Patent ID: 8369326

Claim:
A gateway device for operation at a user premises to provide and manage services of one or more endpoint devices associated with the gateway device, the gateway device comprising: a first interface for enabling bi-directional network layer communications within the premises, with one or more of the endpoint devices; a second interface for enabling bi-directional network layer communications for the one or more endpoint devices via a wide area network, and for enabling bi-directional communications with a remotely located application service management center external to the premises via the wide area network; a processor coupled to the first and second interfaces; storage coupled to the processor for storing programming related to a plurality of application services, the storage logically positioned on the user premises side of a logical demarcation between the wide area network and the user premises, wherein, for each application service, execution of the programming by the processor causes the gateway device to provide functions in relation to a respective service for the one or more endpoint devices, said functions including: (1) application server communication with client functionality between one or more endpoint devices, for the respective service, communicated on top of network layer communications of one or both of the first and second interfaces; (2) enforcement regarding authorization, authentication, configuration, or use of the respective service by the one or more endpoint devices; (3) management of the application service based upon the communications with the remotely located application service management center via the wide area network; and (4) determination of the availability of application specific resources based on a request by one of the end point devices for gateway services and managing the resources such that the request can be implemented without negatively impacting other gateway services concurrently accessed by other endpoints via a local area network.