Patent ID: 7360078
Filing Date: 2008-04-15
Classification: H04L,H04N

Abstract:
1. A method of authenticating communication between a receiver/decoder and a remote device for providing access to a network, the method comprising: authenticating the communication using an unique identifier that identifies the receiver/decoder, wherein the unique identifier is based on a subscription for broadcast services of the receiver/decoder; wherein the receiver/decoder indirectly accesses the network to obtain internet services via a gateway interposed between the receiver/decoder and the remote device, and wherein the unique identifier authenticates the communication with the gateway, wherein low-level communication between the receiver/decoder and the gateway is performed using a message structure comprising a gateway protocol version a command identifier that identifies a type of the message, wherein the type of the message defines the at least one parameter included in the message, and a data length indicating an overall length of the least one parameter, wherein the at least one parameter identifies the remote device and comprises data to be communicated to the remote device for purposes of obtaining the internet services, wherein the internet services are associated with a subscription for access to internet services and wherein the broadcast services subscription and the internet services subscription are linked such that the broadcast and internet services subscriptions are managed together, wherein the linked internet and broadcast subscriptions are used to obtain both internet services and broadcast services, wherein the network is associated with corresponding network protocols, and data output from the receiver/decoder is converted into data compliant with the network protocols by the gateway interposed between the receiver/decoder and the remote device, and wherein the network comprises a plurality of remote devices, wherein said converted data is communicated by the gateway to one of the plurality of remote devices as specified in said data, wherein a communication channel is established between the receiver/decoder and the one of the plurality of remote devices.