Provisioning a set-top box

摘要

A method of provisioning a set-top box (STB) with a provisioning server is disclosed. In the method, a provisioning request is received from a STB, where the provisioning request includes a provisioning stream identifier, an authorization server identifier, and a STB address. The provisioning server requests a provisioning system generate a configuration for the STB, where the configuration includes a channel map and basic code. The provisioning server receives the configuration from the provisioning system. The provisioning server prepares provisioning information, including the configuration for the STB and sends the provisioning information to the STB using the identifier for the STB.

主权项

1. A method of provisioning a set-top box (STB) via a provisioning server in a subscriber based cable television network, the provisioning server including a processor and a storage device, the method comprising:
receiving a provisioning request from the STB, wherein, at the time of receipt of the provisioning request from the STB, the STB is both unassigned to a subscriber account in the subscriber based cable television network and is unassigned to an authentication server in an authentication server database that identifies service authorizations associated with respective set-top-boxes, wherein the provisioning request includes:
a provisioning stream identifier and an authorization server identifier extracted by the STB from a broadcast stream upon tuning to the broadcast stream in the subscriber based cable television network, the provisioning stream identifier identifying a provisioning stream and the subscriber based cable television network, and the authorization server identifier identifying an authorization server able to determine a specific service authorization associated with the user premises, and a STB address including a unique addressable identifier that is determined by the STB; identifying, from the provisioning stream identifier and the STB address in the provisioning request, a virtual circuit established at a user premises linked to a specific service authorization; requesting a provisioning system to generate a configuration for the STB based on the specific service authorization, wherein the configuration includes a channel map and basic code; sending provisioning information to the STB including the configuration based on the specific service authorization using the provisioning stream identifier received in the provisioning request for provisioning the STB prior to assignment of the STB to a subscriber account, wherein services are accessible to the provisioned STB prior to the assignment of the STB to a subscriber account: and after provisioning information has been provided to the STB, determining a subscriber account for the STB corresponding to the specific service authorization with the subscriber based cable television network to provide services to the STB based on the subscriber account and the corresponding specific service authorization.