method and system are provided in which a content request may be received by a broadband gateway from a device connected to the broadband gateway through a home network. The broadband gateway may select content that corresponds to the request from content that is available through a network access service provider and/or from other devices in the home network. The selection of the content corresponding to the request may be based on capability information of the device. The selection may be based a bandwidth to transfer the content within the home network to process the content.
Abstract:
A broadband gateway, which enables communication with a plurality of devices, may be operable to identify an energy efficient certified device from the plurality of devices. The broadband gateway may handle at least one physical layer connection to at least one corresponding network access service provider. Information related to the identified energy efficient certified device, including usage information of the device, may be communicated to one or more entities. The broadband gateway may acquire the usage information of the energy efficient certified device by monitoring whether the device is operating in an energy efficient mode. The broadband gateway may obtain a credit and/or a reward from the one or more entities based on the usage information of the energy efficient certified device. The broadband gateway may deposit the credit and/or the reward to an account associated with the energy efficient certified device.