Patent ID: 7082460

Claim:
A method performed by a gateway that is in a communication path between a device and a network, comprising: obtaining data relating to the device, the data being non-address data that distinguishes the device from other devices to which the gateway communicates; transmitting the data to a server on the network; receiving configuration information from the server, the configuration information comprising customized information relating to the device that is based on the data; and configuring the gateway using the configuration information, wherein the gateway is configured in accordance with the configuration information to alter operation of the gateway and thereby enable the gateway to perform one or more functions that are specific to the device, the one or more functions comprising an action that the gateway performs on the device to obtain information from the device and to report that information to a third party over the network; wherein the gateway stores configurations for other devices to which the gateway communicates, the configurations comprising actions that the gateway performs on the other devices, the actions that the gateway performs on the other devices being independent of, and different from, the action that the gateway performs on the device.