Patent ID: 8538404

Claim:
A method for configuring a user-configurable device, the method comprising: providing user-prespecified configuration preferences to a user-configurable device, the providing comprising: obtaining user-prespecified configuration preferences and storing the user-prespecified configuration preferences in an account database accessible by a configuration server, the user-prespecified configuration preferences comprising at least one service change required by a third party service provider to the user-configurable device, the third party service provider being separate from the configuration server, and the user-configurable device employing a service of the third party service provider; receiving by the configuration server an individual user's identification from the user-configurable device to be configured, the configuration server being separate from the user-configurable device and servicing a plurality of users, and the individual user's identification identifying the individual user of the user-configurable device of the plurality of users; accessing by the configuration server the account database and using the individual user's identification to retrieve, for the identified user, that user's user-prespecified configuration preferences for use in configuring the user-configurable device; forwarding by the configuration server the retrieved, user-prespecified configuration preferences from the account database to the user-configurable device for use in automatically configuring the user-configurable device pursuant to the user-prespecified configuration preferences; and automatically contacting by the configuration server the third party service provider to the user-configurable device with the at least one service change required by the third party service provider pursuant to the retrieved, user-prespecified configuration preferences forwarded to the user-configurable device, and implementing via the third party service provider the at least one service change required pursuant to the retrieved, user-prespecified configuration preferences.