Patent ID: 8352612

Claim:
A method of device-service affiliation via Internet video link, comprising: receiving, at an Internet video link (IVL) server, a registration request message from an IVL device for affiliation with a service provider via an IVL communication feature hosted by the IVL server, where the IVL communication feature utilizes an IVL communication module to provide a communication interface with the service provider and the service provider comprises one of a device manufacturer of the IVL device and an audio/video content provider; registering the IVL device with the IVL communication feature; sending a registration response message to the IVL device acknowledging the affiliation with the service provider via the IVL communication feature; receiving an IVL device feature inquiry message associated with an operational feature of the IVL device; determining a solution source of an answer to the IVL device feature inquiry message; in response to determining that the solution source comprises a repository storage location that stores information associated with the operational feature: sending a link to the repository storage location to the IVL device; and in response to determining that the solution source comprises a service provider consumer support agent associated with the service provider: forwarding the IVL device feature inquiry message associated with the operational feature of the IVL device to the service provider consumer support agent IVL device associated with the service provider consumer support agent; sending a link to the service provider consumer support agent IVL device associated with the service provider consumer support agent to the IVL device; and instructing the IVL device to open a dialog box at the IVL device associated with the IVL communication feature for communication between the registered IVL device and the service provider consumer support agent.